Ray Fagnant tossed and turned in his bed at 2 a.m. on Monday morning while doing the same thing as many Americans -- wondering what the next few weeks and months would look like.
The longtime New England regional scouting supervisor for the Boston Red Sox had been called off the road during the peak of scouting season, less than two months before the scheduled date for the 2020 MLB Draft (June 10 to 12). He needed to come up with a plan. How could he prepare for a draft if he couldn't scout players?
Fagnant's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar sound for the baseball lifer -- the pop of a baseball into a mitt over and over again. Fagnant's three sons, Amherst College freshman Christian, East Granby High (Conn.) sophomore Matthew, and eighth-grader James, were playing long toss under street lights ... yes, at 2 a.m.
"Everybody is in the same boat," Ray Fagnant said. "If and when the draft comes, the only guarantee is that 1,200 kids will be taken. All I can say at this point is stay ready, and do what the civic duty is with social distancing. When it's all back to normal, we'll make sure they're seen."
