Army Veteran and West Point Grad Shines During Major League Baseball Debut

INJOIn 2013, Chris Rowley graduated from the elite military university, West Point. That year, he entered the MLB draft and although he was bypassed, he eventually signed with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays.

However, ESPN reported that the first lieutenant missed the 2014 and 2015 minor league seasons because of his military service. After 30 months in the Army, in January 2016, he received an exemption for the remainder of his service and continued playing in the minor league.

“There's a huge sense of nationalism that goes into both of the professions that I've been in,” he told MLB.com. “I know in the United States Army and now the only Major League Baseball team in Canada.”

On Saturday, the Army veteran got his shot at the big leagues and started as pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays in their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates

“Obviously that's the dream but I don't think I had it in my mind that I'd be here right now,” Rowley told MLB.com.

For five and one third innings, Rowley pitched a strong game and only allowed one run in. Toronto manager John Gibbons told ESPN that he thought the West Point graduate “looked very confident out there.”

Read the full story on IJR.com

Photo: Getty Images


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