I’ve Got Double Vision

The tale of two Vermonts.

After the All-Star break it was time for a six game road trip. We started the trip by heading up to Vermont who is the first place team in our division. At the time of the All-Star break we were only two games behind Vermont for first place, and our division is the closest as far as wins and losses go.

Unfortunately we were swept in Vermont to start the second half which knocked us down a few pegs into last place. I pitched on the second game of the series against these Lake Monsters. I was not here to begin the season against Vermont and wasn’t sure exactly what to expect out of their hitters. Also, their bullpen is different than normal as we sit right next to them and when we go on the field we enter through the same right field gate. We aren’t quite close enough to hear them talking but we are close enough that if you talk loud enough they will hear you.

The actual field was nice. The locker room was not. It was about the size of the bus we rode in on except divided into halfs which meant you were rubbing elbows with the guy next to you when changing before the game. The locker room is behind the left field wall in a quasi football stadium. It was one of the worst locker rooms I have been in this year but we made it work.

My outing was alright statistics speaking but it didn’t feel good. There was a lot of weak contact that resulted in base hits. Which in the stat book go down as hits because it doesn’t say how just how many. At the end of the season nobody cares about how the hits happened just that they happened. The coaches can say they see that when you pitch and maybe it was just unlucky but the results stare you back in the face. The end result was coming out of a 2-1 game with a lead and leaving a runner on second with one out. My fellow mate got me of the jam but ended up losing it in the 9th… and so it goes.

Following the 7pm get away game in Vermont it was time to head down to Staten Island. The trip was about seven hours and we arrived at 6:30 am the next morning. It was a long trip for me because I did not pitch at all. We went from a lot of relievers here to no relievers here but still space out the outings. Instead of pitching every 2-3 days it is more like every 4-5.

We dropped the series 2-1 and heading on our merry way back home to play Vermont again. A positive from the trip was that a guy I played with in independent baseball was playing for the Staten Island Yankees. He was a fellow who did not pitch particularly well for Joliet and then was able to work his way into affiliated baseball after having injury trouble. He pitched the last two innings against us in the last game and got the save against my Spinners.

From there we heading backup to Lowell for another three game series against Vermont. At this point we were five games behind them and if we want to make a playoff push we need to take some Ws against them. I pitched the first game against them and did bad. I’ve been on quite a stretch of appearances giving up runs. These runs hurt me more than my high A runs because I should be able to get these guys out. It is not a good feeling giving up a run against anyone, especially when I have no clue what I am doing on the mound and no idea where the ball is going. The changes I’ve been making with the coach here has brought me more consistent action in the zone. However it can spiral out sometimes where I will revert to walk guys Mitchell. The consistent Mitchell isn’t throwing as hard which is leading to more hits and harder contact.

I need to find that middle ground of being under control but also throwing hard. I’m only here because I throw hard. I’ve already got the most walks and hits in the Red Sox system and if I’m going to do that might as well be doing it while throwing hard. They don’t pay me to throw slow.

With the conclusion of the season coming up in about two weeks I was informed that the Red Sox can either pay for my driving money and strand me in Lowell. The alternative is paying for my flight to Salem and then paying my own way home from there. I chose option B which puts me in Salem with my stuff, and then I can work my own way back from there. The team is not responsible that my stuff is in one place and that I am in another place. That is my responsibility for squandering an opportunity with a team where my stuff actually is.

At this point in the year I have around 3-5 outings left depending on how they go. I am a 26 year old guy hanging out in rookie ball giving up home runs to guys born in 1997. If this is my last go around with baseball then it will be a tough way to go out. It is better than the alternative of them cutting me loose during a season. That’s always embarrassing. The people who gave me a chance have been let down with my performance this season and overall it has been a let down for me too.

I picked a bad year to have my worst season ever mentally and physically. From a guy who couldn’t play catch in February to a guy who has struggled this season might seem like an upgrade. Whenever I feel like I take one step forward I am humbled and knocked back more steps. The cycle has been going on since day one of the season opening day in Salem. I think before the season is up I’ll talk with my pitching coach about the process going forward and see what insight he has. He has been around the block before and knows how baseball can be. The other chance I have is that the Red Sox have certainly stuck with people that may have been struggling worse than me and turned them back towards the light. If they think I am worthy then I’ll be able to focus up an potentially get the chance to keep playing.

The good news in all this is that over the next 3-5 outings I can find a way to throw up some 0s and maybe have fun here at the end. Go out on a high note.

All Star Break 2.0

The short season All Star break has arrived in Lowell. The festivities for this league are held in Tri-City, the Astros affiliate that I just pitched against. The Spinners have three representatives attending and they will not get to enjoy the two off days. The last two of the year before we play 25 in a row to finish out the season.

After the Hudson Valley and after we returned from Brooklyn we hosted Tri-City and Auburn. The Astros and the Nationals. These are both teams in the Carolina league, and I have pitched against both of their older guys before being here. In another outing where I was extended out to three innings I had similar results as my innings against Hudson Valley. First two innings were solid, then my third inning giving up a few runs. It can make a good outing feel like crap just like that.

The strangest part of the Tri-City series was that their lineup card was turned in incorrectly. It was more than guys hitting out of order I think when it was all said and done they had to move around three guys and some came off the bench to take places of guys who weren’t supposed to be playing. It also didn’t help we might have had the worse umpires in the league at the time and they weren’t sure what to do exactly. When I say they were bad it is not an exaggeration, that is being kind. Our manager was ejected early on, our pitching coach was ejected halfway through, and their head coach was ejected also. Three ejections in one night is a good feat for any umpire. A funny moment in all of that was because we had no other coaches when it was time for a mound visit the hitting coach came out to talk with me. He mentioned how this was a first and hopefully last for him. I’m glad he could share that with me.

The home plate umpires strike zone was the size of a baseball which gave pitchers on both sides trouble. What could have been an outstanding out for me was brought down to Earth by throwing the ball down the middle. I think because the umpires are so new and young in the league they try to be too perfect.

A good conversation I had was with one of the sabermetric guys about pitching. He said he struggled in his career the same way that I do when you can throw 2-3 good innings but if you end up giving up a run or two then you think the outing was bad. He said that although the numbers might look and tell a different story, the way he evaluates an outing is based on quality pitching. If you made a large number of quality pitches and they happen to hit them then oh well. If you are a pitcher who makes quality pitches more than you don’t then over a season they can trust you and know you’ll make a quality pitch. If you are continually making quality pitches then over a season the ball is going to fall in your favor. The numbers say they can’t hit a quality pitch every single time.

Which to that I contest because for someone that guys say has good pitches I sure get hit hard a lot. Having it happen down here only makes it worse.

After the Valley Cats took off we played the Doubledays. They are the affiliate of the Nationals a team that I thought was going to bring me in for spring training. What was fun about this series is their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounders all threw against us. All three of them left with a loss. When I was watching them pitch I didn’t see anything that made me go wow. It gives me confidence knowing that is the talent level that I am competing with and I can pitch just as well and better than guys who are being paid the big bucks. From what I heard their first rounder was kicked out of school and still went in the first round which means his talent outweighs whatever else he has going on in his life. The team also had two guys on rehab that were from higher levels in their batting order. I’m not the only one sent away for rehab assignment. Their numbers didn’t jump off the page, but based on where they are coming from they get the free pass to swing away. They will probably be right back to their normal clubs, while my calf “strain” got me sent down to Lowell for the summer. I got sent here on my ability and I can get out of here on my ability.

After the series it was officially time for two days off. Over the next two days we move out from the dorm life and move into the hotel life for the last couple weeks of the season. I’m no stranger to the hotel life as I spent a whole summer living that way during the GCL in 2014. The first six games of the second half are on the road staring in Vermont and then making the overnight trip to Staten Island. After that I think we play the same two teams except at the best short season minor league ballpark in America.

Realistically I have a handful of appearances left in the season. My arm feels okay for the amount I’ve thrown this year as well as the amount of early work I put into the offseason. I have the handful of appearances left to show then Red Sox that I have the potential to pitch in the majors one day. When that potential fades in their estimation then I am done. As long as I still have that I am good to go here and will show the organization that I am worth the investment. The second half of being the best Lowell Spinner I can be starts on Wednesday.

Renegades and Cyclones

The return trip was short from Connecticut. We came back to Lowell feeling good, and lucky for us it rained the first day back which pushed everything back. I thought I was going to pitch in Connecticut but I did not, and thought I would be one of the first ones up to pitch when we returned home.

The rain pushed everything back a day and then we had a double header the next day. Double headers are always weird for relievers because if all goes well might only use one per game, or when pitchers throw the whole game we can get a day off. Especially with this team having extra arms and starters having other piggy backers to start with them. I did not throw during the double header which bummed me out, and that meant I'd for sure be the first one up the next day.

As luck would have it I was the first one up but it was only the fourth inning and we were down 7-5 at that point. I came in the game man on second and two outs. I struck out the first guy I faced and then I went out for three more innings. I want to say it was a good outing because; I didn't walk anyone, walking people didn't cross my mind, and I threw 3.1 innings. 2.1 were very good but then in my third inning of work I was tagged for 3 earned runs. It sucks how you can do well for 13 hitters but 2 hitters come back to hurt you. The inning wasn't terrible, I thought there were some plays behind me that didn't go my but I didn't execute a good pitch and they hit it.

I have been trying some different things with the pitching coach here and they seem to be paying off. I don't know if I was my normal 95+ on the mound but it felt good coming out of my hand. I got slider happy at one point because they were missing it, but the one time I needed a swing and miss the guy was ready for it. I mentioned to my coach how most of my runs this season have been in my 3rd inning of work where teams have had a look at me and know my arsenal. He shot that idea down real quick. Like I have mentioned before I think 5-6 appearances of 5-6 innings at the end of a 3 inning stint have cost me about 60-70% of my runs this year.

On another note the assistant player of development was in town. After trading away three pitchers in Salem and losing another to injury, it certainly doesn't make me feel good when I was passed over to return to Salem. If they have that many spots and can't find one for me then it gives me doubts to my future. Although the guys they brought up from Greenville have been patiently waiting and pitching well. I believe in my heart I can still help the Salem team make a playoff push.

When I talked with the player development and my pitching coach he told me that my rehab is officially over. The way I was told was kind of weird, and he basically said here is what we are going to do if that's alright with me. If it's alright with me is what throws me off because I did not know I had a say. I also don't know what the alternative is to his offer and I didn't want to suggest one.

With that being said I am now officially transferred on the Lowell roster. That means I can still move up from here and go to any team, but for the time being I am officially part of Lowell. I have been banished and pitched my way off the Salem team and now will pitch the remaining month in Lowell. It's good and bad in my opinion. Each time someone gets on base or I let a run in it makes me look bad because I should be able to dominate rookie ballers. If I dominate the rookies then it gets written off as dominating rookies. All I can do like I told the coaches is be the best Lowell Spinner I can be. If it's here they want me to work then bring me back let's go for it. They both had good things to say about my previous outing, but me being me I don't really buy into that.

Speaking of next year I received the official documents that outline the end of my one year contract here. There is a schedule that organizations follow that basically says from the last day of the season to the end of the World Series I can only negotiate with the Red Sox. Within that time period I can resign with Boston or they can release me. After that time period I am available for contact from any other organization. One organization who likes me it seems was Tampa from talking to their scouts in Spring Training. I just threw against their team like I said and wanted to do well and think that outing looked alright on paper, but in person even better than what paper says.

The next leg of the trip was to the Brooklyn Cyclones. Another ballpark that I had ever been too. It was cool, it is right by the Coney Island portion of Brooklyn. There was a lot of extracurricular activity going on behind the ballpark and around the concourse. It is an all turf field outside the plate and mound which threw us off a bit. We were told that the old field was hit by a hurricane and because of that they replaced it with all turf.

As the game progressed into the night the Coney Island area lit up and gave a nice backdrop to the stadium. This is the same area that hosts the famous hot dog eating contest on Fourth of July.

The last game of the series was supposed to take place today but there was a sizable amount of rain in the forecast. One of the reasons they wanted to cancel the game was because they had a long road trip and we had to drive back to Lowell tonight. Through a mutual agreement between managers they cancelled the game and allowed us to get on the road. It was nice to get back to Lowell at a decent hour, even if the first 25 miles of our trip took 1.5 hours through New York traffic.

This is the last week before the All-Star break. That will give me two days off to do some exploration if I so choose, and hopefully get some innings during this six game home stand. I'm not sure who the opponents are for the last six games but I feel good going into the series. We only used one reliever on the two games in Brooklyn which means I may only get one chance to pitch in the next six days.

Right now I'm in a good place. Besides being passed over for coming back to Salem I have some closure on what the team is thinking. I can focus on myself the last month of the season without worrying if today is the day that I'm heading back to Salem. Without that in the back of my mind I can give my full attention to pitching here. I'm looking forward to the home stretch before the two days off. In the back of my mind I still believe I'll go back to Salem before it is all said and done. The first step to that is pitching well this week!