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Reply to "Two-Way Player... becoming more common? Should it? Thoughts"

This makes me think of the recent ESPN profile of Michael Vick.  They had a quote from Bobby Bowden after his FSU team managed to outscore Va. Tech (with Vick) to win the bowl that (that year) determined the national championship.  Bowden, in his post-game presser, lavished praise on Vick, and also offered, "That's what your quarterback of the future is going to look like."

Except, not.  Why?  Because Michael Vick is a genetic freak of nature.  You can't just say, I want more of those.  That's like saying, I wish I could find a bunch of diamonds just laying around in my backyard.

I've been following MLB for nearly 50 years now, and so far, there's been exactly one Shohei Ohatani.  And a few pitchers who could swing it, but not so much that they played the field when not pitching.

Even Babe Ruth gave up pitching when he became an everyday OF.  And he was an elite MLB pitcher.  And he didn't face the universal competition for playing time that you have now -- no African Americans, no Japanese, and no huge minor league system pumping out hundreds of new rivals for playing time every year.

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