9-News: 39.071 – Maybury Makes Push for #5

GM: Rob McMonigal

Moderator: Trebro

User avatar
RonCo
GB: JL Frontier Division Director
Posts: 19808
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2015 10:48 pm
Has thanked: 1981 times
Been thanked: 2901 times

9-News: 39.071 – Maybury Makes Push for #5

Post by RonCo » Mon Aug 19, 2019 11:45 am

Journeyman Makes Good

Image
As 2038 came to its close, journeyman minor leaguer Callum Maybury had a decision to make. He was 27 years old, and, after having spent time with the parent club a season before, found himself mired in Indianapolis, the Yellow Springs AAA affiliate, all season. And it was a fairly successful season: 12-10, with a respectable 4.19 ERA as his team won their division as well as their version of the Landis.

And, yet, the team had offered him only a minor league deal.

“I decided I couldn’t put my wife through this again, so I had to try something else,” he said. “It was either try the free agent market, or sell shoes.”

He chose the free agent market, and found it cold until the Nine gave him a call and offered him a $10K bonus over the standard minor league contract. He was planning to turn int down, but his wife told him to stick it one more season. “She understands dreams better than I do, I think,” Maybury says now. “She told me I’d be mad at myself if I didn’t give it another try, and that I’d neve know if an opportunity might have come up.”

With the Nine struggling for starters again toward the end of the year, that opportunity came in the form of what was supposed to be a 1-start call-up against Seattle, but when that start resulted in a quality outing that earned him his first big-league victory, it led to a second and arguably better start against Twin Cities in which Maybury’s line included 7.2 innings and two runs. Hence outing number three, which was arguably better still, six innings of 1-run ball against a tough Pacific opponent in Hawaii. So now he’ll get a fourth shot.

“May daddy always said if it ain’t broke, don’t break it,” said manager Bill Inkster. Maybury’s 2.29 ERA suggests nothing’s broke right now.”

Maybury, who hails from Australia, has been in the Nine organization since 2032, when he was drafted in the 15th round. His rise to AAA was steady, but nothing flashy. At times Nine insiders would talk about him, but never in the kinds of terms prospects really want to hear. He was good, they’d say in that way that meant something different. He grew his reputation as a crafty lefty with three solid pitches who could grind innings while keeping his team in games. If there are better core qualifications for slotting into the back end of a rotation, they probably haven’t been written.

“I’m just trying to enjoy myself,” Callum said after his last start. “My wife, Cindy, is talking to me every day about staying in the moment. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low. Just enjoy what the world is giving you when it comes, because these times are special. She’s great about these things.”

Yes, Callum Maybury, we’d say you’re pretty well spot-on about that.

In the meantime, Maybury is likely to make another start sometime in the California series.

After that?

Well, time will tell, won’t it?
GM: Bikini Krill
Nothing Matters But the Pacific Pennant
Roster

Return to “Yellow Springs Nine”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests