Greeneville > Danville > Greensboro > Atlanta > Rome

I have logged a few miles over the last couple weeks. 

The road trip in Greeneville ended yesterday after the 2pm game. I did not throw in any of the three games and then after the game I was told Rome needs bullpen help for a day or two. The Greeneville trip to Danville is the longest we make during the year, and the team got back into town a around 10:30. That means when I get back to Danville I am on a flight from Greensboro to Atlanta, then ride the Romey mobile back to Rome. For a quick stay? An extended stay? I guess I will find out what the deal is. My host family stocked my fridge for me and they understand the situation. They won’t fill my vacancy just yet. 

My flight landed in Atlanta at 9:15 but there was another traveler and his flight did not land until about 11:30. Pops, the team transporter, decided we should go check out downtown Atlanta. I have never been there and he showed me around where he used to roam.  

 

It doesn’t get more downtown that this. At first I was confused what we were doing downtown. I thought wow maybe we are picking up a big league guy or something crazy like that. Nope, just some sight seeing but it was fun and passed the time. 

This is the fourth trip through Atlanta I have made since I went to Rome for the first time.  This could be my second chance at sticking in Rome and then I am there until the end of the year. 

I think I jinxed myself too while being in Danville. Anytime I try and plan a trip for family or friends I end up moving to a new spot. It is the way of the minor leaguer. I remember last year a teammate in the GCL had his parents booked for a trip to Danville they made much earlier in the year. The trip was fast approaching and he was still in the GCL so he told them to stay and cancel the trip. Next day, he is in Danville. 

On other news besides traveling, the Danville bullpen had some good bonding time while in Greeneville. We were playing the odds game. The game is played by someone stating they would do something under certain odds. They place the odds such as 1-10. So on the count of three two people say a number between the odds and if they say the same then the action is performed. We weren’t having success with the odds and getting the desired results so we did a five way rock paper scissor and the odd man out lost. I unfortunately lost on the “atomic balm in the armpit bet”. Atomic balm isn’t the hottest ointment we have but I was feeling it for the whole game in my left armpit. There were other odds that were lost but since that happened to me that’s what is told – bullpen rules. Maybe it is a rule. I’m not sure. 

Tonight Rome plays Augusta, a team I have never seen but they have an old teammate of mine that probably doesn’t remember me. I imagine I will throw but when I got to Asheville I did not throw right away. 

What an adventure so far, and it is only June! There are still 2 months and change for the adventure to evolve. 

Welcome to Rookie Ball

Tough start to my rookie ball career. We ended up losing the game and I was charged for 3 runs in 1.2 innings of work. My second inning was much better and I’ll build off that and get over the other .2 of an inning. 

Today was another travel day and we made our way to Greeneville, TN. The longest trip that the Braves make during the season. I don’t think we are in Greeneville though, and in a place called Tusculum.  The Astros play at Tusculum College, and the facility is very nice. 

A view from the Astros bullpen. 

 Lucky for us, there are a few resturants and gas stations nearby to supply us until we head home on Sunday. 

The game tonight was cut short due to rain and we won 4-0 or 1-0 depending on where they decide that the game ended. If they count us hitting in the eighth it will be 4-0 if they don’t then it will be 1-0, or something like that. 

Everyone on the pitching staff has thrown at least once now and some people twice. The bullpen as a team is starting to come together because guys are opening up. The bullpen is a unit and I think everyone wants everyone else to have success. 

After this weekend in Greeneville we are home for the first time. We had a meet and greet in Danville. The big supporters of Danville are older folk, but nice older laid back country folk. I bet they can get rowdy when called upon though. 

Outside of the baseball game not much has been happening. The hotel set up in Dublin didn’t lend any good stories and this is the first night in Tusculum. My roommate Stephen Gaylor moved onto Rome and my new one is my catcher from last night Alejandro Flores. Pitcher catcher bonding time. 

I am learning more and more about pitching from the new guys here. They have been very helpful in these few days and I’m going to soak in what else they have to say about pitching. I suspect my next outing will be Sunday but we will see what happens. It will go much better than last time. 

Pulaski and the Danville Braves

The first road trip of the season is upon the 2015 Danville Braves. I am currently sitting in the newly renovated visitors clubhouse of the Pulaski Yankees. I don’t know what the old one was like, but I heard it was the worst in the league. The stadium has been upgraded too, and from my view down the left field line it looks like a good ballpark.   

View from the bullpen. 
The trip from Danville to Pulaski was short, and we traveled yesterday then played last night. I like being in the locker room with the new guys, they are still timid about doing things such as wearing the right shoes out to BP or waiting for a coaches approval to leave the clubhouse. These are the same habits I had that I broke away from college rules into the professional rules. Luckily for these guys I am able to assist. When I first played summer baseball I had no idea how a team operated. 

I came from a prep academy school that didn’t follow the typical gameday schedule of college. The stretch, throw, BP, chill, game schedule. My first game I played I did not know what to wear for BP. I came out in my full uniform because that is what I have always done and I was the only person. It was a learning experience for me but nobody told me otherwise until way after BP was over. 

The accomodations of Pulaski are not the best, but we are staying in Dublin, VA. Within walking distance of the hotel is a Bojangles, Subway, Shoneys, and a gas station. It makes lunch difficult but the gas station has enough snacks to hold you over. 

This was opening night for the Yankees with the new affiliate in Pulaski and the new ballpark. It rained and a good chunk of fans left. I felt bad that the opening day was a sour one and it didn’t help that we dominated most of the game. 

Tonight was more of the same for us. Good pitching and hitting lead to a 3-1 victory. The bullpen has been solid so far and hanging with a new group of guys has been great. I enjoy hearing their stories of making it through college and eventually being drafted. Each guy has their own story and their own path that has lead to this point. There is a period of feeling each other out as far as seeing what each guy has in his pitching ability. The new scoreboard has the velocity posted up and there are a lot of heads turning each time a pitch is thrown.  

We are off to a good start here being 2-0 and looking to sweep tomorrow. After this it is onto Greeneville, TN for three more. 

First Danville Practice

First team practice in Danville is in the books as of last night.  We practiced at 7 pm to get used to playing at night but we had to be at the field around 5 pm to take care of some paper work and meetings.

The meetings that we had were okay, it was about the rules of being an Atlanta Brave and also how Danville is small town.  Some of the ideas that were shared were how everyone in town will know who we are.  They will know because we are baseball players, but also because we are strangers in town.  I think there are 33 new faces in town with the team, and we are allowed up to 35 compared to other levels where 25 is roster size.

I took a picture of some of the other rules that are in place while I am in Danville:  

 The no cellphone rule did not go over well with the guys.  One because now it will be hard to listen to music before the games. Two, everyone has someone they would like to talk to that isn’t there.  Three, Latin players practice their English on their phones. I understand that we want to be a team and talk to each other and hang out.  At the same time, whenever I come into the locker room I like to read and being able to block out the noise with music helps.  I like the cellphone bubbles that go up around each locker and there is the understanding between everyone that we are all here for the same reason, but it does not mean that we hang to hangout 24/7 and be best buddies. I look forward to seeing how long the cellphone ban lasts, and if it is a season long thing, it could get edgy in the club house.

The practice was short and only lasted an hour.  There was rain coming down every now and then but also a lot of lightning in the area that made it so the hitters worked in the cages only and spared me from shagging batting practice. The upcoming schedule for myself and the team is another practice tonight at 7 then we have an earlier practice tomorrow at 2 pm. Then Tuesday is the first game of the season against Pulaski at their place.  We are traveling the same day because if my calculations are correct it is only a 2.5 hour drive there, and then onto Greeneville for another series against the Astros affiliate. Following the 2 pm practice there is a meet and greet the players at dinner.  The positive of the dinner is that the food will probably be free and save me a couple of dollars.  A positive about Danville is that for some reason there is a large concentration of Mexican restaurants where I can satisfy my need for chips and salsa.

As far as my living situation goes. I talked to the club house manager about finding a host family.  I have a family that has offered to take me in for the summer but they are out of town for a baseball tournament and will be back either tonight or tomorrow.  I have not met them yet, or seen what the set up is, but having a host family is always a unique experience. There have been a few in my past for summer baseball. The host family is another part of the adventure that guys go through during their careers.

That is about it for now, I have a bullpen today to get ready for the game Tuesday.  I haven’t seen how the pitching here will work because we have a lot of pitchers on the club, but when I get in the game I’ll do my best to make the most of it.  What else would I do? 

First game Tuesday!

New Team, New Season

After a few days of mini camp it is time to head to Danville. The guys who are going to Danville began their journey today. For most of the guys, this will be their first experience of professional baseball. I look forward to helping them find their way and being a guy they can come to with any questions. 

My day began with a morning practice like normal. I have mentioned before how all my luggage and car are in Rome. My flight to Atlanta was scheduled to leave at 3:30 and land around 5:15. I rode to the field and was on the flight with the minor league player coordinator and his assistant. I rode to the airport and hungout with the assistant mainly and they are both really nice guys. I had my cool Hawaiian shirt on all day so hopefully I didn’t look too dorky around the brass. 

When we got on the plane everything was normal. I dozed off and woke up around 4:30 expecting to be close to Atlanta. The weather in Atlanta was bad I guess and we were still sitting on the runway. In the metal cylinder of the airplane. Everyone was sweating and getting annoyed. The pilot came on and said it would be another hour and a half before we left, which made me panick some because I knew I had a ride to Rome. 

About two minutes later the pilot came back on and said we were leaving. It was quite the day. I went from Orlando to Atlanta and then onward to Rome. From Rome I drove back through Atlanta to dodge morning traffic, and that is where I am now, Suwanee, GA.  From what I heard from some new guys from other organizations it isn’t like this for everyone. When they had flights they were on their own to get to and from the airport. Also I know it cannot be easy to schedule everything with such short notice or cheap. The Braves could have left my car and goods in Rome for now and figured out how to get them later. 

All part of the minor league journey. Tomorrow is an off day for the Danville team and the first day as a team will be Saturday. The paperwork and check in for the team is Saturday night and a workout after to acclimate ourselves to a night game.

This is a good thing for me and a good spot to be in. I get to meet the next wave of players and I get to hone my skills against freshly drafted players. This is the logical place for me to be right now but after having success in Rome I know I can do well there too. 

Mini Camp

Day 2 of minicamp. There were a lot of new faces around the locker room that were experiencing their first day of pro ball. They are in good company with about seven new guys showing up and going through the transition process. When I showed up last year I was the only new person joining a team that was two weeks into their season.

The structure of mini camp is very similar to the GCL. Workout in the morning and done by lunch. I had a bullpen today and I will throw in the scrimmage game Tuesday. I threw my bullpen to one of the new catchers but I can’t remember his name. What I do know is his brother is Christian Yelich for the Marlins. Funny thing about him I think he is younger than me and already playing pro ball. 

I like being seen as a guy the new faces can turn to. They just graduated college or maybe left early to pursue their lifelong dream, but they are my younger brothers age. When I think of it that way it’s weird, but I can play the role of older brother for a while. 

I’m in a good spot right now, even though it isn’t where I would be if it was up to me. I need the innings on a team where I throw more than once a week, and I get the chance to be a friend to all the new players. I like seeing the excitement in their eyes even we are doing something as simple as shagging batting practice. It is refreshing to be around positive attitudes and guys who are excited to start playing. 

When I head to Danville I will have more to talk about, more ball parks to see, and new places to explore. 

On the road again

I received some unfortunate news last night after the game. I had a feeling that it was lingering in the air, but last night like was officially told that I was being sent back to Orlando until the Danville season starts. 

Danville is the short season affiliate of the Braves, and is in Virginia. The short season rosters are mainly freshly signed college players and younger players in their second/third years. The situation is a tricky one, and I do not agree with being sent back. I was told that it is so I can throw more and get my work in, but I was doing well when I was given the chance. 

If that is the real reason I am back then I plan on throwing more in Danville. If I could throw everyday in a game I would but other pitchers need their work. I also just got my car and all my goods into Rome, and now I will be walking for the next week and relying on rides. Well a week or whenever camp breaks to head to Danville. I was told that I will be flown to Atlanta, driven to Rome, get my stuff, and then meet the team in Danville to start their season. 

Last year if I pitched in Danville I would have said great. Now that I have had small success on the level above, I am not going to lie and say I am happy about it. If there is a pecking order or something I need to go through then I will go through it. Or I can begin again and show them that I am developing. The goal is to go out and dominate from the beginning. 

On the flip side, when I arrived at the hotel I saw a young man and his family hanging out. The kid had a Braves hat so I said hey and I was told that he was waiting to sign with the Braves. He looked about twelve, but I am sure he was around sixteen. A complete cycle of baseball happening right before me. It is an exciting time in the players that were drafted lives. They are about to begin a new chapter of their baseball lives. Unfortunately for the hitters, I will be in the Appalachian league waiting to face them. 

All I know right now is that lunch is at 11 tomorrow and stretch is at 12:30. I have about half my baseball gear with me, and half the gear is in Rome. I’ll have to get some socks, a new hat, and a workout shirt that I did not bring for the road trip in Rome. This is probably one of the busiest times of the year for the equipment crew here in Orlando.

Prove them right or prove then wrong – what else can you do. 

A Year Ago

A year ago at this time I was down in the dumps. The draft was earlier last year, and I wrote about how the year before that I was hoping I had an outside chance of being signed. Then last year I was writing about how guys I worked out with were getting signed and that gave me confidence I could sign. Now here I am a year later hanging out in Asheville, NC with a team and listening to guys talk about their draft day. 

The stories I have heard are good, but some are not suitable for a blog. One guy was telling me how stressed out he was because he had multiple teams calling him and telling him he was about to be picked. He said it was one of the worst experiences he has ever had. Must have been nice to have a lot of teams wanting to give you a chance. 

While the draft was going on, we were hanging in the locker room waiting to stretch. It is funny listening to the chatter because some guys sounded slightly discouraged when a guy of their position was taken. I could be hearing things and my mind tricking me into hearing their voices waver, but I think their was a little self doubt. Then if a college guy is taken their is talk of well is he going to be on our team? Is he going to be sent somewhere else? It is all very counter productive to talk about right before a game but I don’t control their words. 

On the road there is less downtime between stretching and playing. Yesterday we stretched at 4:45, had batting practice, ate dinner, had about 20 minutes, then back out for the game. Before tonight’s game we were four games out of first place, with the worst team in the league on schedule for three games. Unfortunately we lost the game in the seventh and could not make a comeback. 

I was not scheduled to throw because of the revolving door of roster moves. I do not know how it works or who they choose to move around on the rosters, but I would like to be a guy who remained a constant on the Rome roster. If I keep throwing well then I will stick. 

It is definetly nice to be back in Asheville because this where I started almost a month ago. Good memories for me. The allstar break is looming and we need to win some games. We have thirteen more before the break, and will see what happens !

Homestand – Day 6

There is sometning about the home ballpark that makes the team lose. Well that is the story I have been told. On our homestand we are 2-3 so far against a worse team and a better team. I misspoke earlier when I said Greenville, that is not until next week, I meant West Virginia. 

I bring up playing at home and the attitude of some players because the coaching staff gave us a talk about how lucky we are to have the complex we have. So far it is one of the best I have seen, including the bullpens and the friendly staff. The talk from the coaches was about being a progressional and being present in the moment of our season.

They wanted to make sure that we knew that we were professionals, and especially that we were with the Atlanta Braves because we have rules and regulations that other organizations do not have. Such as being at the park early, clean shaven, short hair, and dress code to the ball park. Carrying yourself in a way that says hey I’m a pro ball player I am going to act like one. It isn’t college it isn’t high school, it is the next level up. We were told that we should start policing ourselves as a team, and being a family in the bullpen. 

It might have been a well pitched game, or some timely hitting, but we won 13-2 so hey the talked reached some guys. I contributed to the game with two scoreless innings. 

I have talked previously about the routine of the GCL or spring training. Now I am getting into the homestand routine. If the game starts at seven it goes something like this…

2:30-45 pitchers stretch out play catch and condition. 

3:30-45 position players stretch and get ready for batting practice. 

4:00 batting praxtice starts

5:00 batting practice ends

5:00-6:40 relax, eat dinner, shower, change, play nintendo, whatever you need to get ready for the game. 

7:00 game starts 

10:30 leave the field, do it all again the next day. 

It is a good schedule, it beats waking up at 6:45 every morning. 

Also, we got to wear these sweet camo uniforms for military appreciation night.  Lucky me I had the opportunity to wear this on the field. 

 

We play tonight and tomorrow afternoon against West Virginia and then a travel day Monday for a week long road trip. I doubt I will throw the next two games but I want all the innings I can get. After an off day I will be one of more rested guys and face my first opponent again, Asheville. 

Back in Rome

Usually on Sundays or get away days the games are earlier in the afternoon. Our Sunday games are usually two I clock. This benefits the visiting team because they play and make their way to the next destination without making it there early in the morning. 

Yesterday the game in Hickory started at 5 pm and was almost done at 7 when we hit a road block and played extras. A couple innings later we were on the road by 830-9 heading to Rome. I think the trip was about five hours and we made it back around 2:30. 

What do players do on the bus? Cards. A lot of card playing. Sleeping, or texting. What happens when it is 1 am and everyone you know is asleep? Back to the cards and sleep. Some guys can sleep anywhere, including a moving bus in an upright position. I am not one of those people. 

While I was reading or sleeping, the cards continued to be dealt out. Lucky for me I haven’t bothered learning any of the games and therefore my wallet is safe. The wallet just got a boost because I have been here for two weeks. The number is bigger than my GCL paycheck, but it also doesn’t have $150 in hotel fees taken out of it. That is nice, except I think my rent is higher than $150 and it doesn’t include breakfast and dinner. 

June is upon the South Atlantic League. This month is our allstar break month, marking the halfway point in the season. It is weird to think if I was here for a full season I would probably play more games in one year than I have played in college put together. An interesting thought for college guys who think that the season is a long grind. 

I had my first experience with kangaroo court yesterday. Our game had a slight half hour delay and to kill the time we read some of the entries of the kangaroo court. My understanding is, when someone breaks a rule or does something you think is worthy, you right their name, date, the crime, the witness, and the suggested penalty. We had three judges watch over the precedings, and if you were fined you had a chance to defend yourself. The fines I saw were mostly petty things, like taking dip from someone and not paying them back. As of yesterday I have dodged any fines or being brought up in court. 

Right now we are home for a seven game homestand and then back on the open road. We are playing Lexington and Greenville, two teams that I have never faced. Lexington is near the bottom of our division while Greenville is near the top. 

Going forward, there are about three and a half months left in the regular season. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the next few months!