Musgrove enjoys special trip home
SAN DIEGO — Enjoying dinner with family and friends Saturday night in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, Joe Musgrove let a phone call from a number he didn’t recognize go to voicemail.
Upon listening to the message, the Astros pitching prospect called back immediately. The voice on the other line was that of former San Diego Padres closer and all-time great Trevor Hoffman, who had phoned to congratulate Musgrove on garnering the start for the U.S. team in Sunday’s All-Star Futures Game at Petco Park.
As if his selection to a game reserved for baseball’s best prospects wasn’t enough, Musgrove enjoyed an especially memorable Sunday starting the annual exhibition at a ballpark that molded his passion for the sport.
The 23-year-old righthander grew up 20 minutes inland of Petco Park in El Cajon. A few hours before first pitch, he pointed toward the section in the right-field seats where his family used to own season tickets.
“This is where I really developed the dream of playing,” he said.
Musgrove, the sport’s 32nd-best prospect according to Baseball America, tossed a perfect first inning Sunday, needing only 11 pitches. He soaked in the rest of the afternoon from the dugout. As a kid, Musgrove’s first exposure to major league baseball came via Padres games at Qualcomm Stadium. Hoffman and Jake Peavy were his favorite pitchers for his hometown team. On Sunday afternoon, he spoke with excitement about the prospects of picking the brain of Hoffman, who managed the U.S. team in the game.
“Unless you were here to experience Trevor Time, no one really understands when the lights go out in the stadium and (AC/DC’s) ‘Hells Bells’ comes on,” he said. “As a kid, I couldn’t wait for the ninth inning with the lead because I knew Hoff was coming in to shut it down.”
Eight starts into his tenure in Class AAA, Musgrove (3-3, 4.60 ERA) arrived in San Diego from Fresno on Friday and will stay through Thursday.
“It’s an honor just to be invited to the game,” Musgrove said. “And then on top of that, it’s in my hometown and the place I grew up watching the game and falling in love with it.”.