Tracy McGrady gets invite to spring training with Sugar Land Skeeters

While his pitching mechanics may not have impressed online scouts, Tracy McGrady's winter tryout for the Sugar Land Skeeters was enough to earn him an invite to spring training with the club.

The 34-year-old will attend camp with the independent Atlantic League team with the hopes of realizing his dream of playing professional baseball. Camp opens on April 14.

At 6-foot-8, McGrady is an imposing presence on the mound, but he hasn't pitched competitively since his high school days. He also needs a lot of tightening up in terms of mechanics (see the post below for more), but this hardly seems a true "baseball" decision, anyway.

Whatever lies ahead, McGrady sounds up for the challenge:

I got called into the skipper’s office after practice and he let me know that I was going to be a part of the Skeeters’ Spring Training camp. This has been a goal of mine and it’s a great challenge. I’m looking forward to competing and I’m excited about this great opportunity.

The team also seems to think McGrady has improved since workouts began, as explained by manager Gary Gaetti:

We’re intrigued by the progress Tracy has made thus far and really commend him for putting in the work. He will report to Spring Training with the other players and officially have his opportunity to earn a spot on the team. I’m really interested and excited to see how he continues to improve.

Should McGrady crack the roster, the first chance we'll get to see him in live action is April 24, when the Skeeters open their season at home against the Lancaster Barnstormers.