SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — With a sudden growth spurt in high school, Chad Qualls found himself at 6-foot-4, 165 pounds. He also found himself gangly and uncoordinated.
"My mom thought my (baseball) career was over," the Rockies relief pitcher said. "It's kind of funny how my parents were like, 'Well, that was fun while it lasted.' They never really envisioned me playing professional baseball, let alone this long."
Fortunately for Qualls, it took only about a year for him to catch up and find the athleticism he previously had. He ultimately proved the biggest influences in his life — Mom and Dad — wrong when he broke into the major leagues in 2004.