SAN DIEGO — This is a timeless story of a neighborhood child who beloved his hometown baseball workforce.
He attended Grossmont Excessive within the San Diego suburb of El Cajon and grew up loving the Padres. He went to video games at Qualcomm Stadium, and by the point the workforce moved to
SAN DIEGO — This is a timeless story of a neighborhood child who beloved his hometown baseball workforce.
He attended Grossmont Excessive within the San Diego suburb of El Cajon and grew up loving the Padres. He went to video games at Qualcomm Stadium, and by the point the workforce moved to Petco Park, his household had season tickets.
These seats had been simply behind the right-field wall. Mark Kotsay as soon as threw him a baseball, and he cherishes that reminiscence dearly. Jake Peavy was his favourite participant, and he did his greatest to channel Peavy’s fireplace each time he took the mound. When he turned 18, he bought a tattoo of a baseball on his arm with an interlocking “SD.”
Now, this is the place that story will get attention-grabbing: That child grew to become a giant league beginning pitcher. And abruptly, he is been referred to as upon to assist his residence metropolis finish its championship drought.
Sure, in the end, Joe Musgrove is a San Diego Padre.
“It feels so particular, man,” Musgrove mentioned on his introductory video name Tuesday night time. “To be again in my hometown representing the town I grew up in, the place all my desires began, it is extraordinarily particular.”
Dwelling hits totally different. pic.twitter.com/w8JSR25W1y
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) January 20, 2021
Earlier within the day, the Padres had finalized their commerce for Musgrove — a three-team, seven-player swap that additionally concerned the Pirates and Mets. And whereas Musgrove already has a World Collection ring from his stint with the Astros, he made it clear that it might imply one thing totally different to win one in San Diego.
“Wherever you play, you are attempting to win a championship,” Musgrove mentioned. “However no championship would imply a couple of for my very own metropolis.”
Musgrove figured he’d be dealt this winter. The Pirates had been rebuilding, and he was a primary commerce candidate. Musgrove had two years remaining earlier than he hit free company and was coming off one in every of his greatest seasons. He determined to spend the offseason again in San Diego, awaiting phrase of the place he would land.
Musgrove knew the Padres had been in search of beginning pitching. However in late December, once they traded for Blake Snell and Yu Darvish, he primarily wrote off that risk — till this week, when a deal got here to fruition, and the Padres had added yet one more coveted arm to their steady of beginning pitchers.
Musgrove’s evaluation: “They are not messing round.”
No, they don’t seem to be. The Padres felt their competition window open in 2020. Of their first offseason as contenders, they’re ensuring it stays that method.
That is why — with a rotation already loaded with three aces and tons of depth — common supervisor A.J. Preller wasn’t content material to relaxation on his laurels. He needed one other large league starter, and he bought one with an enormous upside. The San Diego ties did not damage.
• Why Musgrove is a breakout candidate
“It is about getting items that match and the suitable guys from a expertise and make-up standpoint,” Preller mentioned. “However with Joe, being from San Diego, there is a motivation there, a man that is aware of the town. He is a Padre fan, he grew up there, and eager to win for his hometown membership — we considered that as a constructive.”
Maybe solely Musgrove’s dad and mom had been extra thrilled than he was. His mom — “full-blooded Sicilian,” Musgrove mentioned — will get to cook dinner for her son often once more. His father, in the meantime, hasn’t been capable of catch lots of Musgrove’s video games by the years.
“My dad’s had some well being points prior to now, which has partially handicapped him the place he simply has a troublesome time getting round, so he would not get to make it to almost as many video games as he want to,” Musgrove mentioned.
However Mark Musgrove was at all times there when his son pitched in San Diego. When followers are allowed again into Petco Park, he’ll be there once more. Actually, Joe Musgrove may need fairly the vocal cheering part.
“I’ve bought plenty of mates and lots of people that I grew up with and plenty of household which have excessive expectations for me in San Diego,” Musgrove mentioned. “I can promise you, they don’t seem to be any increased than the expectations that I’ve for myself right here. [Winning a World Series here] is the last word dream.”
Roughly the identical dream he had twenty years in the past. Besides Musgrove isn’t sitting in these right-field seats. He is on the mound.
From a #FriarFaithful within the stands to a Friar on the sphere.@ItsbuccnJoe59 pic.twitter.com/1ZrJuVJM5R
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) January 19, 2021
AJ Cassavell covers the Padres for MLB.com. Observe him on Twitter @ajcassavell.
