In the 1940s, the Cleveland Browns, a powerhouse in the National Football League (NFL), created a “taxi squad” to transport prospects who didn’t make the roster.
To maintain the reserve squad, Cleveland owner Arthur McBride hired them out to a taxi company he owned, hence the name.
It was introduced in 2020, when the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was raging in Major League Baseball (MLB).
The “taxi squad” allows four players on the 40-man roster to travel with a team in case a player suddenly contracts COVID-19 while traveling to a game.카지노사이트
Adolis Garcia (30-Texas Rangers) was on Texas’ “taxi squad” in 2021, along with Yang Hyun-jong (KIA Tigers).
After making the jump to the main lineup that year, Garcia has established himself as an “irreplaceable piece” with 39 home runs this year after hitting 31 in 2021 and 27 in 2022.
In fall ball this year, he was a key contributor to Texas’ run to the World Series and their first championship in franchise history.
Garcia is congratulated by a teammate after hitting a game-winning home run.
Garcia hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to break a 5-5 tie and lift the Los Angeles Angels to a 6-5 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-seven 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, U.S., on Monday.
It was his eighth home run of the postseason and fifth in a row.
Garcia, who had an RBI single in the first inning, now has 22 RBIs this postseason (PS), including the game-winning home run, setting a new franchise record for most RBIs in a single postseason.
Garcia’s game-winning homer came after Corey Seager hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game at 5-5.
After the game, Garcia reflected on Seager’s home run, saying, “That was the best moment of the game. I was excited to tie the game, and I knew we could win.”
As for his own game-winning home run, he said, “It was a really exciting moment. I was looking at the dugout and seeing my teammates happy,” he said.
Garcia’s ties to Korean baseball go beyond Yang and his “Taxi Squad” teammates.
His older brother is infielder Adonis Garcia, who played for the LG Twins in 2018.
Texas’ Garcia’s fiery swing.
In 50 games with LG, Garcia hit .339 with eight home runs and a .903 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), but injuries kept him from playing much.
Garcia, who signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017, had to leave the team when St. Louis acquired Kwang-hyun Kim (SSG Landers) in 2019.
St. Louis placed Garcia on waivers to make room for Kwang-hyun on the 40-man roster, which is when Texas picked him up.
Texas placed Garcia on the disabled list again to make room for right-handed pitcher Michael Poltinevich ahead of spring training in 2021.
Garcia overcame the adversity of being released twice to become a part of Major League Fall League Baseball history.
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