By the middle of September, the disappointment had worn off.
Sure, Bobby Dalbec wanted to spend the last month of the regular season up with Boston Red Sox, and he was bummed to be left off the team’s 40-man roster, thinking he’d earned a spot.
But the alternative — playing for Team USA and Premier12 squad, vying for a chance to qualify for 2020 Tokyo Olympics — wasn’t half bad.
Dalbec and his Team USA squad take on his former team, the Arizona Wildcats, on Saturday night at Hi Corbett Field. Team USA’s players reported on Sunday, and will have time to prepare for November’s WSBC Premier12 Tournament in November. Had Dalbec been on the Red Sox’s 40-man squad, he would’ve been unable to play.
Dalbec starred as a pitcher and third baseman for the Wildcats, hitting .282 with 34 doubles, 24 home runs and 123 RBIs in three seasons in Tucson while sporting a 2.65 ERA and 14 saves.
It’s been his prodigious power that has Dalbec now among the top prospects in Boston’s system. In his third full season of minor league ball, Dalbec hit a combined 27 home runs and drove in 73 runs for Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket. While he did not receive the call-up he so wanted, Dalbec was still invited by the team to Boston to practice with the big-league club in early September, getting a feel for what life could be like in the near future. For now, Dalbec is blocked by Rafael Devers at third base and 2018 American League MVP J.D. Martinez at designated hitter, though that may change if Boston shuffles its roster to pare down payroll. Star outfielder Mookie Betts has already become the subject of offseason trade rumors.
The Star caught up with Dalbec to talk about his road to Team USA, time spent in Boston and his big-league future:
This is a 2019 photo of non-roster invitee, infielder Bobby Dalbec of the Boston Red Sox baseball team. This image reflects the 2019 active roster as of Feb. 19, 2019, when this image was taken. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
How did your involvement with Team USA begin this year?
A: “With a couple weeks left in season, they told me they had interest in me competing, and I was all for it. If you’re on the 40-man roster, you can’t play. So if I didn’t get the call-up, I said to myself I’m going do it.”
What was it like to not get the call-up, even if you thought you earned it?
A: “It (stunk), but I wasn’t too upset about it. I thought I put together a solid year overall. I was a little shaky for a couple months, but that’s kinda part of it. Now this offseason, I know what I need to work on.”
Do you feel like you’re ready for the big-league level?
A: “I do feel ready, and I’m pretty sure they feel I’m ready, too. When I went out to Boston to practice with them, I got a lot of good work in. That’s what I’m looking froward to in the offseason. They have a lot of really good infielders, so it was a tough spot for me to work up to this year, but I’m happy with the way the last two years have gone.
What were your personal goals for this season?
A: ”My big thing was commanding the strike zone as a hitter. That’s something I tried to grind out this year. I walked a ton, struck out a lot less and struck out a lot less without it being my main goal. I was more comfortable this year I think. I wouldn’t have a streak where I struck out 12 times in three days like I’d have before.”
Arizona’s Bobby Dalbec gets a hug from a friend during a welcome back reception for the Wildcats at Hi Corbett Field after their run to the College World Series finals last year.
What were some things you weren’t able to achieve, or goals for next year?
A: “I left a lot of low-hanging fruit on the table. Some flaws in my swing. I’m excited to go out there and show what I can do. I think I could compete in the Major Leagues right now, but I want to be a very good Major League player, not just make it there.”
You mentioned flaws in your swing. How so?
A: ”The main thing I’m working on is moving correctly in the batter’s box. When I went to Boston, some of the things I worked on, it was like, ‘Oh, that’s what it should feel like. When I work this offseason, I’m going to film everything and dissect how things are progressing.”
How have you approached the offseason so far? Were you able to get a break at all?
A: ”After I got back from Boston, I took three or four days off and started hitting again. I didn’t want to lose what I was working on when I was in Boston. … Mentally, I ended the year on a good note. I felt like I could play another month, body-wise. For me, this offseason isn’t really a rest-and-recover offseason. It’s a go-to-work offseason.”
Arizona pitcher Bobby Dalbec (3) throws against Mississippi State during the first inning of an NCAA Super Regional baseball tournament game in Starkville, Miss., Friday, June 10, 2016. (AP Photo/Jim Lytle)
How were you able to get over the disappointment of not getting called up and get to work in Boston?
A: “Getting called up, with the situation I’m in, that’s not something I can control. It’s not worth it for me to spend emotional energy on being upset. I basically treated it like I’d play that night, and knowing I couldn’t be there for the games, I just tried to prepare. I knew I could empty the tank every day. I’d get there early, stay out of the way. I didn’t want to break up Mookie’s routine or anything.”
