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"Sandy, I want you to call more changeups for James the rest of the season."
Broadway, Sandy and I all looked at Skip like he was ET or something.
"I know what you are thinking but here is the logic. First off, you don't want to throw your arm completely away before you turn 25. Second thing. Your pitches have good movement but lack control. More off speed stuff should cut down on walks."/
Sure, I thought. And replace them with 100 home runs.
"But, the most important reason. The parent club said to. Their scouts think that the change up can become your best pitch if you work on it."
And there it was.
The San Diego Padres wanted me to.
Just to let everyone know, the San Diego Padres were 55-48 at this point in 1985. 14 games behind the Dodgers.
Have I mentioned that I hate the Dodgers?
And just as a footnote, the team I was supposed to go to. The Spokane Indians were 14-22.
Anyways, the Padres still had me listed as their top prospect and had their people watching me close.
I had been dropped to fifth in the rotation. That didn't sit well with me either but I was more angry with my performance making that happen than I was the club making the move.
At this point, the only thing I was happy about was the money and that just made me sick. I really didn't want to become one of those guys.
Sandy, meanwhile, led the team in RBI.
The change in direction didn't do well against the Bakersfield Dodgers. Them again.
I gave up two home runs and 14 total hits in just 5.2 innnings. I left with us trailing 6-2 and we lost 7-2.
"Just keep at it, James," Broadway said. "Keep learning and you'll get there."
But where was there?
The manufacturing plant my dad had worked at until his motorcycle wreck?
I wondered if they still had a job opening for a terrible pitcher.
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