'Just keep building from there and keep going' WooSox pitcher Taylor Broadway talks about AAA debut and Ole Miss support system
One year ago today, Taylor Broadway picked up a save in a scoreless inning for the Chicago White Sox High-A Winston-Salem Dash. One week later, he was promoted to AA Birmingham.
One year later, Broadway finds himself in the WooSox bullpen where he made his AAA debut on Tuesday. Broadway, who came over in the trade deadline deal for Jake Diekman, started the year on a brief IL stint and was activated prior to making his debut.
“It was good and a very interesting one to start off the AAA debut” Broadway said on his first appearance of the year. “Felt good to get out there though.”
His debut was a bit of a weird one on the box score. He pitched one inning and gave up 4 hits and five runs, but none of the runs were earned due to an error in the inning. He also had two strikeouts as well.
“Just keep building from there and keep going.” Broadway noted about his debut. “It wasn’t really the results I wanted but that’s baseball and that’s what happens so we will keep working and get them the next time.”
Being a part of a deadline deal is always a wild time for fans to see all the moves come pouring in around the trade deadline. Same goes for the actual players that are included in those deals. The Red Sox traded Diekman to the White Sox for Reese Mcguire and a player to be named later.
“It was basically a whirlwind of 48 hours is what it was.” Broadway said. “I was the player to be named later in the trade, so it was beyond the true trade deadline you hear and see on TV. I was on the road in Montgomery, Alabama when they broke the news to me. I had to leave there to Birmingham, Birmingham to New Hampshire to meet up with Portland while they were on the road. You could say it was a long trip.”
Coming in at just over 1300 miles between Montgomery to Manchester, New Hampshire, one could guess that Broadway had himself a pretty busy week. One thing is for certain, he will always remember his time at a place that is an even greater distance away than that.
Broadway pitched three seasons for the University of Mississippi and finished with some impressive numbers. During his last season at Ole Miss, he served as the team’s closer and had a 3.44 ERA along with a college career best 12 K/9. The SEC is a very challenging schedule with the level of competition you are up against, which is why the 16 saves he had that year is notable as well.
“You are their family forever.” Broadway said about the love Ole Miss fans show him. “I have been in Oxford the past couple of off-seasons, and I work out at their facility. The community is my family as well. Baseball is a huge thing around there.”
“Any time I need anything I feel like someone is there and says I got you.” Broadway added. “It’s really cool, they have watched me progress through the minors. They always reach out on Twitter and constantly send me love. It’s so cool to have people behind me that feel like family and root for you so far away.”
The Ole Miss faithful has prepared him for what is to come with the fans of the organization he is now part of.
“Ole Miss fans are diehard fans. It’s a lot like Boston fans in that way. They will love you when you do good, and I was lucky enough to get that experience.” Broadway said.
Broadway appeared in his second game of the season on Thursday, pitching two innings and giving up one run. He has four strikeouts and zero walks in his three innings of work so far this season.
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Very good piece, Andrew.