Читать книгу Rage. The Legend of "Baseball Bill" Denehy онлайн

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Looking back now, my family and I made a mistake in dealing with the ball clubs. We thought if we used the threat of my going to college to play basketball against my signing a professional baseball contract, we could get more money. I told the baseball scouts all through the summer that I was considering going to college, and I suspect that some organizations questioned whether I was really serious about playing baseball.

It haunted me that my signing bonus was so low. Why? I kept asking myself. I had a great summer, a great year. What reason could it be? I pitched two no-hitters my junior year in American Legion. It was a full year of great pitching.

It isn’t fair. I’m not appreciated. Coach Sullivan didn’t appreciate me, and now the Mets weren’t showing me much appreciation for my skills with their middling offer.

Despite my deep disappointment, I still had a world of confidence in my ability. I was eighteen years old and I was on my way to the big leagues. When I arrived at the Mets’ Instructional League camp, I had a chip on my shoulder the size of a boulder. I asked myself, Why couldn’t I pitch tomorrow with the Mets?