Practice

So once they got everybody situated and settled in, we all met outside on the so called "agility" field.  This is where we stretch as a team before we start practice.  Stretching is led by the strength and conditioning coach, who seems like a really good guy.  Everybody up to this point seems like a very helpful and resourceful person.  Once we did a dynamic stretch, the pitchers and position players separated and went with their coaches.  I am pretty sure the catchers went with their specific coach, and the infielders and outfielders with theirs.  They then all met back up later to take Batting Practice on the field.  The pitchers were all grouped together with the minor league pitching coordinator, Dane Johnson.  Let me tell you, from the first impression, I love this guy.  He was intense, enthusiastic, and showed real passion for his job.  He kept everybody loose and made the day a lot of fun, while still instructing everybody and helping each individual with their specific needs.

Dane Johnson went over several different things with the pitchers today.  He first went through what he expects out of us and how we should go about our business.  He then led us over to field 3 where he introduced the throwing program and flat ground work (the complex has 5 fields and one half field which only has an infield).  He demonstrated how we should throw and how he wants us to throw.  Before we throw we have to do a light tubing session for internal and external rotation.  We then started throwing...it was on our own and we could move back at our own pace.  There were cones set up every ten feet all the way back to 200 ft. and starting at 80 ft.  My throwing partner is Arik Sikula.  As many of you know, he went to Marshall with me and we have spent much of the past 4 years together.  I am lucky to have somebody here that I knew coming in!  It has made everything easier on me because he is going through the same thing as I am.  After we made it back to 200 ft. we started to come back in trying to throw the ball on a line.  when we got into about 80 90 ft. we started to throw change-ups.  I threw about 7-10 change-ups because I need to get the feel for it again (I only threw 1 change-up all college season).

To end the throwing session, we ended with doing a couple weight transfer drills.  This works on transferring your weight from the back leg to the front and through the hips.  We each did about 5-7 fastballs for 2 sets.  We then went another drill that Dane Johnson said helped with balance point.  I must say so myself, I was not the biggest fan of this because  I do not believe in the balance point idea.  I am a smaller guy and I depend tremendously on my leg drive.  I need to get my weight going forward and my body's momentum moving as one toward the plate.  The balance point was kind of awkward for me because I do not have a balance point.  I worked with this as best as I could and I figured out still how to use my idea, but also using Dane's balance point, to an extent.  I really liked the first drill we did though. I have been doing that drill for years, so it was nothing new to me.

After we were done throwing, we went over bunt defenses and PFP's (Pitcher's Fielding Practice).  It was quick and easy and the standard routine that pitchers have been doing for years.  That concluded my day and we were dismissed to go shower and change for a late lunch (they told us lunch will be earlier and closer to a normal lunch time usually because we will be out on the field earlier. We did not get out to the field until about noon and we got done with everybody around 2:30.).

After we ran back to the clubhouse, thats right we ran (we are not allowed to walk anywhere, we have to run everywhere), those of us that had shower shoes showered and we all ate before we left to go back to the hotel.  After eating I got my things ready to go back to the hotel.  Everybody has to have shower shoes in order to shower.  Some guys could not shower and went back to the hotel all sweaty (it did not matter if you showered or not because by the time you got out of the shower, you were still sweating from practice so you were gonna have to shower back at the hotel anyway).

Once everybody got back to the hotel, they were on their own...I am guessing most of the guys took a nap after the long day, but I decided to make this blog.  My bedtime will be earlier tonight because I did not nap.  All said and done, the first day was very productive, informative, and a hell of a lot of fun!  I can't wait to do it again!  I love this game...