Sports Union August 17, 2018 | Page 18

18 SportsUnion | AUGUST 17, 2018 high school Soccer When a minor league baseball player has suc- cess he gets called up to the Show. Getting called up shows that the big club has confidence in what the player was doing down in the minors, and they want to see if that success can continue against tougher competition. By Matt Ondesko Managing Editor For the player it’s a con- fidence builder. It showed that the hard work he put in the cages and fielding practice finally paid off. The best thing about prov- ing yourself is that fact that you don’t have to be a num- ber one draft pick to get the call. You could easily been a 40th round pick who found his groove and shot through the ranks. Once called up it’s an entirely dif- ferent ballgame. Now the player must prove he can hang with the big boys who are throwing nasty stuff all the time. It’s an adjustment peri- od and learning curve. The cup of coffee might only be for a few games, but it gives the player something to work toward in the future. Getting called up for a cup of coffee is nice. Getting to stay up and rink the entire pot is better. St. Mary’s High School’s Skyler Baun was just go- ing about her business this summer playing for her regular Western New York Flash team when an amaz- ing opportunity arose. Baun was being called up to play in a few games for the UWS League. This Tier 2 league has a competitive summer sea- son to help the collegiate player evolve & enhance their game for fall com- Making the leap