So I come here the first day of school and we have practice and I call home. I said,

Dad, I think I made a mistake. And he goes, what do you mean? I said, the coach is left-handed. What does he know about catching? I literally

wanted to pack my bags and I think I could get eligible somewhere else you know?

Wasn't quite sure how that worked? And he says hey give him a chance you know not all great coaches played that worked. He says, hey, give him a chance, you know, not all great coaches played that position.

Going, Pagazzi, on target. Welcome into the Hog Pot. I'm Bo Mattingly and this episode is made possible by our friends at First Security Bank.

Serra's in Resort, Lindsay Golf, and Abilita Maria.

When you look at the list of all-time greats in the history of Arkansas and St. Louis Cardinals baseball

Tom Pagnazzi or Pags as he's affectionately known is most definitely in the

conversation. And Nazzie reaching out on Owen 2 with another base hit.

Breaking the school record for hits in 1983 and going on to become a three-time gold

Glover as a major league catcher. A backdoor tag by Pagnazzi.

Only catch is before arriving at Fayetteville.

I'd never caught a game in my life.

Coach DeBrien, he said, looked me in the eye

across from his desk and said, okay, you can come in as a catcher.

If it doesn't work out, I don't know if you're going to play because I'm going to go out and recruit a third baseman.

Right there, I knew that he was going to give me every opportunity to fail, not succeed, but every opportunity to fail.

And fail, he did not.

After one year with the razorbacks, Pags quickly worked his way up the

Cardinals organization, making his major league debut in 1987, going on to play in a world series, and then later in 1992, an all-star game.

And now, the National League All-Stars from the St. Louis Cardinals catcher Tom Pagnazzi.

It was a career filled with amazing moments and after all the success

...