When Will The Season Begin? An Interview With Oakland A's Skye Bolt

skye bolt athletics — Skye Bolt, Las Vegas Aviators. Photo credit Gail Verderico, @1baseballchick on Twitter.

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It seems for some of us as if things have come to a stand still while waiting to hear when we can go back to our regular daily lives. Each day we wonder what the next development will be in the Coronavirus pandemic. Still there are some that won’t ever be able to go back to their “regular” daily lives as a result of COVID-19 taking either jobs or family members and friends. One thing is for sure, the Coronavirus has definitely shaped both our country and the world, and the next 50-60 days are crucial towards seeing the direction we’re headed. There is still hope that the numbers will hopefully start to go down and continue that trend, and perhaps they will have a vaccine within the next 6-12 months and have enough tests available moving forward.

However long it might take for things to get back to “normal,” there are still fans that are hoping and anticipating sporting events starting back up and getting a chance to watch them, even if it’s only on TV with players playing in empty arenas and ballparks. One of America’s greatest pastimes has been baseball as well as watching their favorite teams in multiple sports (NBA, NHL, MLB) contend for championships thinking, “This is our year.” For those of you reading this article I know we are all missing our favorite sport and anxiously anticipating baseball resuming play although were not completely sure when that will be exactly.

Fortunately, I got a chance to interview Oakland Athletics outfielder Skye Bolt. I learned more about when the season might start, how the virus has impacted players, what it would be like to play games in an empty ballpark, and more.

Here is a little background on Bolt. He was drafted by the Oakland A’s in the 4th round in 2015 out of North Carolina. He helped the United States win a Gold medal in 2013 as part of Team USA’s Collegiate National Team and he made his Major League debut on May 3, 2019. Skye is part of the Oakland A’s 40-man roster so he was a great person to interview about what is going on as far as when the season might start for both the majors and the minors, as well as what it was like for him to get a chance to play in the majors and win Gold with Team USA. As far as skills go, Bolt currently looks to be a potential 4th outfielder for the Oakland Athletics thanks to his ability to play all three outfield positions. He’s also a solid base runner with above average speed to go along with solid on base skills. Plus he’s shown the ability to continue to improve as a hitter while advancing through the minors.

I hope you enjoy this interview as I continue to help you all get closer to this great game. I wish you all the best of health and hopefully we’ll see the baseball season start up before the end of the year.

Prospects1500 · Interview with Skye Bolt

James Weisser

James Weisser has been following prospects since 2003, when the Florida Marlins won the world series with players like Josh Beckett, Miguel Cabrera, and Dontrelle Willis. He has seen MVP's, Cy Young Winners, and All-Stars before they ever played in the majors, and is an avid college baseball fan who enjoys watching the SEC and ACC in the spring when often times the cold, wet weather of the Midwest allows him to follow some of the top players in both conferences. He also enjoys following/covering the Midwest League which is often players first full-season level. He also watches some of the top amateur talent that comes through Chicago and the Midwest like the Under Armour All-America game at Wrigley Field which features some of the top incoming seniors for the following year as well as the 17U Team USA which features some of the top juniors in the country. He currently resides in McHenry, Illinois which is located within an hour from the Beloit Snappers and Kane County Cougars which allows him to see 4 or more organizations Low A teams in a week at times. A White Sox fan growing up one of his favorite moments was watching them win the World Series in 2005. A few of his all-time favorite players to watch are Frank Thomas, Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, Ryan Howard, Clayton Kershaw, Barry Bonds, Mike Trout, and Ken Griffey Jr.