If Yasiel Puig has taught us anything it’s that personal sacrifice, total dedication, hard work and commitment can pay off – sometimes even substantially.

Like many folks, I am a huge Yasiel Puig fan, perhaps even one of his biggest fans. But unlike most folks, I am not a bandwagon Puig fan. In fact, I began following Yasiel closely (almost daily) on June 28, 2012 – the day that the Dodgers signed him to his 7-year/$42 million contract.

After being signed by the Dodgers, I waited anxiously for the then 21-year-old Cuban defector to make it out of Mexico and into the United States, an ordeal that took him more than a month.

I was excited when Puig arrived at Camelback Ranch on July 9, 2012 to begin working out with the Arizona Rookie League Dodgers, having been out of organized baseball for over a year.

I was excited when, in 9 games with the Arizona Dodgers, he went 12 for 30 (.400), hit 3 triples, 4 home runs and had 11 RBIs. He was clearly already beyond the Rookie League level of play.

I was excited when he made his debut with the Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on August 14, 2014. I was at that game (and several others) to see him in action in person. As you might expect, he was the topic of several blog articles here on ThinkBlueLA.

Although Puig grounded out in his very first at-bat with the Quakes on August 14, 2012, he hit the ball extremely hard – which has always been his trademark.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

I was excited when I personally witnessed Yasiel hit his first (and only) Cal League home run on August 28, 2012. Not only did I witness it, I captured it on video; and not only did I capture it on video, I got the ball.

I was excited when my good friend Gary Smith and I attended a Quakes vs. Storm (Padres) game at Lake Elsinore and Yasiel took the time to pose for a quick photo with us before getting on the team bus after the game.

Puig was kind enough to pose for a couple of quick photos with us.

I was excited when, at a press conference on the day after the Dodgers 2012 season ended, I asked Dodger general manager Ned Colletti if Puig would be in major league camp for spring training and Ned said that he would.

I was excited when I learned that Yasiel would be attending the Arizona Fall League and I drove over to Mesa for the Solar Sox first three games only to learn when I arrived that Puig had been scratched from the roster due to a staph infection in his right elbow that required emergency surgery, thus forcing him to miss the entire fall league.

I was excited when I arrived for spring training a week before the games started and personally witnessed Yasiel absolutely crushing the ball during batting practice – many of which cleared the outfield fence by a good 10 feet or more.

And of course I was excited to personally witness what has possibly been the single greatest spring training performance not just by a rookie but by any player in the history of the game.

If there has ever been a better spring training performance than Puig’s, I am unaware of it.
(Photo credit – Norm Hall)

Throughout spring training, I have been one of Yasiel Puig’s strongest supporters (go figure) and have questioned the almost daily comments by Colletti and Don Mattingly saying that Puig is “too raw” and not yet MLB ready. They are quick to say that he still has a lot to learn about the game. And while I disagree with this and honestly believe that the things that he still needs to learn can just as easily be learned in the Big leagues as in the minor leagues, I cannot and will not argue that Puig absolutely must play every day, regardless of where he ends up. I will argue, however, that Puig is more than capable of coming off the bench in the sixth or seventh innings to spell Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier or even Matt Kemp occasionally, so long as it is done every day and he gets at least two at bats every game.

In all fairness to Colletti and Mattingly, I actually believe that they are giving serious consideration to this role for Yasiel, at least until they are convinced that Crawford’s surgically repaired elbow is 100% healed. I also believe that Alex Castellanos’ weak .227 spring training batting average may also figure into their ultimate decision and it makes Puig a better option as the Dodgers’ 4th outfielder than Castellanos – at least to begin the season. But here again, Puig absolutely must play every day and must get at least two at bats every game, and you can bet that Crawford, Ethier and Kemp will have something to say about being yanked from games regardless of what inning it is.

But alas, what we had all hoped and prayed for with Carl Crawford is now happening – he is recovering quickly from his Tommy John surgery and is beginning to hit for power and is throwing exceptionally well, and there is no reason whatsoever to believe that Crawford will not be the Dodgers’ opening day left fielder. As such, there is simply no place for Puig to play full-time and he will most likely begin the 2013 season at either Albuquerque or Chattanooga.

And if this happens, there is one thing for certain – I will once again be anxiously awaiting for Puig to arrive – this time at Dodger Stadium for the Big Show.