Source: www.denverpost.com --- Friday, August 26, 2016
WASHINGTON — When Stephen Cardullo took the field at Nationals Park on Friday, in the line-drive path of reigning MVP Bryce Harper, he might as well have been a million miles from his Baseball past. The 28-year-old Cardullo, who made his major-league debut at first base to open the Rockies’ three-game series against the NL East leaders, earned his promotion by hitting .308 with 17 home runs for Triple-A Albuquerque this season. Before that, though, Cardullo spent the previous four seasons plying his craft in independent leagues, far from the bright lights of the majors. In 2014 and 2015, he played for the Rockland (N.Y.) Boulders of the Canadian-American Association. The former All-American at Florida State, a 24th-round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010, was playing in towns you could only reach with a compass and a prayer. Yet, there he was Friday, sandwiched between Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado, hitting second in the Rockies lineup. “It’s always a big deal, making a major-league debut,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “But when you take into account the path Stephen took to get here, it’s really, really special. It’s a great story of perseverance and overcoming the odds. He’s earned it.” The Diamondbacks released Cardullo after two seasons of rookie ball. Over the next four seasons, he played for three teams in two different independent leagues. The Rockies signed him to a minor-league contract in January with an ...
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