He Was the Next Juan Marichal. Then His Career Was Destroyed.

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Who was the most exciting pitcher of the 1980s?

That’s a hard question to answer. There was the old guard, aces like Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton who had dominated the league for years. There were also youngsters like Fernando Valenzuela, Doc Gooden, and Roger Clemens, who blew away hitters with electric stuff. Then there were players like Dave Stieb, Jack Morris, and Bert Blyleven, who were less flashy, but nevertheless some of the most valuable arms of the era.

For my money, though, the most exciting pitcher of the ‘80s, is Mario Soto. Soto was a fireballer. He was a strikeout artist. And the owner of the best changeup this side of Pedro Martinez.

Those are just the highlights, though. Dig deeper, and you’ll find that Mario Soto’s story is one of triumph, of controversy, and of heartbreak – sometimes all at once.
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BUSINESS INQUIRIES
[email protected]
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SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: @BaseballHSTRN
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MUSIC
“The Chance” - Audionautix
“[Season] Tutorial (2006)” - MLB Power Pros 2006 Unofficial Soundtrack
“Dream Draft” - MLB Power Pros Unofficial Soundtrack
“[Season] Main Theme (2006)” - MLB Power Pros 2006 Unofficial Soundtrack
“[Success] Event 4” - MLB Power Pros 2006 Unofficial Soundtrack
“[Success] AA” - MLB Power Pros 2008 Unofficial Soundtrack
“[Success] Scene” - MLB Power Pros Unofficial Soundtrack
“[Success] Menu 2006” - MLB Power Pros 2006 Unofficial Soundtrack
“Steppers To Heaven” - Freedom Trail Studio
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00​ - 0:52 Intro
0:53 - 5:47 Who Was Mario Soto?
5:48 - 7:44 High Heat
7:45 - 9:05 Gametime
9:06 - 11:22 Chaos and Beyond
11:23 - 15:59 Game Over
16:00 - 18:30 The Rose Theory
18:31 - 19:37 What If?
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SOURCES
Baseball Reference
Society for American Baseball Research
Sports Illustrated
ESPN
MLB
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