The scout behind Mets rookie A.J. Ewing recalls: 'It took one swing'

As one of A.J. Ewing’s biggest fans in the baseball industry, Joe Raccuia wants to talk about the New York Mets’ most recent call-up but apologizes at the beginning of a conversation. His voice is weak, so if anything is unclear, just ask him to repeat and he will, he says. Raccuia, a scout for the Kansas City Royals focusing on hitting development, is recovering in a hospital from a recent stroke. Earlier this year, his son, Joey, died in a car crash at 19 years old. In a year full of incomprehensible pain, Raccuia said that watching Ewing makes him feel a little better. “It helps,”...