Life in the minor leagues isn’t for the faint of heart. The less-than-ideal travel and housing accommodations are only tolerated by those who either have a severe love of baseball or, more likely, have a dream of eventually getting called to The Show.
Catcher Chris Okey became one of the few minor leaguers to have that dream come true Friday when the Cincinnati Reds promoted him from their Triple-A affiliate in Louisville. And cameras were there to catch the moment he found out.
You can almost see the relief come over the 27-year-old Okey, who has bounced around the team’s minor league system for six years since being selected in the second round of the 2016 draft.
The moment @Chris_Okey_ found out he was going to The Show! pic.twitter.com/l35NRlBxZz
— Louisville Bats (@LouisvilleBats) June 10, 2022
“If I had the mic, I would drop it. Because Oke, you’re going to the big leagues,” the team’s skipper said, drawing a huge celebration.
Because of the grind of the minors and how long it can take some players to reach the bigs, moments like this – and when Orioles prospect Adley Rutschman was called up – are always fun to see, because the emotions are so genuine.
But while Rutschman was almost a guarantee to get the call, Okey wasn’t. That makes his moment all the more special. He’ll replace Tyler Stephenson on the Reds roster after the catcher placed on the 10-day injured list with a broken thumb.
