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I have now thrown for every team in camp. 

Yesterday I was scheduled for 1-2 inning or 40 pitches maximum for the AA squadron on the road. When I was playing catch in the morning I was told I am not throwing for AA but hanging with AAA as a backup. I looked and they already had two guys backing up and figured I wouldn’t be of use. The starter was scheduled for six and the other reliever was scheduled for three. 

The starter reached his pitch count with two outs and nobody on. I was summoned into the game to get one out. The Mariners had a few big league guys playing and taking at bats whenever they chose. I was eyeballing the guy on deck when I was getting loose but when I came into the game it was a big league player. At least I already had to get the final out – and I did with two pitches. Fastball for a called strike and fastball for a ground out. It felt good to get a quick out no matter the situation or who it is against. 

When I arrived at the field this morning I saw my name on the AA sheet for foul balls. I also saw my name as a a backup for the A+ team on the road.  The end result was traveling to Mesa to face the Cubs. 

Starter scheduled for five and second reliever scheduled for four. I know what you’re thinking and I am thinking the same that I only threw two pitches I should be good to go. Throwing a bullpen and then eight hard warm ups can take a toll on the body. I have never thrown back to back bullpen or in back to back games. 

Due to a mixup or some sort the Cubs A+/A teams went on the road and instead we were playing the AA team. It doesn’t matter but I thought it was interesting they could have a mix up like that.  I was hoping the starter would cruise and we wouldn’t need my services but he struggled and we had to roll the first two innings. His pitch count was up after two innings and that’s when you say welp I am throwing today no way around it. 

I was told that our starter had 10 pitches this inning then I’d come in. After I finished the inning he would go back out to continue and make sure he builds up his pitch out. That’s how the backup guys roll in spring training. 

The situation was 1st/ 3rd no outs and we were down 8-0 or something like that. I’ve been trying to judge my performance on how I feel and what I can control. Not worrying about the result of the play or what else happens but really focus on hitting the mitt. Today was one of those days. The combined distance of the hits that I gave up might have reached the fence. A couple high choppers over infielders, a flare that dropped inside the foul line, and a misplayed ball to start my outing. All of this added up to me limping through the inning. However, I was, in my eyes, throwing quality pitches in the strike zone. I had a good strikeout after falling behind 2-0 to a hitter. I spun some curveballs for a strike.

The results weren’t there today even though the pitches were overall where I wanted and good quality. One of the days, and taking the advice to heart of get hit first. That was me today. 

I have never thrown back to back days even if it a short stint like yesterday. It’s good to know my arm is okay after turning up to 100% two days in a row. The pitching coach Manny I looked good and he was pleased I was in the strike zone with a majority of pitches. We both agreed I looked better than when he saw me in second live BP. That’s my focus right now is show the coaches I can improve and that I’m worth an investment. Also, every pitching coach has seen me throw. More eyes the better when my name gets brought up in the meeting room this week.  

I’ve flashed my pitching ability in every outing except a few hitters dealing with control problem. I’ve done what the coaches expect and they know I’m a guy who they can trust on and off the field. If with a week left I throw two-three more times then I’ll continue to give my best effort. If they don’t see it in me then hey that’s a bridge we can cross on Saturday. 

I’ve pitched for every club now, and if that’s good or bad I’m not sure. It’s fun to be the guy who has a new experience everyday and with my career I wouldn’t expect anything else. 

Tomorrow I should be off completely, and a possible appearance Tuesday. If Tuesday isn’t my day we have a camp day on Wednesday and I’ll be lined up for that. 

Just like the result of when the ball leave my hand, when I throw next is beyond my control. 

One week

The final week of spring training is upon us. A lot has happened since my outing, what outing? My memory is somewhat hazy when it comes to bad outings. My next opportunity was an intersquad game on Wednesday. 

We had our first camp day since games began. I was not in the official intersquad of AA/AAA on Wednesday but instead I was in the third game. The third game is how the Rockies are able to get pitchers and hitters work who are not currently playing. Starting pitchers are beginning to throw 5-6 innings per start to build their stamina. If they go that distance then there are less opportunity for relievers to make appearances.

The third game is pitchers against hitters who are playing the second half of the intersquad. I was one of five guys throwing an inning each. I wasn’t sure who I would be facing or what level they were, it was a mix of guys from every team playing in the third game. I met my catcher for the first time on the mound, his only request was I throw all my pitchers now so he has an idea of what I throw. He did a good job for catching me for the first time. 

The outing was good and had no walks. I gave up a weak hit single to my buddy Fuentes, we are NAIA guys so we have to look out for each other. The key there filling up the strike zone and making guys put the ball in play.  The Grand Junction pitching Ryan Kibler was calling balls and strikes from behind the mound. He was also giving me good mental queues for what pitches I was going to throw. It made me feel comfortable on the mound and the results showed that I was much more comfortable. The adjustments from my previous bad outing were made, and showed the coaches, well Kibler for sure, how I respond to a poor performance. 

After seeing multiple big league pitchers come down to our games and get knocked around I know that it happens to everyone. Even the big league guys have an off day once in a while but show they can make adjustments. I saw Arrieta didn’t make it out of the first inning in his latest outing either. Funny story about him, when we played at the Cubs he was the AAA started that day. A foul ball came into our field that Arrieta threw. I am currently in possession of a major league ball that he pitched, and I am currently figuring out a way to extract the power from it. 

 

༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つGIVE ME YOUR ENERGY༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ

 
 With the final week of spring here I plan on throwing three more times if the stars align correctly. This will put me at about 10 innings or so like I was last season to make sure my arm strength is there for the approaching season. 
In other news we had a day off yesterday which raised the morale of camp. Everyone was down and grumpy on Wednesday because the first round of cuts came through. Anytime someone gets released it sucks, we all know that. The coaches don’t like to do it, the guys don’t like their friends are leaving, and it dampens the mood. My release was different because it was over the phone and not in front of the entire organization. There will be another day of cuts at the end of camp, same as last year. 

It is crazy to think there is only a week left for me to make a good impression. I feel like I just arrived in Arizona. The last day of camp is April 2 id I remember right, and we have a game everyday leading up to that. 

A small piece of advice I picked up from Kibler today made a lot of sense. He asked me where I went to school and I gave him the rundown of my five school odyssey. His advice for me going forward as a pitcher is to get hit before you let up a walk. Get hit first and then walks. It makes sense. If I’m living in the zone and giving up hits at least the guy earned it. I think he was also telling me not to be so worried about getting hit, and to trust the stuff I am working with on the mound. 

Tomorrow we head to Seattle on the west side in Peoria. I could be in a stay back third game of course but throwing in the live games is always better. Here’s to finishing the last week strong!

Yikes 3.0

Today was my second outing of the spring and it could not have been more opposite than the first. 

If you watched the first two hitters it was almost identical. A quick pop out followed by a quick strike out. I even got the next hitter into an 0-2 hole with 2 outs. One pitch away and I messed it up.  The call was high fastball and it didn’t get quite high enough and the guy nubbed it into center. Okay one runner with no two outs shouldn’t be much of a problem. 

Then this happens.  

 
Unfortunately for me the outing only got worse after that. It’s bad enough having a bad outing but to have it when competing for a job compounds the results. Three walks later I was out of the game and man it doesn’t feel good coming out in the middle of an inning. Stuff wise everything was good but I couldn’t put it together to get the last out. The pitcher who followed me quickly got ahead 0-2 but ended up letting in all the runs I left out there. All around tough day for pitching on our team. 

Tough day for the AA team against the Angels. Positive notes include my arm isn’t tired or sore at all which means I should be ready to bounce back quickly. With two weeks left to go I should have 4-5 more outings to make up for today. At this point I have to be lights out if I want to make a team going forward. It isn’t good enough to be as good as someone else I have to be above and beyond. 

This outing is still fresh in my mind but tonight I’ll look back and digest where I went wrong. Early thoughts include rushing towards the plate making my arm late. Then I try to speed it up and timing wise everything is wrong. When nobody was on base I was relaxed and the timing was good. Going forward as a reliever you  need to be able to come in a game with guys on base and make quality pitches to get out of the jam. 

Overall tough day but I’m already looking towards the next outing with adjustments being made. If decisions are made on one bad outing then there isn’t anything J can do. Im not one of their guys yet which puts me at slight disadvantage going forward. The good news is the outing is already out there in the history books. Technically not in any stat sheet but will definitely be evaluated by the coaching staff. I’ve seen a lot of big league pitchers have terrible outings this spring, but they have slightly more job security than I do. Perhaps the coaches and management are looking to see how I come back from this. Positive number three is that my performance can only go up from here. 

There are nine more games scheduled for spring. Here is to hoping I get more chances to rebound. 

First Spring Training Outing

The wait and buildup is over. Until my next outing of course. 

Yesterday was my first official outing against another team while representing the Rockies. We played the SF Giants, and I did not recognize any names from the Augusta team last year. The Giants and Rockies have teams in every league against each other at every minor league level. The AA working group knew almost every player and pitcher they threw out there. 

Originally I was scheduled for 1-2 innings or 30 pitches. The 1-2 innings fluctuate depending on how the starter does and if he reaches his pitch count early in the ball game. I was freaking out to say the least early in the ballgame because I have never pitched above A ball and here I am facing AA/A+ hitters. 

The good news and what helped calmed me down was that when I finally entered the game we were up 13-1. Should it matter? Nope, but it made it easier to go out there and fire strikes.  I really think in my situation they are looking a ft pitches and not focusing on the result as much.  In the bullpen my catcher was looking out for me and mentioned that it is easy to get sucked into the game right now. We are winning by a large margin, guys are relaxing and are ready to leave but you have to focus until the final out. Today our pitching coach reiterated the same idea mentioning how focus is paramount in being successful. 

I figured their hitters would be ready to hit and ready to head back to their complex. They were indeed ready to hit as my first pitch resulted in a pop out to left field. The next hitter went down on 4 pitches and the third hitter went down on 2 or 3 I can’t remember. That was that. I’m sure the hitters made plenty of exiled why it went so quickly but all that matters to me is the 0 being thrown up for our team. It means a lot to get the first inning out of the way going forward. My nerves and the build up I was putting on myself was over. The next step is to build on this outing and carry it over into the rest of spring. I am back up for the game tomorrow and throwing again soon. 

In other news, we had our first random drug test of the year today. There is nothing better than using the bathroom when you wake up only to find that you have to do it again on command while someone watches. The group of guys getting tested were in a similar situation, and we were ready to drink as much water as possible to get the test done. After the game, some guys had blood testing done but I missed out on that. When pitchers get the day off from throwing our duties consist of shagging foul balls, doing the scoreboard, and bat boy. We generally hang out around the back of home plate, that’s the best lurking spot.

Anyways, for the most part all of the paperwork required for the spring is complete I haven’t seen many meetings popping up on our schedule. At this point it is all about playing in games and being evaluated by the coaches/management. Two weeks to go until spring is up and guys will be breaking with their clubs. At this rate I will have a handful of outings left over the next two weeks. 

In closing, I was thinking about how in the recent article it made it seem I was a special case for being offered a trial with an affiliated team. I’m just another guy trying to make a team and there are hundreds of other guys in spring training across the league doing the same thing. I’m certainly not the only person in Rockies camp who is on the bubble for making a full season team. 

We are past the halfway point and we are focusing strictly on baseball now. 

Spring 2016 – Working Groups, Scrimmages

Hello and welcome to all those who have been alerted of my story through a recent Purple Row article. Bobby was great to talk with and I will continue to document how spring training is shaping up this year. I look forward to giving a different perspective on how the minor leagues operates. Here we go! 

 

The dawn of a new journey

 
In my last post I talked about how working groups will be posted soon and from there everyone gets a general idea of where they stand.  

I was placed into the Hartford group, or AA working group. Myself along with 17 other pitchers make up the group for AA. When I mentioned to guys I was surprised of my placement the reception was negative. You aren’t supposed to be where you don’t belong was the general sentiment. Makes enough sense. However, I realize that big league camp still has pitchers that will be in AAA/AA and therefore knock people down a level. I’m a realistic guy and knowing that I signed that I could have been placed in a group as a fill in guy until someone comes down from camp. 

The first day of being in the AA workgroup was Sunday and practicing with those guys was fun. Everyone is a little older and has been around, there are good stories to hear. A few of my locker buddies are in the group which gives me someone to talk to consistently. 

I learned quickly that even though I am in the AA group does not mean I throw for them right away. My scrimmage game yesterday was 2 innings of work or 30 pitches. The Asheville team needed a guy to throw against Modesto, and that’s where my first innings as a Rockie would happen. 

It was familiar territory for me looking at the Modesto lineup. Names I have seen all summer long, as well as hitters I had faced in my previous live BP sessions. 

The way the Rockies as well as Atlanta do the scrimmages is even if you get three outs on three pitches the inning isn’t over. You go up to the pitch count but are allowed to end an at bat that’s in progress. My first two hitters went smooth with a ground out and strike out. Fell behind the next hitter leading to a walk, and then threw a couple pitches to the next guy but they called the inning on me. So much for finishing a hitter, but it was the first day the coaches could have forgot. 

My second inning went a lot better. I gave up a lead off single. I picked the right pitch to quicken up and slide step which lead to the running being caught stealing. Battled with the hitter that ended in a swinging strikeout. The next hitter also went down on three pitches for a strikeout and this time the inning continued for my fourth hitter. He lined out to right field and my day was done after two innings. 

I was happy with my first appearance in a game and the coaches gave me good feedback for next outing. The two main points being pitch against a strong front side and get the ball out over the mound rather than drift with it in my hand. My first inning was old Mitchell reverting to what felt comfortable, while my second was improving Mitchell with his correct timing. Becoming less result oriented and more in control of the pitches I make is what the coaches want to see. 

I’m not sure where or who against or what group or anything like that when I will pitch next. It looks like Thursday is a possibility when we start games against other clubs. To me it doesn’t matter, I think the coaches want to see the pitchers make quality pitches and adjustments no matter who they are throwing against.

There are roughly three weeks left in spring training to secure a spot within the organization. If I keep showing the coaches I can make good adjustments on the fly while throwing quality pitches I have a good chance of landing somewhere. 

Spring 2016 – Live BP 2

Last live batting practice of the spring in the books. Next up are scrimmage games and following that games against other teams begin on the 17th. 

The schedule that I originally planned for changed up but after two days of catch play throwing live today was no problem. The pitch count was increased to 30 from 25 and everything else stayed the same. On Tuesday the live pitching group had a long layoff between throwing and pitching. We stretched out, but then sat around for a few hours. The coaches quickly caught on and this time we had to play pepper for 30 mins. Also, we mixed in a bunting station before we threw to make sure that we were continuing to move around. Beats the alternative of sitting on a bench. 

During the live session I faced some of the same hitters but also a few new ones. New as in new this spring but guys I have thrown against during the season. 

When I threw against Asheville in the season I wasn’t as confident as I am now. The hitters aren’t as intimidating in these past two sessions. My stuff is a tad better, and I know it is early for the hitters not having seen much live pitching, but it feels good to face these guys.  Facing down the past failures. 

Anyways, last time on the mound i was overthrowing. Realized that early when I was rushing and cutting the ball off. Last time I tied to pump the velo and leave a lasting impressiong with the coaches. After the last outing where I had shown good velocity I thought today I should relax more and be in better control. 

Today was just that, and I thought I peppered the zone a lot better today. I’ve been talking with the coaches about how to get my front side stronger. Learning this while throwing to live hitters is a good way to get instant feedback.   

Live action – photography by Ron Dierkes

After the session I received good feedback from the coaches as well as my catcher. The same catcher who caught me last time which is nice to have familiarity. When the coach mentions the same miscues that I am feeling it makes me feel good that I understand what I am talking about. If they are seeing it and I am feeling it that means we can work on it together, on the same page. The coaches so far have told me that my pitches look good. They certainly don’t have to say that, I hope they would shoot me straight. It is a fear, but if I continue to throw how I have into these games then they will keep me around. 

One of the best parts of live batting practice days is the fruit break before throwing. The clubhouse staff brings out orange slices and apples. A fresh apple after a morning of activity refreshes the body. Sugar is the likely culprit. 

Pitchers still haven’t been placed into working groups yet but it has to be coming soon. The plan going forward is scrimmage Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. First game against the Giants on the 17th. We are all looking forward for games to start against other clubs. The live sessions bring out competition, and channeling that competition to other ball clubs is always fun. 

I’m looking forward to battling with my new teammates. Crazy to think there are only three weeks left! 

Spring Training 2016 – Day 4

Myself as well as the other pitchers were caught slightly offguard by the appearance of “Live BP” on the practice schedule yesterday. 

The coaches told us that we would have two days of bullpens and two days of live batting practice. What we heard was okay cool we each get two bullpens and two live batting practices before any real games. What the coaches meant was two days of bullpens, half of us threw Sunday and the other half threw Monday. On Tuesday the first live batting practices started and today the second half of the pitchers threw their live session. 

Yesterday was my live batting practice day and it went something like this. 

The schedule had bunt defense. If you were a live batting practice pitcher you do not immediately play catch. The non throwers that day threw right away, then proceeds to do the defense work for the day. The other throwers and myself only had to watch and then wait our turn to throw on the mound. 

 I was fourth or fifth on the schedule for our field and was facing hitters than I faced last year while they were in Asheville. I didn’t think of that at all, even though their was some familiarity there. 

The live batting practice started rough is the only way I can describe it. I was rushing my delivery and not giving my arm enough time to catch up with the rest of my body. When that happens I usually cut my arm short and spike balls to my glove side. After the first four or so pitches I finally thought well they’ve seen me struggle I bet they want to see me make an adjustment. 

After my adjustment I was throwing well and in the strike zone. Not every pitch, but the percentage of strikes and pitches that were being swung at went up. Spun some good offspeed in there and threw some hard fastballs, I think, and called it a day after 25 pitches. If it was an actual Asheville outing I would have taken it over the few from last year. 

After the appearance the coaches had positives to say. They saw that I made a good adjustment and was throwing better quality pitches after that. Only one outing deep but it was a good first impression for the coaches that have not seen me throw, which at this point is every single one of them. 

The practice schedule for spring training has been fun so far, we meet on the field at 9:00 and are done by 1:00-2:00 everyday. When games start the schedule will be pushed back, but for now you have to take advantage of the lighter days. As everyone knows September is a long way away and every player wants to stay healthy throughout the season. 

The schedule the players get to see is only the day of and the next day schedule. I know I do not have a live BP tomorrow but after that who knows. The first game against another squad is the 17th so the other pitchers and I figure two more outings before appearing against another team. 

Keeping my head on a swivel to see what spring has for me next. 

Spring Training 2016 – Day 1

The day has arrived. Well it is already over but it arrived this morning. 

  
The dawn of a new spring training. This past week has been fun, and I am glad that I came down early to get acclimated to how the Rockies run their organization. Guys were slowly trickling in throughout the week, and yesterday was the official day to report. 

Saturday was minor league physical day starting at 6:00 am going throughout the entire day. Position guys in the afternoon and pitchers/catchers in the morning. Good news, I passed all the tests. 

The rest of the Saturday was relaxing, having a catch, and the inaugural minor league team meeting. The Rockies complex has a theater room where the meeting took place and I arrived early enough to get an actual seat. Everyone in the room including coaches had to stand up and introduce themselves to everyone else. I counted three new guys to the organization, not counting guys who were brought into trades from last season. I expected there to be a lot more guys brought in with free agency but my count could be wrong, and I wasn’t sure if the guys were pitchers or not. 

After the quick meet and greet there were some speeches and then a highlight pump up video from last year. The basics of the video were guys hitting home runs and pitchers striking guys out. I dodged the video and was not included in giving up any home runs. 

The main takeaway from the meeting is to bleed purple. 

Moving on to Sunday and the official first day of spring. The way the pitchers are set up right now is being split up into eight groups. The eight groups are then split into fours so half of us on one schedule and one half on the other schedule. For myself and the other members of group 1-4 we were the bullpen group. We had eight stations to get through for the day and because it was bullpen day we were done. 

Stations included activity like throwing program, bullpen, arm care, pfp, signs, pick offs, you know – pitcher stuff. I wasn’t quite sure what groups 5-8 were doing but that is me tomorrow and I will be able to report back on that. 

Bullpen wise it went well. Have some adjustments that need to be made and the coaching staff was receptive when I talked to them. 

Last year guys were split up into their working groups on where they thought the player would be for the season. Right now the position guys are split up that way but the pitchers are in the eight working groups. When that changes, who knows. From what I’ve gathered pitchers are allotted two bullpens and two live batting practices before the games start. Intersquad perhaps but the games against other teams start on the 17th if I recall correctly. 

Following practice there was a quick meeting to talk about Salt River field and the complex. What I did not know is that the fields were paid for and the land was donated by the Pima Indian Nation. Therefore when I am with the Rockies at the facility I am not on United States soil. This will be my first time playing baseball outside the United States. 

That’s where I’m at right now, trying to making it work with a new ball club. First day went smooth and I am looking forward to what the rest of the month has to offer.