Just got off the telephone with former MSU great and MLB pitcher Jeff Brantley. The purpose of the call was to talk about a farewell piece I’m doing on Ron Polk that will run this Sunday.
The conversation took a major twist, though, when we started talking about the future of the program.
As he was explaining how much he enjoys teaching baseball on all levels and the importance of the new coach understanding the legacy of Polk and the tradition he’s built, I interrupted him and asked, “Would you be interested in the job?”
“I knew you were going to ask that,” the former ESPN analyst said with a laugh, after a brief pause.
Then I responded, “Well, you threw me a softball.”
We then talked briefly off the record about the situation. But he also wanted to go on the record, and here is what he had to say: “It’s always been something that has intrigued me,” he said.
Not a lot, but you can definitely read between the lines.
Brantley is currently working for the Cincinnati Reds as part of their radio crew. He said he has two years remaining on his contract, and that he’s being paid pretty good money.
He’s also recently remarried (to an MSU grad), and they call Ridgeland home.
So, what do you guys think? Would that be a good hire and why?
