Derrick Goold wrote a piece (subscription necessary) in BaseballAmerica.com yesterday, with the subtitle: “Parise showing Cardinals everything he has.” The title – “Well-Traveled Reliever.”
Here is a part of the article:
By the end of the 2010 season, Parise will have been pitching, nearly uninterrupted, for 32 months. When he reported to his first major league spring training, Parise was only one week removed from facing hitters in the Caribbean World Series. He was a member of the all-tournament team there, having pitched for Puerto Rico and collected a 0.93 ERA in 10 innings before the tournament.
Since the start of the 2008 season, Parise has toured the hemisphere, playing in Iowa, Florida, Colombia, Missouri, Tennessee, Puerto Rico and then Venezuela for the Caribbean championship series.
His motivation wasn’t just sightseeing.
“I feel like I had to do it for where I came from,” Parise said. “I felt like it was something I had to do to put my name out there.”
The piece was published before Pete Parise received news yesterday that he was being sent down to Minor League Spring Training, after a long trip in Major League Spring Training. Parise was one of six players sent down, putting the Major League Spring Training roster at 31 players. The right handed pitcher came close to breaking camp with the Major League team, and I believe that we will all be watching him on TV playing for the St. Louis Cardinals in the near future.
It has been a very enjoyable journey for Pete and I this Spring Training. For Pete, he had the opportunity to experience Major League Spring Training for the first time in his life. He was extremely thankful for the opportunity. I will not forget Pete telling me almost every day, “Please don’t let them send me down.” He truly loved being on the MLB roster and did everything he could to help out the team, even when he was not in the game. At one point in MLB Spring Training, Pete led the Majors in saves, with 2. It was based on a small amount of games, but it was still nice to see him being used as a closer and the fact that Tony LaRussa had faith in my client.
I had the opportunity to go to quite a few of Pete’s games during Spring Training. What I loved most was the fact that when he wasn’t pitching, he was always the first person to offer to warm up the outfielders before the start of innings. He was always smiling, conversing with the fans, and signing autographs for old and young. That’s the type of guy that a team wants on its Major League roster. Especially when that player is also hitting mid-90s on the gun with a ridiculously sick sinker, nasty change-up, and solid slider. It is no wonder why I am in talks with equipment companies interested in sponsoring the young relief pitcher.
Pete’s time will come. And I will be right there as his biggest supporter (outside of his family).
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