Blue Jays Round 2

Today I made my second appearance against the Blue Jays.

I made my debut against them this year and I was looking forward to facing a team I had already pitched against. I thought that they might have remembered me from last time but I doubt anyone in this league pays that much attention.

Anyways, onto the appearance. I came into the eighth inning and we were up 6-0. I figured coming in and throwing strikes while not trying to be so fine would be my best option. The first guy hit a 1-0 fastball to left that broke his bat. It was a blooper hit, but since I broke his bat I didn’t feel bad.

The next guy swung at the first pitch inside and fouled it off. I went back inside on him and he hit a flare to second base. I’m not sure why the man on first was running but he was doubled off. Two quick outs.

At this point I was feeling good and had only throw four pitches. The next hitter worked the count a bit more but I got him into a 1-2 count. I went with a curveball and I thought it caught the plate but the umpire disagreed. The 2-2 pitch was a fastball on the outside corner and he grounded out to 1B.

This was my first appearance since Thursday and it felt good to get back onto the mound. Tomorrow the team plays at the Blue Jays and I will not travel. The next time I pitch it should be Friday or Saturday, depending on how much other guys throw.

With that being said, this should be my last appearance of July. In the last month I have gone from sitting at home, practicing with the team, and going into August as a full fledged member of the bullpen. We will see what the weekend brings.

One Month Down

My first month as a pitcher and as a member of the Atlanta Braves has passed.

In the last month I have made four appearances and thrown five innings. The first two weeks were slow, and all I did was play catch and shag batting practice. In the last two weeks, I have become a contributing member of the bullpen.

In my opinion, the transition has been going smoothly. I have a lot to learn still but my body has been adjusting to the new movements required. I’ve fallen into a nice routine in the mornings but I am still trying to find a gameday routine. When I read about pitchers, many have a routine that maps out their entire days.

In the next month, and last month, of the season, I hope to throw 8-9 more times. If I can do that and throw 10-20 more innings, I will have 15-25 on the year. The larger sample size I have for the summer the better in my eyes. Then I can go into the offseason preparing specifically for pitching and building arm strength.

In more recent adventures, I did not throw today which means I have a greater chance of throwing tomorrow. Tomorrow we play the Tigers in Lakeland, FL.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow if I throw, and the month of August to finish the season on a positive.

My first 2.0 Inning Appearance

Today I pitched against the Astros. My usual outing only goes 1.0 inning and I can air it out. Well today I was told I would be going back out for another inning after the first.

The first inning I gave up 1 hit and had 1 strikeout. The hit was a quick guy who push bunted on the first pitch. A good sign for me was that I came back and got the hitter to ground into a double play, or so I thought. The middle guys got the first out but could not get the second. With a man on second and two outs the next hitter grounded out and I was through the seventh.

The eighth inning took a little longer because I went 3-2 on the first hitter. He ended up grounding out to third on a bang bang play which was awesome. I actually threw a change up for a strike to the next hitter because they were all sitting fastball. I ended up getting back to back strikeouts to end the eighth and the day was done.

We ended up winning the game which was great and I’m happy I got to contribute. One of the higher ups was here today and I picked a good day to pitch well.

One thing the bullpen catcher told me to do was find a routine. So far when I warmup I wing it and then see what happens. The next part of my development that I am going to work on is developing the routine.

We play tomorrow in Tampa and at home Saturday. I should be off both days as well as Sunday. My body is adjusting well to pitching, but it is nice to get rest after going all out. Anyways, I’m happy with my performance this far, and with five weeks to go I want to continue to make good impressions on the coaching staff.

Pitching is Weird

Being a relief pitcher is different than anything I’ve experienced – especially when we go on the road. We warmup about an hour before the game and play catch. Then you get to sit around for another hour and a half before there is a chance for your name to be called.

It is different than being a position player, and feeling like you are part of the game at all times. I am probably not paying enough attention from the bullpen but when all you’ve done is sit around it is hard to pay attention to the whole game. I feel like a spectator until the fifth inning when someone starts to warm up.

Anyways, with that being said, I made my third appearance against the Pirates today. I came in the 8th inning with the score 8-2. I figured I would pitch with a lead and not try to nibble as much. Also, seeing as how I have little control over what I am throwing I tend to let it fly and see what happens.

My last outing I threw only fastballs even when I felt like I had to throw an off speed. This time I had a different catcher and he called more curveballs.

The first hitter I ended up striking out with a curveball, the second hitter was all fastballs, and the last guy I threw three curves in a row to get him to chase. Three up and three strikeouts was a very good feeling after last time out.

This time I used a higher leg kick which helped allow my arm time to catch up with my legs. I had better command and felt like I was getting good late run on the fastball.

Tomorrow we play at home, so I’ll be on foul balls or perhaps the bat boy. I’m looking forward to seeing how my arm and my body responds to using new muscles.

Tryout Camps

I pitched yesterday in the game which meant I didn’t have to travel to Clearwater today. Therefore I was done with practice around 11 am. Having an entire Saturday and Sunday off is definitely a perk of playing in the instructional league.

It would be nice to play in the higher league where there are almost no days off, but I can’t complain about free time in Orlando.

Anyways, what I wanted to reflect on today was the tryout camp that was going on at the field next to the practice field.

At the field, today and yesterday, the Braves were having open tryouts. Yesterday there were around 180 people and today it was similar. It was interesting to be on the outside of the tryout looking it. The players on the Braves had an overall negative reception to the young men at the camp.

I didn’t understand why there was a negative reception considering those trying out would bust their ass for a chance to play in the league. There are players that have gotten their chance here, and have a negative outlook towards baseball already. The two Braves employees that were running the camp seemed like it was a chore to evaluate the players even though it was their job.

I was one of those guys waiting for my 10 swings and 5 ground balls at a tryout camp a month ago. Now that I have been here for three weeks it makes me even more grateful for the opportunity I’ve received.

I tried to talk to as many of the tryout guys as I could telling them I was in their position. Keep showing up, and hopefully something will shake out for them.

Keep on keepin on – Joe Dirt

2nd Outing

After a few days of being told I was going to pitch and then not throwing, I made my second appearance.

Man on first, 2 outs, top 8 – 2-1 ball game. I was excited that I was coming in with an opportunity with the game close and therefore some pressure.

I went right after the guy with four fastballs and he grounded out to first to escape the inning. Fortunately, the team scored in the bottom of the 8th to make it 3-1 to give me some breathing room.

The lead off hitter for the Phillies was a kid I had played against in junior college and one of the best hitters in the league. He had already homered off the big league pitcher who made the start today. I went fastball in, fastball away, and was quickly ahead 0-2. I tried to come in again but it caught too much of the plate and he flared a double down the line. Oh well, up by two, run doesn’t mean much.

The next two hitters swung at the first pitch and they both popped out. I was thinking hey alright I got this, first professional save is kinda cool all I have to do is get the next guy. Well I left one over the plate and he singled to make it a 3-2 game with a man on first. The save was still in my grasp but I was more focused on getting ahead and winning the game.

I battled with the next hitter only throwing fastballs, at my catchers request, and I ended up walking him.

After that, my day was done but the next pitcher got a pop out and the game was done. All in all, I think I had a solid outing. Now that I have given up my first run, my first hit, and first walk, I can move forward into next week with some confidence. I would have liked to throw more off speed pitches so hitters can’t sit on the fastball but it has worked so far. I’ll have to talk to the catcher about my game plan.

2.0 innings in the book so far, with six weeks left in the season hopefully I can run that number up to about 20 and have a solid body of work to look at.

Six weeks left to make an impression going into the offseason.

The Yankees

Today the team traveled to Tampa to play the Yankees. Well one of the Yankee teams because they have two Gulf Coast teams.

Unfortunately, it rained before we arrived and after we got there it never stopped raining. Instead of doing what colleges do, waiting it out to play, we hopped back on the bus and drove home. The good news is that I was on the lineup card again which meant I had a chance to pitch.

Tomorrow the Yankees will come to Orlando and play a double header. This is good because now I have a chance to pitch in either game in front of my mom who is flying down. Then if I don’t pitch tomorrow we play at home Friday and I hope I can mix in then.

Since I have arrived, this week is the first time I’ve felt like I am part of the team because I’m wearing the Braves uniform. I’m traveling, I’m sitting in he bullpen, I’m doing everything any other pitcher would do. I have six weeks left here to perform and improve myself, and now that I’m official, time is going to fly by.

I almost forgot that I received my first paycheck for any job yesterday. I had to call my dad and ask how to cash a check because 1. Nobody uses checks anymore and 2. I’ve never had an actual paycheck. Even when I decided to ask Walmart to do it, I was denied. My first check and I got denied, that’s probably a good sign…

The good thing is that it isn’t about playing for a paycheck but I’m happy I’m playing ball, which is not a job to me.

Im excited to see what tomorrow and Friday bring while Lisa is here!

First Outing

Today was the day. I thought it was going to be Saturday but I got an extra day of rest and traveled with the team to Dunedin, FL.

I underestimated the amount of sitting around that pitchers do but now I am gaining an appreciation for life as a reliever. We stretched about 45 minutes before the game and played a quick catch. Then I sat, and sat some more until I had to go the bathroom. Well little did I know when I was in the bathroom I would be called on to pitch the next inning.

After a quick warmup session in the bullpen it was my time to go into the game.

I wasn’t nervous or breathing hard after my warmups. I didn’t even focus on the hitters it felt like it was just me and the catcher out there.

A couple pitches later I had recorded my first out as a professional pitcher. A swinging strikeout. Then a longer at bat to get the hitter to flyout. After going 3-0 to the next hitter I settled in and threw all fastballs around the plate. He kept fouling them off but eventually he popped out to shortstop. That was it.

The challenge for me now is to continue to grow as a pitcher and make my delivery repeatable while working down in the zone.

I feel good right now but I’m sure that I will be sore tomorrow because the hype of pitching for the first time will wear off. So far so good, I still don’t feel like a professional or that I’m employed because I’m having fun. On another note, my first paycheck for anything ever in my life comes tomorrow. I’m grateful that it came in the form of a baseball salary.

I should pitch again this week but I also know they are taking it slow with me. We will see!

Expectations

Today was an interesting day because this entire week I have been told that I am ready to pitch but there needs to be some roster adjustments that happen. That’s fine with me, I don’t make the decisions on the roster or who gets to be on it. Unfortunately in this situation, my roommate was released from bis position as an Atlanta Brave.

Dylan was the first player I met here in Orlando and he showed me the ropes. He was a non drafted pitcher just like me and had come all the way from California to play. When I arrived for my first day of practice, I followed him around and he showed me what the pitchers do. I was always picking his brain about pitching and how to become the pitcher I want to be.

I’m not sure if he was released to make room for me on the roster but that’s the first thing I thought of when he told me. It is an unfortunate dose of realty and the fact that neither of us were drafted. Being a non drafted player with no money means that we have to perform, or our chance will be given to someone who can perform. That’s how it goes in any business of progression. Either get the job done and advance or plateau, or worse, fired.

I haven’t thought about what I would do if I was told to go home, but it doesn’t mean it hasn’t crossed my mind. I think my mind has been so full of new pitching details that not being here never registered.

On the bright side, I was told I will pitch in the game tomorrow, worst case scenario I get to dress and be part of the team. This will be my first impression to the other pitchers, players, and coaches. I’m sure my adrenaline will be flowing but that’s what makes it fun. The ability to harness the emotion and energy will make me a better pitcher.

One way I have been channelling the energy is waking up and repeating positive mantras. Also, with my debut approaching there will be multiple visualization periods throughout the day.

Tomorrow is going to be great.

New Places, New Faces

Something I have been used to over my baseball career is being in a new place with new people. In college I attended five different schools and now I am in a new environment.

Orlando is by far one of the most interesting places I have stayed. I know I’ve only been here for a week or so but I have learned a couple things about this place.

1. It rains everyday.
2. Being close to Disney is fun seeing different cultures.
3. Being close to Disney is not fun, loud cultures.

This is a different situation than going to a new school also because lost of the guys are in the same boat as me. We are all new and are trying to settle into a routine. None of us, as far as I know, have any contacts in Orlando that are available for touring around or showing us the ropes.

One reason that the guys I associate with around here like me is because I have a car. This means we do not have to rely on the team transportation. Being able to go to a from practice as well as travel within the surrounding area is an awesome feeling. The team also reimbursed me today from driving from Illinois which was pretty sweet.

Right now I’m feeling good as someone who is being able to blend into the crowd while also standing out at the same time. My first outing should be by the end of the week or early next week so I’ll be focusing on that. I’m still not sure if what I’m doing has sunk in and the how special this opportunity is.