Sad to say, I saw this one coming a mile away.
Chris Snelling, who had pretty much the worst luck of any position prospect ever, hit a line-drive single for Australia in his first World Baseball Classic at-bat Saturday against Chinese Taipei starter Chien-Ming Wang and then immediately left the game with a leg injury.
Snelling was ranked by Baseball America as a top 100 prospect three times while making his way through the Mariners system and debuted in the majors as a 20-year-old in 2002. However, one injury after another prevented him from establishing himself. In all, he hit .244/.360/.400 in 225 major league at-bats from 2002-08. He last played in the United States in 2009, appearing in 19 games for the Pirates’ Triple-A club.
Australia is a long shot to advance in the World Baseball Classic, so even if Snelling’s latest injury proves minor, it seems doubtful that a U.S. audience will ever see him again.
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- jwbiii - Mar 2, 2013 at 1:55 AM
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Buzzard’s luck.
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- vallewho - Mar 2, 2013 at 2:00 AM
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WBC…yeahhhhhh!!!
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- jwbiii - Mar 2, 2013 at 2:35 AM
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C’mon. He’s not a northern hemisphere not ready for game action yet player. The ABL just finished their season three weeks ago.
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- Francisco (FC) - Mar 2, 2013 at 10:19 AM
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Right, because NO ONE gets injured during Spring Training correct?
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- skipcastaneda - Mar 2, 2013 at 3:44 PM
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There was a great article about Snelling in Baseball America when he was in the California League. He would buy his clothes at thrift stores and pig out on Del Taco. Great guy!!
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- unclemosesgreen - Mar 2, 2013 at 9:45 PM
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The poor guy has had worse luck with injuries than Mat Gamel.
