In 2005, the San Diego Padres selected who they thought would become a franchise player. Matt Bush, then 18, would become a millionaire overnight in the blink of an eye.
Bush, who attended Mission Bay High School in San Diego, California was drafted first overall after showing his ability to play shortstop at a highly competitive level. A three sport athlete in high school, he was able to show his athletic ability not only on the diamond but on the soccer field and his speed while running track. After being drafted by the Padres, Bush signed a contract to play shortstop with a signing bonus of 3.15 million dollars. After getting into a bar fight in Arizona, Bush received a suspension before he even took the field as a professional.
Early in his career, Bush experienced an ankle injury and poor play compared to expectations, therefore the Padres decided to convert Bush to a pitcher, where he had great success. Bush threw 98 and was familiar with the mound stemming from his high school pitching days. Shortly after a stint of success on the mound, he was forced to have Tommy John surgery after tearing a ligament in his elbow. After some legal trouble in 2009, which included him beating up two high school lacrosse players while intoxicated in a San Diego parking lot, he then was the center of attention after assaulting a woman at a party in Florida.
The next event is the most troubling as bush was arrested on March 22, 2012 stemming from an incident in which he was was arrested and charged with two counts of DUI with property damage, one count of DUI with serious bodily injury, one count of leaving the scene of an accident with an injury, one count of driving with a suspended license, and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with damage to property. Bush allegedly ran over the head of a motorcyclist, which landed him 51 months in prison. Bush had a decision to make: He could follow suit of many prisoners and get into drug or gang related activity, or he could view prison as a chance to lead a new life, it’s safe to say he chose the latter.
Fast forward to October 30, 2015 when Bush was released from prison. After good behavior, Bush was released from prison and was a free man. On May 13, 2016, Bush made his major league debut for the Texas Rangers in which he came in relief of a 5–0 loss against the Toronto Blue Jays. Bush was greeted by his manager, coaches, and players as he entered the dugout after his scoreless inning. In today’s society of athlete’s placing the blame on others and not taking responsible, this is a great example of owning up to your mistakes and making the most of second chances. Although the initial actions were not exemplary, the actions that followed were extremely admirable. The sky's the limit for Matt Bush—let’s see if he can shine.
