Yankees Prospect May Quit

[gsars5]

May 22, 2001


Yankees Prospect May Quit

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

David Walling, the Yankees' No. 1 draft pick in 1999, will make a decision on whether he wants to continue playing baseball in the next few weeks, his agent said yesterday. Walling, 22, left the Yankees' Class AA affiliate earlier this month, after a slow start, and is tending to what Mark Newman, the Yankees vice president, and Jeff Riolo, the agent, referred to as personal issues.

If he addresses those issues to his satisfaction, Riolo said, Walling, a right-handed pitcher, could return to the Yankees' farm system this summer or next spring. If he does not, he could end his career.

"This is open to discussion right now," said Riolo, who added that Walling would continue to stay in good shape — but not throw — as he considered his options.

Walling was in spring training with the Yankees this year, and Mel Stottlemyre, the Yankees' pitching coach, wanted to keep him in camp as long as possible before he was assigned to a minor league team.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/22/sports/22WALL.html

[gsars5]

Thanks for moving this Jim, I forgot about the new forum.

Greg

[allybear]

Very strange story, I thought I heard something earlier about him not wanting to pitch anymore, I wonder what the "personal issues" are. Well, his physical and mental health have to be more important than his career, because bottom line, if he's not right either mentally or physically, he is not going to be effective as a pitcher, so it won't matter.