Baby’s First Rain Delay

After a long night on the bus the team and I were rewarded with a rainout. We made it to two outs in the first inning but had runners on second and first. The rain came down hard and lasted a couple of hours and we left the field about 9 o clock. 

  Photography by Mitchell. Peeking out of the clubhouse. 
The game was postponed until yesterday and then picked up in the exact same spot. The starting pitchers were different, but it was technically the game from yesterday. Now we have a double header on Saturday to make up for the game today. Fortunately we play two seven inning games today instead of two nines but I guess that is to save pitching. 

The team is playing well and on a six game winning streak. The Crawdads of Hickory are in first place in the northern division and it always feel good to beat a team ahead of you in the standings. 

Hickory’s field is pretty nice, it is tucked away in the hills. The bullpen is down the right field line tucked into the fence. Sort of like Asheville, but the relievers can’t see anything. There is a party deck right next to us, but being away from the kids asking for baseballs every second is nice. 

After this weekend we have a week long homestand, and starting a new month of baseball is always good. Surviving another month in the South Atlantic League. 

Bark at the Park

After a thrilling Memorial Day game it was bark in the park. The crowd wasn’t as big as Monday, but the dogs barking were fun. Before the game a dog ran onto the field. He took a couple of laps around the left field line and third base area, even said hi to our pitcher warming up for the game. 

I snapped a photo of the field while it is getting set up: 

 

Nice screen in right center, good grandstand behind the plate, it is what I picture when I think of an A ball stadium.   

The good part about the smaller crowd and less drunk fans behind us was that there were no people telling the bullpen how much we suck. That was pleasant compared to Monday. 

The team also put up eight runs compared to the River Dogs one. A lot less pressure at the end of the game compared to a bases loaded one run game. I was tasked with getting the last three outs of the 8-1 game. 

It went okay and hey they didn’t score so that is always a plus. Goal number one is not letting them score. Goal two is executing good pitches. I executed some good pitches but I also babied a few curves and missed location with my fastball. Now that I know that I’ll throw every 3-4-5 days instead of throwing every 2 like extended, I can plan ahead better. In between outings I can throw more and work on pitches rather than playing it safe thinking I am going to throw right away. 

This is the last game in the series, and then it is off to Hickory, NC. I expect it to be a long night on the bus after the game, traveling through a good portion of the night but that is what minor leaguers do. It will be my first experience with a night game and then hitting the road. When I first flew in to Asheville I only had the return trip, and now I am getting the real experience. The comfy bus will definitely help with that. 

I will throw against Hickory at some point, I am not sure when, but with five games left on the road trip I will be in the mix at some point. 

Throwing against the Rangers who I worked out for about a year ago, it’ll be fun. 

Memorial Day Game

Last night about 1 am the team rolled into Charleston for a three game series against the River Dogs. It is okay though because we rolled in on some comfy seats. Spoiled with the comfy recliners. 

 

The River Dogs are the class A affiliate of the New York Yankees, and have won 27 World Series, the PA guy made sure to say that. Anyways, our game tonight was awesome. The crowd came to watch, and I think they were handing out USA flags for people to wave throughout the game. A highlight or two of the night were the sporadic USA-USA-USA chants. When one of their players hit a home run, the cheering for that turned into a long USA chant. 

The Charleston bullpen is located down the left field line with the mounds facing home plate. That means any wild pitch while warming up has a chance to stop the game and everyone looks down like hey whose this guy. This also means that their fans are close to the bullpen, and some of the seats are a few feet behind our seats. You pair this with some beer, a live crowd, and being the visiting team, it can be fun. There were guys going with classic “You suck”. Some guys were more elaborate in their heckling.  It is all part of the experience and I can’t help but laugh about it and ignore most of it. 

The games here are more exciting than most games I have been in, and I think the crowd noise helps. The minor league promos get the crowd into it, which in turn gets the players into it. I was tasked with protecting our catcher on the field while the next pitcher warmed up. That was the closest I got to the game today but I was still asked for a baseball about 100 times. Kids love baseballs. 

Also on our trip we have a rehabbing big league player. It was sweet watching him take batting practice and seeing how he handles the bat. You can tell a difference from his approach to batting practice as well as the way the ball comes off the bat. He is also a good source of knowledge for the hitters or anyone that wants to learn. 

Two more games here in Charleston then it is onward to Hickory for four games. 

Always the Gnats

In extended, I pitched against the Nats weekly. My first home outing of the year came yesterday against the Gnats. 

The Savannah Sand Gnats are the A affiliate or the New York Mets. Yesterday we had a double header starting at 5 so there were a couple extra innings to pick up. For some reason so far, our baseball ability at home hasn’t been the best. Sometning about playing at home gives our opponents the edge, and the streak continued yesterday. 

What I like about being in Rome is the baseball atmosphere. There are fans, there are the fun minor league promotions, and because we play at night the weather is usually perfect for a game. Like I said, the only problem with this at home is the struggle to win the games. 

The last couple years in college losing a game was the worst thing that could happen. We hated losing more than we liked winning. I have noticed the attitude in the locker room after we lose. Sometimes it feels genuine and guys care about losing, other times, it is hard to tell who actually cares about losing.  Maybe I’m completely wrong and everyone is torn up inside, that could be the case. It is one of the differences I noticed from playing after college. 

We play Savannah two more times, including a day game tomorrow. After the day game on Sunday we are heading to South Carolina for a week long road trip. There are always good shenanigans on road trips, and it is a different experience then playing at home. There is a chance I throw again this weekend but up here it isn’t as scheduled. You are either hot or not and then you wonder when you get into the game. 

Here’s to hoping we salvage the weekend with a few wins these last few days. 

Rome Life

The first half of the week was early for the team. A 10:30 game followed by a 1:00 pm game makes a lot of guys around here tired and cranky. It didn’t help that we didn’t hit very well today and ended up losing 2-1. 

Tomorrow we start a five game series with Savannah including a double header on Friday. I like to think that I’ll throw at some point during these five games but hey you never know. 

Today was my last complimentary day at the Days inn. Which means now I am on my own to find a place to live. I am currently living with some guys in their living room.  

My new home for the stay in Rome. We have three bedrooms but by adding a fourth guy we can save money. I haven’t lived in an apartment for about two years and getting out of a dorm room or hotel room is refreshing. 

All the guys I am with are pitchers and that means I hang with them most of the time at the field and now off the field. We pitch together, we live together. 

Tonight me and the roomies are going to cruise downtown Rome. They want to show me around a bit and give the lay of the land. I think we are going to Walmart or somewhere similar too to get sheets for my air mattress. I slept on an air mattress for a summer in Cincinnati and it was fine, this one will be fine too.  I think for some people learning that minor leaguers aren’t living a perfect life off the field would be surprising, most know that all we do is play the game but there is a whole other social side to the game. The extra roommate is a common thing on our team, multiple guys living in the common area.  I spiced it up with some cool sheets and it makes the bed feel a bit more real. 

The five game set starts tomorrow, and hopefully it is all hands on deck. I would like to pitch as much as possible, because it would be easier to get in a rhythm. Also, being able to throw more gives me more feedback on what I need to improve on. Of course I say that now but if I was throwing more by this time September I could be toast. 

Anyways, I’m looking forward to the homestand and having a cheap place to hangout with some teammates. 

Education Day

Today’s game was a promotion for the kids of Rome. It started at 10:30 so the kids can use it as a field trip. 

I have been in Rome for two days and I am getting a feel for the town. Well, me not having a car isn’t helping much but my teammates have picked me up each day and brought me back. 

State Mutual Stadium, home of the Rome Braves, is a nice place. We have a good stadium set up, a couple of big screens to put up intro clips, and a good scoreboard to follow the game. I haven’t seen the other stadiums in the league but ours has to be one of the good ones. Here are a few pictures.  

    Yesterday was a busy day for me because it was my first time in the locker room. I had to get the rest of the gear from our clubhouse manager Terry. The hats are intresting because the size on them can be deceiving. They all fit differently so I have three different size hats even though my head hasn’t changed in a while. 

The inside of the locker room is nice. We have two TVs on the wall, and a big television in the back for Nintendo. Surrounding the TVs are big couches and chairs that will make you want to sleep rather than play. Attached to that is our bathroom, weight room, and training room. There is a long tunnel that connects to the dugout, and a back what to the cages that the bullpen uses to get on the field. 

The bullpen is behind the left field fence, which means it is nice and quiet compared to when fans are yelling at you. I decided to sit in the dugout today and the education day kids wore me out asking for a baseball every 30 seconds. The two games in Rome have been fun, but we have to get to the field earlier for home games. 

On a day like today, there is breakfast at the field. There is an omlette guy set up which is cool, and some various breakfast snacks as well. 

Tonight is my last night in the hotel then I am on my way out to live in a living room. Right now that is my best option, and the guys I’m moving in with have a car so that is a plus. I am still carless and roomless but I am planning on changing both. 

It is interesting how they can make you drop everything at command and be somewhere else without preparation. Even when guys drove up here a month ago it was a mad dash for living arrangements. It is hard to figure out six months of rental in three days. Tomorrow is a one pm game against Charleston, then back to regularly scheduled night games for the weekend. 

First A Outing

Since my first day here, I have been told that I would be in the game. That is how it goes, you show up, you knock the rust off. I still had some rust on me from my last outing on Monday.

It was finally my time after three days of playing a guessing game. We didn’t have a phone in the bullpen and used a walkie talkie instead. Everytime for the last three days when it beeped I thought I was going in. Going into the game the bullpen knew our starter was only going 2 innings possibly 3 at the most. 

I came into a 1-1 game in the second inning. Bases loaded and two outs. A great spot to start my career. I didn’t feel nervous or anything like that, but my warm ups on the game mound were not as pinpoint as I liked. 

I have been struggling to throw my offspeed for strikes lately, and after watching three days of guys throwing 2-0 and 2-1 offspeed I would have to make the adjustment. Unfortunately I wasn’t very good at it yet. I walked my first hitter to let a run score then I got the next hitter to flyout to right. Officially in the record book as recording an out. The next inning went groundball out, bunt out, on two pitches. I even got the next hitter to 0-2 and eventually hit a double. Tough on my part not being able to put a guy away. 

It spiraled from there and I ended up walking two more guys and get myself back into a bases loaded situation. The hitter was aggressive and went after a first pitch fastball to end the inning with a pop out. 

I went back out for my technical third inning and promptly hit the leadoff guy. A couple singles later I had 1st and 2nd and a run had scored. We made a nice play on a groundball and I got a pop out to get it to two outs but my day was done. The bullpen picked me up and stranded my runners too. 

Overall I would say it was an okay experience for my first one. Now I know what to expect when I throw, what it feels like, and the fact I need to throw better overall. If you throw well you earn a spot if you continually struggle then there will not be a spot. 

Besides my outing, the experience of minor league ball feels real to me now. This was my first experience as a minor league player in my eyes, because the GCL felt more like a practice league. The atmosphere is better, the fans are present, the gameday routine is better. Have I mentioned it is better? 

The next step for me is situating myself in a new town tonight. Tonight probably isn’t the best time to do it because it will be dark by the time we are back. I have three nights in the hotel to find a place to live. I do not have my car here, so I am at the mercy of my teammates to give me a ride until I have get a car and a place to live. 

I don’t think I’m pitching tomorrow but since almost everyone threw you never know. When I think about today, I remind myself that last year at this time, I was at a Texas Rangers workout and fielding groundballs. Now I had a chance to pitch in A ball. I realize the A ball is very far from the top of the ladder but to me and where my career is right how this is a huge accomplishment making it here. The only thing harder than pitching in the big leagues is staying in the big leagues. To a smaller extent A ball is the same way. 

The bus ride is 4-5 and from what I hear we aren’t stopping. Next stop my new, potential, home until September. 

First Day in Rome

My flight landed at 10 am in Asheville, NC. Due to the circumstances of the Carolina team, there were some moved made from the Rome team that opened a spot. I was bummed I was only able to pack two bags for my stay here, but the Rome guys packed for a 4 day road trip and that is all they have with them in Carolina. 

The first thing I noticed about North Carolina was the weather. Instead of a early morning heat, it was cool and a slight breeze. The players do not know the moves that are being made, because everyone was surprised to see me walking around the hotel. Some guy didn’t know that they had teammates move up until the bus to the field later that day. 

My two objectives after landing were to eat lunch and to sleep before the 3 pm bus to the stadium. I was told that I should track down the manager to make sure he knows I am here, but he is not at the hotel and staying with family. Then I tried the pitching coach but he wasn’t here either so I waited until I got on the bus to say hello. 

It was good to see my working group from spring training again. Everyone was in a good mood, and seemed energetic after the first month of the season. The bus had nice seats, and even had chargers for electronics which I haven’t seen in a while. I don’t know if this is standard or just for the four game series here. 

After lunch and an hour nap, that felt like a coma, it was time to head to the field. The Asheville ballpark sits up on a hill and it’s surrounded by trees.  

   This is a view from the visitors clubhouse. The clubhouse is nice and features the basics of a locker room. I have always heard about paying club house dues on the road and the rate in Asheville is $8/day. This is for the food and use of the utilities. 

After settling in, I had to get my jersey and hats. I am the big 50 for now, and the only guy without a name on his uniform. We have two road hats, although I heard that we have five total hats, all that fit differently. 

There wasn’t anything for pitchers to do until 5 pm when our stretch started. Same stretch routine as I was doing, just a lot less people. Also, wearing pants and a jersey for it was a nice change. Stretch, throw, run, and shag until about 610-15 then it was dinner time. 

I have heard stories about minor league spreads. Mainly that they consist of granola bars, pb&js, and other snacks. Well for dinner, we had chicken, salad, fruit, and some bread. For my my first experience, it was a good one for dinner. After more hanging out, at about 645 I headed to the bullpen. In Asheville the bullpen is tucked in the left field foul like behind a fence. The actual bullpen is facing the bullpen seating, and is on the left field line. For the first half of the game the sun was bad, but as the game went on the night was awesome. 

My former extended roommate Caleb Beech went six strong innings and set the tone for the game. I thought I would be in the game because everyone else who came up has thrown almost right away. We won 3-2 and that was my first experience on the Rome club. After the game, the water pressure at the clubhouse wasn’t working so we went back and cleaned up at the hotel. 

The only rule as far as after the game goes is make sure you’re on the bus the next day.  In the handbook I think it says something about a curfew but I wasn’t told anything. Today the schedule is the same, except I have more sleep and a better lay of the land. 

I’m looking forward to potentially pitching tonight, and getting my feet wet in a true minor league game. 

3:10 to Asheville

It’s 3:07 am, waiting for an apparent 3:10 shuttle to the airport for a 6:20 flight to Asheville, NC. 

Asheville is home of the Tourists in the South Atlantic League. Tonight opponent is the Rome Braves. Due to some extreme circumstances with the Mudcats, the A+ affiliate, I will be joining the Rome team. There has been some shuffling around due to the A+ team, but an opportunity is an opportunity. 

There are a couple hiccups with leaving so suddenly, and one is that I will be carless for the duration of my stay. I only brought one big duffle bag so most of my stuff is crammed into it, and a smaller travel bag. I have my essentials for the trip, and stay, however long it might be. It could be for a couple games, it could be for the rest of the year. 

The purpose of the program was to get people to move when a need came up from a higher club. That is exactly what has happened so far and other guys have had a chance, and now I get a chance to go to Rome and leave a good impression.  

Over the last couple days I have had people asking me if everything is okay, and that my vibe seemed off. Yesterday we were given an opportunity to listen to Dale Murphy speak, and he said sometning my dad has been saying for years. That you can choose your attitude and effort. I wasn’t choosing to see the fun side in the program and because of that my vibe was more neutral than positive. 

When I found out I was going to leave, it isn’t like my attitude automatically changes. I have to make it change and choose for it to be a positive and proactive attitude. For instance, being up at 3 am isn’t great, but it is great I get to go pitch under the lights at some point.  I was upset at the end of spring training because I thought I should be with the Rome team, well now I have a chance to show my improvement over the last five weeks to the guys and coaches in Rome. Not only that, but a fresh body to the team that might be able to spark some guys into playing well. A new voice in the clubhouse to encourage guys and another guy to tell them how lucky they are they weren’t subject to extended spring training. 

I should be in Asheville around lunch, and be able to get my bearings for a couple hours before heading to the field. 

Nats Nats Nats

In extended we only play three teams. Tigers, Astros, Nationals. Six games a week and play each team twice. 

Due to the fact we only play three teams, you wind up pitching against the same team, same guys, very regularly. I threw against the Nationals today, but I was moved to the red team instead of facing the same team I did on Friday. 

Unfortunately for me, it didn’t go as well as it did on Friday. I think when it was all said and done I gave up three runs in my inning, but I was throwing strikes which I am taking as a positive. 

My pitching coach did not seem worried at all, and said I was making good pitches. Good pitches maybe, the right pitches, maybe not. I want to be able to rest easy knowing that it is just one outing and when the ball leaves my hand there isn’t anything I can do. Much easier to say than actually do. 

My next appearance is Friday in Lakeland against the Tigers. 

In other extended news, week 9 of spring is upon us. Before practice today we had to run as punishment because guys do not clean up after themselves, and generally leave a wake of destruction wherever they go. You would think a group of professional ball players would know basic manners, but that is not the case around these parts. Manners, and basic social skills have been a continual issue for the group in extended. Everyday guys leave trash, or throw gum on the ground for people, mainly myself, to step in. 

The problem isnt that people act that way, but after being told the proper way they continually act the wrong way. It is a frustrating predicament to be in because there is nothing I can do to change the behavior, and wear the punishments that come along with it. Now I am ranting, I apologize but I wanted to let people see what kind of day to day stuff that goes on. 

Friday is a new day, another chance to get better and make proper adjustments. That is the focus.