From Phenom To The Farm

How does a once-heralded prospect rebuild body and mind? That's the focus of part two of our in-depth conversation with RHP Robby Rowland. We discuss how he rebuild his body and training methods after he was released, put himself back on the prospect radar, reaching unemployment, clawing back from indy ball to affiliated ball, and his ongoing quest to reach the big leagues after shoulder surgery.

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Robby Rowland is a professional pitcher, the son of a big leaguer and a third round pick out of high school. He has also, as he points out on his website, been labeled a bust, was traded less than two years into his big league career, released by the age of 22 and is currently a free agent. He discusses processing all that, including reclaiming his athletic identity and his desire to now help others who choose to forge a similar path to his, jumping directly into the deep waters of pro baseball as an 18-year-old high schooler.

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Luke Bailey knows the ebbs and flows of the draft cycle better than most. A high school catcher in the same draft class as Mike Trout, Bailey once had first-round potential and a commitment to Auburn. But Tommy John surgery hurt his draft stock. He fell to the fourth round, where the Rays nabbed him and signed him to an over-slot bonus. But the grind of the lower levels coupled with persistent injuries took their toll on Bailey. He discusses all of it, including his journey to pro ball and how he fell back in love with the game playing indy ball, in our latest episode.

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The pressures on most top-tier prep baseball prospects are immense. But when they're also seemingly destined to be a star quarterback, too? It's almost unthinkable. We talked with Josh Booty about life as a two-sport star -- first as a first-round MLB Draft pick, then an NFL pick as a QB -- about life as a big time prospect in both sports. Among the discussion points:

• Setting the draft bonus record
• His first ABs with wood bat were in pro ball
• Missing out on playing in Tiger Stadium (LSU) while playing in front of 0 people in instructs
• Starting Opening Day for the World Series champs
• Comparing the life of an MLB 1st rounder vs NFL 6th rounder
• Reality TV (The Next Knuckler) and the difference in Spring Training 20 years apart

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How quickly can a phone call change a prospect's life? Just ask J.P. Ramirez. We talked with the former Nats farmhand about how a last-minute pitch from the Nationals ultimately swayed Ramirez toward pro ball -- and out of his commitment to Tulane -- and jumpstarted his pro career. He’ll further detail the signing deadline that changed his life, dealing with front office upheaval when you’re a low-level prospect, speaking up about injuries, and life in non-affiliated professional baseball. Other talking points include...

• A story about a Friday night game starting after 1a.m.
• Parents/family pulling him in both directions about the college or pro decision
• Being afraid to speak up for himself as a young prospect about an injury
• Being released at 23
• Life in Indy ball/Mexico

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Our first guest is Eric O'Flaherty, who spent parts of 12 years in the big leagues. He candidly discusses his rocky transition to pro ball, detailing how he slowly learned how to be a professional after initially arriving as a self-described immature sixth rounder, his path to pro ball, what it was like to be drafted, dealing with a sudden influx of money, surprising things he learned about the journey and so much more. 'From Phenom To The Farm' chronicles the experience of high school draft picks, detailing the highs and lows, do's and don't's, and memorable stories from their time in the minors.

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Every year, MLB teams dish out bonuses -- sometimes multi-million dollar bonuses -- and entice high schoolers, some just days removed from graduating, to embark on professional careers. It begins a professional odyssey unlike any other among the major American sports, and rarely is the progression through the minors a smooth one. Our new series, 'From Phenom To The Farm,' hosted by Kyle Bandujo, speaks to both current and former professional baseball players about their journey through pro ball. They discuss adjusting to life on their own for the first time, handling money, learning professionalism, and other various aspects that a player encounters on their journey through the farm system. They’ll look back and provide insight on what they could’ve done, if anything, to be more prepared for life as a teenage professional athlete, and their opinions on what organizations should be doing to get the most out of their high school signees. Our first episode features lefty Eric O'Flaherty, who has logged nearly 500 innings across 12 big league seasons. Here's sneak peak of the episode.

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