The Daily Free Press: Jake Arrieta on fast track to baseball immortality
Posted by David Souza
In a world where athletes are under intense scrutiny by fans and the media alike, a Twitter comment can often create quite a storm of controversy. Yet, social media was the place to look to if one wanted an indication of Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta’s impending stardom.
It was April 2013, and Arrieta had been floundering as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. Often shuttling back and forth between the minors and Camden Yards, Arrieta looked to be a bust, as he had already struggled for his first three seasons after being drafted in the fifth round out of Texas Christian University. When the righty looked at his mentions, he saw a rather nasty comment hurled his way by a disgruntled O’s fan. Arrieta responded forebodingly, “I will be a dominant starter. Wait for it..â€
Well, Major League Baseball viewers have waited and watched as Arrieta has risen like a phoenix out of the ashes of his own mediocrity to become a bona fide superstar.
At age 30, Arrieta has masterfully taken over the starting rotation of a Chicago Cubs team that seems destined to break its 108-year World Series curse. The Farmington, Missouri native demonstrated his tenacity and drive to be the best by becoming the team’s No. 1 starter last year, even with offseason addition Jon Lester competing against him — as they say, iron sharpens iron. …
Read the rest at http://dailyfreepress.com/2016/04/27/jake-arrieta-chicago-cubs-going-for-two/