Navy Denies Red Sox Top Prospect Noah Song's Attempt to Play Professional Baseball
By Michael Luciano
Boston Red Sox fans were no doubt exciting to see how hard-throwing right-hander and Naval Academy graduate Noah Song progressed in his first full season of professional baseball, but they will need to wait a few more years before they see Song on the mound once again.
Song's request to have his mandatory military service deferred so he can begin his baseball career was unexpectedly denied, meaning he will serve his minimum two years of service before he plays the game again. This news comes despite measures President Trump took that he believed would clear the Boston hurler.
Breaking news: Noah Song's request to continue playing professional baseball has been denied by the U.S. Navy. https://t.co/DgtdxiSjZp
— Bill Wagner (@BWagner_CapGaz) December 17, 2019
Song, who was picked in the fourth round of the draft by the Red Sox, made seven starts with the New York-Penn League's Lowell Spinners, putting up a 1.06 ERA, as he allowed just two runs in 17 innings. Song's fastball has reportedly touched 99 miles per hour at only 22 years old.
Despite President Trump re-installing an Obama-era regulation that allowed players from service academies to defer their service until the end of their athletic careers, the new, reinstated rule only applies to the class of 2020 and beyond. Due to this, Song will report to flight school in Pensacola and won't play professional baseball until 2022, when he is 24.
Update: The Navy has denied Noah Song’s petition to play professional baseball, and he is awaiting a date to report to flight school in Pensacola. Gonna be at least two years until Song plays professional baseball again. https://t.co/dJDTVQrcnl
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) December 17, 2019
Per sources, the review process may yet have more wrinkles, and Song's case is still subject to further review.
Update on this: My understanding is that the process is still ongoing, subject to review of the Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of Defense to determine whether Song’s petition should be folded into the new policy covering Academy grads in the class of 2020. More to come... https://t.co/ZXoWag6hDs
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) December 17, 2019
While Song deserves nothing but the utmost adulation for how he is serving the country, this latest ruling has to sting both for Song and Red Sox fans alike.