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I was able to take in the press conference for the signing of Matt Hobgood Saturday.
The first-round draft choice for the Orioles this year has all the tools, including a fastball that touches 97 - with an understanding that getting ahead in the count and mixing his pitches is what works at the highest levels.
One of the most important tools he seems to have is mental toughness. Matt's dad passed when he was just a kid, and it looks like his mom did a great job raising him. He is well mannered and very articulate.
To have all this - getting drafted and signing with a Major League team - happen to him so fast and with the media just waiting to get a piece of him, he looks like he's on top of it. Confident, not cocky. I like that a lot.
He is on his way to Bluefield, West Virginia to start his professional career. It won't be easy because it never is for a prospect.
Good luck to you Matt, and I hope to see you here in an Orioles uniform in about four to five years.
