Heard about all those guys for a long, loooong while - but didn't fruition in the end. Sports is hard.
Thank you for sharing the story. I was not aware that it was discussed, Musgrove surely would have helped the Astros against the Braves… eek To be fair, the prevailing consensus was that Whitley was Ace material.
Your point is valid - but his issue isn’t the quality of coaching or talent. His issue is emotional and mental. I wouldn’t be at all shocked if he went somewhere else and with a blank slate - has a successful 3-5 year run. Personally I think he needs to go to Japan and away from distractions and expectations. He would have a chance to comeback. Otherwise - he should go to Kansas City and try pitching out of their pen.
Luhnow always said he was untouchable when clubs called, well, clubs are not gonna call and he will remain untouched.
Just google Luhnow+untouchable+whitley. Multiple sauces. He coveted Tucker too. He was right about one of them.
I wish him well, but I'm pretty happy to finally move on from the guy. Let him become somebody else's problem for a while. Dude was never anything but bad news here.
Nolan Ryan recommended that Luhnow draft Whitley. He had the stuff of an ace, but was immature, injured and didn't listen to the greatest teachers of pitching in the world.
That sucks he never amounted to his potential. Good luck on his next chapter. He kept us waiting and waiting, then Hunter Brown developed, got called up, played games and stuck for us in our rotation ever since. While Whitley stayed back
Nolan wasn’t wrong. I believe at one point Whitley was viewed as the top pitching prospect in all of baseball. He just went full Whitley.
Mark Appel also, would have gotten Brady Aiken over Alex Bregman. Mike Elias chose Mark Appel and Forrest Whitley. Brady Aiken also if he didn't Fail his Physical on his Arm.
