===
Seibu Lions OF Brian O'Grady was a guest on the Not For Long Media podcast in December. Hosts Justin Ayers and NFL player Colin Thompson interviewed him with various questions.
Here are some notable tidbits on O'Grady:
-He wanted to sign with a team in Japan and even switched agencies with the intention of a team abroad noticing him. Warner Sports management has helped find contracts for several players in Korea and Japan.
-O'Grady grew up near Philadelphia and couldn't help but compare his initial trade reports to the time Kyle Kendrick was infamously pranked as being "traded" to the Yomiuri Giants for a fictional "Kobayashi Iwamura", not Seiji. (C.C. Lee contract was purchased by the Lions from Cleveland)
-His ability to play several positions happened out of college at Rutgers, where injuries and holes on the roster forced O'Grady to fill spots on occasion, primarily playing first base was the most recent position he mastered.
-Juan Soto and Aaron Judge are among his inspiration for hitters in MLB.
-He always made sure to pick up on knowledge from veteran teammates like Joey Votto, Eric Hosmer and Manny Machado as well many who he saw in the minors.
-O'Grady nearly signed with a KBO team midseason until the San Diego Padres were forced to promote him from the minors.
-The Lions contacted O'Grady immediately as he was a priority on the team list of possible import players. He had to make a decision in a short window when offered.
-He expects a deal to happen before any significant cancellations. O'Grady said it will be interesting to track what happens in negotiations between the MLBPA and MLB, but doesn't think it will cause any missed regular games. He admitted there plenty of issues.
==
Full interview here. Thompson also relates to O'Grady as someone who played in the now defunct AAF and suspended XFL.
===
Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall
No comments:
Post a Comment