The Final Week

And so it begins. 

The final full week of extended has arrived. This is my last chance to make a good impression and prove my worth to the organization. It hasn’t been going great so far in my tenure with Colorado but each outing is another chance to turn things around. 

In my recent outings it seems the only problem is the first hitter or the second hitter. The problem with that is pitching with runners on always increases the chance of them scoring. If it’s a leadoff double or a walk or a combination of both the chances the other team scores is good. 

In my two outings this week I had two situations like that with the first two runners on base. After the first two hitters I’m not sure why but I can start pitching like I want to. Few strikeouts and weak contact follows. That is my goal for the next outing, get the leadoff hitter out and the rest of the outing should take care of itself. 

When you look around the club house it is no secret that we have a good number of players still in camp. With the draft coming up next week and then short seasons coming up there will be changes made with rosters. As a senior member of the group and a new fellow to the group, it has crossed my mind that I could draw a short straw. That’s how it goes sometimes. 

A highlight of the week was our mental skills coach Doug coming into town for a few days. Reminding us that we shouldn’t be hard on ourselves because there are plenty of other people that will let us know if we are struggling. Also, that since we all have mannerisms in the game we might as well put them to use and give them power. If you are a guy who uses rosin a lot then make the rosin bag something that helps you clear each pitch before the next. 

He gave us this paper to help remind us. The ritual versus the routine is something that guys do without knowing whether it is routine or its ritual. After having a group discussion Doug would rather we have a routine that empowers us to have success rather than a ritual that might be a pair of lucky socks. It makes sense to me, and my pre pitch routine could use improvement. The funnel is the visual we use for that. 

Funnel the thoughts and actions into making the pitch. After the pitch release the rest of the energy to the other side. Then start again. 

Besides the mental meetings and a few appearances we as an extended team have been working on our Spanish. We had to film a short video in the hotel room explaining its features in Spanish for the rest of the organization and potentially the rest of the organization for years to come. Maybe that’s my way into Rockies lore is my three lines of Spanish in a one minute video. 

I pitched on Saturday so I won’t pitch today. I am hoping for another Tuesday – Saturday set up or even Tuesday – Friday – Monday. As many appearances as I can before I learn my destination. 

The final countdown…

Another Week, Same Extended

Extended has rambled on almost into June. 

The schedule for each day of extended is roughly the same, and it is easy to lose track of what is going on. With each day here I am farther from a full season and closer to a short season assignment. 

Would short season be the worst thing for me at this point? I do not think so because getting back on the field is always fun. I can tell that the mood of extended effects people differently and I am not immune. 

I mentioned how I’ve been nimbly navigating, and I still think that. As one of the senior members of the group I have done my best to be a good example for the younger players. 

Showing up on time, doing my workouts everyday, and generally not acting like a goon in the locker room portrays a good example to the young pups. If I am still here when the new draft class arrives and have a chance to interact with them, I’ll do the same. Last year I welcomed those guys to professional baseball. Whatever I can do to help the transition I will do. 

In baseball efforts this week I only had one appearance and it was alright. Besides two hitters I thought I filled up the strike zone well and had good action on my pitches. I know that I am not pitching tomorrow but chances for Tuesday look good which means I might get more than one outing this week. 

Another note I was reunited with my friend Alex from Lindsey Wilson College. Alex was a junior my senior year and then took over the mantle as one of the leaders when I graduated. With his efforts the team was able to make it to the World Series and he earned himself a draft pick with the Cubs. I’m not sure if he was the first player ever from LWC drafted but I know he was one of the first in a long time. Also, I saw my friend Teddy who caught my bullpen in West Virginia. What a small baseball world that we all live in. I’m glad that both of them are still playing and hanging out in extended just like me. 

At this point it is almost June and who knows what the Rockies have planned for me. We have been reminded on more than one occasion that we are all competing against each other. That we all need to prove our worth everyday. That we all have no gurantee going forward. 

With that cloud hanging over our heads it can be easy to be distracted but really all we can do is our best. If the cards don’t fall our way going forward then at least we know we went out guns blazing. My bullpen on Saturday went okay, and I know I’m not in the game tomorrow so Tuesday might be my next chance for action. I don’t like pitching once a week but it’s how it has been going. 

There are roughly three weeks left of extended and I am doing everything I can to improve my game. The coaches have been understanding with me and trying to make some physical changes but eventually I have to do better. That’s the bottom line. The coaches don’t throw the pitches for you. 

I have an outside chance of moving out of here before the extended program is up, but we will have to wait and see. 

Double Camp Day Week

This week was a little different with two camp days in the mix. 

Rather than our usual Thursday camp day we had another on Saturday. One less game means less opportunity to pitch during the week. 

It was weird how it worked out this week I think each pitcher only made one appearance on the mound for an entire week of games. With the short seasons getting closer the starting pitchers will be throwing more pitches in preparation for the season. Longer starting pitching means less chance for the bullpen. We are almost functioning like a full season club at this point. Going into this week hopefully I get back on schedule by throwing three times. That would be ideal for myself and getting the innings I need for growth. 

We had the pitcher of the year for the Rockies throw three innings coming off of rehab the other day. He was in AA before this, and based on his outing the other day he will be back to AA soon. It was fun to watch his approach to the hitters who looked very overmatched from the first pitch. He also commanded the zone well and limited his pitch count by being in the strike zone at a high percentage. 

There hasn’t been much changing around the complex with extended plodding along. I missed my one year anniversary of being called up last year. The day was May 14 if I recall correctly so I have broken my own record of when I moved on from extended. I threw a good bullpen yesterday which has me excited for my appearances this week. If I can do what I do in the bullpen in the game then I should have steady success going forward. 

In the bullpen I told myself well I should throw as hard as I can with intent to see what happens. I was throwing the ball well and missing down in the zone. My slider was sharp when I thought about throwing it hard and trying to throw it as late as possible. Rather be 95 and spotty than 90 and spotty. That is a big frustration for me, know if that I have good pitches and the abilities to get the job done, but they aren’t always there. One of the coaches suggested slowing my mind down to about 80% when I’m out pitching. If my mind is slower then my body will be able to do what it needs to do without thinking. 

On another note I saw that Jose Reyes is suspended until May 31 for the Rockies. Guys that are rehabbing and suspended are usually on site with the extended teams but I haven’t seen him around. As May 31 approaches it would be sweet if he played in some of our games to get ready for the season. He would be the second pro that I’ve played with this year as Murphy the catcher has played in the big leagues also. 

I’ve moved into the team hotel from my outside location and the transition went well this week. It’s a nice place to rest my head, and I get cardio in walking to the shops nearby.  I have to get up earlier to catch the shuttles to the field but that’s no problem. It’s nice seeing the guys at dinner and being able to banter about random stuff rather than being isolated. I do enjoy the time to myself, but since I have been here this is a good change of pace before the short seasons start. 
If anything crazy happens this week I will definitely let everyone know. It seems like every week is the same here, which can be good and bad. This is my profession and we all know that baseball is a game of reps. Extended is the ultimate place for reps. 

I have been able to navigate through extended okay to this point, keeping my wits about me. The only thing lacking is my ability catching up to me and where I know I can be. I can always do better, mentally and physically. 

Here is to surpassing my record from last year, and making this year an improvement from 2015. 

Another Week Down

I did two things this week that I haven’t done in a long time. 

At the start of the week during throwing program our pitching coach said that I might start the game. I thought he was joking. Surely I would not start the game because I usually only go two innings. 

Well wouldn’t you know it I ended up starting a game for the first time since high school. It went well, limited the damage and only gave up one run in my two innings. Which for how I have been pitching is a good job. I didn’t have a traditional starters warmup and I tried to make it as similar to relief pitching as possible. I went straight from warmups into the game with no downtime. 

One of the best parts of starting the game was having the mound completely fresh. Usually in the 7th-8th there have been a few pitchers that tear it up. I was the guy tearing it up for the first time. I made it so everyone else had to pitch around my hole in the mound. Take that relievers! 

I threw three times this week with mixed results. My best outing came on Saturday against the Brewers. I was ahead of hitters and filling the zone with strikes. The good news is that the head of player development is in town. If he sees me pitching well that is always a good sign. Being fresh in his mind when a spot opens somewhere can’t be a bad thing. 

The second thing I did was go to the batting cages. I found a place with the Iron Mike machines that throw the yellow rubber baseballs. The only bat I could find that wasn’t a softball model was a 30 inch bat that felt like a toothpick. 

As you can see, I still got it. The cages were great. It was $12 for a half an hour of time and each round was 20 pitches. I probably hit a few hundred balls to get the blood flowing. Then a kid and his dad were watching so I let them use my time also. It actually gave me a break because we were switching off and I could give my hands some rest. They aren’t used to wielding a bat like they used to on a daily basis. He was just starting his baseball journey getting ready for a new summer ball season. 

This upcoming week I will hit May 14th which is when I left extended last year for Rome. Chances I move this week are doubtful but if my part takes me to rookie ball then so be it. I can be a leader of men to the new draftees as they experience pro ball while dominating the other teams. Wherever the Rockies give me a chance I will my best to compete until they take my jersey away. 

 After a strong outing on Saturday I am looking to build on it going forward. I’m not saying I have it figured out, but I won’t say it didn’t feel good to pepper the zone. I might be onto something which will allow me to have a consistent delivery to put the pitch where I want. 

The month of May is upon us. Let us take advantage of the opportunities it provides. 

Extended Week 3

Week three has come and gone. The process of discovering what kind of pitcher I am and what kind I will be continues. 

My only game action came on Friday when I pitched against the A’s. It was my first time facing Oakland which down here is exciting because we play the same few teams every week. 

Before we get to that I threw a bullpen on Tuesday. Rather than taking my turn in a game I was pushed back to Friday with the bullpen in between. Relievers usually don’t throw bullpens because we are throwing every other day or so.  I didn’t mind the bullpen, and I threw it in front of one of our pitching coordinators. He walked me through and it approved of the bullpen when I was done. 

I keep showing glimpses of success to the pitches coaches but I haven’t been able to put it all into effect on the mound yet. One solid outing is all I am looking for, and then another, and another. Being able to build on the positives  from each outing and going forward. Sometimes it feels like I will take a good step forward and then a step back. As we know in any profession or sport this can be frustrating. The good news about extended is we only have so many guys so everyone throws regularly. The frequency of my outings will change when I get to a full season club. The more innings for me the better. 

Off the field the paint ball adventure was on Thursday. There was a prize for best costume that I didn’t see who won. There were some funny costumes though. A couple of guys were dressed as jungle cats, Motte was a ghost buster, and one kid wore just a jock strap. That was quite the sight when I walked in, but thankfully he eventually put shorts on. 

The guys down here are a close group which is what the coaches want. They sell the Rockies family, one that I am happy to be a part of. It is a new month which means new opportunities for me. If they didn’t see something in me then I wouldn’t be here, but not being able to produce for them is frustrating. With management in town for a few more days I hope I pitch for them. Does it change who I am on the mound? No but it helps to do well in front of them. 

My choice now is to keep showing up everyday with the goal of improving. Coaches like that stuff. Trust the process. That’s what I’ve been told. I am looking forward to seeing how May plays out.