Matt Bush impresses in first spring game since release from prison
The tumultuous life and disappointing baseball career of former No. 1 overall draft pick Matt Bush in many ways came full circle on Wednesday.
Bush, now 30, made his first spring training appearance since his well-documented release from prison in October. And he did so very impressively, pitching two innings of hitless baseball for the Texas Rangers.
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Bush, who was drafted by the San Diego Padres as a high school shortstop in 2004, is hoping to make it now as a pitcher. If you were to throw out his legal issues, that alone would be quite a story. Bush never made it above the low minors as a shortstop, before converting to a pitcher in 2007. Of course, he never made it above Double A as a pitcher, but there’s some apparent upside despite the fact he hasn’t played organized baseball since 2011.
He’ll have to prove himself well beyond Wednesday’s outing though to get that shot. Time in the minor leagues will be required as he attempts to prove his talent and earn the trust of Rangers officials. However, his fastball did get the attention of manager Jeff Banister, and that’s not a bad place to start if he hopes to revitalize his career.
”It’s as good as stuff as we’ve seen in camp, not only on our side but both sides,” Banister said after the game. ”I’m just telling you what I saw, a 97 mile per hour fastball at the knees, both sides of the plate, a plus breaking ball. He’s going to make it hard to hit. It was fun to watch. He knows how far he’s come.”
All of what Banister said about Bush’s pitching on Wednesday was true, but his comments also highlight how awkward this story could be given Bush’s history of legal troubles.
In 2004, Bush was arrested for his part in an altercation at a nightclub near the Padres’ minor league complex just weeks after signing with the club. Bush was involved in another bar fight in 2007, and was eventually traded to the Blue Jays after he allegedly assaulted two freshman lacrosse players at a Southern California high school in 2009.
His troubles didn’t end there though. Toronto released Bush at the end of that spring after he allegedly threw a baseball at a woman’s head and banged her head on a car window while attending a party. From there, he moved on to the Tampa Bay Rays. After two years in their system, he was involved in a hit-and-run accident where he ran over 72-year-old motorcyclist Tony Trufano and fled the scene with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit.
Trufano survived, and Bush ended up pleading no contest to DUI with serious bodily injury. He was sentenced to 51 months in prison, as it was also his third DUI conviction.
Fast forward to October 2015, Bush was released from prison after serving 34 months of his sentence. Still just 29 at the time, he decided he wanted to give baseball another shot. Before Christmas even arrived, the Rangers decided to give him that shot on a minor-league deal. Now it’s up to him to make the most of it.
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Of course, the awkwardness comes when people inevitably ask whether or not Matt Bush truly deserves the opportunity he has now. It’s a fair question, because that’s a lot of baggage and a lot of troubling history that can’t be ignored. Baseball, though, has always been a game of second, third and even fourth chances, especially for those who can throw a baseball over 95 mph.
The Rangers will say he served time, and they wouldn’t be wrong. But Bush will have to prove himself on more than just a baseball field if he hopes to rewrite his legacy.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
