May 01 2019 07:08 AM
Among Drew Gagnon, Andrew Church, and myself, there were several practicing, observant Drews in St. Lucie this year.
But you know the story. Three Drews came into camp, and two came out. Tommy John surgery. There were three monkeys in the bed, we all rolled over and one fell out. I'm Drew Smith and I was that monkey. The sad part — well, among many sad parts — is that I was in a good position to make the team out of camp. Of all those relievers on the bubble, I was at the head of the line.
That's a mixed metaphor. I was at the ... crest of the bubble? What the fuck is the bubble, anyhow?
I'm sorry about the language. I'm kind of in a pissy mood. I was a third-round righthanded Texan, working my way up through the Tampa Bay system when, at the end of 2017, somebody tapped me on the shoulder and told me I was going to New York for Lucas Duda.
Well, Lucas is a big hunk of Polish sausage, so that kind of made me feel good. Then, at the end of 2018, they called me up, and I felt better. I got to wear the Rusty Staub commemorative patch and everything. And when I pitched effectively in those last few weeks, well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. There I was, in a position to break camp with the team at start of 2019. I appeared in four games in spring training, threw four innings, gave up no earned runs, and then POW!! My elbow 'sploded.
So it's a rehab year. And since there's a new GM who didn't trade for me, he has no stake in me coming back to help is reputation along. I'm just another arm to him. Just another injured arm.
So, it's me and Netflix this year. And maybe that's the year you can predict for me. Will I watch Reign? The OA? Gotham? I know Riverdale is shit, but I can't turn that one off. Is it a guilty pleasure or am I just hate-watching? Am I totally gay? I'm gay, right? And when, by God, is the new Stranger Things coming? I can't wait forever.
I'm Drew Smith, and the truth is that I can wait longer than most. Tell me how my rehab is going to go and when I'll be back on the field.