PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - After months of waiting, Travis Hergert is back in big league camp with the Philadelphia Phillies. For the former NIACC head coach, there's nothing like being back at the diamond.
"Just to be around baseball, just to hear the crack of the bat, to hear guys playing catch, just some normalcy, it's been nice," he said.
His first season as assistant pitching coordinator with the Phillies, he's had to adjust to an ever changing baseball season.
'I'll be here for a couple of more weeks until we break camp and then it's kind of to be determined," Hergert said.
Major League Baseball's Opening Day was pushed back nearly four months to July 23. It's a lot of waiting and seeing how things shake up with Covid-19, but for a coach that's had to wait, Hergert isn't frustrated, but grateful.
"To say you're frustrated I think would be a disservice to all those minor leaguers that are out there or staff members that can't be here," he said.
Other former Trojans have made the jump to the big league camp as well, Seattle's Brandon Williamson and Atlanta's Bryce Ball. Their former skipper couldn't say enough about their progression in the sport.
"Just really proud of those guys because I know how much work they've put into it and how much they've earned every bit of this," Hergert said.
Hergert will stay in Philadelphia for now. Even with an uncertain season, he's enjoying every step of the way.
"It's such an honor and a priviledge to be here a part of this," he said.
