The razzing is kept to a minimum when David Cales comes home for the offseason. The Cubs' Minor League pitcher is a Chicago native, but he grew up on the South Side. His mother, Mary Weiss, has worked for the White Sox for more than 20 years.
. . .
He didn't start his baseball life as a pitcher but began as a shortstop. It wasn't until his freshman year at Missouri that he started pitching, and that wasn't exactly planned.
"We were playing an intrasquad game in college my freshman year," Cales said during a break in AFL play last month in Mesa, Ariz., "and [my coach] said, 'Why don't you get on the mound and throw?' I did well, and he said, 'Why don't you stay there and we'll put you at third base every once in a while to let you keep hitting.'
"The mental part of pitching was easier for me because I never thought about it -- it was just, get on the mound and do it."
If Cales makes it to the big leagues, give an assist to Missouri coach Tim Jamieson.
"I always had a good arm," Cales said. "In high school, I dabbled [at pitching]. I went to the University of Missouri as a position player, and that's where I came into my own."
Ironic. My understanding back at the time was that Cales left because he strongly disagreed with TJ wanting him to focus on pitching instead of hitting. Click HERE for his Mizzou Bio is here
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