I haven't come close to watching nine full innings this year, but no matter how scummy the Boston Red Sox ownership group is, I'll always love the game. Thanks to a T-Mobile Tuesday promo, I have MLB.tv (that I haven't used because they block out local teams like it's 1965 NFL broadcasts..real smart move!) and get some notifications from the app that give me a general idea of what's going on around the league. I've contemplated biting the bullet and getting NESN360 to get back into the Sox (I do miss baseball), but I really don't wanna support those scumbags. It's such a joke that NESN isn't on YoutubeTV anymore.
Tonight was a special night in the 162 grind. Mark Appel, the first overall selection in the 2013 MLB Draft, made his Major League debut. For those of you looking for a Doz on my life-time-reference, I was 21 years old and a Junior at the University of Rhode Island when the Astros took Appel 1,1. To go full circle before diving into this remarkable story of perseverance, those mother fuckers at URI really tried to get more money out of me yesterday. At least wait until I'm #HIREDdozo.
But this is Mark's moment, and it was an awesome one. I didn't even realize he made a comeback until seeing his name on Twitter the other day. I had no clue he was even in the minors.
Due to injuries and underperforming, Mark Appel was out of baseball entirely in 2018. Some called him the biggest bust in MLB history. Quick dive into busts, I listened to the Ryan Leaf podcast aptly titled "BUST" earlier this year, and it's a must-listen. Busts are such a fascinating concept. You're still one of the top people in your field on the planet, but you also fucking stink and more than likely let a lot of people down (at least Appel got his money). That's a blog for another day, we're talking about tonight. Tonight, over nine years after getting drafted a spot before 2016 NL MVP Kris Bryant, Mark Appel finally appeared in a Major League game, pitching a scoreless 9th inning (with a strikeout) for the Phillies in a 4-1 loss.
I mean, this is just an incredible story of perseverance that had to get a DOL shoutout (it's now 2:55 am NBD). This tweet links to a thread explaining his journey and lessons he's learned along the way.
I respect tf out of Appel for grinding his way to the Majors after going down as one of the biggest letdowns in sports history. Most people don't give a fuck about the MLB Draft; it's not nearly as hyped up and commercialized as the NFL or NBA Drafts. Disappointments usually go pretty under the radar, but that was not the case with Mark Appel. Six picks after the Astros took Appel, the Red Sox drafted Trey Ball 7th overall; he still hasn't pitched in the big leagues, but like 98.9% of this country doesn't know he exists. If the 7th overall pick in the NFL Draft never played a down, he'd be a household name.
But anyway, it's late, and I'm getting off track. Don't get it twisted; I'm not shitting on Appel at all. I love this story. As someone chasing his writing dreams, I have nothing but respect for Mark Appel for not giving up. He's only 30, which everybody tells me is still young. Who's to say this story doesn't have an even happier ending with Appel playing long enough to get past arbitration? As for his actual production on the mound, I have no clue what he throws or if he'll stay in the bigs. His minor league numbers this year are pretty impressive: 1.61 era with a 0.93 whip in 28.0 innings. Look at me not even mentioning the 5-0 part first despite wanting to sooo badly. After his debut, Appel spoke with MLB Network to explain how this moment felt for him. Such a bummer his parents weren't there!
Congrats on making it to the show, Mark. You've got a fan in Ole Dozo.
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