August 14, 2009 was a
very special day for Eddie and Teresa Dotson. That was the day their son, Zach Dotson, signed a contract to be a pitcher for the
New York Mets.
Dotson, the ace of the
Effingham County High School Rebels (GA.) was drafted by the Mets in the 13th
round; however, no one really expected him to sign. He had sent the word out
that he was going to attend the University of Georgia, so most teams passed on
what normally would have been a first day pick.
The Mets took a shot
and called out his name and the negotiating for the over-slot signing bonus
began.
"I wanted to play
for the Mets since they drafted me," said Dotson. "The decision came
down to seeing what was there and when the offer was where I liked it, the
decision was made."
Dotson did a smart
thing. He knew his pick in the 13th round was one of over-slotting,
so he took his sweet ass time in signing. This got him the maximum signing
bonus which he quickly stashed away in the bank past the applicable purchase of
one tricked out truck.
The world was his for
taking and the Georgia boy had ‘done good’.
Then, the shit hit.
Nagging injuries were followed by a stupid mistake. The major league baseball
drug program basically says you can’t take anything internally unless it is
approved by both the team, in particular and baseball in general. We, as fans,
write all this off as PEDs, heroin and the stuff grown behind the corn fields
in the back forty of our family’s country home. Dotson had some medical issues
he chose to address through his private doctors and what’s wrong with that,
right? Well, in major league baseball, it’s a lot wrong and Zach found himself
tagged with a 50-game suspension.
Things changed
immediately. Friends ran in the other direction. Players wanted their lockers
moved away from Dotson’s. I’m not even sure his dog wanted anything to do with
him. Dotson was sent home to heal and he eventually was sent home to await
another season.
That came and went with
more injures, none of which were skeletal or based on genetics. They simply
were things caused when one tries to get his body back in major league shape
before it is ready. 2009 became 2010, which quickly became 2011 and Dotson’s
name was only spoken when the subject of ‘what ever happened to…’ came up. The
Mets did let him get up on the bump at the end of last season and he gave up
around 1100 runs in 0.1, but’s that’s okay. He felt the rubber. He was on the
mound during a professional baseball game. He was going in the right direction.
Dotson is now playing
Kingsport in 2012. He would now be a junior in he went to Georgia, so we need
to put this whole story in perspective. He’s sporadically coming out of the pen
which does nothing for arm strength, but he’s still pitching. He rooms with his
buddy, Steve Matz, who is another Mets prospect
that has strayed, but that’s another story.
This story remains
incomplete. In one sense Zach is now playing for his impending Rule 5 year, but
that won’t go well unless he starts to put the numbers up. I talked to him
earlier this week and, by his report, he’s 100% physically. All that is left is
mound time and confidence.
I believe in Zach
Dotson. I’m not sure if the Mets do anymore, but I know that Eddie and Teresa
do also. I look every night to see if he got in the game and I was sure I’d see
him name last night. Kingsport had a sizable lead and what better time would
there be to throw in someone that needed to throw at least 25 pitches. It
didn’t happen. Maybe tonight.
Don’t forget this guy. Remember,
he’d be a junior in college and we’d have him projected as a first day pick
come next June.
Hang in there Zach.
Better times are coming.
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