It isn’t often that an athlete gets to live out the childhood dream of suiting up for his favorite team, but that’s the opportunity that new Detroit Tigers pitcher Carson Fulmer has been afforded after he was claimmd by the team yesterday via waivers.
He was originally selected 8th overall by the Chicago White Sox in 2015 after earning numerous accolades at Vanderbilt, including SEC Pitcher of the Year and National Pitcher of the Year. However, his 6.56 ERA spanned over six years within the organization wasn’t what he envisioned.
After being designated for assignment, the Tigers swooped in – and he’s grateful for the opportunity.
“The organization really believes in me to go out there and help us win,” Fulmer said Sunday. “I’m really looking forward to this, going to be really, really good for me. Very thankful to have the opportunity to pitch for this organization.”
You can excuse Fulmer for his excitement at getting to join the team he grew up watching at Spring Training at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida where he hails from.
“It’s definitely something special to be able to put on these colors and rep an organization that has such a great history,” Fulmer said. “I’m looking forward to being here for a while.”
After he learned of his new professional address, he admitted it was like “a lot of weight” dropped from his shoulders.
“At the end of the day, I really want to get back to who I am, and that’s pitching with my mentality and competitiveness,” Fulmer said. “I love to win. Putting mechanics aside, putting all of the analytical stuff aside, all the stuff that is in baseball now, just getting back to who I am.”
He’s already got a fan in skipper Ron Gardenhire, who believes he can be an asset to the team.
“He’s a high-velocity guy,” Gardenhire said Saturday. “He throws the living fire out of the ball. He has had a tendency to misfire a little bit. We’re going to have to get him to throw the ball over the plate. With that stuff, he should be successful.”
– – Quotes via Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press Link – –
