Gaslamp Ball · Jul 6, 2018
MacKenzie Gore on his Independence Day performance
Just after MacKenzie Gore threw his last warm-up pitch down the first-base line before Wednesday’s start, the lefty shook Pitching Coach Burt Hooton’s hand and was met with the words, “Go have fun, will ya.”
The phrase is heard often as a verbal relaxation tactic, but Hooton’s words to Gore before he took the mound in front of an Independence Day crowd of 8,000-plus in Ft. Wayne, IN, held a deeper meaning.
“I’m gonna be honest, I’ve struggled a lot, it’s been a slow start for me,” Gore said. “I’ve only thrown 26 innings now and [Hooton] pretty much said stop pressing, just go out there and have fun. And that’s what I did tonight. “