Members and guests of the Rotary Club of West Polk Count had a special Featured Presenter at their November 30th meeting. Iowa native and All-Star Major League Baseball Pitcher Tony Watson tuned into a virtual meeting from his home to share his experience over the past year. While currently a free agent, Tony pitched for the San Francisco Giants during the abbreviated 2020 season.
Like the rest of the world, the year started out somewhat normal, but by March, there was much uncertainty. Because of COVID-19, the season was delayed and for some time there was a real possibility that there might not be baseball this year. However, the owners and the Player's Union came to an agreement and the national pastime was realized, even if it was different. In order to advance the season, very strict protocols were put into place in order to keep the players as safe as possible. Everything was different. No fans, no autographs, frequent testing, a lot of cleaning, etc. Watson indicated that, to put it plainly, it was "pretty bizarre".
Although it wasn't ideal, he was appreciative to all of the people who made the season possible. Everyone had to change the way things are done. There was a tremendous amount of stress on everyone involved. Predicting the future, Watson suggested that he believes Spring Training will be delayed this year, but he hopes he is wrong. For the time being, he is just glad to be with his growing family and is doing his best to stay ready for the next big opportunity.
As Tony is from Central Iowa and a graduate of Dallas Center-Grimes High School, we're rooting for him and all of his colleagues. Thanks to Mark Watson for extending the invitation. We're appreciative of Tony's time and insight.