Growing Pains

My stay in the USPBL has been going okay.  I never like giving up runs, I never like walking people, and this past week I did a little bit of both.

In my time here my mind has been racing trying to figure out how my body can maximize its potential.  To get my body moving at full speed while under control has always been a goal of mine.  I thought that learning new mechanics, or rather improving on my current ones would lead me to greater success.

My problem throughout baseball has been my consistency.  When I introduce the new mechanical changes I can handle them in practice and feel comfortable at a slower speed without the pressure of a hitter in the box.  Then I go onto the game mound and revert into my older self, start rushing to the plate, and generally get out of sync.  I never felt his way when I was in the GCL and was heaving the ball towards the plate.  I’m not sure when this destructive habit started but so far it creeps up and the game speeds up on me.

When I go to early work I have the right mechanics.  My legs are doing what they should, my upper body is lagging and springing forward for the extra velo.  I am doing some drills from the windup to get the momentum feeling of driving down the mound. That is where the uncontrollable becomes the controllable in the stretch.  The velo is what gets you noticed, now the command is what is going to distance you from the rest of the guys.  The consistency of being in the zone sounds so simple, then when the lights come on, I can start progressing. The ball has downhill angle and the pop out of my hand.  The frustrating part is not being able to do that into the game.  The best way the pitching coach described it as I need to make myself uncomfortable with these mechanics and push the limit.  Then when I do that I can dial it back down to get the right feel of the mechanics.  I think tomorrow I am going to get some video doing dry work off the mound when the correct mechanics happen, then I can look at it until it clicks and tricks my brain to do that every time.

The new adjustments have me excited for the off-season to reprogram myself all off-season long, but it is tough to make the adjustments when you want the results to be positive to help the team win. It would be similar to making a large swing adjustment during the season, and expecting to hit the ball hard right away.  The instant result is what I want, when I should know that this all takes a lot of time to happen.

I didn’t hear one ounce of hesitation from the staff here about working with me.  That makes me feel good.  Sure they might be thinking welp this kid is no good, but as long as they still give me the same focus and attention as everyone else then its all good.  I’m asking for people to help me get better and that is what they are doing. With two weeks to leave a good taste in my mouth that is what I plan to do.  Buy in 100% on the stuff they want to see, if it brings me more velocity great, then I know how to access my velocity. After that it is refining, refining, refining.  Doing the motions without the pressure of the hitter is going to be critical for me to reprogram my body.

The reprogramming of my physical pitching motion will be a lot easier than my mental reconditioning.  The patterns of thought I have after a bad outing are not constructive, like I’ve mentioned before the bad outings outweigh my positive outings tenfold in terms of impact on me.  I was reading the other day and one of the components it mentioned was being able to forgive yourself.  I haven’t done much forgiving of myself over my career, and I thought about how if I would have taken a step back and been able to say okay well its not world ending, relax, forgive yourself, and be ready next time I would be in a better place right now. Being labeled as someone who has the physical tools but not the mental tools does not sit well with me.  I’m becoming that pitcher that I never thought I would, that guy who is on the cusp, but never put it all together to make something of himself.

Newest Superhero, Momentum Man

When I think about life after baseball I’m not sure I am ready for that yet.  I have a few good years left in my system. The physical tools are all present. I’m going to challenge myself these last two weeks to be my best self on the mound, regardless of the results, just learning my body, learning the sequences of my body, and giving it a go for the last 5-6 innings I have.

How I’ll look when I figure out pitching, also left handed now

 

 

There are 20 days left in the season. 

One of the selling points for the league before I came up here is that the two pitching gurus as I call them would be able to help me understand my body. Understanding my body, understanding the delivery, and understanding the “why” of pitching mechanics. 

I went to an early work practice Monday after my week of up and down pitching. I wanted to learn about what was causing me to have disconnects, or maybe throw a ball where it shouldn’t being able to tell why is always good. From what I have gathered from the pitching guys here so far is that I have more in my tank. They are surprised what I have been able to accomplish with just my arm basically. The goal is to use my legs more and with that I will have better command of every pitch. 

From what they were telling me about my delivery on video is that I have some start and stop to my game. Also I have a lot more left as far as driving down the mound toward the plate. 

I’m not quite on the “low velocity” angle of my ankle but I’m not on the high velocity side of my ankle driving towards the plate. 

I’m inbetween, I think

Exhibit A up there shows me that I have good drive but not quite as much as I could if I was maximizing my delivery. This of course makes my eyes light up because if I am already a low to mid 90s guy with average leg push then I can become a mid to high 90s guy with better drive. That’s my story at least and I’m sticking with it. two of my outings this week were good solid drive days for my legs. My last outing of the week was the old Mitchell who reverted to rushing his pitching. If only someone would have told me that during my outing rather than outing until I was done. The other team ended up not scoring but I don’t like laboring through innings up here when I am expected to be one of the guys who are reliable. 

A second thing that was mentioned to me was how I need to finish a tad lower. I should be working on getting into a RDL finish rather than throwing the ball higher in the sky. If I get the lower angle on my pitch then it is harder to pick up as well as making my offspeed pitches more deceptive. Speaking of offspeed pitches I threw some for a strike this week which always helps. The player procurement guy here told me he’s proud of the adjustments I’ve been making. He said he can already see the work I’m putting into my delivery and it shows. With that in mind when he talks to scouts he can tell them what I have been working in and how I project to be better than what they are seeing now. Having that extra voice advocating for you and someone to plant the seed that I project into a better pitcher will, hopefully, intrigue a team for a spring training invite. 

The fact that I only pitch against two other teams and I thought it wouldn’t be fun has faded. Hitters hit and pitchers pitch. If I faced the same three guys every night the odds would still be in my favor due to hitting being hard. I’m here to work on my leg drive and make good pitches. The small amount of games limits my innings but since I have been told to be ready for every game it evens out. The fear of pitching back to back days is gone, especially with our number of offdays to recover. I pitched well with a Reds scout here and he didn’t get to see my Sunday outing. He saw the good Mitchell. I’m optimistic more scouts will come see me throw or that the staff here can make calls on my behalf. I’ll have about 10-12 more appearances in the season. 

The playoffs here last for two days. September 10 is the first round between the second and third place teams. Then September 11 is the final one game winner takes all. Either way we will be in the playoffs but it will be either one game or two. Team wise everyone here gets a long with each other. We had a few more releases which always sucks and a few new guys show up for the playoff push. As always trying to welcome them and show them the ropes is part of my gig. After 40 games we are 20-20, sitting in second place. 

Mean muggin, looking vascular, all in a day’s work. 

Unicorns, Beavers, and Frogs

In one week there have been changes.

If you have been following along you’ll know that I had .2 bad innings in Joliet. I thought I was pitching well enough that in the long run the numbers would smooth out if given the rest of the season. Unfortunately in the Frontier League the results are magnified in a small time period and the staff are always looking to improve. Wins are more important that anything and we, as in they, decided that my services were no longer needed after one month.

I’m glad I had the experience in Joliet because it showed me that I can throw consist strikes. I have a good fastball, I have a good offspeed pitch, I just had a few bad outings that cost me the job. It’s age old industry question of well if he is such a good pitcher then why doesn’t he pitch well? I tell myself I am good pitcher everyday and before I go in the games, then the numbers tell you a second story. That’s where I get frustrated. 

Onto the next one.

After being released for the second time in many months I wasn’t sure where to go or what to do. There is only a month left in the minor league season which means guys aren’t looking for reinforcements. If a signing happens it would be for next year getting a look in spring training. The last day for signing a player in the Frontier League is in a few days which limits my chance of being picked up, especially with my numbers.

In a positive twist of fate I reached out to a newly formed USPBL. The United Shore Professional Baseball League. It is a newly formed league in Utica, MI with three teams that play each other in a rotation throughout the week. I was skeptical at first of the league because it is brand new, and is generally made of up guys who just graduated college looking for a chance to play affiliated. We are in the same boat in that regard. Then I remembered if I was a fresh college hitter in 2014 and this league was around I would have jumped on the opportunity because I felt like I was passed over.

The league is made up of the three teams that play each other continuously throughout the summer.  In my two days here I have already thrown against both teams, so they will know what my strengths are and what my weaknesses are.  That is good and bad, if I have success I can build on that, if I do poorly like last night, then they will know that.  The league is mainly colleges guys playing their first year of pro ball while there are a few guys like me with affiliated time mixed in.  When people know you have played pro ball before they want to pick your brain about the experience.  That is nice and all, but they still think the MiLB is this cool place to be, when in reality they have been playing their whole lives, it is the same baseball they are used to.

The pitchers here are a case study for a pitching program. One of the selling points is increasing your velocity, staying healthy, and becoming a complete pitcher.  It is interesting to see the development of the guys who have been here all summer long and talk with them.  Their deliveries are a little funky but they get the job done and have all told me that they are making improvements with their pitchability.

Coming into the league with a year of pro ball under my belt I am looking forward to seeing how this league compares to the few other leagues that I have played in.  I haven’t had success on the mound in my two appearances here, but there is still a month to go in the season so I should be able to get a decent sample size of innings.  I was talking a big game to myself only have two walks my month in Joliet and know I have reverted and gone three walks in my two appearances.  That is objective one, throw strikes.  At 25 and having failed all season it will be hard to get any looks being 25 in this league throwing balls. Even with the failures of 2016 I feel like I am improving with my pitching.  The ball is still coming out of my hand good, or so it feels, I’m not sure on the velocity night in and night out but as long as the hitter makes it look fast then I’m okay with it.

It is frustrating coming into a new league and not being able to perform for the team right away.  The feeling I get when I let the team down or do bad personally is 100x worse than the feeling I get when I come into the game and do well.  Those are the days I question why I even play if I only make the team worse when I pitch.  The failures build up and it saps your confidence, well for me it does I’m not sure what the other guys in this league feel like. Maybe they are relaxed? Not having to worry about getting back to affiliated but just trying to get there in the first place.  It is an unbecoming way to think about things, and I need to be in the present to get people out. Stop worrying about yesterday and the pitches that should have gone my way.

Homeplate

 Bullpen View

Bullpen view

Hoppers

The pictures above are one of our hats, some bullpen views, and the view from behind the plate.  The stadium is really nice fora brand new league, I’m not sure how they were able to pull it off when they made their sales pitch. From what I have heard because the success of this first year they are already talking about expansion for new teams and new ballparks.  The gear as far as jerseys and hats is all legit, the locker rooms are nice, have a TV and everything that works.  It can get a little crowded with the group of guys and a few double up lockers but overall I can’t complain.  From the places I have been and the locker rooms I have seen this league is on par with all of them.

From what I was told coming into the league these pitching guys are pretty smart.  If they can help and I can pick up just one or two things about how to repeat my delivery then I will be happy.  I know I am on the cusp of being a pitcher who understands his body and why the way the ball moves is happening. If I can figure out some tips in the off season then I will have a decision to make to keep playing, unless that decision is made for me. What else can I do besides try to improve each day, be present in my mind.  I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about what ifs, and about uncontrollable.  It isn’t a healthy way to go through my daily baseball routine.

The season here ends Sept 11, which leaves me one month to figure some stuff out, throw some strikes, and go from there. If I struggled this last month then it will be capstone of the year 2016 where not a whole lot happened positive on the field, even though I felt like I improved. Funny. 

First order of business is the game tonight, maybe I will throw three days in a row, whatever the team needs.

The Perfect Week

August is coming…

It was a good week to be a Slammers fan from a team standpoint.  From an individual standpoint, it was the worst week for me pitching in a while.  Funny how that works out.

The team concluded this week of play with a perfect 6-0 record as team.  We swept Evansville and then followed that up with three one run games against River City.  Every game came down to the last out, including one walk off win.

I pitched three times this week, recording 1.2 innings, when realistically it should have been 4.0.  That is where my struggles started.  My first appearance was in our 10 am game against Evansville coming in a 6-2 game, I held them there for my first inning of work and was pitching the ball well.  My second inning I did not even record an out and let up a three run homer.  It wasn’t a terrible pitch, but I had my first walk of the year two hitters earlier and the guy was sitting dead red on the fastball. This league is built to hit the fastball I have been finding out as I watch each teams approach.  My new strategy is going to be flipping in some off speed early to get them off my fastball, and make it appear even quicker going forward.

My second outing was my first save situation in a 1-0 game against River City.  I quickly got ahead of the hitter 0-2, made a bad pitch that he singled.  The next hitter followed up with a broken bat single, and then I had what I am calling a “tactical walk” to load the bases.  Basically I fell behind the hitter and rather than giving him a cookie to hit I decided to take my chances with the next hitter.  Except I was taken out at that point and did not face the next hitter.  My man Choban got us out of the jam with only one run surrendered and basically saved my ERA for the season.

As a reliever if you have a bad week like I did, surrendering four runs, it will show on your stat line for the rest of the season.  To erase such a large number you have to go out and not give up any runs for a month.  The good news is that I came in the game yesterday in a tough spot and did my best, and won.  I came into a similar situation as Choban, bases loaded, one out, but we were up 6-3.  The first hitter popped up and we didn’t attempt a throw home, 6-4.  There was a pass ball, wild pitch, whatever you want to call it that allowed another run in to make it 6-5 with two outs.  At this point I was up 1-2 on the hitter so I knew that I could take him.  Especially because he was the same guy who singled off me 0-2 a game or so earlier, meaning I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

The first time he got me because I threw a bad curveball and this time I went with mainly fastball, seeing if he could catch up to what was probably a low 90s fastball. He immediately went into defense mode at the plate just flicking his wrists at the low fastballs to stay alive.  I made a good pitch with my fastball up in the zone.  He swung through the pitch and the game was over.

I’ve tried to be as honest with my readers as possible and the truth is this was a tough week for me.  When I give up runs in the fashion I did, and let the team down. that kills me.  It puts me in a terrible mood for the rest of the day, which isn’t healthy, and then I think about it going forward. I know the guys are out there battling all day long and for me to come in at the end and ruin it does not sit well with me at all.  I would rather go 0-5 at the plate everyday than give up a run late that costs the team the game.  At the end of the game, every pitch is intensified, every hitter is locked in at the plate, and the margin of error for each pitch is very small.

One reason I get upset is because when I started the season I never thought that I would be in Joliet when August 1 rolled around.  I have a tendency to get excited over small things that turn out to be nothing, and with baseball especially.  When I first started pitching with the Braves I thought I’d be in AA making pitches sitting 95 and having a good ole time.  Instead, here I am grinding my way with a group of guys who are all trying to get back to where they once were.  It is the common bond that we all have in the back of our minds while playing in the Indy leagues.  The focus for me going forward is making each pitch count, and helping this team win their first championship since 2011.  When I started the year I said that no matter where I pitched I needed innings and needed to improve.  Well here we are doing just that.  We are in a good spot a few games up in our division with a month to play. First order of business, take care of the Cornbelters on the mound.

On a side note former MLB player Scott Spiezio was in attendance for our Saturday game.  He is a two time world series champion once with the Angels and once with the Cardinals.  It was really weird because he was drinking in our bullpen and generally acting like a bum.  After doing some Googling it appears that he has had problems in the past, which at the time none of us knew about, and hopefully he is staying out of trouble.  To see a 12 year big league player hanging in our bullpen, even if he is drunk, sums up the independent ball lifestyle. We are a welcoming bullpen

If we are going to make a playoff run then it will be all hands on deck going forward.  In the bullpen you have to be ready to pitch every night, and with the league I am in, now more than ever.  They say that in affiliated ball but they really mean it in this league. I’ve  learned a lot about myself so far in the league because I have been on my own, doing my own program, finding what routine works for me, and learning each day. 

August will be a telling month, and I’m looking forward to pitching to what I hope will be a shutdown month of relief pitching.