Ryan Kulik was one step away from accomplishing his dream of pitching in the MLB, when in 2011, during spring training with the Cardinals, coaches suggested that he become a lefty specialist. Although he struck out 5 guys in two innings in his first outing, his arm started bothering him, and he started slowly but surely going downhill. He kept the pain to himself for some time, and surgery was the only solution when he finally spoke about it.

He alternated between Double and Triple-A teams for years, but he never lost his passion for the game. At the pandemic's beginning, he built his own version of Kinsella's Field of Dreams in his backyard, a batting cage that hosts dozens of local pro, minor league, college, and high school players daily. 

In this episode, we chat with Ryan Kulik, a man who never gave up on his dreams and found a way to turn destiny's whims into an opportunity to help and develop young baseball talents. Ryan kindly shared details of his experience at the St. Louis Cardinals, his feelings when he realized his dreams of playing in the big leagues were doomed, and how he handled them. We also go through his decision to become a college coach, The Complete Pitcher program, and why he decided to build a batting cage in his house. 

Some Questions I Ask:

• Could you talk about your experience with the Cardinals and how you hurt your arm? (4:43)
• When did the realization that you wouldn't play in the big leagues come to you? Was it right after the Cardinals released you? (10:20)
• You started a backyard renovation, which looks like a mini Field of Dreams. Did that happen because of COVID? Could you talk a bit about that and the players that go there every day? (21:24)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About the motivation to becoming a pro that came from a coach saying no to Ryan (3:58)
• Ryan's painful realization, and how he dealt with it (10:33)
• The massive gap between Double and Triple-A players and MLB players' salaries (24:21)
• About The Complete Pitcher program, how it started, its mission and evolution during the last couple of years (29:43)

Resources:

• The Complete Pitcher Instagram
• The Complete Pitcher Facebook
• The Complete Pitcher Twitter

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