The Bullpen Gospels:. Dirk Hayhurst

Burns wet his pants at the mere thought of it. I know Coop wanted to earn it, but even if he didn’t, the industry would profit from him. A minor league roster spot was a pittance to pay for the kind of attention Coop could generate. It would be stupid not to keep him around even if that meant someone else who loved the game, who grew up wanting to be a baseball player his whole life, who broke the mold to get the chance, would lose his job. The numbers demanded sacrifice, and for every dream come true, there was a price.

      For years, I believed that baseball was survival of the fittest, and I didn’t care about anyone else’s survival except my own. My story was the one that mattered, and as long as it ended with me in the big leagues, I could care less about anyone else’s chances. I never stopped thinking this until I started watching Lars and Coop go about their day.