Ross Atkins

the best player that wasn't as talented as some that was running around on the field every single day, the most skilled, just the eye hand, the ability to make contact, always doing the right thing as a really young baseball player.

His older brother was actually more talented, just more powerful, hit the ball farther, threw the ball really hard.

Everybody was scared to face his older brother, Carlos.

He was that kid.

But Mikey was just always the skilled player that you hated to face.

And that proved to be a really good pick for the Yankees and then went on to play for some other teams.

But, yeah, special family.

They're close to my heart as people and a big part of the fabric of my baseball evolution, too.

Yeah, I mean, I believe it wholeheartedly.

It's finding it and identifying it when they're not within your organization and acquiring.

Doing all of those things is just not quite as simple as one might think, and they're not growing on trees.

Mikey Lowell is...

was exceptionally talented.

You know, he'll probably be upset for me saying this, but an overachiever, um, you know, probably exceeded what, not what he expected to do, but certainly what almost all scouts in baseball expected him to do.

And not only did he do it as an individual, but went on to win a couple of world series, be an MVP in the world series.

And that just doesn't happen.

You know, that doesn't happen because right guy, right time.

That happens because of all the things you're talking about.

The, the,

the decision-making, the chemistry, the preparation, and then the work to put himself in good situations.