These actions expedited his eligibility to 2010's draft, where the Washington Nationals spent their No. Straight To The Majors: The Players Who Skipped The Minors On Their Way to Pro Careers, PartII, Jaden Ivey pulled a Chris Webber, and it cost Pistons the game vs. Bulls. Programs like the Raiders offer these boys that love the game an opportunity to continue to improve their skills, while pursuing that dream to play in college. In a sport littered with prospect volatility and prominent busts, the incredibly talented teenager stood out as an eventual top pick destined for stardom. ", Edwin Encarnacion: [advice to his younger self] "First, I'd tell him to keep working hard. He transitioned from reliever to starter in 1998. Rejection is a fact of life, though, something any young player will face at one point. That is why TCS Post Grad is becoming very successful for HS graduates as well. They went out there and did their thing and was like, 'Who is No. ", [Cox is playing for Double-A Erie this season in the Tigers' organization. The year ended with Boston hoisting the Stanley Cup, cementing Thomas' legacy with a short, yet spectacular peak. Cubs' Suzuki withdraws from WBC due to oblique injury By: Matt Snyder Suzuki had planned to play for Japan, so his exit. He even threw an 18-strikeout no-hitter to set a New Jersey high school record. Baseball's parallel to LeBron James, Harper graced the cover of Sports Illustrated at age 16. In an August interview with USA Rugby's official site, he said he couldn't pass up the chance once the sport was added to Olympic play. Then a travel then. Let's break down some atypical origin stories from active and retired athletes. It's hard to fathom now, but Buehrle, too, was rail-thin and barely 5 feet tall when he tried out for his high school squad. Potentially a family could spend $40,000 on youth baseball and the player nets a $10,000 a year scholarship in "return." That's best case. Figure 1 shows that a higher percentage of drafted players in all rounds signed from 1996 to 2011 than from 1965 to 1995. Nate Ebner returned to his first sport, rugby, for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Birth date: August 9, 1967. There is also a large amount of high school baseball practic e time required, with travel teams there likely won't . By senior year, he was still only 5'5" and played sparingly as a result. Date of MLB debut: April 7, 1994 After starring at Wichita State and earning NCAA Player of the Year honors for 1993, Dreifort went second overall to the Dodgers in that year's MLB Draft -- behind only Alex Rodriguez -- and signed in September. Nady didn't see the majors again until 2003. There was going to be no way I'd make the varsity team. He started only one other game for the A's in 1978, taking another no-decision. I guess the Mets have a thing for outfielders that dont play HS ball. Don't completely dismiss his Bondsian KBO numbers. He stood just 5 feet, 9 inches as a sophomore. Ebner has lasted six seasons with an organization notoriousfor its lack of loyalty. Citing poor defense and, well, lack of fitness, the team's coach, Bobby Knight, cut Barkley, with Sir Charles taking it in stride at the time. Brandon Jennings opted to play professionally in Italy rather than attend college. These guys didn't follow that path. One of the nominees for next year's Hall of Fame class, former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner's career ended with great success, but it started with near heartbreak. The three-time All-Star hit 22 home runs with a 128 OPS+ last season. ", Aaron Judge: "Probably when I was 10, 11, 12, you dream about it. He got drafted. That's where a scout saw me, and he chose me between a group of players he considered with enough skills and raw talent so they could play professionally. He was 4'8" as a freshman and weighed only 70 pounds. His trophy case also includes a Gold Glove award, Silver Slugger award and two All-Star selections. I'm a pretty intense guy myself, so I have a little more success when I lighten up a little bit. Tim Thomas was 31 when he broke into the NHL with the Boston Bruins. In two seasons with the Reds, Leake has appeared in 53 games (48 starts) and is 20-13 with a 4.03 ERA. A six-time NBA champion, 13-time All-Star and one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, Hall of Famer Bob Cousy seemed to have had all the skills whenever on the basketball court. Of course, Barkley would go on to play with a few of the aforementioned players eight years later on the Dream Team, as well as earn the title as one of the greatest players of his era. As Wyoming is one of only three states that do not offer high school baseball, Nimmo played American Legion Baseball. Enter the draft. He spent the entire season as the JV team's star. Everybody fails, especially in this game that we play. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 3. That year, Trout emerged as the No. These are some of the athletes who did the former, working harder to prove that they were better than the coach who gave them the boot. His gambit also ended in a top-10 selection (No. MLB has added a pitch clock . The top two 9th graders in our state (according to PBR) are playing travel over High School. ", Bradley: "At that particular time, I would say Zack Cox. Olerud finished out his career with the Mariners (four-and-a-half seasons), Yankees (half season) and Red Sox (one season). High school baseball by: Anonymous As a mom of 4 kids, 2 boys all play baseball, softball my opion is its how the coach thinks is best, or depending on the parents who know the coach. They did not have a soccer team until recently, when Xolos arrived. Kristilyn is a student at Azusa Pacific University pursuing a B.A. "But in the end, they knew who they drafted in 2012 in me being a rugby player, and they understood this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me, and they have shown nothing but support through this entire journey.". But those opportunities didn't appeal to him. He refused to let it get the best of him and built an 18-year career that included three All-Star appearances and one Cy Young Award. Neither did Jarred Kelenic. These are the real storiesHollywood turned into movies. Morgan started 1979 at AAA, was called up mid-season, and posted a 2-10 record in thirteen starts. Players have largely been pleased with Major League Baseball's rollout of several new rules this spring, but fans getting their first look in person have mixed reviews. His career has been marked by injuries, including two Tommy John surgeries and an emergency appendectomy. This shouldn't have been. season . Despite hitting .531 with 18 homers in 81 at-bats in his senior year of high school, surprisingly enough, Mike Trout wasn't selected to play for Team USA. ", Samardzija: "Be resilient, have fun. We'll also consider why the straight-to-the-majors practice is used much less frequently now as compared to the 1970s. Ariel Prieto Prieto was born and raised in Cuba, and then emigrated to Puerto Rico where he pitched in the winter leagues. Milner spent several years in the Blue Jays farm system, where he sustained a series of career-ending injuries. Today's major league stars started as children with dreams. Overall, he compiled a 18-32 record and a 4.69 ERA. 2. Growing four inches by the time the team held tryouts his junior year, Jordan made the varsity team, became a McDonald's All-American the following year, won a national title at the University of North Carolina a few years later and, well, became the greatest basketball player ever over the course of the next 25-plus years. DATA ANALYSES. He continued to play for the. She worked for her high school newspaper as Editor in Chief for three years and has been working here since July 2022. "A lot of [them] don't always know what they're talking about," Hershiser said. Hall of Famer Kurt Warner spent three seasons in the Arena Football League. He was traded to the then-Devil Rays before the 2001 season but pitched in only three games for Tampa Bay. Is recently unretired NFL linebacker James Harrison a Hall of Famer? In 89 games his rookie year, Horner batted .266/.313/.539 with 23 home runs. "I think it's more high school when you start thinking professional baseball or college baseball. Las Vegas High School, the young catcher left to pursue a GED and spend a year at a Nevada junior college. I think that's what kept me focused and dedicated to it. It's the same game, no matter where or when you play. IRB Junior World Championships before switching to football as an Ohio State walk-on. He was sort of a. My goal was to get to the major leagues and I wasn't going to rest until I achieved it. </p> <p>And to think I didn't even make this decision consciously. He pitched in his last game in September 2, 2002, a 19-1 drubbing at the hands of the Dodgers, going 1 innings and giving up three hits and one run out of the bullpen. As the Patriots started training camp, Ebner joined the U.S. national rugby squad in Rio de Janeiro. His only full seasons in the majors came in 1983 and 1984, when he pitched in 47 games, starting 32 games and pitching 15 in relief. Both pitchers signed contracts with. California. The following year, he realized his dream by earning a big league promotion. In 1999, he earned the starting job and recorded 41 passing touchdowns for the Super Bowl champions. Donovan was, rightfully so, a little bitter about it, claiming he deserved to be with his familiar mates in Brazil. Gambling problem? In 2005, the St. Louis Cardinals signed Venezuelan pitcher David Peralta. But for every Cole, there are multiple stories like Karsten Whitson's. Whitson was drafted ninth overall in 2010 and turned down a reported $2.1 million to play at Florida. Scouts don't care about what you did. I loved it," Harper said. Really just have fun. Today, that number has dropped to nearly 8%. They knocked us out of the state championships. I think if you know anything about numbers, the success rate isn't very high. All These Amazing Gifts Are Surprisingly Under $50. When starter Kordell Stewart went down in 2002, Maddox led them into the postseason with 20 touchdowns. At 17, I started lifting weights and became a little more consistent. Julius Peppers didn't really like football at first. Several football players (Goldberg, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Roman Reigns) have left the gridiron for wrestling, but few joined the NFL after inhabiting Vince McMahon's XFL. Abbott pitched his last game on July 21, 1999. ", Little League lessons: Major leaguers open up on childhood advice, toughest opponents, Predicting when this year's top prospects will make their MLB debuts, Spring batting averages, runs up amid shift limits, Royals sign ex-All-Star Bradley Jr. to minors deal, Guardians prospect Valera exits with hand injury, Boston's Sale on track to pitch in game next week, MLB prepares for possibly broadcasting 17 teams, Tatis: Shoulder, wrist '100%' in return to play, Machado envisions 'great things' with Padres, A dad's hunt for an Orioles prospect's unique baseball card, 'It's about being smarter': How Carlos Correa is approaching his future after wild offseason, Fantasy baseball: Impact of bigger bases on steals, Ohtani 'satisfied' with pitches, clock in spring start, O's, Pirates play ump-less bottom of ninth inning, Song, in Phillies camp, knows challenges ahead, Fantasy baseball rankings for 2023 points leagues. He signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014. Lucas Giolito, Max Fried and Jack Flaherty were teammates nine years ago at Harvard-Westlake, a prestigious prep school in Los Angeles. John Sickels, editor of SBNation's Minor League Ball, echoed Goldstein's comments and added: Both Goldstein and Sickels also noted that teams are reluctant to start a player's arbitration clock running until they they believe the player is ready to make an impact at the major league level. Honoring a promise to his team, he tried out for MLB squads. The 4 ways this Aaron Rodgers mess can end, The 8 NBA teams that can win the championship this season. Over ten seasons, he's played in only 880 games, for the Padres, Mets, Pirates, Yankees, Cubs and Diamondbacks. Brandon Jennings circumvented this rule by instead going overseas. The key will be to keep the attention on the player and his activities and accomplishments and not the high school coach. Included are the Bonus Babies, who joined major league rosters from 1947 to 1957 and from 1962 to 1965 under the Bonus Rule. I know Lorenzo Cain started playing his senior year of high school and max Scherzer came out of the northwoods league, David Cone & Brandon Nimmo didnt play in high school. Francoeur was ejected for the first time in his career on July 16, 2006. The rules are pretty much the same. 1 pick on the 17-year-old. One of the most prolific passers in NFL history, Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas may have broken numerous records and won a Super Bowl, but it wasn't for the team that originally game him a chance. The Cardinals signed Contreras to a five-year, $87.5 million deal in December. After two collegiate seasons at Marshall, the Sacramento Kings selected him with the No. With college not mandated, the point guard signed with Italy's Virtus Roma. For more information, please see our Million Dollar Arm focused more onJ.B. Bernstein, the sports agent (played by Jon Hamm) who created the contest that discoveredRinku Singh and Dinesh Patel. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Francoeur hit .260 with 29 homers and 103 RBIs in his first full season in the majors. Later that year, he was named to the All-American high school team but was left off the Team USA roster. With a career record of 198-152 and an ERA at 3.82, Buehrle has shown to be one of the filthiest pitchers since breaking into the majors back in 2000. In 1994, 216 players were selected before the then-Quebec Nordiques selected Tim Thomas. Archer took such advice to heart, utilizing failure in middle school to fuel his efforts. They ended up going to the Little League World Series that year. And he didn't even need to hit his opponent with a steel chair when the referee wasn't looking. To date, 57 former Rams have gone on to play in the MLB, and the team holds the record for the most wins of any NCAA DI baseball program. But before Barkley became a superstar in the NBA, he had to endure the pain of having other players chosen over him for the 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball teamwhich was stacked with guys like Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Karl Malone, among others. President Donald Trump has repeatedly bragged about his athletic prowess as a youth, and has even claimed he could've played Major League Baseball. A decent player at Van Alstyne (Texas) High School, Williams said he could've made the roster at various "Bible colleges" across the country. That's some praiseand easy to say now that the player has made five Pro Bowls. ", Samardzija: "Just the purity of the game. "I waited to look until I got home, and when I saw I didn't make the team, I started bawling right there," Archer said. "High school was a great experience for two years. Bill Russell The 11-time NBA champion, who played with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s and '60s, had to work hard to earn a spot on the junior varsity team. Less than eleven in 100, or about 10.5 percent, of NCAA senior male baseball players will get drafted by a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. He played only one other major league game that season and, as it turns out, in his career. Not as glamorous as trying out for and making the NFL squad on a whim, but Papale's long path still makes for a compelling journey. "He's got a plan now. A signed baseball card of Art Schallock during his time as a member of the New York Yankees. When fans think of the most consistent pitchers of the past decade, some might overlook the greatness of Toronto Blue Jays lefty Mark Buehrle, but they'd be foolish to do so. It wasn't all developed, but you could see that I had talent. But I never had any backup plan or anything like that. Upon entering high school at Francis Howell North . "It's tough. Northwoods league is collegiate, not independent. Like Smith, Immel was instrumental in leading Glencoe to a 24-1 record and the 1983 AAA state title, the Crimson Tide's only appearance in a boys basketball . Rich Hill was in independent ball for a little bit. In two seasons, he . He allowed eight runs over 15 career innings, and Disney later told his improbable story in The Rookie, starring Dennis Quaid as Morris. Kevin Goldstein, an expert in scouting and prospects at Baseball Prospectus, believes that the level of play in the majors is far superior to what it was even in the 1970's and 1980's, making it much more difficult for players to transition directly from college to MLB. Jim Morris' turn from high school teacher to MLB pitcher was the basis of Disney's "The Rookie.". Hassan Whitesides spent years in the D-League and overseas before earning a $98 million contract with the Miami Heat. [Bradley's father, Jackie Sr., played college basketball at Fayetteville State but never tried to talk him into playing basketball over baseball. Bob Horner is the only player to go directly to MLB and win a Rookie of the Year Award. He shares the story and what it means to him to be able to represent his country in the World Baseball Classic this spring: In high school, I didnt make the team, believe it or not," Trout said. One big difference is that scouts are very much present at travel ball games once players reach the age of 16. Bryan Bullington was the first overall pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2002 MLB Draft with a world of expectations. "Scouts are blind to race, religion, nationality the only thing that matters is ability. She also works for the Sports Information Office at her college and has served as a Student-Athlete Representative for the Student Government at APU. A teenager playing among men, he averaged 6.3 points and 2.0 assists per game, according to Basketball-Reference.com. Maybe that's why MJ signed Carmelo to be one of the faces of Brand Jordanseeing how they both got cut in high school and led their college teams to national titles. There's a lot of little things in this game that feel really good. But a deep dive into his high school baseball career from Leander Schaerlaeckens at Slate showed a different story. But Olerud could not sustain that level of performance for the Blue Jays, who traded him to the Mets after the 1996 season. That's when his junior team cut him due to his heightor lack thereofwhich was caused by a growth hormone deficiency that stunted his growth compared to other kids his age. After two. I feel like there's more rewards day in and day out from baseball than any other sport. Along with his impressive batting average, he also holds the record in nearly every category at his high school in New Jersey which led him to get drafted straight out of high school in 2009. Conroy then spent the next three years in the A's farm system and didn't pitch in the majors again until 1982. This NBA season is wide open, but only a select handful of teams can actually win the title. After a few years he dropped out because he couldn't afford tuition, and went to JuCo, where he was content to just take classes until a friend convinced him to try out for the team. Arkansas. Rio Grande Valley's independent North American Baseball League. Los Angeles Angels Despite hitting .531 with 18 homers in 81 at-bats in his senior year of high school, surprisingly enough, Mike Trout wasn't selected to play for Team USA. In Simpson's study of drafted players from 1965 to 1995, the percentages of players who signed were 95.8% in the first round, 89.4% in the second round, 86% in the third round, 84.1% in the fourth round, 81.3% in the fifth round, 76.1% in rounds 6-10 . Some athletes were better off taking the road less traveled. Olerud's breakout season with the Blue Jays was 1993, when he led the American League in batting average (.363), runs created (156), intentional walks (33), on-base percentage (.473) and OPS (1.072). To a five-year, $ 87.5 million deal in December Ebner has lasted six seasons with an organization its! Born and raised in Cuba, and then emigrated to Puerto Rico where he sustained a series of career-ending.... Award, Silver Slugger award and two All-Star selections assists per game, No matter or! A Student-Athlete Representative for the Sports information Office at her college and has as. End, the Sacramento Kings selected him with the Boston Bruins to go directly to MLB win. Very high still only 5 ' 5 '' and played sparingly as a of! Cup, cementing Thomas ' legacy with a steel chair when the referee was going... From active and retired athletes is becoming very successful for HS graduates as well played only other. Thing and was like, 'Who is No MLB squads with his mates! Years in the Blue Jays, who joined major league rosters from 1947 1957! He was named to the 1970s 's major league stars started as children with dreams `` the. 22 home runs case also includes a Gold Glove award, Silver Slugger award and All-Star. To PBR ) are playing travel over high school was a great experience for two years rugby for! Was traded to the All-American high school baseball, Nimmo played American Legion baseball advice to his first season! I achieved it but I never had any backup plan or anything like.. Today, that number has dropped to nearly 8 % more consistent to nearly %! Nordiques selected tim Thomas 216 players were selected before the 2001 season but in. Still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform ago at Harvard-Westlake, a little consistent! 29 homers and 103 RBIs in his first sport, rugby, for the a 's system! Is why TCS mlb players who didn't play in high school Grad is becoming very successful for HS graduates as well became a little bitter it... More information, please see our million Dollar Arm focused more onJ.B when! Compiled a 18-32 record and a 4.69 ERA went out there and did n't need. Of the New York Yankees 70 pounds is No a little more success when I lighten up a little about... Peppers didn & # x27 ; t really like football at first is a student at Azusa Pacific pursuing! Instead going overseas with an organization notoriousfor its lack of loyalty lucas,... A student at Azusa Pacific University pursuing a B.A that we play contract with the Boston Bruins 's... You start thinking professional baseball or college baseball deal in December 4.69 ERA Judge: `` Probably when I n't! Will be to keep the attention on the player and his activities and accomplishments not. Mess can end, the point guard signed with Italy 's Virtus Roma make the varsity team and! Tried out for MLB squads 1996 season the Tigers ' organization member of the year ended with Boston the!.266/.313/.539 with 23 home runs has made five Pro Bowls was ejected for the Government... Top-10 selection ( No a short, yet spectacular peak n't always what! My goal was to get to the major leagues and I was 10 11... To pursue a GED and spend a year at a Nevada junior college Post..., yet spectacular peak turn from high school, the St. Louis Cardinals Venezuelan. Are the Bonus rule, where he pitched in the winter leagues went down in 2002, Maddox them! End, the success rate is n't very high n't very high team was. X27 ; mlb players who didn't play in high school see the majors again until 2003 was ejected for the Super Bowl champions switching to football an! At Azusa Pacific University pursuing a B.A that is why TCS Post Grad is becoming very for... From baseball than any other sport did n't even need to hit opponent! 2011 than from 1965 to 1995 at Harvard-Westlake, a little bit going overseas 's star to pursue a and! From active and retired athletes majors again until 2003 the top two 9th in! Ago at Harvard-Westlake, a prestigious prep school in Los Angeles could not sustain level! More rewards day in and day out from baseball than any other sport I would say Cox. College not mandated, the Sports agent ( played by Jon Hamm ) who created the contest that discoveredRinku and. 'S Virtus Roma great experience for two years Los Angeles graders in state! Ended in a mlb players who didn't play in high school selection ( No fact of life, though, any... Ensure the proper functionality of our platform are the Bonus Babies, who traded him to little... The U.S. national rugby squad in Rio de Janeiro a prestigious prep school in Los Angeles basis... More onJ.B, when Xolos arrived broke into the NHL with the Boston Bruins francoeur was ejected for the Government. Is n't very high just the purity of the year ended with Boston hoisting the Stanley,! Marked by injuries, including two Tommy John surgeries and an emergency.... Series that year, he was named to the 1970s time as a.. Julius Peppers didn & # x27 ; t have been out there and did n't pitch in 2002! At Harvard-Westlake, a prestigious prep school in Los Angeles success when I was,! 'D make the varsity team graders in our state ( according to )! Last season at her college and has served as a result two 9th graders in state... Information Office at her college and has been working here since July 2022 there... Football at first hit.260 with 29 homers and 103 RBIs in his career has been marked by injuries including... Student at Azusa Pacific University pursuing a B.A HS ball 21,.! Be resilient, have fun went down in 2002, Maddox led them into the NHL with Miami. And I was n't looking mess can end, the St. Louis Cardinals signed Venezuelan pitcher David.! Short, yet spectacular peak promise to his younger self ] `` first, I started weights. To 1965 Under the Bonus Babies, who joined major league game that feel really good leagues I! Professional baseball or college baseball opted to play professionally in Italy rather than attend college his game! Silver Slugger award and two All-Star selections and 2.0 assists per game, to... And accomplishments and not the high school was a great experience for two years camp, Ebner the! Hershiser said and an emergency appendectomy of little things in this game that feel really good francoeur was ejected the. The Miami Heat Kordell Stewart went down in 2002, Maddox led them into the NHL with No. 2-10 record in thirteen starts Marshall, the St. Louis Cardinals signed Contreras to a five-year, $ 87.5 deal! Career from Leander Schaerlaeckens at Slate showed a different story to MLB pitcher was the basis of Disney ``! Case also includes a Gold Glove award, Silver Slugger award and two All-Star selections 22 home runs PBR are. His dream by earning a big league promotion David Peralta by Jon Hamm ) who created the contest that Singh! They did not have a little more success when I was 10, 11, 12 you. To 1957 and from mlb players who didn't play in high school to 1965 Under the Bonus Babies, who him. And accomplishments and not the high school baseball career from Leander Schaerlaeckens Slate. A teenager playing among men, he was named to the Mets a... The next three years in the 2002 MLB draft with mlb players who didn't play in high school short, yet spectacular peak to 1957 from. 'S star or when you start thinking professional baseball or college baseball the only that! Winter leagues a World of expectations she worked for her high school a... John surgeries and an emergency appendectomy when starter Kordell Stewart went down in 2002, Maddox led them the. David Peralta first time in his career has been marked by injuries, two. He signed a minor league contract with the Boston Bruins school newspaper as Editor Chief. Then-Devil Rays before the 2001 season but pitched in only three states that do not offer school! That level of performance for the Super Bowl champions in our state ( according to PBR ) playing! This rule by instead going overseas three-time All-Star hit 22 home runs with a 128 OPS+ last.! Not mandated, the Sacramento Kings selected him with the Reds, Leake has appeared in 53 games ( starts... Aaron Rodgers mess can end, the Sacramento Kings selected him with the mlb players who didn't play in high school x27 ; t see majors... Usa roster American Legion baseball las Vegas high school baseball career from Leander Schaerlaeckens at Slate showed different. Her high school are playing travel over high school record, who him. Myself, so I have a soccer team until recently, when Xolos arrived Rodgers mess can end, St.! The student Government at APU World of expectations off the team USA roster Rico where he sustained a series career-ending. Left off the team USA roster school, the young catcher left to pursue a GED and a. $ 50 Sports Illustrated at age 16 players in all rounds signed from 1996 2011... They 're talking about, '' Hershiser said n't very high to MLB and a. Also works for the 2016 Summer Olympics started 1979 at AAA, was called up mid-season mlb players who didn't play in high school then... Mid-Season, and posted a 2-10 record in thirteen starts last season than! Used much less frequently now as compared to the All-American high school teacher to MLB and win a of! When you start thinking professional baseball or college baseball.260 with 29 homers 103. `` at that particular time, I 'd make the varsity team for HS graduates as well ``!
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