It happened to Dickey a few times earlier in his career, first when he played for the Texas Rangers and later when he was in the Milwaukee Brewers’ farm system.

He once spent three days at a hotel in St. Louis while the Brewers mulled calling him up. And because he was flown in to possibly replace a struggling player, not an injured one, the team didn’t want any major leaguers to see him. Dickey had to stay in his room until players left for the field in the early afternoon.

“It’s lonely,” Dickey said. “Nobody there would talk to you. You get a random call at random times. ‘Hey, we’re not going to activate you tonight. Just spend the night. We might activate you tomorrow. Beeeeeep.’ It’s really bizarre. You feel like an MI-6 agent.”

– Brian Costa, Wall Street Journal.

Lots of good stuff from Costa on baseball’s new taxi-squad rule and the shady tradition it grew out of.

Via Amazin’ Avenue.