Pantagraph

Yesterday I met with Randy Kindred, a writer for the local newspaper. I think that the last time the Pantagraph wrote a story about me I was a senior in high school and beat Normal West High School in baseball.

Anyways, Mr. Kindred wanted to write a small story about what I have been doing for the last five years and where baseball has taken me. I told him about how I have been to five different schools and that during a random tryout I was signed by the Braves. I wasn’t sure what he was going to write but the article turned out to be a nice piece for my friends and family to read.

He also wrote how I did well up until my last start and noted the fact that the center fielder may have let up a couple extra runs. I thank him for that. I have only been home for two days but I will definitely need to pick up a hobby for the off season. It is a different feeling knowing that for the first time in my life I do not have to go to class or have homework every night. There are two more weeks before I head back to the instructional league.

I put the link for the article below.

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/columnists/kindred/kindred-osnowitz-has-unique-journey-to-pro-ball/article_d3df5319-9705-57c3-8f4d-09cac7552694.html

Last Impression

Today was the last game of the year and then everyone gets to go home. I will cut straight to the chase in the ninth.

I came into the game with a 5-0 lead in the 9th and I felt good in the bullpen. When I left the game it was 5-5 heading to the 10th.

I had four walks in the inning and our centerfielder made a terrible read that let three runs score. In the scorebook all it will say is that runs score but in reality they scored because of a fielders “error”.

It was similar to last time I went and pitched but this time it was three times the run.

My final line was .2 4 BB 5 ER.

Now that the season is over I can take a moment and relax. I have been playing since January but my relaxing vacation ends after two weeks. I was told that I have to come back and play in the instructional baseball league.

I am glad I have an opportunity to come and pitch with some of the other players who they like in the organization but at the same time being away from home is always lame. I’ve also found out that giving up runs is way worse than striking out.

I won’t be updating this until I come back September 14th. See ya then.

 

Edit at 7:30 PM.

After taking some time to think about today and looking at my body of work this season I think I have been very successful. If you take away today’s performance then I had a very good season, even with this outing it was not a horrible season for someone who is just starting to learn about pitching.  In the two weeks that I am home I plan on learning more about different grips for pitching and getting a feel for them coming into the instructional league.

My first pro season is under my belt.  I still do not think that the feeling of being a professional a player is in my mind.  I guess it will be something I have to get used to.  I also thought how it will be nice to get a break but also another pitcher on the team told me it is nice I only have a two week break and will not have to sit on this outing until February.

My overall impression of the season is a good one, and I am looking forward to seeing where I stand with other players in the organization during instructs.

Save Number Two

This is the last week of baseball for minor league season. The regular season for the higher leagues ends September 1st if the team is not in the playoffs.

Our closer has been very effective this year and was finally moved up to Danville. I think this is because they are in a playoff race and we were just eliminated. This has an impact on the bullpen because we are down one arm so guys will be throwing more this week.

I threw two innings Friday and was summoned again today to throw. It is good that they think that I can come into these situations and work out but it is more of a workload on my arm. I came into the game in the bottom of the eighth with 2 outs 2 men on. Their three hole hitter was up and on the mound my coach said throw a first pitch curveball and go from there. Got ahead with the curveball, couple fastballs, and the guy kept fouling the ball off. Eventually I went up and in on him, not sure if it was on purpose, but he was jammed and flew out to left field.

To start the 9th, I got ahead of the four hole hitter and he flew out to the right field foul line. Ahead of the next hitter 0-2, but left the curveball a little higher than I wanted to and he singled to left center. The next hitter was a little weird because I jammed him and he flew to left field. However, the wind was blowing across the field and he was a lefty which produced a lot of tail on the ball. The outfielder drifted with the ball and let it drop over his head for a double. Instead of two outs and a man on first I had 2nd and 3rd 1 out. They pinch hit this big lefty and he must have fouled off at least 10 pitches. That is what it felt like to me. He grounded out to second but it allowed the runner to score and the the other to move to third.

Now it was a real save situation and I thought I better get this guy or everyone will be bummed. Three fastballs past him and the game was over.

I’m upset that I have an extra run tacked onto me but at the same time we won the game and I picked up the save. The coaches showed they believe in me to get the job done in the pressure situations and so far I’ve shown them that I can.

My final line was: 1 SV, 1.1 IP 1 ER 2 H 0BB 1 K.

Tomorrow we play the Yankees at home, then away versus the Tigers, and the final game is Thursday against the Tigers. I’m not sure when I’ll throw again or if they plan to keep me in a closing role, but I would guess Thursday. Then again I thought I wouldn’t throw today so what do I know.

Less Than A Week Left

One week from today I will be home for a couple of weeks. There are a lot of guys here that are staring at the clock. Since there is only a week left I figured I might as well make a good last impression.

I thought initially that I would throw tomorrow but today I received the call. It was 5-1, Braves trailing, in the seventh inning. The last time I pitched against the Astros I gave up a home run and was excited to face them again.

Also, with a couple of walks last time I was eager to come back and show the coaches that it wasn’t my style to walk lead off hitters.

Anyways, onto the pitching for the day. I felt like I had better command of my fastball today which cut down on the walks. The first hitter squared me up good on a 1-1 fastball that was hit directly at our center fielder. I remembered how much I hated hitting balls hard right at people. The next guy was a little trickier and when we hit the ball I thought for sure it was an out. It was between third and short but both fielders ended up thinking the other guy was going to field it and it went into left field.

One thing the coaches told me I needed to work on was holding runners so they kept calling pickoffs. I’m glad they did, but at the same time we were down four and I wanted to go at the hitter. The next guy received the heavy dose of fastballs and punched him out on an up and in fastball. The next hitter I got him to 1-2 and it was time to throw the curveball. I ended up spiking the 1-2 curveball and the runner tried to steal second. My catcher threw him out and that was my first inning.

Second inning went a bit smoother and he struck out on a fastball down and away. After getting ahead quickly 0-2 to the next hitter I hung a curveball that he flared into right center. At first I thought it was a base hit but it was tracked down. Final guy, 1-1 fastball in on his hands that shattered his bat. 4-3 to end the inning and I was through my fourth inning of the week.

Final line was: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K, 0 ER, 0 BB.

I think my arm felt good for throwing the third and fourth inning of the week. We ended up losing the game and being eliminated from the playoffs , which means we only have four games left next week. I would say I will throw Tuesday or Wednesday and call it a rookie season.

Another plus from today was that our assistant GM and minor league fielding coordinator were here. It is always nice to throw well when decision makers are in town.

Before the game the fielding coordinator was telling us to finish strong, and I am on that path now.

Yankees

In the Gulf Coast league we play against six different teams. The Tigers, Astros, Phillies, Blue Jays, Yankees 1, and Yankees 2.

For some reason the Yankees have two teams in the league and I’ve heard that they spend the necessary money to make sure they win the league. With the Yankees having two teams, it seems like we play them every week, and I made an appearance after my week long absence today.

I’m not sure if it was the week without throwing in a game or maybe it was just one of those days but I struggled through the appearance. I did the one thing that a pitcher should never do, and I did it twice. I came into the game trailing 5-4 in the 7th. I walked the first hitter I faced. That is the ultimate no-no for any pitcher. Fortunately for me, the next hitter swung at a first pitch fastball that would have been a ball.

After a quick mound visit where I was told to keep the ball down and throw the slider, the slider bailed me out and I rolled him into a double play. After the double I still felt odd on the mound but I got another ground out to end the frame.

While I was waiting to pitch the next inning our team took the lead. This meant that I was now the pitcher of record and line for the win, or potential loss if I ended up blowing it. Well what did I do? Walked the lead off hitter again. The fastball release point was non existent for me today which meant I had to rely heavily on an off speed pitch, something I haven’t had to do yet. The defense bailed me out again with a double play and the next hitter flew out to left. The fly out was actually a positive for me because it was a fastball in the zone, something I had been struggling with up to that point. I’m starting to think having a few struggles while pitching is good because it makes me adjust to the situation. It also shows the coaches that I can compete in though spots while not having my best stuff.

The final line on my outing was: 1 Win 2.0 IP 0 H 2 BB 0 ER

I guess you could say I was unhittable today.

The team travels to Clearwater tomorrow to play the Phillies, and I will be in the stay back group because I threw today. If I had to guess my next appearance will be Friday or Saturday, and then the shortened week of four games.

Rain and More Rain

For the last two days we have been bombarded by constant thunderstorms.

Yesterday we were scheduled to play the Blue Jays in Dunedin, one of our farthest drives. After making it to the field, during the last of our warmups, the clouds started rolling in. In hindsight, I should have made a run for the bus right then. Instead, my team was trapped inside the metal cage of the dugout as rain swirled around us. This was the closest I have been to lightning and I don’t want to be that close again. Eventually our coach took off sprinting towards the bus and that was the go sign for the rest of us.

With the rainout yesterday, we were scheduled for a double header today. We made it through the first game and during the second game warmups, once again the clouds came. This was our last game against the Blue Jays, which I was told, means we will not make up the second game.

The game being cancelled made it so there are only 10 games left. I think because there are only 10 games I will make two appearances next week and one the following week to round out the season.

My first season as a pitcher is coming to a close, but there is still time left to show the coaches, and myself, the improvements I’ve made.

One Month Anniversary

Today is the one month anniversary of making my debut in the Gulf Coast League.

With that being said, I have two weeks remaining in the season.  I did not pitch today, which means that I should be one of the guys that comes into relief tomorrow.  If not tomorrow, definitely at home on Saturday.  Tomorrow is at the Blue Jays in Dunedin, where I made my first appearance as a professional player.  It would have been cool if we played there today and I pitched, but tomorrow will have to do.

After my next appearance there is only one full week, then a shortened week, and I will be traveling home over Labor Day Weekend.  With one full week and the half week, that tells me I should be ready to pitch two times next week and one more time in the shortened week.

I have been feeling more confident on the mound and realizing that hits and runs will happen.  The only part of the game I can control is throwing the ball to the best of my ability.  Once the ball leaves my hand then there is nothing I can do.  I have to remember that the hitters that I am going against are also being paid to play minor league baseball.  The team is only 4 games out of first place and there is an outside chance that we will make the playoffs.  After today’s win Rocket, the manager, told us we would get official GCL championship rings if we won it all.  I’m not sure how the other guys on the team feel about being in Orlando for possibly an extra four days, but a championship ring on the finger and resume never hurt anyone.

Two more weeks, fourteen days, twelve games, I’m looking forward to it.

First, Round Two

After yesterday’s rain out we were scheduled for two seven inning games with the Yankees. Our home game was rained out, so both games were at their place. The first game we were the visitors and the second game we were the home team.

The first game was uneventful because I was not on the list to pitch. I was keeping myself occupied by talking with the other relievers. We ended up winning, which is nice because they are in first place.

The second game I didn’t think I was going to pitch because I was on the game chart. Usually we have plenty of pitchers and whoever is on the chart doesn’t throw that day. In this case I was wrong.

With the game 2-0 in our favor, I was told to warmup. The pitcher before me got into a jam in the sixth but managed to workout of it. That meant that I was slated in for the seventh. My second save opportunity since I have been here. The last time was the second outing of my career and I was pulled with one out to go.

This time I had a successful outing and completed the first save in my career. The first hitter grounded to second. I couldn’t throw my curveball anywhere near the plate so I went with fastballs to everyone. After the first ground out, the next hitter followed that up with a ground out to third.

The last hitter gave me a little trouble by fouling off a few pitches but he ended up striking out on a fastball down and in.

My final line was: 1IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K, 1 SV

I felt good throwing today even though I usually throw on Wednesday after a Saturday outing. I think my next appearance will be Friday or Saturday, it just depends on how the other pitchers do.

Another First

I made another appearance today against the Astros. I came into a much less intense situation than my last outing because we were up 12-1. With this kind of lead I figured I’d go right after the hitters rather than try and nibble around the plate.

Not a good choice. I fell behind the first hitter and on a 2-0 fastball I gave up my first home run as a pitcher. Now I have a small look into the lives of the pitchers that I had success against this year. Luckily for me we had an eleven run lead to play with.

I feel like it sucks to give up any runs but this first home run was a bummer. I have finally been initiated into the ranks of a pitcher.

After the home run I got ahead of the next two hitters and struck out both of them. The fourth Astro grounded out to second base.

1 IP 1 H 1 ER 2 K 0BB

It’s day like today that I wish I was a hitter and could enjoy what I was doing. I enjoy being here and being part of an organization but at the same time hitting was always what I wanted to do and now that I can’t, I’m trying to remain positive with an unknown situation.

Counting today, I only have two weeks and four days left here. At this point I doubt I’ll be moving onto a higher league for the end of the season but baseball is strange so who knows. With 5-6 more experiences I will continue to try and improve while leaving a good impression on the coaching staff here.

Pirates Round 2

Today the Pirates came to Orlando. The last time I pitched against the Pirates I had a solid outing. This gave me confidence going into the day because if I faced the same hitters I could have a plan.

My last outing was Saturday, and I came in with a man on third with two outs. I’m not sure if it was planned or if it was merely a coincidence, but I came in with that exact situation today.

Man on third, two outs, 3-2 ball game in the seventh. I was being brought in to protect the lead and protect my fellow pitchers base runner. The last time I was in this situation I got ahead 1-2 and the guy hit a fastball for a base hit. After the game the manager said I should have gone with an off speed pitch.

I was having flashbacks to that because I got this hitter to 1-2 and I thought, well better throw an off speed pitch or else the manager is going to be pissed. He was definitely in the right, and the guy chased to let us escape the game.

I thought that this might be all for me like last time but I went out for the 8th and a fresh inning. I went 3-2 to the first hitter and be ended up chasing a pitch that led to a pop out. I followed that up with a strikeout. Two quick outs and I was feeling good. Unfortunately I left the next pitch over the middle and allowed a base hit up the middle. It was a tad frustrating because I wanted the clean inning but now I had to worry about this guy potentially scoring and evening the score.

I worked ahead of the next guy with three fastballs to get him into a 1-2 count. I’ve found pitching is much easier when you work ahead and challenge the hitters. Anyways, I ended up spiking a curveball that he chased but the umpire said he fouled it off. I went right back to that pitch but he missed it this time. My day was done after that.

1.1 IP 1 H 3 K 0 ER 0 BB

I was pumped up that I had the chance to come into a situation that I failed at last time. I wanted to show the coaches I can handle being brought into those situations and that I can succeed. Tomorrow is on the road, and I won’t throw or travel. My next appearance will most likely be Saturday but who knows around here.