A Baseball Blog

Dirty Birds – Week 3

I wrote my thoughts immediately after sucking and this is what came out. I slept on it, thought about deleting it and writing an editing version. That would have been double the work so I leave the original blog. I’ll take a breath or two and be ready to go on Tuesday against High Point. This was a stream of consciousness I had to let wash over me and then move along, I am fine, it is May. Plenty of time left to reach my goals for the season.

Ah failure. My constant companion. Always by my side. The question now is how will I bounce back from failure? Stay tuned next week.

A tough go around for Mitchell this week. I tried to blow one game but the offense bailed it out, and then gave up another few runs at the end of the week for good measure.

All offseason I thought I could manifest success and I believe it. I thought this year would be different. I finished strong in September and I was going to carry the momentum into 2022. I started out hot, but this week was a tough one.

It is going to be a long season and an uphill battle. What’s funny is I know it can get worse, but I’m going to battle and do my best to stop sucking as soon as possible. That’s the goal right? Don’t suck.

I pitched against the Wild Health Genomes, they are the 10th team in the league to make sure there is an even number of teams to play. They share the stadium with the Lexington Legends and my first go around versus them went fine. 1-2-3 inning. My second go I almost go out of a bases loaded nobody out situation. I really believed it. I kept telling myself on the mound that I was in control and I could work out of it. I got to 2 outs and a 2-2 count but the guy hit a double. It was his night, as he went on to walk us off in the 10th inning.

We welcomed the Legends to the beautiful state of West Virginia, and the rain had other plans for Friday. The rain started and never stopped which meant we play two seven inning games on Saturday. The key to a double header is throwing in the first game so you can relax the second game and enjoy the view. I got half of my wish by pitching in the first game.

It all started with a few check swing base hits, and I actually worked out of the bases loaded situation with no runs. That was nice. I was tasked with going back out for the final inning up 7-2 and finishing the game. My first two inning appearance I got the first guy which is the key. Then I went 0-2 and walked a guy because of course that’s what happens when you nibble and the automated zone says strike but the ump doesn’t. After a strikeout I got to face their big hitter and he made sure to hit one into the mountains. I got the next guy on a strikeout and the game was over. Crazy how one bad pitch can ruin the whole day. Ruins the fun of the day and changes my mood completely.

My walkless streak ended while I had two against Lexington, and my velo still down in the dumps. I can’t use the being 30 excuse since I was 30 in Wichita and throwing hard. What a week for the kid. You could say it wasn’t a whole lot of fun.

Speaking of fun. Sports are supposed to be fun. I’m not sure when the last time I was in a game thinking wow this is a lot of fun. Most of the time I’m thinking about executing a pitch or stressing out about nothing. That is what I’ll remind myself next time I’m on the mound. Hey this is supposed to be fun.

The best part of the week was driving back and the next morning making breakfast. My roommate was up there that I know from teams in the past, and he says “So when are you going to start throwing hard?” That’s the $15,000 question isn’t it? He didn’t mean anything by it as far as poking at me or being discouraging. I think that’s the vibe I was putting out there and he recognized my frequency and the stress I was putting on myself.

The one thing I usually have going for me I don’t have anymore. I haven’t changed anything as far as I know or made any adjustments that would limit myself. It hasn’t been coming out the same way but I can’t say it’s early because last year at this time I had the velo. Perplexing situation indeed.

If you aren’t throwing hard, you better strike everyone out, and so far I’m not doing that either. I am doing nothing to separate myself from anyone else. Johnny Righthand is what they call me, just a stock right hand thrower of baseballs.

The trend so far is signing starters which makes sense. As a reliever you have to show exceptionally well to get resigned, or that is the trend teams are showing play. I think the next few weeks of action will be very telling and I’ll reevaluate. I don’t want to make any emotional decisions after a shit week of pitching, but also if there is no chance then what is the point?

If you’ve made this far I thank you for your perseverance. The summer of irrational delusions is back as it always is during baseball season. Next up for the Birds is going back to High Point, then up to Southern Maryland. I’ll drive myself again because why the hell not? At least I can be a man and his thoughts on the road this summer. I’ll start treating the season as a driving simulator and the baseball is the side project.

Hopefully in a month or two I’ll look back on this post and say hey remember when I was down in the dumps early May? Those were the days. That’s the plan. Right the ship and go from there. Quick shoutout to my guy Herget getting signed, pending physical, and my throwing partner eventually getting signed because he’s crushing it. I’ll have to break in a new throwing partner but it’s exciting for them to get out of here.

Thanks again for being an outlet and riding with me through the ups and downs. I’m lookin forward to reporting on the good vibes of the next road trip. Here’s to having fun.

Dirty Birds – Week 2

The second week and first full week of the season is in the books. It wasn’t the best week for the Birds but we played close in every game.

The start of the week had the Long Island Ducks come to town and they are the Yankees of this league. From what I have been told they are the top dog in the league and it would be a good test for the team. The series did not go our way but I had the shortest inning of my career as far as I can remember.

I had a five pitch inning against the Ducks in a tie game. It felt nice to get out there and pitch again after opening weekend. The more reps and experience I get is better for me. I am better the more frequent I throw, and since we had a short spring training these first few outings are crucial. They lay the groundwork for the rest of the season and set the tone. I’m still not where I want to be but if I can hold my own while I ramp up that’d be ideal. That was my only action against the Ducks and then it was onto High Point.

The High Point Rockers are a newer team to the league and their setup was nice. They have an all turf field and they stole the pink locker room trick from Iowa football. The original idea was pink was a soothing color and the visiting football team would be relaxed instead of amped up to play. The playing surface and everything was fine but the clubhouse snacks and food were lacking. Another hiccup was the hotel was overbooked and they gave us one bed and a couch. That meant one guy on the couch or floor and one guy in the bed. It is a small thing, but for a league that reminds us they are the premier league, to not have beds for players is something I did not expect.

The plus side of playing against High Point is the drive was only 3 hours and I drove myself. The first time I have driven myself to a professional baseball game and I could get used to it. The ability to explore new cities and areas of the country is a perk of the job and I’d like to take advantage of it. I was able to go to stores that aren’t in Charleston, and I could see the local sights and sounds.

My outing in High Point wasn’t as “good” as my others if that is the way to judge it. I gave up a solo home run and then got the next hitters out. This new sinker produced some major league fly balls, but I think that’s a focus thing. I need to lower my focus again and not worry about anything else.

The second or next gear that I had at the end of the year last year has not shown up yet. When will it show up? Nobody knows, but I know it is in there and it will come out as the season moves on.

I won’t see discredit myself after one pitch. I remind myself that these guys are paid to play as well, but my dreams of a scoreless April ended. The pressure is now off, even though there was no pressure to begin with. My brain likes to add added pressure on myself for no reason when I know that I don’t control if teams are paying attention to this league or not. I know teams aren’t expecting perfection but there had to be a reason they want you over the next guy. My usual reason is velocity and spinning the ball so when the velocity ticks up I will be as happy as a clam, whatever that means. It is hard to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel but we press on after 10 games, a lot of baseball to play.

If teams are looking at me then I know they won’t judge someone on one or two games. As the season progresses it’ll be interesting to see how teams look in a month or two when players start moving to and from the league.

I didn’t feel as shameful or stressed on the mound afterwards, and although it was just High Point, I handled myself well for the first road game. The comfort in visitor ballparks will come with reps, but I’m glad to get the first one out of the way and we won the game. It is interesting to me how my body doesn’t differentiate between A,AA,AAA, Indyball, etc. It all feels the same to me when I pitch and going forward I think it will stay that way.

This upcoming week we head to Lexington, KY to play one of the two teams that call Lexington home. The league had 9 teams and had to add a 10th before the season to make sure it was an even number. The Wild Health Genome and the Lexington Legends share the same ballpark. We play both teams this week starting with the WHG tomorrow and Lexington coming to Charleston on the weekend.

The last thing I thought of heading into this series was last year at this time I had just signed on with Arizona after not knowing what was going to happen next. A year ago I thought I was done or wondering when I’d play again, and bam just like that someone scooped me up. Will that happen this year? Who knows, and sometimes it feels like why would anyone choose me over the plethora of talent in the league. If that’s a bad mentality then okay, but it’s a thought that washes over me and goes on it’s merry way. I’m improving at letting those thoughts come and go and replacing them with better ones.

The Dirty Birds are 10 games in and we are coming in hot to Lexington and then back to the friendly confines of Charleston. Thank you everyone who is following along and I’m excited to see where this season ends up.

Charleston Dirty Birds – Opening Weekend

A long hibernation has ended and baseball season has returned. Who would have thought I’d still be doing it since 2014? I am no spring chicken but there is gas in my tank.

This season I am in Charleston, WV playing for the Dirty Birds. The Twins did not make an offer for me to come back and no other affiliate baseball team did either. The offseason was an interesting one because I was back to not knowing what was going to happen. Does doubt creep in when I check the minor league transactions? Of course it does. I can’t block out all the doubt but that is part of my process year catching those thoughts early and dealing with them.

I do not want to bore people with the details of the offseason. It was a typical offseason. Weddings, babies being born, wondering if your career continues and where the career will continue, normal stuff.

The original plan was to try to get to winter league baseball in Puerto Rico to showcase myself for teams. That did not work out, and then I thought of going to Arizona again for a pro day, but that also got set back with the MLB lockout. There was a pro day hosted at the new and and improved K’s Academy. We exhausted the options presented this offseason but none of them worked out to get a spring training invite.

After spring came and went for affiliate ball it was time to find the best option. The option presented to me is playing independent ball in West Virginia. I need to rephrase that, it is called “MLB Partner League” baseball now, but everyone I know still says independent ball. Anyway, there are 10 teams in this league and it will be good baseball. The way I look at it is if you want to play affiliate, it is hard to get signed sitting on your couch.

The Dirty Birds season opened April 21 against a new team in the league, The Staten Island Ferryhawks. They went out on a limb and signed the first female player to the Atlantic League. She pinch ran on opening night and as far as I know is the first woman to play in this league. It was cool to see and hopefully she gets more chances to show what she can do.

Before I start recapping and chatting I want to explain independent baseball again for those who do not know. Last year I was in affiliate baseball which means the team I am on is associated with an MLB organization. The team I am on now, Charleston, is not associated with any MLB organization. There is no getting sent up, sent down, etc. The way out of this team is to play well and get your contract purchased back to an affiliate team. The old buyout for contracts was $5,000, and when the league saw too many players getting scooped, the buyout is now $15,000. I am interested to see how the price jump will affect signings. Future problems for everyone but cross that bridge later.

The league has 10 teams and Charleston is in the southern division. This used to be a Pirates affiliate and most recently a Mariners affiliate. The Toast man throws toast when we strike people out. The facilities aren’t what they were in Wichita, but the old baseball adage of “If you don’t like it play better” rings throughout the locker room. That does not mean anything about the talent level on the field. From what I have seen most guys have AA and higher experience, as well as many ex MLB players.

There are a few guys here who are entering independent baseball for the first time. I know how easy it is to feel a million miles from the MLB, (Pittsburgh is only 168 miles), and that nobody is noticing the work we do, but my understanding is that this league talks with the MLB a lot. They send reports, have data available for teams, and they make money when guys get their contracts purchased. The more players that get purchased the more players that want to come to this league for their path back to the MLB.

As I continue my career the more names recognize on opposing teams. The Staten Island team had quite a few guys I have played with, trained with, or played against. Two of my teammates from last year and one teammate from 2017 were on the team. That is a benefit of continuing the career here is that I will be able to say hello to familiar faces from the past.

Dirty Bird opening weekend is in the books and we are 4-0. I’ve thrown twice, felt good about how things are going, and know that I’ll ramp up as the season goes on. I know in my heart that a lot will happen between now and the end of the year in October. There is a ton of baseball to be played and I know what I need to do.

It starts with being here and being present. The guys in the bullpen are great and so our my roommates. With a good group it is easy to drive to the field everyday knowing it will be a good time. I know my agent has my back and will be advocating for me to the best of his ability, and then it’s up to me to handle my side of business. Everyone who reads this and everyone who supports me back home I know that good or bad they have my back too. The situation isn’t perfect, but it’s part of my process. Also have some fun along the way would be nice.

This upcoming week we have a three game home stand and then it’s on the road for three. It isn’t quite six games in one spot like it is last year, but we have most Mondays off which is amazing. I’m interested to see the vibes during the “dog days” and as the summer moves along.

I’m happy to be back playing that is the first thought on my mind. The second thing is taking care of business as a team and individual. I thank everything who is still following along, and I’m excited to report about 2022.

Regular Season Recap – 2021

The final regular season game has been played in Wichita Wind Surge history. The team clinched a playoff spot and the overall #1 seed in the playoffs in their first season.

It was a long season for me and many others on the squad. The new minor league set up of 120 games was a different, but welcome change to the normal overnight bus rides of 2019. Time will tell if this is the future of minor league baseball.

I joined the Amarillo Sod Poodles when I flew into Wichita for my first two games of the season. Although I did not pitch those first two games, my season started in Wichita and it will end in Wichita with the final playoff game potentially on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

The opponent for the Wind Surge came down to the final day of the regular season. What are the odds it came down to game 119 for some and game 120 for others? There was a lot that had to go right for the NWA Naturals to make the playoffs including a Covid cancellation earlier this season against Frisco. We beat Arkansas 4-2 this past week which allowed NWA to jump over them by winning percentage. Frisco lost on a walkoff home run to put them in a tie with NWA. The head to head was 6-5 in NWA favor which meant they made the playoffs. The final month of September is all Arkansas all the time.

I want to write about how I had a great season and felt dominate on the mound but I am not there yet. One thing the pitching coach told me in our season review was that I shouldn’t be searching for a feeling on the mound. I can think about what I did in previous outings but also I need to know that my preparation gets me ready for games. I’m not searching for anything on the mound because I know my preparation has me ready for anything the game can give me.

My year 30 as a player has come and gone and the regular season has concluded. Here I am after 8 years grinding away at this. I said I can’t in good conscious write about having a great season but there are positives that I know I can build off of.

When I think of the positives is that I made it through the regular season healthy. I met a new host of friends that I still have as we continue our career. I was questioning my arm at the beginning of the season when I had no warm up before jumping into the season. Another positive is my velocity has held if not improved over this shorter season than in years past. There has been a difference in my attitude when I am pitching compared to years past. Maybe it is the glasses.

The Little Rock trip was a turning point for me this late in the season. It awakened something in me that made me realize I better start doing something out of the ordinary to make sure I leave a good impression. At this point the season is the season but I have made good strides.

The last week of the season was against Arkansas and early in the week we secured a playoff spot. I have never been a part of a celebration with tarps and champagne and all of the stuff I see on TV. There is a reason everyone is wearing goggles because that stuff will burn the eyes.

I also had my exit meeting with the coaching staff. It worked out that I threw 2.0 innings on Saturday and I worked out of jam to only allow one run. After the outing we had a questionnaire about our offseason scheduling, our thoughts on the season, and other questions going into the end of the year. It wasn’t clear who was going to read this report and therefore I answered in the generic way. The response I got was the answers were very me, but also not quite what they wanted because they wanted to see how things were really feeling. When we are in the bullpen we talk a lot and I feel like we have been having meetings like that all year long.

What I learned from this season is when I’m on, I feel like I can pitch in the MLB. When I am off, it feels like I haven’t thrown a baseball before. Part of the growth this year is that when I have had lows, that I have been able to correct them before they went too far out of control. When I can get the out of control games under more of my control and stay more in the average category than the bad outing category I will be in business.

One conversation I had with one of the sport psych staff who was visiting Wichita was about motivations for playing. I enjoy the process of coming out everyday and doing the daily process of warm ups, throwing, shagging, resting, and then the game. It doesn’t feel like a real job and the pay is always a bonus. I’ve always thought it’d be fun to say I played against the best in the world because what other industry can I say I was at the highest level? When I made that comment to her she said that I already have played against the best there is. She said haven’t guys you played with and against played in the MLB meaning that they fit my definition of top of the mountain?

When she put it into those terms it shows how far I have come from a guy who thought his career was done in 2014, again in 2015, again in 2016, again in 2017, again in 2018, again after 2019, and again after 2020. When I joined the Twins org I wasn’t sure what to expect. They were grabbing me at my all time low for the year and really for my career and I had a resurgence. Pun intended.

Nobody knows what happens beyond the tarp

At first I didn’t know what they were looking for but after my two months here I can say I am better than when I joined them. They taught me a different than average fastball and their confidence in me makes me excited to go to the ballpark each day. This does not mean that they are considering me for the 2022 season. That is in the back of my mind all season and it is one of those things where I will cross that bridge when the time arrives. For those first joining following along, this is standard for me to have no team going into the new season. From the last day of the MILB season until 5 days from the last day of the World Series the Twins have first dibs to resign me.

The playoff series is a best of 5 against the Naturals, a team I have had some good appearances against. One of them was a longer outing my first and only game in Springdale, and then two shorter ones in Wichita. I’m not sure how the bullpen will be managed in the playoffs and after the first game on Tuesday I will be able to have a better idea of how it all works. Gone are the days of who has the most rest in the bullpen and here are the days of get hot instantly and be ready to pitch everyday. What else is interesting is that AAA will still be playing a week after us, and if anyone here plays their cards right they can win with us and head to the final games in St Paul for a taste of AAA.

The first two games of the series are in Springdale on Tuesday and Wednesday. Then we are off Thursday and back at it Friday in Wichita. After that it is if necessary games in Wichita to hopefully close out the series after we do what we do in Springdale.

It has been a crazy 2021 season for everyone and I have been extremely fortunate to be one of the final teams playing. There will only be 3 AA teams that finish with a victory this season and I’m hoping in their inaugural season the Wind Surge can take it home.

As always I appreciate everyone following along and it means a lot to me. Another season in the books and a few extra bonus baseball games never hurt anybody. I will do a post season update to let ever or end know how it went, and hopefully have good news to share!

Propeller Series – Week Sixteen

The propeller series. The legendary battle between Tulsa and Wichita has concluded after an electric 30 game series.

The structure of the series allowed us to fall behind 15-13 in the series and still have a chance to win. If the series ended in a 15-15 tie then whoever wins the last game of the series would be the winner.

Spoiler alert. We won on Saturday and Sunday to claim the first ever Propeller of the Propeller series. My contribution was 1.2 innings pitched in a losing effort. That is my role around here and a well deserved role. Pitch when we are losing.

I have been bad this entire season throwing the ball near the strike zone. When I first arrived in Wichita I was coming off the worst performances of my season/career and was questioning why the Twins would offer me an opportunity. They showed me my fastball stats and then said hey maybe throw this other fastball because it will be harder to hit and overall a better pitch.

How silly of me to think that a simple grip change would change anything. This past week I was making progress with it and feeling great in my bullpens and catch play. I even threw a few good sinking fastballs in the game against Tulsa for the first time as a Wind Surge. The movement plot finally showed a true sinking fastball on it. Things were looking up for me if I get the ball over the plate and it’s weird how I tell myself to throw it down the middle. Aim center mass of the catcher. I can’t even do that right now.

Shoutout Brace Hemmelgarn for the photos

The frustration this year is the same as every year. Physically capable and not mentally capable to not let things go sideways. I have been good at bouncing back after a tough outing and after last night in Arkansas I will need it.

Yesterday the game was close which meant I wasn’t going to pitch and then the game got out of hand which meant in the middle of another pitcher warming up I got to warm up instead. I am now referred to as “the other guy” when they need a pitcher which is a great confidence booster in itself. The best part of it all, which I learned a few years ago, is nobody else cares. Nobody will remember this game and nobody cares if you do good or bad at the end of the day. Other teammates don’t care, the coaches write their reports to make it look like you suck less, and we go through it again the next day.

I know why I am the other guy. I don’t throw strikes consistently enough this entire season. The player plan goals aren’t even high levels of “in the zone” and I haven’t been able to reach them yet. When I throw one at the catchers chest it sinks down below the zone. When I throw it at face hoping it will sink down to his glove then it goes straight at his face and stays out of the zone. I can usually balance that out most days with my breaking pitches getting them to chase but even last night was a struggle with that.

Which is a strange contrast from 2019 when I felt the same mentally and was ahead of league average in walks. What happened to that guy I have no idea. There is no secret sauce or quick fix for me that when it happens will make me a better pitcher. The plan is taking from the poor outings and using that information to improve. Every throw is information.

The problem is when I am done for the day I don’t know what I was feeling. It is a feeling during the game, and then when I’m out of the game it is like what the heck just happened. I prepare the same way, I get my body ready the same way, and then some days it works great. Some days it’s awful. Which Mitchell will show up? I don’t remember the last outing I had without a walk or two. The one job of the pitcher to throw it in the zone and I can’t do it consistently after seven years.

If you’re still reading after this negative review of myself then thanks. I appreciate it. I think other guys go through similar questions but never address them or act like it isn’t an issue. To me being aware of the negative or the fact I’m 30 and still here, or the fact I’m sucking, I need to be aware of that because if I act like nothing is wrong then nothing will change. I have to make changes or else I won’t make it through the end of the year. Maybe everyone else is a great actor or they never doubt themselves in the same way I do but so far I haven’t had anyone to talk through this with.

The good news for the Wind Surge is we have a good lead in the division. We play Arkansas 12 of the last 18. If we play .500 ball we should be a lock for the playoffs. The playoffs in AA are the top two teams in the league not the top from each side of the division. My plan is to be a good teammate, pitch when they ask, not suck if possible, and then go from there. It beats spending all my time worrying and then next thing you know the career is over and it’s like welp that sucked what now? I’m sure the coaches will want to see me bounce back which I’ve been solid at so far this season. I haven’t spiraled out of control and piled bad outing after bad outing since I have been with Minnesota.

The final three weeks are here and now I am playing for self pride. The stats this year already suck, can’t change those, but I work hard to have fun as we wind down. The team is great, we win, the guys are great, we laugh it up, I just want to contribute to the team and help us win. Leave the team knowing I gave my best effort and didn’t go out pouting.

Thank you for reading where my brain is at currently. It feels better to write it out and reflect on it so when I look back I will know what I was actually feeling instead of blurring the truth. I’ve read through this a few times and made edits and I’m capturing what I feel after a bad game. Time to move on for sure. I don’t think this is end of the career after the stint with Minnesota. They have shown me a new fastball that with an offseason of work and electroshocks to my brain will be a real weapon in 2022.

Thank you again for reading and I look forward to filling everyone in on the playoffs of the AA central.

Tulsa and Springfield – Week Fourteen and Fifteen

The final two week road trip of the season has come and gone. On the road to two familiar places for me including my old stomping grounds of Springfield.

The first stop was Tulsa to continue the Propeller Series. The series was 9-9 at the start of the week and ended 12-12. A classic and timeless battle of two evenly matched teams. I only made one brief appearance against the Drillers and unfortunately for me it didn’t go as well as I had been hoping.

I came into the game with the bases loaded and nobody out and got singled out of the game after recording two outs. It certainly isn’t ideal to come in and not even make it out of an inning, and they have shown trust in me to come into a game with base runners and work out of it.

I’m not sure if I have been throwing meat balls or what lately but I have been giving up a lot of hits. Too many for liking. The good news I was in the strike zone this outing but also when I had a chance to put guys away they were hitting two strike pitches.

The Drillers have been my nemesis this year and my struggles at their field continued. What was fun about this trip was for the weekend Tulsa was the Tulsa Noodlers. Noodling is when you stick your arm into a hole in the water and the catfish bits your arm and you pull them out. The cool thing was they wore these sweet Noodler jerseys and almost won all their games as the Noodlers until we rallied on Sunday.

The Noodlers were also dealing with a bit of Covid that sidelined some of their players and coaches. They just so happened to be in Springfield the weekend before and that meant Springfield was dealing with their own bit of Covid. When the Wind Surge rolled into town we were playing against a Skelton crew of Cardinals.

It was great seeing some of my teammates from 2019 and being back at Hammons field. The only part of the trip that I wish went differently was my performance on the mound. I was nervous and stressed going into the series because I knew that I was going to throw on Tuesday and get right in there.

You may say it is silly to be anxious about pitching against the old club and that it is still the same game. You are correct. My mind does not work that way when I am playing. I was ready to pitch and it is funny because I didn’t even pitch against the guys I would consider my friends from the Cardinals. As I said, they were dealing with Covid and had a few guys out, which meant they called up guys from different levels to fill the roster.

It was weird being on the other foul line and other bullpen, and patrolling areas of Hammons field I was not used to patrolling. The view was different but the goal of pitching well remained the same. My second appearance was a grind it out appearance because I came in the game in the second inning. I was ready, but wish I was more effective and efficient out there compared to what I did.

One thing I have been joking and saying a lot this year is “X amount of games left, can’t hold back now”. I still say that. After this road series, we have four series left and potentially the playoffs. The more I say it, the more it sets in that the season is almost over and that’s always a bummer. I haven’t had the best results or best year so far, and knowing I have 8-10 more regular series appearances adds to the urgency of pitching well for 2022.

That is called anxiety when worrying about the future or trying to project into the future. I am doing my best to remain present for the next 24 games, help the Wind Surge in any shape or form that I can, and leave a good last impression when October rolls around.

My fastball they have been teaching me is making progress, and as that progress and I am in the strike zone more I will have success. There are so many variables in baseball out of my control and especially when the ball leaves my hand, so I will do my best to execute each pitch. I remind myself to enjoy it too while I am out there I have been on the outside looking in, and while I am physically capable I want to keep playing as much as a team wants me. The Diamondbacks opened the door back up this year and now the Twins are expecting me to continue to improve.

What I am trying to say is I have four weeks left to show myself I am capable and then we ride from there. As of right now I am walking way too many people. The most I’ve walked in a long time which is never fun. The second I think I have something figured out with mechanics or mindset I get brought back to normal. As a 30 year old AA player, it is the most frustrating thing this year. I have had my control issues before but this year has been very bad for the first sixteen weeks. These final four weeks is about showing that I can be competitive in the zone and be efficient. There isn’t much we can improve on going forward until the pitches are landing in the strike zone.

Whether it be winterball to get looks, a good movement plot chart to get looks, or just finishing healthy and being a body for somebody next year I will do my part to stay present and have fun.

As always, thank you everyone who is following along and I look forward to covering the finale of the Propeller series, and a Wind Surge playoff push.

Wichita – Week Fourteen

The Wind Surge return home after a long two weeks in the furnace of Arkansas. A one week reprieve in Wichita before heading on the road for two more weeks.

This week we were home against a Midland team that I was familiar with from the southern division of the AA-Central. I made my 2021 season debut against the Rockhounds and was looking forward to pitching against them.

I got in there immediately on Tuesday with runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. After back to back singles, I went strikeout and then double play. Ideally I’d come into the game and leave all runners stranded, but as we know, the hitters get paid to play as well. I went back out in the 6-5 game and my catcher Roy, a former foe in indy ball last year, threw out a potential runner to end the inning.

As you can see, I was excited. In the moment I forget I do some of this stuff and it’s nice to see the camera is always watching. The mannerisms and the in between pitch stuff is always interesting to me and how conscious guys are of what they are doing.

The next time I pitched it didn’t go as well for the team, but I felt fine. It was another situation with runners on base that this time they scored and then I went back out for my first extra innings appearance. I was nervous with the guy on second to start the inning but after a strikeout I was ready to rock. It didn’t work out in the end, and we lost 13-12 but hey it happens.

I was having a conversation with a fellow bullpen mate about how it is wild how much can change in our pitching from each day. Tuesday I felt like I could pitch in the MLB and then Thursday it wasn’t coming out quite as well. Then my mind wonders okay have I been sleeping enough, am I taking care of my nutrition between outings, am I working out to promote recovery? All this goes through my mind because at this juncture in the career I don’t have a lot of leeway. I know my role but also I know that I’m knocking on the door if I keep pitching well.

The week ended up 5-1 for the Wind Surge with the one loss being my game in extras. We also won two games on walk offs of our own, including a runner tagging from second with the bases loaded to score on a deep sac fly. That was exciting stuff. I don’t remember the last time I was jumping for joy in a bullpen.

That’s part of what has been different for me this year. Instead of too cool for school guy, I’m in the moment soak it like a sponge guy. This is my major leagues. It feels like Minnesota or any other big league team is miles away from my current location, but I treat everyone game here like I would treat a major league game because what other option is there? The moment you think you’re too good for a level or team is when things start spiraling. With 36 games left to go there is a sense of yes the finish line is coming, but also hey I should sprint through that line, not jog through it.

I am thankful to the Sod Poodles for sending along my baseball cards. Even though I was only there a month I enjoyed my stay and they didn’t have to get me a card. I’m hoping that Wichita does an end of the year order and I snag two different cards in one year that would be sweet.

The next road trip is onto my old stomping grounds of Tulsa and then Springfield. We are currently in first place in our side of the division and with 36 games left every game counts. If we make the playoffs it is a 5 game series and then I could get two rings in one season if Reno hangs onto their lead. The consensus is we are here we might as well win it.

The Tulsa / Wichita series is being called the propeller series I found out. There is a trophy and everything for the eventual winner of the 30 game series between ball clubs. 30 out of the 120 games this year against the same team. I wonder if the Covid scheduling of 6 games a week and only playing your half of the division will continue into 2022. We will know the conclusion of this series in a few weeks as we play Tulsa when we get back from Springfield.

Also, quick shout out to my guy Chris Nunn. We played together in 2011 for the Terre Haute Rex. Baseball is a small world. He passed through Wichita and is on his way to St. Paul.

The goal remains the same going forward. It is printed on the t shirts here. Throw nasty stuff in the zone. If I do that then good things will happen. With 36 and a few more potentially to go I am excited for the home stretch. This will be the latest I’ve played baseball as the season normally ends on Labor Day weekend. I appreciate everyone continuing to follow along and I look forward to posting about the road trip.

Arkansas – Week Twelve and Thirteen

My old stomping grounds and first road trip with Wichita is in the books. The opponent for the first week of the two week road trip is the Arkansas Travelers members of the Seattle Mariners organization.

I was looking forward to heading to Arkansas because I have had success against them in the past. Although these are all new hitters it is a comfort level knowing when I am on their field I have pitched here before with success. It is also fun being the salted veteran who tries to give knowledge to the pitching staff about the ballpark in Little Rock.

A bonus of this trip was seeing an old friend of mine Matt Pierpont who I met with the Colorado Rockies. He was acting as the interim pitching coach for the Travelers. The longer I play the more people I meet and know in this small world of baseball.

I’m not fact checking myself but the game I threw in first in Arkansas was the first game I contributed to a shutout. When I came into the game it was 1-0 in the 7th inning. I promptly walked the leadoff hitter which is exactly what you want to do when you come into a 1-0 ballgame. I haven’t been the best this year with walking guys but I trust the stuff enough to work out of a jam. I went 1.2 innings and we won 4-0 because it started pouring rain the second I came out of the game. The game officially ended in a shutout and the first one I had been apart of.

My second appearance came in the Sunday heat. The heat index was 108° and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We had a bullpen day on Saturday the night before and as far as fresh relievers I was one of the only ones available. In my mind I knew I was pitching and I was going to have to carry multiple innings if possible. It is different than what I was used to in Amarillo or Reno. The more reps the better is how I always look at it.

I went the farthest I had gone in a while going 2.1 and I was cruising until I went out for my third inning. I’m not going to say no and hindsight to say hey if I didn’t throw that extra inning my numbers would look better. The series ended with us on top 4-2 in six games and extending our lead in the division. If we are going to be here until middle of September we might as well win it is the attitude around here.

The second leg of our trip was to Springdale, Arkansas to play the Northwest Arkansas Naturals the AA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. This is the only stadium I didn’t travel to in 2019 and it is always nice to travel to a new stadium and experience what it has to offer.

This series was not kind to pitchers. The first game we put up 20 or so runs and each game of the series was high scoring. I threw on Sunday in Little Rock which meant my next outing wouldn’t be until later in the week. It seems most of the rotation here goes on rest and I had the most coming in to Friday. I knew I would be first up out of the pen and was ready to go when they called.

My action came when we were down in the 4th inning with bases loaded and one out. My first time coming in with runners in scoring position and the earliest I had come into a game. I got a groundball that ended in a fielders choice and then another ground ball to get out of the inning. Letting 1 of 3 score isn’t the absolute best but also I’m proud of it and I’m sure the starter appreciates 1 of 3.

In typical reliever fashion I went back out and gave up a home run of my own runners but I finished that inning and even went out for another. The team needed me to get them to the 7th inning and I did it. I’m proud of that even though runners scored and I showed I’ll bounce back. It is typical baseball being out there and you can throw 45 good pitches and that one mistake gets hit. The hitters here get paid to play and they are professional too.

When I am out there and something like that happens I’m always curious how I look from an outsider perspective. I asked a teammate after my outing how my mound presence was and he said it looked like I’m just chillin. No emotion. Which is the way to go. I know internally out there sometimes I have shaky knees or my heart is racing, but when my deliver starts all that fades. It is similar to the crowd noise. Between pitches I can hear people yelling but during the pitch it is nothing. It has been easier for me to make adjustments between each pitch which I know people say don’t worry about mechanics on the mound but it is more about a mindset adjustment. Then the mechanics follow.

I’ve enjoyed my time in Wichita so far and after three weeks I am starting to understand the plan. It boils down to throwing strikes, a mechanical adjustment or two, and creating a consistent profile on my fastball. The thing is until this year nobody has had a concrete plan and closed the feedback loop. Everywhere else I’ve been it’s been hey do this do that but then when it came time to implement the plan with data the coaches couldn’t bridge the gap. I think that’s been the big change for baseball lately as more and more teams are implementing technology.

What else I like is the two pitching coaches to bounce ideas off of instead of the same coach seeing you each day. I’m not saying the Twins have a magic bullet to fix me. In the end I need to be proactive and make the changes and implement the plan. It really is up to me now as they gave me the blueprint and the technology to do it.

What is next for the Wind Surge? We head home to play the Midland Rockhounds, who I debuted against this year with Amarillo. I’m excited to keep this playoff push going as we have seven weeks left in the season or 42 games. How nice would it be if Reno continues their success and I contribute to the success here for two rings in one season? I haven’t contributed to a ring chase in a while.

Seven weeks and 42 to go which means no more messing around. It is August and a new month and as people have been saying, the final full month of the AA season. Very exciting times! Thank you again to everyone who is following along and I’m looking forward to the next update.

It’s not a comeback, I never left – Week ??

I think my spirit animal is a cockroach. A cat. An opossum. I am not sure which one fits the bill entirely and perhaps I am a mash up of both.

As my posts indicated I had a rough time in Reno. I thought I was ready to take on the challenge and the challenge reminded me I was not ready. I had some good moments sure but overall it was not productive.

Fourth of July weekend in Tacoma was fun and the team played well, unfortunately for me I did not play well. What I did do during the series is turn 30 which solidified me as an Abuelo on the team. I’m AAA being 30 is not as uncommon but I like the Abuelo nickname for my grey beard.

I thought about writing and reflecting on everything in Tacoma but it doesn’t matter at this point. If anything I’d like to move on from it and turn the page to better things. I always have this inkling of when a team will say hey thanks but no thanks let’s move on. To me that is better than keeping you around with no chance of moving up. I said it in 2015 with the Braves and I still believe it now.

When the team returned to Reno I had the feeling my days were very limited. I hadn’t pitched well. I had a few opportunities to show them I still had some value but with the way the big club is playing they were making moves left and right. I am thankful for the opportunity with the Diamondbacks because I met great people I’ll be friends with going forward. If there is one thing I’ve seen in baseball is that I’ll run into the same guys multiple times either as a teammate or as an opponent going forward.

The weekend and days following the release from Reno were quick and blurry. My mom was in town for the homestand so that plan went out the window right away. I thought originally to give it a day or two to situate and then we would fly back, but then I saw a midnight flight to Chicago that got us home around 11 am the next day. I had never flown overnight like that, but Friday into Saturday was flying and a long nap.

When I woke up Saturday I had a few texts and calls from various places but the biggest one was from the Minnesota Twins. They wanted me to come in to fill a spot in AA. Same league as Springfield and Amarillo. Who knows how many teams I’ll play for in this league before it’s said and done. The Twins wanted me to fly into Wichita on Monday and be ready to rock on Tuesday.

I wanted to spend a few more days at home because something wasn’t right with my pitching and I couldn’t figure it out. I wanted to make sure if I did commit somewhere else that I would be in the right state of mind to get the job done. In my short time at home, shoutout K’s Academy, we had a nice game of catch and talked about the issues and what was going on. There were some mechanical flaws that I had going on and couldn’t feel right away, and more than anything it gave me confidence that when I do things correctly I am ready to rock and get back to what I was doing in Amarillo.

After the pit stop at home it was onto joining the team in Wichita. I got lucky because my friend Adam Lau is on this team and we played together in 2017. Always nice to see a friendly face on day one and have someone to show you the ropes of a new team.

My first with Wichita went well by all accounts. My first appearance was less than ideal but I was still ruminating and the second outing was much much better and more in line with what I want to be doing on the mound. I want to believe that the team has a plan for me and after talking with both pitching coaches I believe they have a good plan. It is always up to me as the player to get it done and make the pitches and put the plan into place, but them having my back helps.

At this point in the season and my career I know what I have to do, now it’s doing it. I’ve gotten more chances than most guys and their buddies get combined. Which tells me there is something there and it is time I start believing it. Heck I don’t even have to believe it just fake believe it when I’m out there and fake it till I make it.

I’m entering my sixth organization on the fly. If I play for a team in the AL West I will have hit all six MLB organizations. If I had pitched the first two days in Amarillo I could have been the first guy to pitch against and for the Wind Surge. The trivia questions are writing themselves. My claim to fame so far in Wichita is my grip strength. I have claimed the top spot on the leaderboard and now I am a part of Wind Surge lore forever.

The long and short of the last few weeks is that I have been given another chance. A fresh start. I told the coaches here they are catching me at my lowest point and they said it doesn’t matter because I am here now and that is what matters to them. I will let them see what they want to see and do my best to reward their investment.

The team and I will be in Arkansas for the next two weeks to play the Travelers and the Naturals. I have been to Little Rock but not Springdale so a new place to explore and experience.

Thank you again to everyone who has been keeping up with me and I apologize for the delay. I’m excited to report on the newest chapter with the Twins.

Reno – Week Nine

I remind myself that baseball is fun.

The Sacramento Rivercats are the AAA of the San Francisco Giants. It was my first time in California and California was unkind to me.

I was looking to bounce back from my outing on Tuesday against the Rockies and show the squad that it was a hiccup. I even shaved my beard because clearly it wasn’t me that was making bad pitches it was the beard!

I came into the game on Sunday, another day game, and when it was all said and done I had 4 more runs on me. I’m not sure if I was rushing everything if I wasn’t focused if I wasn’t mentally ready or what but it was bad. I’ve always wondered how guys can be a .400 hitter in the minors then go up to the MLB and can’t buy a hit. Here I am crushing AA but struggling hard in AAA so far. It is the same game and the mound isn’t closer or farther away then it has been before.

The positives from my outing were that I finished the inning. If it was my last inning with the team I told myself to finish this inning and show them I’m not a punk who will give up. I came back with a pop out and two strike outs to finish the inning. The last strikeout was against a guy named Mitchell so I was very focused on getting him out to prove on that day I am the true Mitchell.

If there is ever a time not to be struggling and overthinking it is when you get promoted to the highest level you’ve been at. There goes Mitchell, physically talented as anyone but hasn’t gotten out of his own way. When I think about this stuff and where I’ve gone in my career it is easy for to say “well everyone gets to AAA it is no accomplishment to be here” is my default. Then I think back to how I was never supposed to make it this far as someone who never pitched. My seventh anniversary of signing my contract was June 28. Seven years of pro ball is an accomplishment in its self, and now, even when struggling, I know how lucky I am to be healthy and still playing.

I’m searching for why I play and what my motivation is. I think it’s easy to get flustered and wonder why I’m doing any of this when the ball is flying over the fence. It is like in Mystery Men when the Invisible Boy can only be invisible when nobody is looking. The harder I look the harder it will be to find and to me the natural progression has to happen. I can’t force it.

With all that being said, I go to the field each day looking forward to mingling and the process of each day. I’m in AAA! One step away. I don’t play GM and see who is going up down or who controls the roster. I am at peace with whatever the organization decides.

In other news they added two more series to the AAA season and we finish on October 3 now. The regular season best record for the league is crowned the champion because playoffs were not added. As of this post we have the best record in our league and I wouldn’t mind getting a ring for winning the most games. Also we had an MLB rehab in Sacramento so we got nice steaks on the last day of series.

In AAA the teams do not bus unless it is close. The trip to Sacramento was a two hour bus ride, but from there we went to Tacoma, WA. That means we are on the early flight out of Sacramento abs my 4:30 am alarm spooked me. I felt like a cool kid though on my first flight as a professional. The process of packing the bag on the last day of the road trip, and then being told not to worry about the bag, and having the bag magically appear in my locker was awesome. I thought we’d all be dragging the AZ duffle bags around but they ship them rather than take them on the plane. What is crazy to think is that normally we would play the same day but the built in off day helps.

It is onto Tacoma and when my name is called I will do my best. This level is about results and winning not the amount of effort put in. With that being said I’m looking forward to Fourth of July at the ballpark. It will be a fun environment and I look forward to updating everyone on the next series.

Thanks again for following along, this blog has been great for processing and reflecting and sharing my story.