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Eric Knott is a former big-league pitcher who threw a combined 24 innings in the majors for the 2001 Diamondbacks and the 2003 Expos. While he was there, he struck out Chipper and Andruw Jones, Luis Gonzalez, Scott Rolen, Jim Thome, Chase Utley, and Miguel Cabrera (twice). He had an 11-year minor-league career from 1997-2007, pitching for four MLB organizations, as well as the Pericos de Puebla of the Mexican League. You can follow him on Twitter @eknott11.

Looking back
I often like to sit and daydream about the time I spent as a professional ballplayer. I reflect on the different teams I played for, the guys I played against, the good times away from the ballpark, the different cities I visited around the world, the unique teammates and coaches I got to know along the way, and the frustrations and hurdles I encountered in my quest to pitch in the big leagues. Most of the time, I feel fortunate to have had the career that I did. I was blessed with enough talent to last in the game for 11 seasons. I’m one of the lucky ones who lived out their childhood dream of playing in the big leagues— all 105 days and 24 innings of it.

I have never looked back and been disappointed in the career I put together. I was never a legitimate prospect, never a shoo-in to reach the big leagues, and never someone who was penciled in for a future opening day roster. I was a guy who was drafted to fill a roster and made the most of the opportunities I was given. To this day, I brag to my friends about my 24 innings in the Show and remind them that I got to sleep in until noon and never work a real job until I was 33 years old.

But these days, I sometimes wonder: What if I hadn’t played in the Steroid Era? What if I had made the decision to use steroids? What if no other players during that time had been using? Would my career have turned out differently? Would I have pitched longer in the big leagues? Would my statistics have been better? Would my 87-91-mph sinking fastball from the left side have been more impressive to the scouts, player development personnel, and general managers who made the decisions that determined whether I was major-league material and how long I would stay there?