38 Year Old Former Cubs 1st Rounder - Who Hasn't Thrown A Healthy Pitch In 17 Years - Gassed 98mph At An Open Pro Tryout During Comeback

Here’s a cool story.

The Cubs drafted Luke Hagerty 32nd overall in 2002. He got injured immediately after and bounced around a few years trying to make a career. Obviously it didn’t work because you haven’t heard of him. Arm injuries forced him out of baseball in 2008 after posting a 10.13 ERA in 15 innings for the Schaumburg Flyers. So far this is pretty depressing.

You could see the depression in his signature.

From there Hagerty started training pitchers and blah blah blah. A decade goes by and nothing notable in his life happens. Just kidding I can’t say that for sure. But for dramatic effect just picture this guy sitting alone at night crying because his career never panned out. So he got up early every day and worked extra hard to get over the guilt and grief that comes with unfulfilled potential. Each day more painful than the day before until one day he reaches his breaking point. Luke Hagerty is getting back on the mound.

Honestly I have no idea if that’s how it happened but in the 11 years  between him getting released from the Schaumburg Flyers and January 10, 2019, Luke Hagerty found his stuff. The 38 Year Old threw at a tryout hosted by Driveline a few days ago and was gassing up 98.5 from the left side

Interesting enough, 98 from the left side is exceptionally rare. The list of lefties capable of pumping that kind of ched is short: Aroldis Chapman, Sean Newcomb, Josh Hader, Zach Britton, Eduardo Rodriguez and Caleb Ferguson. Mix in a couple more if you wish, but those are the big guns running 95+ consistently. Obviously anyone with that kind of talent is going to get a serious look.

With that, me and White Sox Dave are happy to announce that we will be doing steroids and hosting an open tryout next October in the alley behind Chicago HQ

I just asked WSD and he thinks he has 88-90 in the tank under these conditions. Personally I’m good for 93 with sink and arm-side run. Not getting ahead of ourselves just saying if Luke Hagerty can make a comeback and blast 98 then I think we can all make a comeback. I love the natural chip that goes on your shoulder just for talking about coming back. It’s a natural aphrodisiac.

2019. Huge comeback year.