``I'm not your regular person, I guess.'

April 12, 2005 6:47 PM

Down doesn't mean out. There were great expectations for Bill Pulsipher, and then a great crash. After leaving baseball to mow lawns, he's worked his way back -- becoming perhaps the only ballplayer to talk about the stigma attached Anxiety and Depression. He has returned as a loogy with last year's NL champs the Cards. But how will he do this year?
posted by sohcahtoa (10 comments total)

I wish the greatest of luck to this guy, I really do. But Larussa really sets himself up for disappointment time and time again trying to get guys who have been rehabilitated.

I'm a big Cardinals fan. I once had a roommate who would buy anything if it was on sale. We ended up with a house and kitchen filled with halfway decent stuff that made it, but was unreliable and unrewarding. This is what Larussa seems to do with the Cardinals year after year. Sure, when you get one that works he's yours for life, but for every one of those there are ten who have been overlooked by lots of teams for good reason.

Nice post, though. Didn't know this guy's story or "loogy" (which I will now use all the time). I don't think there's anything to "loogies" though. A good righthander will do better almost any "handed" hitter than a semi-reliable left-hander.
posted by ontic at 8:01 PM on April 12, 2005

Every time I hear more about Bill Pulsipher, I feel a little worse for enjoying Generation K's implosion back in the day. Seems like a legitimately good guy who deserves one last chance at glory.
posted by Simon! at 8:20 PM on April 12, 2005

This is the first good thing I've read about baseball in ten years.
posted by effugas at 9:05 PM on April 12, 2005

That first link was a nice read, thanks. Good luck to the fella...
posted by Onanist at 1:30 AM on April 13, 2005

I was thinking about this guy just the other day! I was trying to remember who came up in the Mets organization the same time as Jason Isringhausen and Paul Wilson. Man, I had such hopes for that (and every other) year. I'm glad to read that Pulsipher has returned to baseball. I wish him well.
posted by LiliaNic at 5:44 AM on April 13, 2005

Every kid wants to be a ballplayer, but what a mindjob... when you look at what's happened to guys like Rick Ankiel, Mackey Sasser, even a guy like Strawberry... man.

Pulsipher could have gone down many roads. But going back to mowing lawns, finding his love for the game and getting help was the man thing to do. He could just have easily gone down the drug/alcohol/firearmsinthespeedingcar route.

Get off the DL and back on the hill.
posted by AspectRatio at 8:00 AM on April 13, 2005

I haven't gotten back into it this season, yet. Last season I mostly read SOSH (although I didn't know the Pulsipher link was there) - I would read it more if I had an account.. In a couple weeks I'll start getting into it again.
posted by sohcahtoa at 9:39 AM on April 13, 2005

Great post. I skipped over it initially because the very names Pulsipher and Isringhausen still make me wince. Like LiliaNic, I had such hopes... But I finally read the story, and I'm glad I did. Good luck to him, even if he's with the hated Cards!
posted by languagehat at 2:02 PM on April 13, 2005

I was trying to remember who came up in the Mets organization the same time as Jason Isringhausen and Paul Wilson

Don't forget one of the Bobby Joneses was the 4th member. I remember seeing a Gammons piece on them when they were all at Norfolk. It looked like the Mets would be unbeatable for years.
posted by yerfatma at 4:00 PM on April 13, 2005

Norwhich, not Norfolk. That is all.
posted by yerfatma at 4:04 AM on April 14, 2005