For Josh Ravin, The Rebuilding Starts Now
- Updated: May 4, 2016
Granada Hills, Calif
On a Tuesday afternoon in the San Fernando Valley, one of the best high school baseball teams in Southern California took the field. The Chatsworth Chancellors have for the good part of three decades have produced some of the finest collegiate and MLB pros in the game. As the orange and blue took the field, there was a melancholic feel in the stands after one of their own, Josh Ravin was suspended 80 games for testing positive for a banned peptide.
Ravin had played in the minor leagues for several seasons, starting all the way back in Sarasota, Fl back in 2006 in a career that spanned nine different states in 10 different cities including a season of winter ball in Mazatlan, Mexico before getting his call up. Although he had only played in seven games in 2015 with a 6.75 ERA, he was now already being mentioned in the same breath as all-star third baseman and world series champion Mike Moustakas go along with the other multitude of players to grow through the Chancellor program and reach the big leagues
Two months before the season started in 2016, Ravin was walking on air with his number getting retired at his alma mater. Everyone from Dodgers fans to old teammates and young baseball players of all ages came to greet the new hero of the Valley. An area that has produced the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Bret Saberhagen, Robin Yount, Randy Wolf and Garrett Anderson just to name a few. Ever since that day, Ravin’s season which was filled with so much hope and promise has turned into downtrodden disappointment.
As Chatsworth played its second to last regular season game and in preparation for another run at a city championship at Dodgers stadium, the feel was one of sadness and shock. A community that welcomed back one of its own like a hero playing for the hometown team, only to now being one of the players who have continued the trend of doping in baseball.
Yes Ravin did take responsibility for his actions and owned up to his mistake. He didn’t try to make things worse like Braun by making false accusations and playing out a process that ultimately salted his reputation even worse. He took the road that anyone should take and hope that time will heal the integrity he lost.
Now for Ravin, he has done the hard part. The easy part will be to get back onto the baseball field where he will work again from the bottom for another shot at the big leagues.
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