Just in case you thought that physicals were largely academic events ("True or false: the doctor is holding up some fingers."), take note that 4-129 Rio Ruiz had to pass a five-hour physical before signing a contract that gave him a $1.85m bonus, and will send him off to the GCL.
Ruiz:
"It was long and it was brutal, but it was all worth it," Ruiz said. "I was confident that everything was going to go fine. Everything feels great. Everything feels strong."
Ruiz's advisor, Scott Boras, knew Ruiz from his playing baseball with his son:
"When you make decisions like this, this is probably the truest form of scouting because you have to know the player really, really well," Boras said. "You have to know his history going back sophomore, junior year in high school. You have to know a lot about him because you didn't get to see the current."
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
