Ian Kadish

My name is Ian Kadish and I recently graduated from Marshall University with a degree in Business Management and minors in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have three younger brothers, Kendall, Max, and Cooper. I have played baseball my entire life and am lucky enough to have the opportunity to continue playing for the Toronto Blue Jays.



I want to thank my Mom and Dad for everything they have ever done to further my baseball career. They have gone through a tremendous amount of work to make sure I am happy and I couldn't thank them enough! I love you guys.

Please feel free to leave comments! Enjoy...

Thursday, June 30, 2011

What a Night!

The final game of the Bristol series was one of the most exciting games I have been apart of.  The first 7 innings were basically pointless because it was much of the same as the previous nights.  We dug ourselves a hole and had to come clawing back to get in the game.  We were down 5-4 going into the the bottom of the eighth.  We managed to tie it at 5 in the bottom of the eighth, but were unable to win it in nine.  We had to go to down to the very last out...

In the ninth, the score was tied at 5 still with two outs and a runner on third.  There was a weak ground ball hit to our first baseman, Art Charles.  Everybody thought the inning was over, but the ball went between his legs and the run scored, making it 6-5.  In the bottom of the ninth, the first 2 batters were retired pretty easily.  The third batter of the inning found his way on base due to a seeing eye ground ball (a ground ball that is not hit very hard, but still finds a hole to get through the infield).  During the next at bat, the pitcher threw a wild pitch, moving the runner up to second.  The pitcher went on to walk the hitter, putting runners on first and second with two outs.  I have always said, if you mess up or make a mistake, it is going to come back around and you will have a chance to redeem yourself.  Art Charles was the following batter....

The opposing pitching coach came out for a mound visit before the at bat.  I thought they were going to walk him, because he has more than enough power to put a ball over the wall...after the first pitch of the at bat, we all knew they were going to pitch to him!  They obviously did not have the scouting report because he loves the ball inside so he can turn on it and pull the ball to right field.  The count was 3-1 and everybody in the park knew what was coming.  They should have taken the walk and moved on to the next hitter, but they threw him a fastball on the inner half and he absolutely CRUSHED it!  He hit it over the right field wall for a walk off home run!  Everybody went nuts!  The crowd went crazy, the dugout went crazy, and the announcer went crazy!  The team exploded out of the dugout to meet him at home to celebrate the walk off.  The team was basically out of the dugout before the ball even left the park because we all knew it was gone.  It was an awesome feeling!  The clubhouse after the game was so much fun too.  There was music blaring and everybody was in a good mood.

On a side note, I came into pitch in the top of the seventh with guys on first and second with 1 out.  The first guy I faced I got to hit a ground ball to our short stop that should have been a double play to get us out of the inning, but he bobbled it and everybody was safe.  I went on to strike the next 2 guys out leaving the bases loaded.  I pitched a clean 8th as well.  I went back out for the 9th inning...

The very first batter of the inning hit a lead off double.  The following hitter bunted moving the runner to third with one out.  I struck the next hitter out making the situation a little more manageable.  There was a runner on third with 2 outs.  The next hitter I fell behind 2-0.  I threw him a change-up that he rolled over to our first baseman, Art.  That is the ball that went between his legs allowing the runner on third to score.  The next hitter struck out to end the inning...

Last night's game was one of, if not the most exciting game I have been apart of.  Hopefully, it will get the team going and send us on the right path.  Tonight, we travel to Princeton to start a series with the Princeton Rays.  This supposedly is the most meaningful series of the year because of the proximity of the two teams.  It is only a ten minute drive to Princeton.  In the past years, it has been a huge rivalry and the fans over there are crazy....so I hear.  Im excited to see how the environment is...

On one last side note, last night was my first professional win!  There could not have been a better way to get my first professional win than last night!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Bristol White Sox

You would think after a game that we won easily 2 nights ago...we would come out tonight hot, but that was not the case.  The first game of the series, we won 10-6, but the score doesn't indicate how much of a blow out it was.  They put a 5 spot up in the top of the ninth to make it respectable.  Our offense exploded for a couple big innings, blowing it open in the fifth inning with six runs.  Our pitching staff dominated their hitters with the exception of the ninth inning, but we still made it hard on ourselves.  We walked too many hitters, giving them a chance.  

Tonight, however, the pitching was subpar.  Everybody has those nights where they just aren't on their game, and tonight was one of those nights.  We dug a hole early for ourselves, giving Bristol a 6-0 lead after the first inning.  Once again, our offense chipped away at the lead and made it a one run ball game going into the 8th inning.  The score was 8-7 going into the 8th.  Jonathan Lucas produced an outstanding relief performance, giving us 4 perfect innings!  He did his job, keeping us in the ball game and giving us a chance to win.  In the 8th inning, we had runners at second and third with nobody out.  Our number 3 hitter (typically the best hitter on the team) was up and hit a fly ball to the outfield.  Most of the time, it would be perfect for a sacrifice fly to score the run, but luck was not on our side tonight.  The left fielder timed it perfectly, ran through the ball, and came up with an absolutely perfect throw, nailing the runner from third.  That play in itself was an absolute buzz kill!  We went from having two guys in scoring position with no outs to one guy in scoring position with two outs!  The next guy grounded out to second to end the inning.  

The following inning, the bottom of the 9th, we lead the inning off with a double.  We were unable to capitalize on it and we came up short once again.  One of the hitters actually hit a long fly to the warning track that I thought was gone off the bat...

Tomorrow we close out the series with Bristol before starting a long lasting rivalry with the Princeton Rays.  Everybody around here says the series vs. Princeton is the most meaningful one of the season...it should be very exciting and intense.  I cant wait, but first things first...we need to win the series vs. Bristol...

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Danville Braves

The team has really been struggling lately.  We have not been playing how we should be.  We just got swept by the Danville Braves tonight...and nobody was happy about it.

Game 2 - We were tied 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth.  I came in to pitch in the top of the ninth and came away unscathed.  Going into the bottom of the ninth, we had the middle of our lineup coming up so we all felt confident we would have a chance to win.  We had base runners on second and third with one out, but were unable to produce the winning run.  I went back out for the top of the tenth.  I retired the first guy with no problems.  The second guy was their number three hitter (their best hitter).  I threw a fastball inside that I think should have been called a strike, but it wasn't.  From then on, we did not give him anything to hit because he was by far their best hitter.  I unintentionally intentionally walked him, meaning I did not give him anything to hit and stayed away from him.  The following hitter, swung at a fastball by his hands on the first pitch.  The next pitch was a slider away that he didn't offer at.  It was now 1-1.  I threw a fastball inside that was called for a ball followed by a fastball away that was called a ball.  Both pitches were close and could have gone either way.  The count was now 3-1.  I threw a fastball right down the middle that he fouled off.  I tried it again and he fouled it off...so I did it again...and he fouled it off.  He fouled off 6 fastballs in a row.  The count was now 3 balls and 2 strikes.  I threw a slider that was just out of the zone, but he did not offer at it.  There were now guys on first and second with one out.

The manager came to relieve me because my pitch count was getting too high.  He brought in a Dominican that throws really hard, but does not have the best idea of where it's going.  Unfortunately, this was the case once again.  The first batter grounded out to second, but the runners advanced.  So there was now runners on second and third with 2 outs.  He then threw a wild pitch that the catcher could not handle and the run scored.  We were down 6-5.  He went on to retire the batter via ground out and the inning was over.

We could not manage to tie it up in the bottom of the tenth and then game ended.  They won 6-5.

Game 3 - Tonights game was uneventful...nothing special happened in the game.  We lost 4-3...another one run ball game.  The last 4 games have been one run ball games!  The tide has to turn at some point right?  The one upside of the game was our first rounder threw lights out.  He came in in the 5th and pitched 5 scoreless innings.

Tomorrow we start our next series against the Bristol White Sox...hopefully we can get back on track and string together some wins!  We have to get the first one though!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Community Service

The Blue Jays are new to the Bluefield area.  The Baltimore Orioles used to have an affiliation in Bluefield until their contract ran out.  When they did not renew the contract, the Blue Jays signed a contract with Bluefield.

Since the Blue Jays are new to the area, it is very important that we make an impact in the community.  Last week for instance, the team went to the local bowling alley and bowled with little kids for a couple hours.  You would be surprised how many little kids showed up.  Every player was assigned to a lane and the kids were assigned to a lane.  All we had to do was bowl with them for a couple hours and hang out.

We will be doing activities like that throughout the summer to stay involved in the community and develop a relationship with the people of Bluefield.  It is vital that the Blue Jay name has a positive reputation as well as gain support from the community.  If the community does not back the team, there will be no support and the team will not have a long lifespan in the city.  Our coach always says, we come in with a reputation and we leave with a reputation and the reputation we leave with is for us to make, whether it be good or bad (in this case, hopefully its a good one)...

Home Opener

Tonight's home opener did not go as planned...to say the least.

The game started off on a sour note.  Our pitcher gave up a cheap infield hit to lead off the game followed by an error by the shortstop.  He battled out of a bases loaded jam surrendering only one run.  The second inning, however, we were not so lucky.  Our pitcher was hit around a little bit and they plated 5 runs, stretching the lead to 6-1.  We answered back in the bottom of the second with a couple runs of our own.  Our starting pitcher only lasted 2 and 2/3 innings before he was relieved of his duties.  The next guy went 6 1/3 strong innings keeping us in the game.

We kept chipping away at the lead and before you knew it we were within 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning.  Our second baseman came up HUGE for us and blasted a 3 run home run down the right field line to bring us within one run!  In the bottom of the ninth inning, we lead the inning off with a double.  We pinch ran for the hitter to put more speed on the bases.  The next guy up hit a towering fly ball, that I thought was a home run off the bat, to deep right field.  Our runner tagged and advanced to third...

The throw was nowhere close to getting him out and it was a given that he advanced to third.  The other team (the Danville Braves) thought the runner left early from second base.  The appealed the call and sure enough, the umpire called the runner out!  Our manager went absolutely nuts and expressed exactly how he felt about the umpire, about the call, and about how they had been umpiring all night (quite a bit of expletives were thrown around in there as well)!  That one call took all the momentum we had away.  We went from having the tying run on third base with one out to having nobody on with 2 outs.  The next batter grounded out to short and the game was over.  We lost 9-8, but in all honesty we should still have been playing.  It should have been tied.

I was in shock when the umpire called the runner out.  Even if he had left a fraction of a second early, there is NO WAY he can make that call with the game on the line.  Everybody that has been involved with baseball in some way or another knows that there are some umpires that want to control the game and always want the attention on them.  Well, these two umpires were exactly that.  They were just plain bad.  There is no other words to describe it, they were just bad.  I know I shouldn't be blaming the umpires, but they took the game out of our hands.

For the umpires out there that are reading this, the crowd and the fans do not come to the stadium to watch you guys.  The best umpires are the ones that are not noticed!

The loss brings our record to 2-2.  We are back at it tomorrow night at 7 pm against the Danville Braves again.  I can guarantee you that we will come out hot. The team was pissed off after the game.  I can tell this team hates to lose and everybody that knows me knows I hate to lose.  I am 22 years old and I still won't let my little brothers beat me in anything!

We will get them tomorrow and hopefully I will pitch again...it's almost a crapshoot of when I'll pitch.  Your guess is as good as mine.  It's the life of a reliever...

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Series finale vs Elizabethton Twins

I am just getting home from Elizabethton...yes it is 2 am!  Thankfully, I slept the entire bus ride home so it wasn't that bad with the exception of my right leg being asleep when I woke up (one of the worst feelings you can have in my opinion).  The bus is not very comfortable...everybody has to share a seat and we have some bigger guys on the team.  It is important to share a seat with an undersized guy so neither one of you are on top of the other (a little secret of mine).

Game 1 vs. Elizabethton was finished the following day because of the rain delay.  We pulled out the win in extra innings and Arik made his debut as well.  He pitched a clean 2 innings.

Game 2 vs. Elizabethton went very sound.  We beat them 4-3 despite a late scare in the bottom of the ninth inning.  They loaded the bases with one out, but our pitcher managed to strike a guy out and get the final guy to pop up to center field to end the game.

Game 3 I'm sorry to say did not go as planned.  We lost in the bottom of the ninth inning 6-5.  We got out to a 5-1 lead, but could not hang onto it down the stretch.  They got lucky in the bottom of the ninth and we were victims of our own mistakes.  We threw a bunt down the right field line and another error by the third baseman kept them alive.  They capitalized on our mistakes and pulled out the win like any good team should do.  We easily should have won that game, but stuff like that happens to the best of us.  In all reality, we were not going to go undefeated anyway...

Tomorrow night is our home opener here in Bluefield.  I'm very excited to see how the hometown reacts to a new organization being in town.  Hopefully they come out and support us.  I know we will play hard and I know they will enjoy watching us play.  We are a really fun team to watch.  We can hit, we can field, and we can pitch it.  I have been really surprised with how good we are; I think everybody has been surprised.  Everybody for the most part, or whom I have talked to, thinks we have a really talented squad.  The biggest thing I have been surprised with is our power at the plate.  We have hit some home runs, but none of them have been cheap.  They ALL have been absolutely CRUSHED!

We are now 2-1 despite the loss tonight, but coach told us on the bus, if we win every series and take 2 out of 3 or 3 out of 5 from every team, we will win a fair share of games and we will be where we want to be at the end of the season.  Hopefully, I get to pitch again in the home opener; that would be really exciting!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

My First Professional Game!

Tonight was my first game of my professional career.  I was so excited I could barely sit still.  We left Bluefield today around 10 am and arrived in Elizabethton, Tennessee around 12:30.  We checked into our hotel, which is like a 5 star luxury hotel compared to where we live in Bluefield, and then we were free to get something to eat.

The bus left the hotel at 3 with all  the pitchers and the hitters bus left at 4.  The pitchers got to the field and stretched, ran, and threw.  Once the hitters got there, they stretched, threw and then took Batting Practice.  The pitchers shagged BP.  After I was done shagging, I went back into the locker room with all the other pitchers to change out of our Batting practice jerseys and into our game jerseys.  We had to be out of the locker room 15 minutes prior to game time.

Our first round stud was pitching tonight and he was dominating to say the least.  He sat 93-95 and hit 97 a handful of times.  He is going to be in the big leagues in a couple years.  He only threw 4 innings due to a pitch count and then we went to a lefty.  The lefty threw 3 great innings, but scuffled in the third.  We were ahead 5-1 going into his fourth inning and it looked like he just hit a wall.  He allowed 4 runs in the eighth inning and then was taken out with runners on first and second with 1 out...

That's when I came in...I was not expecting to pitch, but when coach told me to get loose, my adrenaline started pumping.  I took 5 warmup pitches in the bullpen and I was ready to go.  They called me in and in I went..

After my warmup pitches on the game mound, I stepped back and took a deep breath.  I gathered my thoughts and went to work.  The first batter was a right handed hitter.  I started him off with a fastball that was called a ball, but could have gone either way.  The next pitch, I threw a fastball that the guy swung through.  It was 1-1 and I threw another fastball away that he looked at for a strike.  It was now 1-2...I threw a slider down and away that he had no chance of touching.  He tried to check his swing, but it was too late.  The umpire called him out which the batter did not agree with and let the umpire know it.  The hitter was thrown out of the game in the blink of an eye!

The second hitter was a lefty.  I started him off with a fastball away that was a called strike.  The next pitch was a fastball in that he fouled off.  The count was now 0-2.  I threw a slider on his back foot that he swung threw for strike three.  The catcher blocked it and it bounced right in front of the hitter.  The hitter started running toward first and accidentally kicked the ball...I thought he should have been called out for interference, but he wasn't.  He reached first safely and now the bases were loaded with 2 outs instead of the inning being over!

I could not control what had happened so I moved on to the next hitter.  It was another right handed hitter.  I threw a fastball that was too high for a ball.  I then threw a fastball in that was a called strike.  The count was 1-1.  I threw another fastball that was by the hitter's letters and he swung at it....he fouled it off toward the first base line.  It was 1-2 and I knew exactly what I wanted to throw, I was just hoping the catcher knew it too.  He called a slider, exactly what I wanted.  The hitter swung through it for strike three and I was out of the inning!

I was going to go out for another inning, but there was a delay due to lightning.  Coach said he didn't want to send me back out after the long layoff.  I wanted to go back out, but he wouldn't let me.  The game was postponed due to weather and we have to finish it tomorrow before we start our second game.  The score is tied at 5 in the top of the tenth.

Hopefully we can pull out the first win and then win the second one as well!  Today was extremely exciting and I can't wait to get back out on the mound...Hopefully it will be tomorrow night, but I have no idea...

Bluefield itself

The city of Bluefield is a very small town in southern West Virginia.  There is not much to do there (at least I don't think so because I don't have a car yet...) and there is not much going on in the city...It feels like it is more of an elderly crowd living in the city when school is not in session.

Bluefield State College is a very small school in the city.  I want to say they are a division III school, but do not hold me to that.  I actually have a buddy that played baseball there and everything he told me about the city has been true so far...

Since I have been in the city, I have eaten at Subway everyday.  The only other places to eat around where we live are Wendy's, Arby's, Subway, and Dairy Queen.  I am sure there are other places to eat  in the city, but I am limited to only places within walking distance.  Arik will have his truck when we get back in town so I'm sure we will get out and see what else the city has to offer.

I heard the city has a Walmart where Arik and I can get supplies for our jail cell, but we haven't made it there because its a ten to fifteen minute drive away...

Just like the living situation, as far as the city goes, I am trying to make the best of it.  I am thankful that baseball consumes most of the day because we are at the field so long.  If we weren't I don't know what I would do with all my free time...

The Stadium in Bluefield

The stadium in Bluefield is a very old stadium which you can tell has been there for a long time.  When I picture an old minor league stadium, this stadium is dead on.  It has a beautiful backdrop with trees and mountains all around.  The clubhouse is very old, but it is neat.  It has lockers surrounding the walls with a couch and a few chairs in the middle facing a TV that is up against a wall.  There are also separate rooms for the coaches and there is a training room.

The playing surface is nice and has been well kept.  The mound is HUGE and I love it because I'm a smaller guy who can use and advantage I can come across. Down the right field line, there is a building that has our batting cages, and weight room.  The weight room, is very small, but has enough equipment in it for us to get everything done we need to get done.  We are on the third base side and there are stadiums seats about 20-30 rows up between the two dugouts.  I am interested to see how many fans we get...

It will be exciting opening up at the stadium next friday night...

Living in Bluefield...

The living situation in Bluefield is not exactly what I expected.  We are living at the Mountainview Inn, which doubles as a hotel and an apartment complex for Bluefield State College.  I am rooming with Arik Sikula.

We arrived at the Mountainview Inn around 12:30 am friday night.  As soon as we got to our room, Arik and I were both shocked.  We didn't know what to do or think...we were definitely flustered.  The room has 2 twin size beds and a couch along with a dresser.  It has a tiny bathroom as well.  There were no sheets on the beds and there was no TV.  There also is no internet.  We were given one sheet for the night.  We didn't know what to do so we just laid down on our bed and stared at the ceiling for a long while...

We have to supply the TV ourselves and for internet we have to go buy an ethernet cord, but the only hard part about that is we have no way of getting anywhere because we don't have a car...

To describe the room a little more, picture a jail cell/ dorm room.  There is no way in hell my mom would stay there with her phobia of germs.  Arik and I are trying to make the best of it until we get a car and/or TV.  We are actually getting used to not having a TV, but usually when we are in the room, we stare at the ceiling and listen to music...

It's definitely not a 5 star hotel, but I guess it is livable for the next two months...

Travel to Bluefield from Florida

Since I finally have internet, now that we are on the road, I can update everybody on what my last week has been like...There is plenty to update and it will take a few posts to do so...

Last Friday, the 17th, the team had a workout in Florida before everybody on the Bluefield team left.  The game started earlier that day because the flight out of Florida was earlier and the bus had to leave by noon.  I threw one inning in the game (it was the first time I had faced live hitters since my last outting in college, roughly a month).  The first hitter hit a broken bat blooper to the first baseman who got it and stepped on the bag.  The next two guys I struck out and my inning was over.  I didn't throw anything other than fastballs, which was a good and bad thing.  It was good because it showed everybody that I can pitch with my fastball, but it was bad because I didn't get to show them my other pitches..

After I was done pitching, I went and did my shoulder stuff, showered up and prepared for the bus.  Once everybody was on the bus and ready to go, we drove to the Tampa/ St. Petersburg airport for our flight.  Our flight from there to Charlotte was very smooth, in part because I slept the entire time!  When we landed it took quite some time for everybody to get their bags and load the bus.  We started driving for about an hour and then stopped for some dinner.  Everybody was free to go where ever they wanted to eat, but we just had to be back on the bus by 845.  I went to Ruby Tuesday's with Arik and 2 other guys.

The trip from Charlotte to Bluefield felt like it took forever.  Everybody had to double up on the bus so it was very cramped to say the least.  We finally got into Bluefield, West Virginia around 12:30 am.  The living situation deserves it's own post...

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Just An Update

Its been a couple of days since I've posted anything, but its because of good reason....where I am staying does not have any internet.  I need to find a walmart or something and somehow find a way there to purchase an ethernet cord to connect to the phone jack...the hard part will be getting there because I don't have a car.  I'm hoping that I can get there today and once I do I will be updating the blog and writing about the last few days...hands down some of the bests blogs yet...

Sorry it has been a few days, but I will be back in no time (hopefully late tonight)!  The only way I am writing this now is because I unplugged the phone really quick to use that ethernet cord (I was told we are not allowed to do this under any circumstances...).

Thanks for the patience and I hope to be back tonight!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

GREAT NEWS!

Dane telling me that I was going to pitch live, was not the only reason why today was a good day.  The MAIN reason why today was a good day was because I was told that I would be going to Bluefield, West Virginia for the summer to play rather than stay in the Florida Gulf Coast League!  The roster was posted after practice today and I'll admit when I saw my name a huge sigh of relief came across my body.  I had been hoping to either go to Vancouver or Bluefield.  I would rather go to Bluefield over Vancouver anyway because the pitching coach that I really like and want to work with is going to be there along with the strength and conditioning coach that I really like.

I'm excited to be there for the summer because people will actually be able to come watch!  It is also pretty close to where I went to school so I'm already familiar with the area...kind of.  It was funny, we had a meeting about traveling tomorrow and while everybody was ripping and cracking jokes (jokes in which I can't repeat) about West Virginia, Arik and I were sitting there laughing with one another because we have already spent 4 years there (Arik actually grew up there.) and it's not nearly as bad as they were making it out to be!

On the team, there are a couple first round draft picks along with some other high draft picks.  That will be fun to see them play and get to know them.  There are also a large group of Dominicans that will be going...what a culture shock for them!  I like the Dominicans; I have not had any problems with them yet and they have all been really nice to me.  One of them that is going has been trying to teach me some spanish, but the only thing I can say is inappropriate...Arik and Aj are also going to Bluefield with me which will be great because us three have been hanging out for the most part since we have been down here.

I leave Florida tomorrow and catch my flight to Charlotte, North Carolina.  There will be a bus that will drive the team from Charlotte to Bluefield.  We are scheduled to get in around dinner time.  I hope to see many of my friends at the games and look forward to a fun filled, exciting summer!  I can't wait to start playing...

One of the Better Days

Today, was by far, the best day I've had since I've been down here.  It started off with a good ab and forearm workout before breakfast and then while I was long tossing with Arik and Aj Meyer (from Defiance, Ohio.  I played against him in the Great Lakes League after my sophomore year.  For those of you that have seen Napoleon Dynamite...he is the EXACT replica of Napoleon Dynamite!  It is absolutely hysterical.  He's had me laughing so hard that I was in tears.) the pitching coordinator, Dane Johnson, came up to me and told me that instead of throwing a bullpen today, I will pitch in the game tomorrow!  That made my day right from the start because that means no more sitting in the sun baking while everybody else is playing!  I get to pitch to live hitters tomorrow and  I'm extremely excited!  I can't wait!

The rest of the day went the same as the previous days.  I think I am finally starting to get all the bunt defenses, pickoffs, and signs (there are several different ones to remember for several different scenarios).  After I was done with everything, I once again had to watch the game, but only today's game was actually against a real team.  We played the Yankees (not the major league Yankees, but the Florida Gulf Coast Yankees.  They are the Yankees rookie ball team.).  It was actually fun to watch today because there were different people playing and it was a real meaningful game for once.  I'm unsure of who won because I did not get there until the 5th inning.  I had to get my conditioning done before I could go watch.

Tomorrow we have an 8:30am stretch because we are starting the game earlier (9:30am) than the normal start time (11am) because the team that is leaving for Bluefield, West Virginia has a flight to catch and they leave the complex at noon....

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Another Day in the Life...

Today, for the most part, was exactly like the previous few days.  There were a couple exceptions though.  I woke up at the same time as usual, but instead of relaxing and hanging out with the guys before stretch, I actually got a lift in!  I was starting to feel gross and I had been asking the strength and conditioning coach for a couple days if I could come in and lift before stretch to get the blood flowing and the body moving.

As many of you know, I CAN NOT just sit there for an extended period of time.  I have to be doing something and when I was just hanging out in the locker room sitting by my locker, it was driving me crazy!  I like being productive and I LOVE working out.  

The strength coach put together a light total body workout, but I thought it was more core and upper body.  There was only one leg lift in there and it was very minimal.  It wasn't a bad little workout though and I must admit, I was drenched in sweat by the time I was done!  I did some extra ab and forearm work at the end as well.  It definitely woke me up and got me ready for practice.  I had a good little pump going so I felt good going into practice.  After the lift, I got some breakfast (which is the best meal of the day, hands down.  They have blackberries and raspberries EVERYDAY...my absolute favorite!)

Practice was the same as usual (stretch, long toss and flat grounds, bunt defenses, pickoffs, team defense, batting practice and conditioning).  The only difference in practice today was they changed the groups up.  I was in a group with all dominicans, which was quite the amusement and I actually like it.  It was hysterical because when one of them messed up, all the others would laugh and rag him.  I couldn't help myself and sometimes found myself laughing at the whole situation.  Just imagine a bunch of spanish speaking dominicans yelling and laughing at each other all at the same time, while the one thats getting made fun of is yelling back.  I, of course couldn't understand them, but I don't know how they heard each other.  There were about 10 of then slinging spanish slurs around at the same time.  It was a site to see...even the coach would laugh sometimes!  I was 1 of 2 americans in the group.  The other guy found it humorous as well.  It gave me a good laugh for the day...

There was also a game at the end too.  After I finish everything, I have to watch the entire game, which gets extremely tiresome.  It might be my least favorite part of the day!  I would much rather play in the game than watch it....I am eager to get back on the field and compete!

After the game was over, I went in and did my shoulder program, ate lunch, and showered.  After the van dropped everybody off at the hotel, I took a long nap.  I feel like I'm in preschool all over again, having nap time at 3...but I feel much better when I wake up.  The sun drains me, not to mention the work it's doing on my farmer's tan (and to think I worked so hard on getting rid of that ugly thing while I was home, what a waste...)!  I took a 3 hour nap and I still won't have trouble falling asleep tonight...

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

First Bullpen

Going into today, I was a little bit more excited than the past few days.  Today I was scheduled to throw my first bullpen since I have been down here!  The beginning of the day was the same as the past few days with breakfast followed by meetings then stretch, long toss and flat grounds, and team defense (I think I am finally starting to get all the different bunt defenses).  I was the lucky one to get out of shagging BP today, which I was quite pleased with!

The bullpens took place on the 8 pack and there were 3 of us throwing at a time.  I'm not sure what my catcher's name was, but I have had multiple conversations with him in part because he can speak english and is fluent in spanish.  He's my go-to guy to ask what the dominicans are saying when spanish is being thrown around like you wouldn't belive. Anyways, I played catch with him to warm my arm back up since it had been almost a good 2 hours since I long tossed and did my flat ground.  When I felt good and warm, I asked him to get down.  I started to throw each pitch just getting the feel for each before I really started my bullpen.  It was about a 7-10 pitch warm up.  Once I started my pen, I worked on throwing the ball down hill and pounding the bottom of the strike zone (typically at the squatted catcher's knees).  I threw a couple right down the middle then I started to move the ball around, going in and out.  I then moved to the change-up and did the same thing.  The change-up was pretty good, but I still threw some that I wasn't happy with.  I did the same thing with my slider as well.  The slider was better than the change-up, but yet still not where I would like it to be (I'm a perfectionist).  I finished up with 2 fastballs, one arm side (inside to a right handed hitter) and one glove side (away to a right handed hitter).  I shook the catcher's hand and thanked him when I was done.

While I was throwing my pen, the pitching coordinator was standing behind me watching.  He was also watching the other 2 guys throw as well.  I have never been a huge fan of just plain bullpens because I feel I do better against a hitter.  I love to compete in anything I do (I won't even let my little brothers beat me at anything still today).  I have no idea what he thought of my pen because the only thing he asked me when I was done was what I was used as at school and how I was felt.  He asked everybody when they were done what they were used as at school and how they felt.  I won't lie, it was kind of nerve wracking throwing for the first time in front of him, but I did as best as I could and I was happy with my pen.  It felt like the ball was coming out of my hand pretty good even though I was not trying to throw as hard as I can.  I was working more on locating the ball and keeping it down.  I just hope he was happy as well...I guess we'll see...

After I threw, I had to go condition with the strength coaches.  They supervised our running, which was not bad at all, it was only hard to breath when you stopped running.  I then went inside to do our "Cuff" program with the trainers.  It is the shoulder program that the entire organization does.  It was kind of tough and made my shoulder and forearm burn a little bit, but it felt good.  I iced down when I was done and my day was done!  After icing I went to eat in the cafeteria and hung out with the guys for a little bit.  Arik and I played a game of ping pong and he gave me a good beating (I never said I was good at ping pong, I actually am really bad.).

Tomorrow, I am scheduled to long toss again with a flat ground followed by a short side on thursday.  I am interested to see how they do their short sides...

My First Encounter with Groupies...

I'm only a few days in and I have already had an encounter with groupies...I think...

To set the scene...yesterday morning while I was waiting for the vans to pick us up, I over heard 2 of the coaches talking about doing room checks because they think some of the Dominicans (who are a whole other breed...enough for a different post at a later date.) are having their girlfriends or whatever they call them sleep at the hotel with them. The coaches were talking about doing them because it is in the code of conduct that they do room checks...

Ok, so last night I went to sleep at a decent hour, I would say around 11.  In the middle of the night I heard a noise at the door, WHACK WHACK WHACK!  There was the loudest, hardest, and scariest hammering on my door.  I quickly jumped up, went to the door and looked out the peep hole, but there was nobody there.  My first thought was it was some person that had been drinking, running around the hotel being an idiot (we have all been there).  I then opened the door and looked to the left...nothing.  I then looked to the right and saw 3 people standing there.  There was that awkward silence at first because nobody knew what to say or who should say something first.  There was one guy, whom I did not recognize and had maybe the worst style I have ever seen (I thought he was a bit feminine), and there were 2 girls.  One of the girls was mexican or latina looking and the other girl was a typical white girl.  After the awkward silence, I finally asked,"What's going on?"  They asked if this was so and so's room (I could not catch the name, either because they were so intoxicated or I was still half asleep.).  I told them I think they have the wrong room and then they asked the same question again...and of course my answer did not change.  I began to close the door and I am pretty sure the guy, yes the guy, said he was pretty good looking!  The mexican girl said, "Ya, he was really attractive!" and the white girl replied, "He was extremely cute, I'll just take him!"  By this time the door was shut and I was beginning to walk back to bed...I quickly got in bed and went back to sleep.

So I guess you could say, I was good looking to a gay guy, attractive to a mexican girl, and cute to a white girl...I guess thats a good thing right?  Talk about an awkward moment...

I hope the girls were not girlfriends of some guys on the team and if they are, I am sorry for thinking they were groupies...

Monday, June 13, 2011

First Full Day

We had another early wake up call, yet again...6 am to be exact.  Last night, I think I fell asleep the earliest I have fallen asleep since I was in grade school.  I didn't realize how tired I was, but it was good I got an ample amount of rest because today was another long, hot, and tiring day.

The vans took us over to the facility and the pitchers that were new had to be in the weight room at 7am for some testing.  The testing was nothing major or anything with weights.  It took about 45 minutes and after we were done we had 15 minutes to get some breakfast before we had another classroom session. Classroom sessions will vary from a wide variety of topics.  The topics will literally be anything and everything.  Class got out at about 845 and we were to be on the field to stretch with the team at 9am!  Stretching was the same as the day before and I going to venture to say that stretching will be the same everyday.

After we were all stretched out and already had a good lather of sweat going, the pitchers gathered together and the position players gathered together.  The pitchers were told what each group had today and where they had to be along with when.  Then we all split up and did our tubing and long toss program followed by our flat grounds.  Everybody finished at different times, so the people that finished earlier just hung out while everybody finished up.  Arik and I were one of the last groups to finish...We both thought people finished really fast...we did not go back all the way to 200 feet, but I don't think anybody did...

Then the groups went their own way and were split up amongst the fields.  There were 4 fields being used, each one for a different purpose.  Field one was used for bunt defenses, field two was used for pick offs, field three was used for PFP's (pitcher's fielding practice), and field four was set up for batting practice for the position players.  Also in the rotation, was the agility field.  Let me tell you, the agilities were no joke!  I would like to think that I am in really good shape and by the time I was done doing the agilities my legs were heavy and I was out of breath!  My feet also felt like they were on FIRE because we did the agilities in black spikes on a HOT turf.  I was relieved to hear the rest of the guys thought the same thing and their feet were burning as well!  I was glad the agilities station was my first stations I could get it out of the way because all the other stations were more instruction and standing around due to there being so many guys.  There are about 20 guys in each group.

After we were done with all the rotations, which lasted about a half hour each, we were split up to go shag batting practice on two different fields.  For those of you that don't know what shag means (no it's not like the austin powers I shagged her rotten) it is baseball lingo for retrieving balls that are hit by the hitters and throwing them into a person standing by the bucket of balls behind second base with a net protecting them.  Some guys had bullpens today, and if you were one of those guys, you threw it during the batting practices (they were lucky enough to get out of batting practice.  If there is one thing pitcher's hate doing, it is batting practice.).  The bullpens were thrown on the 8 pack.  The 8 pack is the set of mounds that everybody sees on TV during spring training.  It is the large mound with 8 mounds  all lined up next to each other.

There was also a simulated game for the guys that have been here since spring training. This is called extended spring training and I hear it is miserable.  It lasts 2 months after spring training is over.  If you are in extended spring training, I hear it is the exact same thing as I did today plus a game at the end, EVERYDAY!  I can only imagine how tired some of the players are by the time the game comes around!  After I was done shagging BP (batting practice), I was allowed to watch the game and hang out while the bullpens were being finished up.  While watching the game and bullpens, I met a couple of other guys that have been here for awhile they said.  They seemed like really nice guys and they sat and talked with me about meaningless stuff for a little bit.  I honestly forget their names, but I do remember one was from Gonzaga and the other one new a buddy of mine Kurt Lipton.  He told me he grew up around the same area as Kurt.

On a side note, Jesse Litsch started the game.  He is the Toronto Blue Jays number 4 starter in the big leagues!  That was really cool to see.  Another big leaguer was playing in the game as well, John McDonald.  I am not sure if he is the Blue Jays big league starting second basemen, but I am positive he has had big league experience for a number of years.  I have seen both of them around the clubhouse and McDonald reminds me of a dad.  He is a really nice guy, he acknowledges you every time you pass him.  The same goes for Litsch (not the dad part, Litsch is a younger guy).  I have seen and spoken to both of them the past couple of days.  Litsch is more of an outgoing guy that likes to have fun and keep it relaxed.

When the pens were all done, the new pitchers went with the strength and conditioning coaches for conditioning.  I went into this thinking it was going to be hard, but it turned out not being nearly as difficult as I thought (I guess I am in pretty good shape).  The only tough aspect of the conditioning was after I was done running, the heavy heat made it difficult to breath.  After conditioning was over, the strength guys took us into the weight room and explained the Cuff program.  This is the shoulder program that the organization does.  I start to tomorrow, so we'll see how it is!

By the time I was done with all of this, it was about 12:45 and the game was still going on outside!  We had to go back outside and watch the end of the game, which was the last thing I wanted to do honestly...I was ready to eat!  We all made our way back outside to watch the final few innings, which seemed like a full 9 innings.  I sat and watched the game with Arik and AJ Meyer.  AJ played in the great lakes league with me a couple years ago (We both actually started the All Star Game against each other).  He seems like a really cool guy.  As we were sitting there watching the game, there was a HUGE dominican looking guy sitting there as well speaking all sorts of different kinds of spanish, all of which I had no clue.  He started talking to us a little bit in english and it turned out he wasn't even from the Dominican!  He was from Jersey!  We all just sat there and talked until the game was over.

Once the game was over, everybody made their way back inside, changed, and went to eat!  I was starving, so anything I was going to eat was going to taste good.  I even ate some cucumber, which I NEVER eat (your welcome Mom).  After I was done eating, I made my way back to the locker room to shower and change back into my street clothes.  I waited for the vans to take us back to the hotel for the rest of the day.

When I got back to the hotel, I CRASHED!  I fell asleep faster than I can remember.  It was one of the better naps I have had.  It felt like I slept forever, but I actually only slept for 3 hours.  I set my alarm for 6 just so I wouldn't miss dinner, which was awesome again!   The chef prepared steak, chicken, rice, corn on the cob, caesar salad and watermelon.  He also made some sort of Dominican dish, but with one look at it, I decided it would be better to stay away from...

I can already tell that tonight will be another early night for me.  I think I'm going to try drinking coffee in the morning while I am waiting for the vans...hopefully it wake me up a little bit...

Sunday, June 12, 2011

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...

First Day on the Job

I guess you could say today was my first day on the job haha.  I still can't believe that baseball is considered my job...but it started early just like any other job would.  The vans that were transporting the players to the facility were leaving at 6:45 am!  I got up at 6 just to be safe and so I could jump in the shower to wake myself up.  I also had to take this little urine test...I can't say it wasn't weird because it was.  I was not quite sure what I was supposed to do...there was a little plastic cup along with a plastic vial.  There was a paper that came with it as well so I thought I had better read over the paper just to be safe.  I was supposed to pee in the cup then somehow pour it in this tiny vial up to the line that was on the vial.  I did not know how else to do it so I did it the way the paper told me to...I will not go into specific detail, but I did not get all of the liquid into the vial...(I will let you guys imagine what you think happened, because more than likely, it did happen)  

After the test, I got my belongings together such as my spikes, turfs, gloves, bands, sliders, and dri fits and headed down to the lobby to wait on the vans.  I made sure I was early so I got down to the lobby at about 6:30.  Once there were more players downstairs we piled in the vans and headed to the facility.  

Once arriving at the facility, all the players were unsure of what to do.  When some of us finally asked some questions, we figured out where we had to be and where we could put our stuff.  We then went to the front desk and received a large red folder with a bunch of papers in it.  We were about to go through some extensive physicals.  Doctors checked every part of our body...there was a dr. that looked at our elbows, shoulders, knees, hamstrings, back and core. We also had an EKG done, and eye test, an ultrasound on our heart, and we also had to give blood!  There was also a part where the strength and conditioning coaches took our weight and body fat.  After we got all that done, we went back up front and had to talk with a woman about how they would pay us.  We then had to talk to a guy about our passports and code of conduct and the last guy we had to talk to was about canadian immigration, just in case we got that big call up!

So after the red folder was signed off on, we returned it from where we got it and head to the equipment room...the best part!  The equipment guys gave us a pair of workout shorts, 2 shirts (1 to lift in and 1 to wear on the field), 2 pairs of socks and a hat.  

We then were shown to our lockers where we could change for practice.  After we changed we had to be in the meeting room at 10:15.  We were introduced to all the coaches that would be there, but it was more about what we would be doing.  Doug Davis, the minor league coordinator, led the meeting and seems like a very nice guy.  He told us what was going to happen the next couple days and then handed the meeting over to a guy named Charlie.  He was the one that dealt with everybody's contracts.  He explained how we would sign them and when.  After he was done talking, he took group of us into a special meeting room at a time and went over the contracts with us.  We signed on the dotted line and we were off...


Travel Day - A Rocky Start

Ok, this is a day late, but it has been a hectic couple days...

I was scheduled to fly down to Florida on Saturday June, 11 at 2:25 pm out of Dayton, Ohio.  Earlier in the morning, my cousin Tyler Cornelius was having his graduation party just up the road from my house.  My extended family was going to be there and I do not remember the last time I saw them.  I went to the graduation party with the impression that my flight was leaving at 2:45, for reasons which I have no idea.  My dad, brother Cooper, and I left the graduation party after being there for about an hour and socializing with everybody at 12:45.  Sorry dad, but I am going to throw you under the bus a little bit here...my dad was driving as if he had a lead foot on our way up to Dayton.  Of course, the drive would not go smoothly because why would it?  We hit bumper to bumper traffic ten minutes away from the airport.  The traffic was at a standstill, but my dad somehow managed to work his way around the traffic.  I arrived to the airport at 1:50 pm!  Keep in mind that my flight was to begin boarding at 2 and depart at 2:25.  Now this is when it gets crazy...I walked to the United Airlines desk to check my bag, but just as I was walking in I noticed there was a VERY long line.  I immediately became stressed to the max!  Luckily, there was an extremely nice family in front of me that helped me and let me cut them in line.  I sort of cut about 6 or 7 families, sorry, but o well...once I made my way up to the desk it was already 2:00.  The person that was working tried helping me, but I could tell she was stressed out as well.  She threw my information on some other guy who tried checking my bag, but it was too late to check the bag!  Therefore, I was left with a large bag that I could not take through security.  After much debate and a heated debate at that, the family that let me cut them said I could leave my bag with them and they would take care of it...that's all I needed to hear!

Off I went running!  I only had 5 minutes to get to my gate before my flight left and I could NOT miss this flight!  That is the last thing I wanted...needless to say, I was freaking out.  If you can picture it in your head, think of me kind of waddling/sprinting as fast as I can with a backpack slinging all over the place and another carry on bag on my shoulder while I desperately try to keep it from falling off.  It probably was not a pretty picture!  I think I ran faster through that airport than I have ever ran in my life, or so it seemed.  I made it to the gate literally just as they were closing the door.  They opened the door back up thankfully, but the attendant said I could not get on because I left my bag at the check-in desk!  On the spot, I made up the excuse that I did not need it and my dad was coming back to get it! Sorry dad...Finally, they let me on the flight!  I had made it and a huge relief came across my body.  As I was walking down the aisle, I was getting all kinds of weird looks from the other passengers, probably because I was dripping sweat and trying to catch my breath!  I was sitting in the far back of the plane and luckily met another guy that had been signed that was traveling with me.  I can only imagine his first impression of me...but all that mattered was that I was on that plane! 

My first flight was from Dayton to DC.  The flight was not bad at all after I stopped sweating, but it was probably miserable for the person sitting next to me!  I could tell they were uncomfortable.  They were crowded on the complete other side of the seat, TRYING desperately to stay away from me.  I felt bad for them...they could probably smell my stench and they absolutely did not want to graze  an arm or leg of mine because I had sweat dripping down them for the first half of the flight...

Once I arrived in DC, I formally introduced myself to my traveling partner that was going down to Tampa as well.  His name is Chris Peters and he went to the University of Cincinnati.  We both chit chatted a little bit as we walked to the next gate and found a seat.  We had more in common that you could imagine.  We knew the same people and been to the same places.  What a small world!  Once we got the gate, we were informed that the gate had been changed...it was on the clear other side of the airport (of course)!  We went and found the new gate and also were told our flight was going to be delayed, not just a half hour or so, but 2 and a half hours!  We were scheduled to land in Tampa around 7:30, but with this delay we were not going to LEAVE DC until 7:30!  Chris and I were both starving so we went to a restaurant nearby.  We got something to eat and watched some college baseball while getting to know each other a little more.  

I also had some unfinished business to take care of...remember that bag I left with my "Dad"?  Well my dad pulled off the greatest move of all time and came all the way back to Dayton and pitched a fit (Im not sure exactly what he said or did).  He had Delta fly my bag to Tampa while I was flying through United.  All I had to do was find the flight number and the baggage claim that it was coming into.  After my flight in DC had been delayed, I called my dad and asked what I was to do...he said call Delta.  I called Delta's service desk in Tampa and after talking with a person that spoke little to no english AT ALL, I figured I would just go to the service desk once I got to Tampa and figure everything out.  Basically, I was winging it...

Chris and I boarded the DC flight with no problems, but we sat on the runway for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality it was 45 minutes.  The flight was only 2 hours, but it too seemed like it was the longest flight I have ever been on!  I could not sleep one bit and I had finished my book while sitting on the runway.  We finally arrived in Tampa around 9:30!  Talk about a hectic day...and it wasn't even over!

When we got to Tampa, we split up because I had to go looking for my bag and he had to retrieve his.  We exchanged numbers because we had to meet up again after we found our bags to take the shuttle.  I went to the Delta service desk and explained my situation to the lady.  She looked through the computer and found nothing and her partner even looked through the computer and found nothing!  I started to stress AGAIN!  After about fifteen minutes of looking through the computer system, the lady came up with a brilliant idea!  She checked to see what flights baggage claim was running at the time...of course my bag was out there.  I thanked the two women and walked out the door to look for my bag.  Just as I was walking out, I saw my bag coming around the corner!  I grabbed it and went to meet up with Chris.  

Once I met up with Chris, we went to the Super Shuttle that was supposed to take us to the hotel.  We boarded the Super Shuttle and it just so happened that there was another guy going to the same place.  We introduced ourselves and he introduced himself.  His name is Jesse (his last name, I am still confused on) and he went to Johns Hopkins.  It was about a half hour drive from Tampa to Clearwater.  Throughout the flight, there was a strange woman sitting behind Jesse and I in the shuttle that was being dropped off somewhere as well (Chris had shotgun).  The entire time she was giving us tips on how to go deep sea diving.  We were probably not the friendliest people because we were tired and had just been through a terrible travel day.  We finally arrived at the hotel at about midnight and got all checked in.  As we checked in we were told that the vans were leaving for the facility at 6:45 the next morning!  We were also given a kit where we would have to take a urine test...I went to my room unpacked everything and decided to worry about the urine test in the morning...I was going to bed!  I was under the assumption that there would be 2 guys per room, but when I got to the room, there was nobody there...  

I was just happy that I was there safe and the day was over. I was exhausted, but had some trouble falling asleep because I was so excited! I could not wait to see what tomorrow would consist of...

A Dream Come True

The game of baseball is a funny, interesting, and an odd game.  Everybody has heard of people falling in love with the game and I can not being to explain that it may be the realest thing in life.  When a person falls in love with baseball, it will last a lifetime.  Baseball will consume a person's life and that person will be sucked into the baseball world forever.  I can honestly say, I have witnessed it because I am one of those individuals...

I have played baseball my entire life and been in love with the game for as long as I can remember.  It has been a childhood dream of mine to play major league baseball since I was 6 years old.  Baseball has been the one place for me that I am able to get away from everything and clear my mind.  When I am playing the game I love, it provides a release from the outside world, as if nothing else matters or the earth is on a stand still.  Baseball is a very emotional game, and in order for a person to be successful, that emotion needs to be controlled.  Trust me, it is easier said than done (I know firsthand of the ups and downs; my parents are the two people that know exactly what I am talking about) and it is a skill when a person can control their emotions.  I have been lucky enough to play the game past high school and through college.  It was my dream to continue playing past college...

As many of you close to me know, I was not drafted in the 2011 draft, but I was lucky enough to sign a free agent deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.  Nick Manno, an area scout, called me immediately following the draft on Wednesday June, 8 2011 and offered me a free agent deal.  I am very thankful to Nick and the Blue Jays organization for allowing me to continue playing.  Of course, I would loved to have been drafted, but thats not the point.  All I ever wanted was an opportunity to continue playing.  The money was never an issue for me.  I did not care how much money I signed for or how much I made; I just wanted to play.  This truly is a childhood dream come true!

In making this blog, it is my hope to provide a few funny stories, inform everybody what it is like to be a professional baseball player on a daily basis and most of all to keep family, friends, and fans up to date with what I am doing and where I am.  Please Enjoy...