Jesse Chavez coming up during the middle of the season, dominating and winning a World Series is a feel good story for any baseball fan. The now 38-year-old journeyman has played on nine different teams, including two separate stints with the Braves. For the most part, Chavez has been steady, but he put together arguably the best season of his career in 2021 with the Braves, posting a 2.14 ERA over 33.2 regular season innings, and he was equally effective in the playoffs on his way to World Series glory. But did you know it almost never happened?
On the “Let’s Go Ricky Ro” podcast, Chavez talked about his experience during Spring Training last season.
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Chavez suffered an arm injury then rolled his ankle, resulting in him being out for a while, and he truthfully considered retiring while injured. However, one day he went out back to his basketball court, threw a ball into the net, felt good and decided to give it one more go.
The Braves signed him to a minor league deal in late April, and by late June, he was on the major-league roster, where he remained for the rest of the season. It’s pretty remarkable stuff, and you can hear the full story plus more on the podcast. I just hope Chavez feels good enough to give it another go in 2022. He certainly looked like he had plenty left in the tank last season, and I would love for him to be on the Braves for at least one more year to end his career.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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