Japanese Scouts to See Bucky in June
In the following article, Bucky gives his thoughts on being released by the Mariners, and mentions that scouts from the Japanese League will be into see him play.
Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune:
Bucky Jacobsen hasn’t picked up where he left off in Seattle in 2004, when he joined the Mariners in late season with a bang, swatting nine home runs with 28 RBIs in 160 at-bats.
But at least he is playing baseball with a healthy right knee for the first time in three years.
The pride of Hermiston, designated for assignment at the end of last season to give him free-agent status, is playing first base and batting cleanup for the Long Island (N.Y.) Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. After going through a minislump the last week, Jacobsen is batting only .254, with two homers and 11 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .395 through 18 games.
“So far, so good,” says Jacobsen, 30. “The caliber of baseball in this league is a lot better than I thought it would be. I thought it was going to suck a little, but we have 13 players with big-league experience in our club.”
Jacobsen says he’s not bitter about the Mariners giving up on him, but he expected better after providing a breath of fresh air for the fans during a trying 2004 season in Seattle. Two surgeries on his right knee — the second necessary after the first one didn’t get the job done — limited him to a week in Class A and two weeks in Triple-A in the Mariner organization last year.
“I didn’t do enough to ensure a future with the club,” the 6-4, 280-pound Jacobsen says. “I didn’t etch my name in stone. I understand that. But I had done some good stuff for them. They’re the ones who told me to get the first surgery. For them to turn their back on me and say we’re done with you, it made me feel bad a little bit. They washed their hands of me, and now I’m perceived as broken goods.”
Jacobsen’s ultimate goal is a return to the big leagues, but a more realistic one would be for the beefy slugger to play in Japan.
“Some (Japanese) scouts are going to be here to watch me the first week of June,” he says.
2 comments:
We still love the way Bucky made the most of his opportunity with the Mariners, and I miss him. The M's continue to make one bad move after another, they released Bobby Madritch because he was injured and had surgery. He is now with K.C. and I hope will someday be an Allstar as I do with Bucky. I believe Bucky will make it back to the Bigs and will help a team get into the playoffs!!!
I love Bucky, too. It was so much fun when he was with the Mariners!! Maybe I can find a place to write to them and tell them what I think, too. God bless you, Bucky. Keep thinking, God has something better for me! Like Rasheed Wallace and others who left the Portland Trailblazers, then got to be in playoff games and etc. That was good when they left. So, we will hope that you can be a good role model in sports and in life. Keep those bats a hummin'!
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