It’s my own fault really. I knew better.

It’s what separates a true, traditional journalist or writer or reporter from being just a fan. Oh sure, no honest journalist or writer or reporter can say that they don’t have a favorite team or even favorite players; I mean, even journalists or writers or reporters were undoubtedly fans long before they even had an inkling of sharing their words and thoughts through ink or voice or digitally, and I make no bones about the fact that I am a fan first and a writer – albeit only a blogger – after that. In fact, this is the very premise on which our now near-decade-old website is based – “Home of the most passionate Dodger fans in the world,” as we at ThinkBlueLA have long proclaimed.

Yes, it’s my own fault for becoming good friends with 24-year-old right-hander Jose De Leon and also with his father Jose M. De Leon. But I am anything but ashamed of this fact – not even slightly.

When news broke on Monday afternoon that De Leon had been traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for 30-year-old veteran second baseman Logan Forsythe, I was neither surprised nor shocked. Let’s be honest here, the Dodgers former 24th round pick in the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana had been named as the Dodgers top right-handed pitching prospect for two consecutive years and many believed that he and 20-year-old lefty phenom Julio Urias might become the next Drysdale-Koufax lefty/righty one-two punch, perhaps even more so than were Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley which, of course, never came to fruition. But while the De Leon trade neither surprised nor shocked me, I was, in a word, heartbroken.

De Leon was brilliant in his major league debut on September 4, 2016. He allowed just four runs on six hits while striking out nine and walking none. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

But putting my emotions aside for a moment, Monday afternoon’s trade was one that every Dodger fan – casual or avid – knew was going to happen. It was no secret that the Isabel, Puerto Rico native had become one of the Dodgers blue chip prospects and his name was frequently mentioned in trade talks both this off-season and last. In fact, his was the only real name mentioned in recent trade talks with the Minnesota Twins for 29-year-old right-handed slugging second baseman Brian Dozier, although Dodgers top-ranked first base prospect Cody Bellinger and top-ranked outfield prospect Alex Verdugo‘s names were often included in trade rumors for Dozier … among others. But true to their word, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi remained diligent (and vigilant) in their desire and ultimate goal of “getting young” and walked away from the Dozier trade talks with the Twins, thereby basically deeming Bellinger and Verdugo (among others) untouchable. (Phew!)

But with the Dodgers still in need of a so-called “everyday second baseman” and with an abundance of pitching prospects in what many consider the best farm system in all of baseball, it was only a matter of time before De Leon would be traded, regardless of how well-loved he was by his teammates, coaches, the fans and the media – especially one particular blogger.

As much as De Leon wanted to remain a Dodger – and make no mistake about it, he absolutely did – his ultimate goal (and dream) was and still is to not only make it to the big leagues, but to do so as a member of a starting rotation. And while there is little doubt that he probably would have done so with the 2017 Dodgers, there is zero doubt that he will with the 2017 Rays – none whatsoever.

In his all-to-brief time in the majors as a September 1 call-up in 2016, De Leon posted a 2-0 record and 6.35 ERA in his 17.0 innings of work. And even though one might argue that his ERA was a bit lofty, he struck out 15 of the 80 total batters he faced (18.75 percent). That said, he also allowed six home runs – an indication that although almost there, he still has some work to do.

So how did a veteran (aka: old) Dodger fan and blogger come to be friends with a guy who, in just four short seasons in the minors, would become the team’s highest-ranked right-handed pitching prospect – especially one who was a 24th-rounder? The answer to that is simple, really.

One night back in August of 2014 – August 19, to be exact – I happened to hear about a (then) 21-year-old right-hander from Isabel, Puerto Rico who struck out 14 batters while pitching for the Dodgers Low Single-A Great Lakes Loons and did so in only six innings pitched. Not only was this remarkable, it also broke a record for most strikeouts by a Loons pitcher, with the previous record being held by some left-hander named Clayton Kershaw. On that night, not only did De Leon make it onto my radar, it also got me very excited because I anticipated that he would begin the 2015 season at nearby LoanMart Field with the Dodgers Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Not only did he do so but he was named as the Quakes Opening Day starter against the Bakersfield Blaze at historic Sam Lynn Ballpark in Bakersfield, California, where another Dodger right-handed prospect once pitched … a guy named Don Drysdale.

De Leon took a perfect game into the fifth inning in the 2015 season opener for the Quakes.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

But my real friendship with De Leon – although strictly professional at the time – occurred during spring training 2015 when I arranged a one-on-one interview with the young right-hander. Although that interview may have seemed insignificant to De Leon, it was a game-changer for me. Not only did I find De Leon to be an intelligent and articulate young man, I immediately realized that he was one of the sincerest and most down-to-earth young baseball players I had ever interviewed, and it was clear immediately that he was destined for greatness. And though he and I spoke quite a bit about baseball, he also spoke of his family and faith that had helped him get to this point, particularly his father and grand father, who had passed a couple of years earlier.

“Oh my God, yeah, he’s been great,” said De Leon of his father Jose M. De Leon. “My mom’s been great, she’s adorable. I love her, I love them so much. But I think my biggest fan is my grandpa, that’s who I pitch for.

“When I was a freshman in college my grandfather was my biggest fan. In Puerto Rico he was at every single game,” De Leon added. “No matter where it was, he was there every single time. I remember it was before the season started he passed away and it was devastating, it was brutal. I always try to look at things in a positive kind of way and I said ‘Man, this is happening for a reason.’ I think God is taking over because physically he’s not going to be able to see me pitch, so I know now that he is seeing me pitch, every single pitch, no matter where I’m at … When I pitch I always write ‘Abu’ – it’s short for Abuello (grandfather) – and he’s always there with me. That’s the guy I pitch for and I always say it.”

As you might expect, De Leon had an entourage of family and friends at his MLB debut On September 4, 2016 at Dodger Stadium. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Ironically, during that same interview and almost as if a premonition, De Leon also said something which, at the time, we both kidded about.

“I joke with my dad – I hope I don’t play in a dome because I want [my grandfather] to watch me.”

Don’t worry, my friend, there is zero doubt that Abu will have an unobstructed view of you pitching no matter where you are – even under the dome of Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay.

Godspeed to you amigo.