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Joe Lance, The Smartest Man on the Field Friday, December 9th , 2039 Throughout baseball's history, a player's intelligence has rarely factored into his legacy. Some observers insist that, in fact, GM's and owners look down on smart individuals as the kind of players they would rather not have in their locker room. After all, the reasoning goes, a smart player is less likely to make dumb financial decisions and accept a bad contract. However, when a player as good as Joe Lance walks on the field, GM's and owners alike take note even though he would fit in just as well in the owner's meeting. As a young boy, Lance scored an IQ of 151. Growing up in South San Francisco, California, he dreamed about baseball...and going to college. He had always been naturally athletic, but also excelled in academics. When asked now why he pursued a college degree even though he had numerous chances to sign with a professional team right out of high school, he said, "I know my baseball career isn't going to last forever and when it's gone, I felt it was important to have something to fall back to. In college, I majored in business management and it has really changed the way I look at the business of baseball." His brain power has certainly not made him any enemies in the locker room. Boston Red Sox teammate, Josh Berger, said of Joe, "He is the most normal ball player in the world. He puts on his cleats one at a time just like the rest of the team. Of course, unlike the rest of the guys, he occasionally talks about which companies to invest our money in, and that's when we tend to do something smart - we shut up and listen." |
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