There's been a lot of talk and discussion of Shaq Thompson in the last week or so, with Deadspin seizing on the story of Boston minor leaguer who had struck out in almost every at bat in the Gulf Coast complex league this summer, and Jon Heyman then tweeting that there was a player that was no better than he (Heyman) was at playing baseball.
In light of all that, I'd strongly encourage you to read the story by Alex Speier about Thompson, why the Boston organization has kept sending him out there, and how he's become one of the most popular and well-respected players in the team's minor league system because of his attitude and work ethic. To put his struggles into context, Thompson didn't play baseball after the sixth grade until this past school year, his senior year in high school, choosing instead to focus on football. Thompson is playing football for the University of Washington this fall.
Really good piece on why Thompson shouldn't be viewed as a punchline.