Alright, so you wanna know ’bout this fella, Will King, and baseball, huh? Let me tell ya what I know, the way I know how. Don’t expect no fancy talk, just plain speakin’.
First off, this Will King, he’s a young’un. Plays baseball, you know, that game with the bat and the ball. Seems like he’s a catcher, mostly. That’s the guy who squats down and catches the ball all the time. Tough job, I reckon, all that squattin’. My knees would be killin’ me!
They say he’s from some place called Eastern Kentucky. Never been there myself. Probably got lots of hills and hollers. Sounds like a place where folks know how to work hard. Guess that’s why this Will fella is tough enough to be a catcher.
- He’s kinda short, they say. Only 5 foot 9 or somethin’. Not a giant, but that don’t mean nothin’ in baseball. Some of them little fellas are quick as a whip!
- And he ain’t heavy either, ‘bout 190 pounds. Solid, though, I bet. You gotta be strong to catch all them fast balls.
- Bats right-handed, throws right-handed. That’s what they say, anyhow. I ain’t seen him play myself, just hearin’ things.
Now, this Will King, he got himself drafted by the Atlanta Braves. That’s a big deal, I hear. Big leagues, you know? They give him some money, too. $150,000! That’s a whole lotta money. More than I ever seen in my whole life, that’s for sure.
But he’s just startin’ out, you see. They sent him to somethin’ called “College Workout.” Guess that means he’s gotta practice and get better. He played for a team called the Rome Emperors, too. Never heard of ‘em, but I reckon they’re a minor league team or somethin’. He’s gotta work his way up, just like everybody else.
They say he started 45 games last year. Some as a catcher, some as a hitter. Designated hitter, they call it. That means he just hits the ball, don’t gotta catch. Must be nice to get a break from all that squattin’.
He was drafted in the 20th round, number 609. That don’t sound too high, but it don’t matter. What matters is if he can play. If he can hit that ball and catch that ball, he’ll make it. That’s all there is to it.
They call him “The Young King.” Well, that’s a good name for a baseball player. You gotta be strong like a king to play this game, I reckon. And he’s young, got lots of time to learn.
Now, there was another fella named Will King, a long time ago. He was an actor, not a baseball player. Born way back in 1886. That’s a whole different story, though. Don’t get them two mixed up. We’re talkin’ ‘bout the baseball Will King, the young fella from Kentucky.
And there’s that other fella, Pete Rose, the Hit King. He was a good player, one of the best ever, they say. But he got in trouble for bettin’ on baseball. That’s a big no-no. They kicked him out of the game. See, even the kings gotta follow the rules.
So, this Will King, the young catcher, he’s got a long way to go. He’s gotta work hard, stay outta trouble, and maybe, just maybe, he’ll be a king of baseball someday. But it ain’t easy, that’s for sure. You gotta have heart, you gotta have grit, and you gotta have a little bit of luck. And that’s all I gotta say ‘bout that.
Tags: Will King, Atlanta Braves, baseball, catcher, Eastern Kentucky, MLB, Minor League, Rome Emperors, The Young King, prospect
