If young New Zealand athletes want to be inspired by a man who never gave up, DJ Carrasco is a prime example.
The 37-year-old pitcher is the Major League Baseball ambassador to New Zealand and was in Dunedin yesterday to pass on his skills to schoolchildren and even give tips on the rival summer code of cricket.
''We got the chance to see some teams in Wellington as well as Christchurch, and then coming down here more for promotion and speaking and working with little kids,'' Carrasco said at St Mary's Kaikorai School yesterday, immediately after a coaching session.
Carrasco's last game in the big leagues was for the New York Mets in 2012.
He finished with a career record of 24 wins and 21 losses, 315 strikeouts and an ERA (earned run average) of 4.50.
Those statistics suggest a tidy career, but Carrasco admits there were times when he wondered if his MLB dream would ever come true.
He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1997 but was let go in 1998 and ended up in the Cleveland Indians system before he decided to chase his dream of being a hitter.
''I asked for my release from the Indians early on to hit then I was actually eight hours away from asking for my release from the White Sox and they called me up.
''With the [Pittsburgh] Pirates in the minor leagues, I had basically made my mind up to quit but the coach talked me into sticking around for a couple of months and I ended up getting Rule Fived [a draft to prevent teams stockpiling too many players in the minor leagues] up to the big leagues.''
The Rule 5 draft took him to the Kansas City Royals, where he made his debut in 2003 before later turning out for the Chicago White Sox and ending his top-level career with the Mets after brief appearances for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Such an up-and-down career, which included stints in Mexico, Panama, Canada, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Japan, makes Carrasco the perfect man to give some advice to Kiwi catcher Te Wera (Beau) Bishop, who has signed with the Milwaukee Brewers after being let go by the Boston Red Sox two years ago.
''He's very fortunate to have this second opportunity so I hope he makes the best of it,'' Carrasco said.
''I think it's a little better now he knows what to expect coming in versus his first time when he didn't have any idea.''
Carrasco, who is visiting New Zealand with his wife ''and assistant coach'' Autumn Lopez, has been in demand with cricket teams during his time here, as he breaks down the nitty gritty of throwing mechanics.
He ran sessions with the Wellington Firebirds and spent time with the Otago under-19 and under-17 squads yesterday before a session with softballers and track and field athletes last night.
