For newest Blue Jay, baseball is the family business
Photo credit: MadFriars
Bobby Milacki knew there was a chance he could get signed this winter. Even as a low-leverage reliever, he had a few teams that had expressed interest and were poking their heads around. One of those teams happened to be the Toronto Blue Jays.
Milacki was excited at the chance to represent an entire country.
I really liked the Blue Jays organization and the way they carried themselves, even when I was on opposing teams.
There was also another person Milacki turned to. A person who loved the city and enjoyed pitching there whenever he played against the Jays. His father Bob.
For the Milackis, baseball is a family business.
The elder Milacki spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues, mostly with the Baltimore Orioles, as well as a year with the Kinetsu Buffaloes in Japan. Milacki senior pitched five times at Skydome, posting a 1.379 WHIP through 23 1/3 innings.
For the younger Milacki, he still looks to his father for wisdom and advice.
My father has always been my catching partner, he and I are always working in the lab and adjusting things with my mechanics or pitch selection. He's really helped me learn about what to look for in opposing batter's when it comes to their reactions and what pitch to follow up with in certain situations. - Bobby Milacki
Milacki, originally a late-round draft by the Washington Nationals, has had some success in the minor leagues. In 2023, he went 8-6 with a 3.90 ERA as he split the season between single and double A.
While the numbers were good, his ERA was significantly higher as moved through the ranks.
While Milacki has yet to appear in a major league game, he could be a dark horse candidate to break camp with the Jays and provide a fresh arm out of the bullpen.
If he does, he knows who to call first.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 17 | 119 ANSWERS For newest Blue Jay, baseball is the family business Does Bobby Milacki make the team out of spring training? | ||
| Yes | 24 | 20.2 % |
| No | 95 | 79.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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