It’s in our nature, as humans and, especially, as writers, to create connections. Sometimes it serves as a way of forging bonds, other times it’s entirely meaningless, like the way cracks in the sidewalk become a test of maternal love,
Six years ago Edwin Díaz and I graduated from our respective high schools, flush with the impatient certainty of success that comes with that time in your life. In the years that followed, I lost nearly all of that certainty, but Díaz scarcely did. He spent two seasons in rookie ball, earning recognition as Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year in 2013. A promotion to Clinton in 2014 saw him statistically sputter but, based on conversations with 2015…
