Galloway driven to return to big leagues

Being an iconic name for a Triple-A club is a bilateral position for a player. On one hand, you're a recognized talent at one of the game's highest levels. But on the other, you're not at the highest level. No one dreams of being Crash Davis.
For Isaac Galloway, dotting his name all over the New Orleans record book finally paid off in 2018. The franchise's all-time stolen base leader finally broke through to MLB, after a decade in the minors.
Galloway received his first call-up on July 31, making his debut that night.
"It was everything I imagined and more," Galloway said. "It's always your dream as a kid to play in the big leagues, and obviously you have dreams of what it would be like. But being there it was like a dream and more. I cherished every moment of it, and I'd like to be there, get to that point again."
Galloway's extended stay in the majors lasted 43 games. During that time, he started checking career firsts off the list: first hit in his first at-bat, an infield single in the ninth at Atlanta that showcased his speed, first home run and stolen base on August 19 at Washington, and first walk-off hit, a double in the 10th inning to drive in the game's only run against Cincinnati on September 21. In his first stretch, he was productive, hitting .300 through his first 29 at-bats, even though his average would collapse to .203 through his final 35.
But after the acquisitions of Curtis Granderson and Rosell Herrera at the major league level, Galloway was designated for assignment, removing him from the 40-man roster and putting him on the outside track of getting back to the bigs.
So, he returns to the Shrine on Airline. If he plays 27 games, he'll have taken the field more than any other player in New Orleans history. If he adds 49 at-bats, he'll take the franchise lead in that category, as well. Same with runs, if he scores 44 of those, and hits if he swats 59. If he ties his career-high of seven triples in a season, which is very possible with some of the large gaps in PCL parks, he'll even take the No. 1 slot in that.
He is already nine steals ahead of second place. With his 313th strikeout, he even took the lead in a negative metric.
But Galloway hopes these are all just footnotes in a bio that includes a more extensive MLB resume.
"It's not something I really thought about or tried to achieve but it's something I can look back on when I'm done playing and be like, 'Hey, that's a pretty cool thing to have,'" he said. "But the goal is to be in the big leagues. So it's comfortable and not comfortable because you're striving to be elsewhere."
To impress Marlins management, and keep tallying stats toward the top of the 'Cakes record book, Galloway will have to compete for at-bats.
The New Orleans outfield is crowded, so much to the point that Magneuris Sierra, who played in 86 games for the Baby Cakes last year, was sent to Double-A to ensure playing time all around. Harold Ramirez very quietly won the Double-A Eastern League batting title in the shadows of his more famous teammates on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. Gabriel Guerrero, the nephew of Vlad Sr., and Austin Dean both cracked MLB for the first time last year as 24-year-olds. Top prospect Monte Harrison nearly posted a 20/20 campaign at Jacksonville. For the rebuilding Marlins, there's little reason to give Galloway development time over players that could play a role in their future.
But Galloway's been the underdog before and plans on approaching this season like he has the past 11: persevering.
"You control what you can control and prepare, and when your name is called just try to go out there and do the best you can."