Boston Red Sox prospect Jeter Downs shared a story about getting to talk with Derek Jeter about the “nuances of baseball.”
Now the 21-year-old infielder has a story with another Major League Baseball great.
Downs, who was acquired by the Red Sox in the trade that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers, ran into nine-time Gold Glove winner Torii Hunter Sr.
Hunter Sr. had some advice for Downs, which the newcomer told The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams.
“I actually ran into Torii Hunter in my hotel last week,” Downs said. “He told me to make all the mistakes you can now in the minor leagues. Try new things. I’ve taken that to heart. So, I feel really good about that.”
Downs, as McWilliams wrote, is close friends with Torii Hunter Jr., the son of Hunter Sr., as the two were drafted just one year apart.
“He actually mentioned that he’s been watching me because he’s working with the Twins,” Downs said of Hunter Sr. “In this game, the more you play the better you get and the more you learn.”
Downs surely will continue to do so during spring training and beyond.
