Rangers rookie Jake Smolinski savors
big leagues after seven years in minors
By Stefan Stevenson
sstevenson@star-telegram.com
The life of a major league baseball player is, of course, as glamorous and cool as you’d expect.
But a move to the majors doesn’t magically change a minor leaguer’s lifestyle overnight.
Texas Rangers rookie Jake Smolinski can attest to that. He’s been living out of a hotel room since he was called up from Double A Frisco on July 7.
And we’re not talking the Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons, to name two of the high-end hotels the team stays at on the road. No, Smolinski, the 25-year-old outfielder who is experiencing his first taste of the big leagues after seven years in the minors, has been staying at the Fairfield Inn when the team is in town.
Most of his worldly possessions are still packed in his 2007 Chevy Silverado that he drives to Globe Life Park every day.
Not that Smolinski is complaining. Far from it. He’s living a childhood dream since growing up playing baseball (and most other sports, including high school quarterback) in Rockford, Ill., which is about 86 miles northwest of Chicago.
But the life isn’t easy for young players trying to find their way in the big leagues. For the 2014 Rangers, who’ve been hit with an unprecedented rash of injuries, there has been a steady stream of wide-eyed minor leaguers joining the team to help fill out the depleted roster. If there’s one silver lining during this disappointing season, it’s the long look and big league experience that players such as Smolinski, Daniel Robertson and Roman Mendez have been afforded.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/08/02 ... rylink=cpy
If that's behind the S-T firewall, try THIS