Song applied for a waiver that would have retroactively applied the new rules to his situationGETTY IMAGES
Red Sox prospect Noah Song's baseball career is "on hold even though a presidential policy was designed to give service academy graduates like him an opportunity to pursue professional sports," according to Bill Wagner of the Annapolis CAPITAL GAZETTE. Song, a former pitcher at Navy, is a "victim of the exact wording of a recent Department of Defense order permitting military academy athletes to play pro sports immediately after graduation." The Nov. 8 order signed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper "takes effect next year for graduates who delay their commissioning as officers." Song graduated from the Naval Academy in May and is an "ensign awaiting orders to report to flight school at Naval Air Station Pensacola." Song had "applied for a waiver that would have retroactively applied the new rules to his situation." Admiral Chief of Naval Operations Michael Gilday recently "denied the request." The Red Sox made Song a fourth-round selection in the '19 MLB Draft. MLB.com rates Song as the No. 15 overall prospect in the entire Red Sox minor league system (Annapolis CAPITAL GAZETTE, 12/18).
