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Butch Hobson Page Launches at MagPro.org/ButchHobson With New Interview Video

Butch Hobson Page Launches at MagPro.org/ButchHobson With New Interview Video

MagPro's Misop Baynun was recently involved in interviewing the Red Sox legend Butch Hobson in the video below called Henry Interviews Butch Hobson With Alberto Vasallo III and Misop Baynun. Legendary former 3rd baseman and later manager of the Boston Red Sox, Butch Hobson, shares about playing, coaching, baseball and life. Butch tells us about the spectacular, fearless and exciting 1975━1980 Red Sox. He also discusses his current position as the professional independent league manager of the Chicago Dogs in the American Association.



Misop had the privilege of interviewing his friend, Butch Hobson, whom he had pitched for in two recent winter league baseball seasons. Misop commented about Butch, "Butch Hobson was an amazing baseball player and is an excellent manager. He seemed fearless in his approach to hitting, fielding and base running. In fact, a team that he played on, the 1975━1980 Boston Red Sox, was one of the most fabulous teams in the history of baseball, with a similar attitude. It's been a great pleasure to have had the opportunity to interview him recently, and also to have pitched while he was managing and scouting during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Butch gave us a great interview."




Is Misop Baynun the Next High-Level Big League Prospect?

Musician, author, web entrepreneur and 7-year pitching veteran, Misop Baynun, went off to the Baseball Scouting League in Florida to get an opportunity to play in the MLB or other professional baseball league. Misop ended up with the most innings pitched with one of the lowest ERAs. He only gave up one earned run in twelve innings pitched. Using his knuckleball, curveball and fastballs, Baynun wowed people with his repertoire and excellent command of the knuckler and wound up with a 0.75 ERA.

Misop Baynun pitched a 1-2-3 inning in his 11th inning pitched (shown below) in the Baseball Scouting League in Florida, 2019:

Misop pitched another 1-2-3 inning in his 12th inning pitched, facing the MLB's 7th round draft pick by the Indians as the final batter in that inning. On a side note, Red Sox fans might like to know that Butch Hobson, the former 3rd baseman and later manager of the Boston Red Sox, and now manager of the Chicago Dogs and one of the many scouts at this three week season, walked by the camera twice in this video. [Videographer for both videos was Hsu Hao-kai]:

While playing with and facing a host of excellent baseball players, Misop Baynun proved he was very hard to hit. These players included Mat Latos, who pitched 9 years in the MLB with 8 teams, now with the New Jersey Jackals in the Can-Am Leauge; David Palladino, 5 years pitching with the Yankees organization, then onto the Can-Am League; Nicholas Bozman, signed early, after only one or two innings pitched to the New Jersey Jackals—formerly with the Normal CornBelters of the Frontier League; Josh McAdams, Cleveland Indians 2012 7th round draft pick, three seasons in the Minors and later with the Frontier League and then the American Association; Hsu Hao-kai, who after coming all the the way over from Taiwan played extremely well in this league, getting on base against excellent pitching; Andre Solomon, another knuckleball pitcher, who had an excellent outing, formerly with Empire League; and many other top players.

Misop recently attended his second Knuckleball Nation seminar with instuctors Chris Nowlin and R.A. Dickey (former Cy Young award winner), along with a guest appearance by Steven Wright (Red Sox pitcher) and many other knuckleball pitchers.

When I asked Misop why he thinks he had pitched so well, Misop told me, "I feel like I've been hard to hit for a long time, every former major league hitter that I have faced I've been able to get out, but my issue in the past was often control. Yet that all changed. Lately I have been able to get my knuckleball as well as my curveball and fastballs over the plate consistantly. As Butch Hobson always told me, 'fill up that plate,' and that really does make a huge difference, especially if you have late movement on your pitches as I've been fortunate enough to have."

I asked Misop what he has been working on as of late with his pitching, Misop told me, "After pitching quite a bit in various Boston area leagues including the Yawkey League and others, pitching for a month in the Arizona Winter League (AWL) last year, pitching for a bit in the Mexican Leaga de Norte with the San Luis Algodoneros, throwing a lot between games with Jonathan Ovalles, the 94 mph award winning pitching ace of the AWL, getting the win in the latest Boston Men's Baseball League Winterball Extravaganza, and after attending the Knuckleball Nation seminars, while continuing my pitching workouts as shown to me by Henry Waltham, as well as putting into practice the lower body workouts given to me by major league physical trainer, Zack Lannan, at Chadwick's Fitness and Performance Training in Franklin, TN, my velocity has increased dramatically. This not only helps with the effectivness of my fastballs, but also with my knucklball and curveball, as it gives the batter less time to react and it also makes it easier to get the ball over the plate."

When I asked Misop whether he had had any pitching mechanics issues resolved recently that might have helped him in his performance, Misop replied, "Brooks Carey, former major league pitcher and current manager of the New Jersey Jackals, told me years ago that the movement of my arm dictates the speed of the ball. And yes, this sounds simple, but it also seems to be true. Yet finding the best way for my body to catapult the ball with optimum velocity took a bit to come across. It took me a long time to find out the correct release point and correct snap of the wrist at release. This along with getting your legs and whole body behind the pitches really helps speed the ball up. Furthermore, Nicholas Bozman helped me out by suggesting that I release my curveball later, and this helped a great deal. Pitching mechanics conducive of getting batters out can take a long time to get. It's similar to vibrato on a guitar, it takes about one minute to explain, but sometimes years to get it. As Charlie Hough once told R.A. Dickey, 'It took me one day to learn how to throw a knuckleball and a lifetime to throw it for strikes.' Yet currently, I've felt like it has become easy and natural to pitch at this level—like I had reached a level that I had been trying for years to reach, but now it seems easy to do."

Misop Baynun's family has been involved with baseball for a long time. Misop's moms used to go to see the Red Sox play at Fenway Park when she was a child. She and her friend, along with her friend's uncle, Red Sox great Johnny Pesky, and other Red Sox great Ted Williams, would all quite frequently ride in Johnny's car from Swampscott to Fenway to enjoy a game. Misop's moms also babysat Red Sox phenom Tony Canigliaro when Tony was not yet full-size. Misop's pops even tried out for a third base spot for the Boston Braves way back before the Braves moved to Atlanta, Georgia.

As an old blues player is often not intimidated with playing on the same bill as a modern pop star, as he or she has become solid as a rock in knocking out the audiance with high-quality music, Misop does not seem to be lacking confidence in his abiblity to pitch well at the highest levels of baseball.

Misop has overcome great odds being suceesful playing in these leagues even though he's been dealing with the challenges of brittle diabetes. Pitching is one of the best jobs for a brittle diabetic. For if a pitcher can overcome the challenges of training with diabetes to be at the level a high quility pitcher needs to be at, then the battle is mostly won—that is, if that pitcher can get batters out. Even though a major league pitcher might train quite a bit mentally and physically during the regular season before and after the games, the time the pitcher critically needs to have his blood sugar at optimum levels to perform well is only for a short time, usually at the most not more than an hour and a half or so. That's a lot easier than keeping your sugar's level 24/7, 365 days a year, as all diabetics know.

I asked Misop, "There are a lot of quality pitchers in the big leagues, and a lot of quality hitters, what makes you think you deserve even a chance to compete at that level?" Misop said, "I might not deserve a chance because I've suffered for years as a brittle diabetic veteran, I might not deserve a chance because I used to almost die twice a week from hypoglycemia, but I deserve a chance because I'm one of the best pitchers in baseball. If you don't believe me, put the ball in my hand and let me prove it to you. Even though few believed David could hold his own against Goliath, David knew he could with God's help, yet he still needed someone to put the rock in his hand on the field. I just need that same oppertunity."

Misop told me, "I just want to find the best baseball oppertunity that I can. Whether I have to travel around the world to find it, or make a quick ten-mile trip to Fenway Park. Whether in the major leagues, other pro leagues in or out of the country, or wherever."

Right now, at the beginning of this 2019 baseball season, Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel along with Misop Baynun are all unsigned players. Hopefully, they will all find jobs before the end of the season. Although getting Kimbrel and Keuchel to help your team shoot for a championship could cost a team millions, I imagine you could get Misop for not much more than a song and a dance. And as Tom Brady informed Robert Kraft when Tom was just an unkown awkward player, that signing him was the best decision the team has ever made, I feel that signing Misop could only help a team win a championship. I hope it happens. We'll see.

Paul Schlosberg for MagPro News
Paul Schlosberg is a freelance writer with MagPro News, and an
author with MagPro Publishing. To contact Paul, Misop, MagPro News,
or MagPro.org about this article, please use the Contact link below.
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