Okay, so, I’ve been following this kid, Kirby Connell, for a while now. He’s a pitcher from the University of Tennessee, a real lefty with a killer mustache – they call him “Vollie Fingers,” which I think is pretty funny.
I started looking into him a while back, sometime in June, I think. Found some old scouting reports from when he was in high school. Back then, they clocked him at an 8.09 60-yard dash and said he had an 83 mph exit velocity. Not too shabby for a high school kid.
I dug around some more and found his profile on some baseball websites. They had his stats, biography, and all that jazz. Seems like he’s been with the Volunteers since 2020. He’s considered one of the veteran left-handers in their bullpen. And guess what I read? It says he’s going to be joined by a bunch of new faces!
Then, of course, I had to see what people were saying about his chances in the 2024 MLB draft. I mean, that’s the big time, right? I looked up some articles, some of those “Rule 5 Draft Preview” things. It was tough to nail down, but I kept seeing his name pop up, especially in those draft discussions.
Now, I’m no scout or anything, but I watched some videos of him pitching. He’s got a pretty smooth delivery, and that mustache… it’s like a good luck charm or something. I saw that he was a big part of the Volunteers’ success, and it felt like he’s one of those guys who just keeps getting better.
The draft finally rolled around this past July, and it was a bit of a nail-biter, lasting three whole days! I was refreshing pages, looking for updates. Turns out, Kirby Connell’s name wasn’t called during those three days. But that doesn’t mean it’s over for him, right?
I’m still keeping an eye on him. I checked some recent news, and it seems he’s still with the Volunteers. So, who knows, maybe he’ll get another shot at the draft next year, or maybe he’ll go the undrafted free agent route. One thing’s for sure, I’ll be watching to see what this “Vollie Fingers” does next. And you should too!
I’m telling you, this kid’s got potential. And that mustache… it’s legendary!
