Breslow: Too smart to fit in?

I found this sentence, contained in a longer quote from Craig Breslow in the Star Tribune's Twins notebook story Thursday, touching: "It's tough because I felt like this was the first place I was part of a team."

Breslow pitched in the majors for the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians before coming to the Twins about one year ago. He pitched more for the Twins than for the other three combined, which might have something to do with feeling like he was part of the team, but I suspect there's something else here: the game's traditional suspicion of the well-educated.

Breslow is a graduate of Yale, with a B.A. in molecular biophysics and biochemistry. If he's not the smartest man in baseball, he's got to be in the running.

Many (most) players in the majors turned pro right out of high school. Those who went to college seldom finished. The draft rules encourage players to come out early. So Breslow will always stick out a bit, a highly educated man in an environment of people who ... aren't.

Again: He didn't pitch well this year. Sean Henn, who essentially takes his place, is said to have a mid-90s fast ball; that's something this bullpen needs, and something Breslow can't provide.

I'd still rather have Breslow around than Ayala.