COLUMN: Still hope for us old guys!

     Luke Hagerty is back on the mound, at age 37. Who knows, maybe he will be referred to as the “comeback older adult” as opposed to the “comeback kid.” Hargerty is the kind of guy I will root for.

     You see, Luke has been out of baseball for quite some time, departing way earlier than how far his talent should have taken him. That happens to the best of them. But Luke had something that the rest of us that played the game only dreamed of, a 90+ mph fastball. That gets you drafted. It did Luke, in the first round by the Cubs in 2002.

     Arm injuries ended his stint with the Cubs. It robbed him of his 2003 and 2004 seasons. He joined the Marlins in the Rule 5 draft, where injured players often come from, getting a second chance.

     His first stint throwing batting practice with the Marlins was a disaster. He instantly lost the ability to throw the ball over the plate that day. Often referred to as the yips, it destroys the minds and abilities of countless players.

     Just like that, Hargerty was out of baseball. He went back to college and became a certified strength and conditioning coach. He started his own business, X2. He trained baseball pitchers how to increase their speed. As he played catch and worked with clients, he discovered he could throw the ball again. Part of the easiness of discovering his ability again was due to not being in a pressure type situation.

     Luke gained both confidence and his speed back the more he worked with these younger players. He was adopting his own teaching principles and applying them to himself. His first client eventually made it to the major leagues in 2014.

     At some point Hagerty started hitting 98 mph on the radar gun. He developed a changeup and breaking ball. And then he met a woman who specialized in the study of the brain. She helped Luke discover coping strategies and convinced him to attend a tryout.

     The day of his tryout he clocked in at 98 mph. His fastball averaged 96.9 mph. He threw off-speed pitches. He threw strikes but at times missed badly. He threw without the yips.

     So sixteen years after first being drafted by the Cubs, his former team signed him again. The Cubs weren’t the only team interested. He felt obligated to give his first team another chance. Luke hadn’t lived up to the expectations the Cubs had for him when they drafted him so long ago.

     Luke passed his physical with the Cubs. The team doctor mistook him for a coach, not a player. His contract is a non-guaranteed minor league deal. He knows the yips are still there and will always be with him. I’m pulling for him, even if he ends up somewhere in the minors.

     Either way, this story has a happy ending!