tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44523399218025779662024-03-08T07:30:27.359-08:00One Love...BaseballTrying to give some insight into what I do on a daily basis as well as what life of a minor league baseball player is like while trying to make a childhood dream come true...Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-14461287197110916872012-08-14T19:26:00.000-07:002012-08-14T19:26:04.383-07:00Long Time No Talk...So we have a lot of catching up to do...the last time we talked I had 2 weeks left of Extended Spring Training! <br />
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I finished Extended strong and from Extended Spring Training, I went to Vancouver. It was an extremely long travel day from Florida to Vancouver! It is the Short A team for the Blue Jays and is in one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. Everybody had been telling me how beautiful it was and they couldn't have been more right. The city was so much fun with a lively downtown where all the guys could go hang out and get away from the baseball part of our lives. I don't know if Vancouver was so much fun because of the group of guys I was with or what, but it was the coolest city I've ever been to. It also shocked me that a person could look up and see the white snowy mountain tops, but then look down and see a beautiful beach! Definitely one of the coolest sites a person can see! I absolutely recommend everybody go visit Vancouver if possible...its well worth it! The only downers of the city was how expensive it was and the cell phone service...I became accustomed to it after a few weeks, but it definitely took some getting used to. I couldn't make phone calls or receive phone calls while I was in Canada and had to wait until we crossed back over the border to make a call!<br />
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I was told Vancouver was a big league city with a minor league team...that's the truth! The management for the Vancouver Canadians were on top of their game to say the least. They had everything covered and ready for us when we arrived. They made the adjustment so easy for us...all we had to do was play baseball! They put the players up with host families...I was lucky and was put with a host family about a 10 minute bike ride from the park(I rode my bike everyday until the bike broke while I was going UP a hill...Yes I had to walk beside my bike as I pushed it the remaining way to the field...it took 30 minutes to walk the rest of the way). There were some guys that were 45 minutes from the park! My host family was so nice...they fed us every night and were very supportive and understanding of what my roommate and I were going through. My roommate was a very close friend that was with me in Bluefield last year, John Lucas, so that made it easier as well. It gave me somebody to hang out with every night after we got home from the field. <br />
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The Stadium wasn't the nicest in the league, but damn the fans sure made it the best to play at! Playing in front of 6,000 a night doesn't sound like much, but they make it sound like there are 60,000! That stadium was ROCKING on most nights and was just an adrenaline rush to be there, much less pitch there! The team is currently making a push for the playoffs and I absolutely hope they make them and win the championship for the SECOND year in a row because everybody associate with the Vancouver Canadians deserves it...the fans, the management, the host families, everybody!<br />
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I was pitching pretty well, just trying to help the team win whenever I got the ball. All I wanted to do was win...at whatever costs. Toward the end of July, I was called up to the Lansing Lugnuts. I left very early in the morning so I had to say goodbye to all my teammates in Vancouver after the game. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss them because they all went through Extended with me and we had been together all day everyday for several months. It was hard to say goodbye, but I know I will see them all in the future. I can't thank the coaching staff in Vancouver enough. They all were such great managers and people! I learned so much from them and will keep those lessons close.<br />
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Once I got to Lansing, it was an extremely hectic day. I arrived in Lansing at around 5 pm and went straight to the field...but the airlines lost my luggage so all I had was my backpack that I carried on. I didn't get the rest of my luggage until after the game that night...thankfully! Once I got to the park, I introduced myself to the coaching staff and was given my uniform. I was given number 3...not by choice! The entire coaching staff are all nice and very helpful. I was put up in a hotel for a couple nights until I could find a living arrangement. I ended up moving in with a host family that 2 other guys live at as well. One guy got here the same time I did from Dunedin. The other has been here all year, but we were good friends last year while he was in Bluefield with me. This host family is extremely nice as well...they are an older couple, but love to have us around. They don't charge us a dime and always keep the house stocked with food, drinks, anything we need. <br />
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I knew most of the guys on the team before I got here just from being in mini camp last year in Florida and in Bluefield last year so the adjustment wasn't that bad. I was also excited to be in Lansing because it was closer to home and the next road trip we were going on was to Dayton...15 minutes from my house! I can't even begin to explain how excited I was to go to Dayton. I remember going to a Dayton Dragons game when I was little and watching Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns play as they made their way to the big leagues. It was so good to see my friends, family, and everybody in Dayton. My best friend Jeff King, his girlfriend Kim (just admit it you two...) and Jon Edgington came out one night with my High School coaches, all my cousins came out one night, my pitching coach from college came out one night and of course my family was there every night. I was so happy to see everybody...it still makes me happy talking about it! I even got to pitch in front of some of them and get the win!<br />
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I was shown first hand at how much better the competition in Lansing is compared to Vancouver real quick. The hitters are better at hitting mistakes and will exploit your flaws. Obviously, that will be the case the higher you go up because everybody gets better! So far I have done pretty well though...I have been having some bad luck the past couple outings, but I'm going to push through it and prevail just like I always have...it's all about Selling Out to the Process and getting better every time out! Hopefully the team and I can finish the season strong and win a ring here in September! That would be awesome to get 2 rings in one year...Vancouver and Lansing! <br />
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I know I forgot something, but there has been so much going on in the past few months, its been crazy! I wouldn't change it for the world though! Hope all you guys are doing well! I will write more often now that I have wi-fi!<br />
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Peace Homies!<br />
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P.S. - I'm waiting on some exciting news that I should know by the end of the month! I may have the opportunity to play for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic qualifier in Jupiter, Florida. Keep your fingers crossed!<br />
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<br />Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-43261196098694273672012-05-27T18:28:00.000-07:002012-05-27T18:28:44.340-07:002 Weeks to go...It's been just over 10 days since the last post...a whole lot of the same has been going on. We are still playing games day in and day out. Even though it is Memorial Day weekend, I still have to go to work tomorrow morning. I can't really complain though because my work environment is the baseball field whereas some people's work environment is in a little crammed cubicle...No Thanks!<br />
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Even though the games are monotonous and long at times, it has been a lot of fun watching Vlad Guerrero play in the games. He has hit a couple of bombs that were unbelievable. He even made a play in left field that you couldn't help but laugh at. He misplayed a routine ground ball right at him and it rolled all the way to the fence. He then jogged after it as if he knew the runner was going to try to stretch it into a triple. Vlad picked up the ball, no crow hop and heaved it on a straight line to the third baseman, hitting him in the chest. The third baseman was waiting for the runner just smiling.</div>
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I have also seen Jim Thome play in a couple of games for the Phillies. I'm not sure what he is rehabbing, but he looks fine to me! He has roped a few double to the right center gap. Along with Jim Thome, when we were at the Phillies complex playing, I got to watch Ryan Howard take batting practice. All I can say is WOW...the dude is way bigger than any human should be. He has arms of an NFL linebacker and is as tall as a lineman. He has a big league body...go figure...hopefully I'll get to face him here soon!</div>
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This past week, I also had the worst outing I have had this spring. It's like I forgot where the strike zone was and when I did find the strike zone, they slapped it into right field. The only way to look at it is to not look at it at all...move on and get it done next time! The following day, I went back to work and got back on track.</div>
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I want to congratulate Wyoming High School on what they accomplished this season. My little brother Max, was on the team and I'm glad he was able to go out strong. I want to put into perspective how good of a season he had because I know he won't be given credit for it due to being at a small school...how many kids in the state of Ohio hit over .500? AND it's the second season in a row he has done so! This season he also lead his team to the Regional Final! On top of that, he is either number one or two ALL TIME in career hits at Wyoming. The kid deserves so much more respect than what he is given. Max will now take his talents to Furman University. An interesting fact...the last three times Wyoming has gotten to the district finals, in the State Tournament, a Kadish has been pitching.</div>
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Hopefully you all have a good upcoming week and have a good Memorial Day! Remember what Memorial Day is all about...Words cannot express the gratitude we owe to the ones that have sacrificed their lives for this country. </div>
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Peace Homies!</div>
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</div>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-12536528998393865312012-05-13T10:46:00.003-07:002012-05-13T10:46:50.642-07:00Mother's DayIts been a couple weeks since I last posted, but not much has changed. The only thing that's really changed is my throwing schedule. I went from throwing Monday and Thursdays against the Pirates and Yankees to throwing Tuesday and Fridays against the Pirates and Phillies. Sometimes there are so many pitchers that have to throw, they set up a game between ourselves so everybody can get their work in. Last week, while we were playing the Yankees, Russell Branyan actually played in the game! Talk about a big guy...this guy was huge! He looked more like a football player than baseball! I'm still waiting for Chase Utley and Ryan Howard to start their rehab assignments. Hopefully I get to pitch against them!<br />
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The Blue Jays signed Vlad Guerrero this past week. Supposedly he is to be in on Monday, but we'll see. I can't wait to see him hit and play in person! I want to pitch against him too! I feel like he is one of those hitters you face that you have to throw everything you have been taught about pitching down in the zone and throwing good strikes out the window. The man is known for hitting bad pitches! I remember seeing a highlight of him hitting a home run off a pitch that bounced before the plate! I'm really excited to see him. <br />
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Off the field, everybody has just been hanging out. Last night, some of the guys grilled burgers and some chicken and hung out. It was definitely needed to wind down after a long week. My roommate and I are actually going to go to the store today so we can partake in the grilling next time. We're going to look for a George Forman or something along those lines. It was a lot of fun just hanging out and relaxing with everybody.<br />
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Today is obviously Mother's Day and I can't thank my mom enough for what she does. She is the best mother anybody could ask for! Although I cannot spend the day with her, I sent her a bouquet of flowers. Hopefully, the florist made them look good! Thank you for everything you do mom! I love and miss you! <br />
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Before my roommate gets back, I'm going to grab a bite to eat! I'm thinking some Panera...you can never go wrong with Panera...a nice relaxing meal with good vibes! <br />
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Peace in the middle east!Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-45456596379922079202012-04-29T18:31:00.000-07:002012-04-29T18:31:45.932-07:00Another Week Down...This past week was a very productive week. I feel my mechanics and everything are coming together and it's all beginning to click. I obviously still have more to work on, but I am pleased with the progress I made this past week. It's a continual process I'll keep working on... <div>
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The weeks schedule was the same as every other weeks schedule...I have always heard the days will start running together and I'll lose track of what day it is, but it hasn't happened yet. If you know me, you know I like to have a routine and I like to stick to my routine as best as possible(even though I'm not diagnosed OCD/ADD, I definitely am). </div>
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I've been trying to learn spanish and it's gotten a little better, but not much. Yesterday I watched a Dominican make Pica durro (I'm not sure on the spelling). It's the type of tobacco they chew in the Dominican and supposedly it makes the dip here look like child's play. It was actually fun to watch and I enjoy hanging out with some of the Dominicans. Some of them ask me to teach them english so I've been trying to help, but I still find myself trying to speak broken english to communicate with them. One of them asked a buddy of mine and me to update his facebook status to say he loves and misses his family, but he is trying to make everything better for them and he thanks them for their support of what he is doing. It surprised me when he had us do that and it made me think how hard it must be for them. They speak little to no english, they are in an entirely different country, they have very little communication with their family and friends back home, and most of their families are living meal to meal. I can't imagine what it would be like and how hard it would be...</div>
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Today was our off day so everybody hung out last night by the pool at our hotel and today a couple of us went to the beach to hang out and relax. It was a lot of fun and the people watching was at an all time high at the beach! I even got rid of some of my farmer's tan...my back is burnt; now I just have to work on the front side! </div>
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Tomorrow I'm back on the bump against the Pirates! I can't complain that my "going to the office" is going to the ball park...hard life I live...</div>
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I'm out like a fat kid in dodgeball...Peace Homies!</div>
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<br /></div>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-38850142883398720202012-04-18T16:19:00.000-07:002012-04-18T16:19:43.863-07:00Week 2...The Sexy Farmer's Tan...The days are monotonous, long and hot, but everybody has the same goal...to get better. Everyday consists of the same routine in the morning practices with games in the afternoons. There is so much talent down here its ridiculous. The Blue Jays organization is absolutely loaded with talent throughout the minor leagues. We are definitely a team that will not only make an impact within the next 3 years, but for years after that as well. I firmly believe with the talent down here in extended, we could hold our own in a low-A league...no doubt about it. There are over 100 kids down here, compared to other organizations having around 70! Although the games are long, its fun to watch everybody play.<br />
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</div><div>The past couple days while shagging Batting Practice, I've tried to make friends with the Dominicans/Venezuelans. In order to make friends, there has to be some line of communication and my spanish is terrible, but so is their english. They have english class at night back at the hotel, but we don't have spanish class. I wish I could speak spanish fluently; it would make things much easier...not necessarily to talk to them, but to know more of what they are saying. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Last Monday I threw a live Batting Practice before throwing in a real game on Thursday and in an inter squad this past Monday. The outing was vs. the Yankees and went very well. I was very pleased with everything, but the one in the inter squad...not so much. I was very inconsistent and all over the place with everything. Nothing felt right, but I guess everybody has those kind of days. The good thing is I knew what I was doing and know what I have to work on. I'll bounce back next time...it's a process. I throw again this Thursday (tomorrow) vs. the Yankees again.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Everybody will be glad to know, I've been working on my farmer's tan everyday! My forearms, back of the neck, and ears are BURNT...but I can't say that so much about the rest of my body. It looks like I took a light brown marker and colored on myself. Last Saturday, I went to the beach hoping to even it out a little bit, but I forgot it wouldn't turn tan right away...instead bright red! So now I have tan forearms, ears, and neck...but burnt red shoulders, back, and upper arms. The beach was a lot of fun though. It was good to hang out with the guys and get out of the hotel, away from the little radius I've been stuck to. I went into the Dick's Sporting Goods right next to the hotel the other day to waste some time after dinner and a girl working there asked if I was going to buy a pair of shoes this time rather than just look at them...needless to say I'll be staying away from going in there for awhile. Talk about awkward and a huge buzz kill...<br />
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I'll try and post again this Sunday...until then...you guys stay classy...<br />
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Respect!</div><div><br />
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</div>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-79395340345017453132012-04-08T18:45:00.000-07:002012-04-08T18:45:06.740-07:00Getting Back in the Swing of Things...Alright, the first week is in the books! It went pretty well and went I had figured it would. Physicals were early Wednesday morning followed by a workout. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were all full team workouts as well with an inter-squad game played Saturday for the guys that have been here since the beginning of full Spring Training. Games against other teams start this week!<br />
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The physicals went well with the exception of one minor part....giving blood! I don't have an issue with needles or giving blood, but when the woman who is doing it gives me the feeling she's trying to poke the needle through the other side of my arm, we could have some problems! I think I could have done it better myself than she did. I could feel the needle go through my vein, much further in than it had to be! It felt like the needle was pushing into the bone! After what felt like an eternity, she finally pulled the needle out and put a bandage on it, but right away I could see something was not right. The vein had swelled to about the size of a gumball! That's when I knew I was going to have a good bruise the following day. The bruise is STILL there and today it looks worse than yesterday! The entire area around my elbow on my left arm is black/purple/yellow. Luckily I was not the only one with a complaint...hopefully that woman is not asked back to draw blood again! Everybody was complaining about how bad it hurt.<br />
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After the physical, we had a light workout and some of us threw a bullpen. We first went and stretched, then did the throwing program, went over bunt defenses and then threw our bullpens. I was one of the one's to throw a bullpen and was glad to. I was ready to go! The bullpen went well...but it felt weird throwing to a catcher rather than a net! The first bullpen was just fastball/changeup. I threw another bullpen on Friday and mixed in all three pitches. Although it was not as good as the first one, one of the positives of the bullpen was my slider. Tomorrow (Monday), I get to throw against hitters and I am PUMPED! I'm ready to start carving some hitters up! Then Thursday, I will throw in a game!<br />
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We play games against the Phillies, Yankees, and Pirates. I would love to see Andy Petitte throw for the Yankees, but I would also love to see us beat him! The games will be played everyday...I think. I'm not exactly sure; I just show up when they tell me to and get my work in! <br />
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Off the field, nothing much has been going on. I've been hanging out with Les (the roommate) and a couple other guys. Around the hotel, we have a huge mall, movie theater, a few restaurants, and other stores. I'm kind of restricted to where I can go due to not having a car, but I will make do. The beach is only about a 15 minute drive away and I'm sure we can find somebody to give us a ride there. I think going to the beach is going to be our new Sunday activity because Sundays are our off days. Today was our first off day, but there was no beach. Instead, Les and I went and got a good long toss in (350+ feet). And yes, I couldn't get away from the game for a day...that't why I love it! We also had the idea of playing golf on Sunday mornings. We were thinking of playing a 2 man scramble and the losers have to buy dinner for the winners (I better win, or else...). Being as competitive as I am, I won't except losing! <br />
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This 6 a.m. wakeup call will come quick so its time to get ready for bed! Until next Sunday night....<br />
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PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST!Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-60692327004765953202012-04-03T07:49:00.000-07:002012-04-03T07:49:08.525-07:00Smell Ya Late Cincinnati...Hey everybody, it's been awhile since I've blogged, but I figured I'd save you the pain of reading the same post over and over again. I've been doing the same thing everyday, all day pretty much. For some reason, baseball players like to have their routines for everything and I am no different. A quick rundown of what my day this off season consisted of...I'd wake up at 8 eat some breakfast, then head to the gym and train for a few hours, after I was done, I would then go throw and get my work in (for the last month I have been throwing into a Lacrosse net...). I would usually be done with everything around 4 everyday then come home and watch MLB Network (best channel on TV).<br />
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Right now, I'm sitting at the gate in the airport waiting for my flight. My flight does not leave until 11:30, but considering the debacle that went down last year when I was trying to get to my flight (if you haven't read about it, you will get a good laugh out of what happened! It's one of the very first posts I had), I figured I would make sure I was early! I also drove my self, so I got to decide the time I left my house...(my Dad made me late last year). I also made sure the bag I checked was under the limit...last year I think it was DOUBLE the weight limit! Another plus to getting to the airport early....PEOPLE WATCHING! There's nothing better than people watching...if you know me...you know I love people watching. I guess you could list it up there as one of my favorite hobbies, but it should be one of everybody's favorite hobbies...there's no telling what you'll see!<br />
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I will arrive in Tampa, Fl at 1:30. My buddy lands at 1:00 and he's supposed to wait for me so we can ride the shuttle over to the hotel together, but I guess we'll see if he remembers when I get down there. By the way, he also has a blog...it's called Les is More Diamond Diaries (his name is Les). To be quite honest with you, I've never looked at the blog, but go ahead and check it out for yourself! Although his name is Les, I call him Chocolate Moose! Les is a good dude though...one of the guys I became really close with last year in Bluefield. He loves his video games and I've seen him throw a few temper tantrums...let me tell you, they remind me of a 4 year old when his mommy wouldn't give him ice cream for breakfast...throwing punches at the couch, kicking the base board, slamming back into the cushion, and there may have been a few expletives thrown around as well...OUTRAGEOUS! <br />
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I can't wait to get to Florida and start playing. I have been chomping at the bit for months now and it's finally time to get this show on the road. I have prepared and worked harder than I have ever worked in my life for anything and I am confident that nobody has outworked me. I have put in the work and I know it will all pay off. I can't wait to throw to another person instead of a net, or throw to a catcher, or even face hitters (they're screwed, I won't lie). All I know is that tomorrow morning we have physicals bright and early at 6:30 a.m. followed by the first workout of Extended Spring Training. I'm interested to see what it consists of, but I'm thinking it will be somewhat like it was when I was down there last year for mini camp.<br />
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I wanted to thank a couple people as well. I have been living at home since Christmas and have been working out at Moeller High School (home of Ken Griffey Junior and HOF Barry Larkin). I can't even begin to explain how helpful and courteous the coaches over there have been. They have opened their arms and welcomed me. They have let me use all of their facilities to workout and throw and run and everything. WIthout them I truly don't know what I would have done. I also want to thank Scott Humes and Mike Maundrell. They are two of my coaches from my High School days and I still try to work with them anytime possible. I learned so much this offseason because of these two. I am extremely thankful to all the coaches at Moeller, Scott Humes, and Mike Maundrell...Thanks guys!<br />
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If any of you are down around the Tampa area, don't be afraid to get ahold of me! If you don't have my number, get ahold of me on Twitter...I'm all over Twitter. My handle (username) is @thebearjew36. Yes, I am The Bearjew...the one and only! If you don't get the pun...you need to watch the movie Inglorious Bastards...<br />
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(I got distracted for a good 10 minutes because there was a young man that sat a few seats over from me blasting and I mean BLASTING Akon's song I Just Had Sex....hahahaha I didn't think that was airport appropriate, but whatever floats his boat...)<br />
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Alright guys, have to board now so the next time I blog, it'll be from Dunedin, Florida! <br />
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Cya, Wouldn't wanna be ya!<br />
Peace HomeslicesIanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-83010455856722810082012-01-22T18:38:00.000-08:002012-01-22T18:38:33.716-08:00I Owe it All to Them...Once again, I was lucky enough to be asked back to write another blog post for MLB Reports! I always love being asked to write for them! This time they asked me to write about the biggest baseball influences in my life...and I'm warning you, this could take awhile! I have been playing baseball for as long as I can remember, so obviously I am going to have many people that have influenced my baseball career. If I don't mention you specifically, I am sorry, but the list is way too long and I have to pick the biggest influential people in my baseball career. <br />
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I am going to start by saying my parents are easily the single biggest influence in my life, whether it be on or off the field. They have molded me into the man (sometimes little kid) that I am today and I am a product of them. They have always supported me no matter what I do and they have always been there for me through thick and thin. They have been there for the hardest times and have somehow always gotten me through it. They have taught me to chase a childhood dream and put everything I have into it. They taught me to never give up, they taught me to work harder than anybody else, they taught me to play the game right, the list could go on for days of what they have taught me and I could never thank them enough. For that and everything else they have done for me, I owe it all to them. I love you Mom and Dad!<br />
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The second biggest influence in my baseball career is an easy choice. It is a guy named Mike Maundrell. He was my pitching coach when I played at Midland and started the molding process of the pitcher that I am today. He has taught me literally everything I know about pitching and is still teaching me today. I have known him since I was 16 and he completely changed me as a pitcher and as a person. He was the first coach I had who taught me what hard work really was and what I had to do to better myself. I still work with him to this day and I have been training with him this off season here in Cincinnati. I can honestly say, I would not still be playing baseball if I had never met Coach Maundrell. He knows more about pitching than any human probably should know and he could talk about pitching for days on end. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with him for several years and will forever be in debt to him for everything he has taught/ is teaching me about pitching.<br />
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Another big influence in my baseball career is Tim Adkins. He and I both will admit we had our tough times together, but he was the one that gave me the great opportunity to play collegiate baseball at Marshall University. He was the pitching coach at Marshall at the time and he pushed me to great lengths. He pushed me to the breaking point, but he made me as strong as I am today because he pushed me to such great lengths and found that breaking point. He was the one that truly found out what made me tick and what got me going. I learned so much from him not just on the baseball field, but off as well. He continued to teach me what hard work is and he taught me to find out what works for me. I owe him a tremendous amount of credit because he developed me into the hard worker that I am and taught me that if I want something to go get it and let nothing get in my way. Along with Coach Adkins, I owe Coach Waggoner a tremendous amount of credit as well. He was my head coach at Marshall University and he has always been there for me. He always told me if I ever need anything at all to call him and he would be there for my family and me. He genuinely cared about my family and me and I can't stress enough how much I appreciate it. He always had confidence in me whether I was really good that day or extremely bad. He deserves a great amount of credit for how much he stood behind me and I thank him for that.<br />
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Coach Adkins departed from Marshall University after my Sophomore year and was replaced by Joe Renner. Coach Renner and Coach Maundrell are like brothers and they both teach the same concepts. Coach Renner continued to teach me what Coach Maundrell taught me. Coach Renner and I grew to become extremely close in just 2 years. I feel like I can go to him with anything and talk about it and he will help me through it to the best of his ability. It was extremely sad to walk off the field after my last collegiate game and see tears in his eyes because it was the last game he would coach me in. It brought tears to my eyes and I will never forget the 2 years I worked with him. He worked extremely hard to get me to the next level and I am very thankful for everything he has done for me. I know we will remain in contact for years to come!<br />
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The last person that I want to mention who has been tremendously influential in my baseball career is Clarence Mitchell. He was my baseball coach when I was 13-15 years old and I am telling you what, he was the strictest coach I have ever had. He taught me the true meaning of discipline and made sure he engraved it in our heads. I still remember to this day taking a ground ball to the eye during infield practice and the eye swelling up instantly and bleeding profusely, but refusing to come out because of the discipline he preached or the running for hours on end if we messed up or did something the wrong way. He taught me what hustling is and I still to this day have everything he taught engraved into my baseball actions and life in general. <br />
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Other people that were influential in my baseball career include Chris Fiehrer (my high school coach), Scott Humes (Midland Coach), Jeff Newman (Midland Coach), and Bernie Barre, Although Bernie Barre wasn't a baseball coach and had nothing to do with baseball, he taught me life lessons I can use on the baseball field. He was my football coach and was one of the best football coaches in the history of Ohio High School Football. <br />
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I also want to mention Dennis Holmberg. He was my very first professional baseball manager and he taught me so much more about the game of baseball that I never knew. I made sure I wrote down everything he taught me so it will be with me forever. He made my first professional season one that I will never forget. <br />
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I can't begin to express how much I appreciate everybody that has had an influence on my baseball career. I owe them all a HUGE thank you and I would not be where I am today without them. I am so grateful for everybody that has influenced me so Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-68030459522654939482011-12-27T08:17:00.000-08:002011-12-27T08:20:55.589-08:00Twitter Ten: Top Minor League Players To Follow | Baseball Digest<a href="http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/12/19/twitter-ten-top-minor-league-players-to-follow/#.TvnvbKNhZKU.blogger">Twitter Ten: Top Minor League Players To Follow | Baseball Digest</a><br />
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</div><div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Recently, I was named to the Top Ten Minor League Players to Follow! I am all over Twitter, if your not following me, you should be! I am very interactive with all my followers and try to answer everybody's comments! I am honored to be apart of this list and owe it all to the people who follow me! If you notice there are 3 Blue Jays on the list, Deck McGuire and Justin Jackson and myself. Does that mean the Blue Jays have the best Twitter game in all of minor league baseball? I think so!</div></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Anyways, Check it and follow me @Bearjew36</div></div></div>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-83770572431390952552011-12-27T08:00:00.000-08:002011-12-27T08:03:35.208-08:00Happy HolidaysOnce again, it's been awhile since I have blogged, but I hope everybody had a Happy Holiday(s). I am at home right now in Cincinnati to spend time with my family. We just got home from a family vacation to New York City. My mom did all the planning and once again she hit it right on the nose. For everybody that doesn't know, my mom is the best vacation planner there is. She planned our family vacation last year around this time to California down the coast from San Francisco to San Diego and she planned this years as well. <br />
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It was my first time to the big apple so I had no idea what to expect, with the exception that there would be HUGE crowds at all times. We stayed in the Trump at Soho which was an extremely nice hotel. If you know my family, it is essential that we have access to a gym and not just a regular hotel gym, but a gym where we can get things done and get a good workout in every morning. Soho is an area of New York City. I guess it's known as the area where all the models are, but I wouldn't be able to spot a model if I tried so I didn't see any. My mom and dad planned out our days once we arrived in the city and they made sure we saw all the typical tourist places along with some places that would be considered off the map for tourists. <br />
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Day 1 - The first day we spent around the hotel. We walked around the Soho area and shopped a little bit. It was a very cool area and it was probably my favorite area because there weren't as many people and as many crowds in Soho as there were in the main parts of the city. After we shopped in Soho for a little while, we made our way down to ground zero. I'll never forget ground zero with all the construction still to this day. We also saw Wall Street before heading back to the hotel to relax a little bit. That night we ate at a little Italian restaurant right down the road from our hotel. I won't even try to spell the name because I would do it an injustice. The food was amazing and it was a very cool atmosphere.<br />
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</div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L5aPx1M6wLI/Tvna5K7AZbI/AAAAAAAAAB8/9Z8St09kmdw/s1600/IMG_0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L5aPx1M6wLI/Tvna5K7AZbI/AAAAAAAAAB8/9Z8St09kmdw/s320/IMG_0161.JPG" width="320" /></a>Day 2 - After everybody got up and worked out, we all got ready to go out for the day again. We spent the day along 5th avenue shopping and walking around. For dinner we went to a very nice restaurant called BLT Fish. The BLT chain has a couple different restaurants in the New York City area, but my Dad had been to BLT Fish before and loved it. He wanted to take us back to show us. We met one of my parents friend's daughters there as well because she goes to college in NYC. She is also pretty good friends with my little brother, Max. The meal was unbelievable. The best part of the meal and the most unreal part of the meal was dessert. We had ordered several different ones because there are 6 people with 6 different tastes in my family (the menu only had 7 different dessert choices). I think the restaurant was shocked at how much dessert we ordered they just threw in the other dessert dishes that we had not ordered as a thank you. They also give everybody green apple flavored cotton candy at the end of the meal. It was an awesome place! <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6aPoUPFwxk/TvneFWvqdZI/AAAAAAAAACI/dztEFPF1U4o/s1600/IMG_0205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6aPoUPFwxk/TvneFWvqdZI/AAAAAAAAACI/dztEFPF1U4o/s320/IMG_0205.jpg" width="239" /></a>Day 3 - After the workouts, we spent the day around Times Square walking around and shopping once again. Times Square was one of the cooler visuals I have ever seen. I have always seen it in movies and on TV, but this was the first time I had seen it in person and it was unreal. There were so many people walking around that it was honestly hard to maneuver between everybody. My poor little 9 year old brother almost got ran over multiple times. That night my mom had gotten tickets for the family to go see the Rockettes. I am in no way a museum person or musical show person, but this show was pretty good. It was cool to see the famous Rockettes and it was worth going to see. After the show, we ate at a nice Italian place that looked like it could be the headquarters for the Italian mafia. We had reservations, but we could've gone in without any and have been sat in the same amount of time. Once we did sit down, the food was worth the wait. They are known for their veal and I shied away from it, but my mom got it. I ended up trying it and it was really really good. I ended up eating the rest of her dish that she didn't eat. <br />
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Day 4 - My Dad is originally from Framingham, Massachusetts so his entire family live in that region. He has some cousins that live in the Brooklyn area and we spent a day to go visit with them. We met his cousin at a little mexican burrito place in Brooklyn called Calexico. We then walked around the Brooklyn area and he showed us a great view of the city skyline. He also showed us where he plays stickball on occasions. He even gave Cooper a stick ball bat (its basically just a small dowel stick). Cooper has been pumped about it and has been wanting to play ever since he has gotten it. I told him we will play after i get a bat grip to put on the stick, but what he doesn't know is that he won't win (yes, I know I'm too competitive to let my 9 year old brother win). The only down part of the day was that it was a little gloomy and rainy out, but it didn't stop us from walking around. Later that night, we went back into the city to eat dinner with my dad's cousins. There were three of them, Seth, Marne, and Suzanne and Suzanne's boyfriend. We went to a place called Sammy's Romanian Steakhouse. Let me tell you, words can't even begin to describe how cool and how much fun this place was. It was one of the funnest times I have ever had. It is this heavy Jewish steakhouse with very traditional styles. They sat us upstairs where the ceiling was so low that I had to bend over so I wouldn't hit my head (I am only 6 feet tall if that gives you any help with how low the ceiling was). Nobody had ever been there, but Seth had friends that recommended it. When we first arrived the waiter came up to us and said what do you want to drink? Vodka? (Does that help to describe the place a little bit?) Of course we said sure to the Vodka. The steakhouse served everything family style in very large proportions. We had chopped liver, chicken, stuffed cabbage, steak, salad, sausage, and salmon. There was way too much food for all of us to finish, but my favorite was the stuffed cabbage and chopped liver. All the food was unbelievable. The funniest part of the night was the DJ. They had a very Jewish DJ (my brothers and I said he is dead on Weird Al Yankovich if Weird Al had never gotten famous) that had a very heavy Jewish New York accent that made Jewish jokes and made fun of everybody there. It was hysterical. He played all the traditional Jewish songs earlier in the night and then once it started getting late, it seemed like the place turned into a club! By the end of the night, we were all dancing and having a great time (maybe due to the Vodka? but I would like to think it was because of the great company!). As we were walking out to leave, we saw a site that I thought I would NEVER see. We saw a guy being carried out by two of the guys that work there (yes I have seen somebody so drunk get carried out before). The funny thing was that he was an orthodox Jew! He had the long long beard with the curly cue side burns. We all thought he was going to blow chunks all over us so we made a dash to get out of the way! It was the absolute best way to celebrate Hanukkah with the ones I love. I still can't get over how much fun it was! <br />
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Day 5 - Once again, after we all worked out and got ready, we spent the day walking through the Flat Iron District. After I worked out, I had an interview with the kid reporter! She has interviews Curtis Granderson among other big league players. Her name was Haley and we met in the lobby of my hotel for the interview. She asked some great questions and as soon as the article is published, hopefully I will have a link to it so everybody can see! She really did a great job! It is called that because of a famous building. The building looked crazy! it was fit into this tiny corner, but it had a great view of the Empire State Building. After we walked around the Flat Iron District, we went up to the top of the Empire State Building. It was so windy up there, but the view from the top was unreal. You could see forever it seemed like!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Day 6 - This was our last full day in New York City and we spent the day walking around and shopping by the Rockefeller Center (if you haven't caught on, my family loves to shop). We had a tour of the NBC studios as well. After the tour, we went and ate at the famous Carnegie Deli. The portions there were unreal! The corned beef and roast beef sandwiches were stacked high. I don't know how one person is expected to eat a whole sandwich. That night we had tickets to the Rangers vs. Flyers hockey game. It was the first hockey game I have ever been to and I'll admit it was awesome! It was so much fun! I think hockey is the only sport where you can't get through the entire National Anthem quietly. People were cheering and going crazy throughout the entire song! The game was awesome, even though the only rule I know is that fighting isn't discouraged! I am a new fan of hockey as I think my brothers are too. <br />
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Day 7 - We had a flight out of New York City later that night so we still had half a day to do things. We went and saw Grand Central Station. It too looked like it was out of a movie! Apple had a store there that was really really cool because it was right in the middle of the station, but if you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't have noticed it. After that, we made our way to the airport a little early, hoping to miss the Holiday traffic. It was our lucky day, a TSA worker let us slip by the lines! I think it was due to the fact that he saw our family was so big and we had a little 9 year old. We had a safe flight home and it was really good to be home. There is nothing like home!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It was a very successful trip and a very fun trip. Everybody enjoyed it and it was great to be with all the family together! My mom did an exceptional job planning the trip and my dad planned out the days. I feel like we saw everything we needed to see and then some! I hope everybody has a great New Year!Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-19873624389258821182011-11-27T12:04:00.000-08:002011-11-27T12:04:47.318-08:00ThanksgivingI had the opportunity to go home for a week for Thanksgiving to spend the week with my family. It felt really good to be home and I wish I could have spent more time at home, but I had to be back Friday morning for Black Friday (I had to work it). <br />
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My family had Thanksgiving at our house this year. My mom's side of the family came over and spent Thanksgiving with us. My mom made so much food (all of it was amazing), we had enough leftovers to have another whole Thanksgiving dinner! It was good to see everybody and it was a very good holiday. I am thankful for so much, the list goes on and on, and I wouldn't want to give it up for the world. I have came to realize the older I get, the more I look forward to going home. I think it's funny because when I was younger, I looked forward to leaving the house. It has come full circle and I loved being home, spending time with my family! <br />
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Black Friday, on the other hand, I dreaded working it. Thankfully, I did not have to work at 4 am or those early hours and only had to go in at 2 - 8 pm. I got lucky because I just missed the Black Friday rush. Don't get me wrong, it was really busy when I was there, but it wasn't so busy that it was out of control. I heard that earlier in the day the lines stretched all the way to the far back corner of the store!<br />
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I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! December is coming up and you know what that means...Baseball is right around the corner!Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-37667820397296123572011-11-11T07:13:00.000-08:002011-11-11T07:13:01.220-08:00Veteran's DayToday is Veteran's Day and I want to take a moment to thank all the men and women that have served this country. This country would not be where it is today without them and they are the reason we have the freedom we have. Both men and women have sacrificed their lives for this country and there is no greater thing you can do for your country than serve in the military. <br />
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It also puts into perspective how lucky we are as a country. I, myself, am extremely lucky and I couldn't be more thankful. I am able to live out my childhood dream of playing baseball and one day hope to make the dream come true and play in the big leagues. I am also lucky enough to have a college degree that not everybody is able to receive. This will be with me forever and nobody will be able to take it away from me. I am truly thankful for everything and everybody I have in my life. I am thankful for have loving parents and 3 awesome younger brothers. I wouldn't change it for the world.<br />
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Everybody knows a person that has served or is serving this country in one way or another. They have touched millions of people's lives and we should all be very thankful for them. If there is a veteran reading this or somebody that is serving us right now, I want to personally thank you for everything you have done for this country. We all really appreciate it and we would not be where we are today without you guys!Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-24713716996439733102011-11-11T07:00:00.000-08:002011-11-11T07:00:10.780-08:00Proud Big Brother...I want to dedicate this post to my little brother, Max. Earlier this week he committed to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina to play baseball next year! About a month ago, he and I took a trip to Furman for a visit/showcase. We were both hoping he would be offered the chance to play there because he liked it down there and so did I! Furman is a beautiful school, in a great city, with unbelievable academics. The baseball team plays a good schedule as well.<div><br />
</div><div>I didn't need to see anything from my brother as far as his baseball skills go because I already knew that he had the talent to play at the Division I level; I have been saying it all along. Watching him play in the showcase just proved my point even more that he could play and excel at the Division I level. He was hands down the best one there. He may not have been the fastest or the tallest, but he was the smoothest in the infield, had the strongest arm out of anybody in any position, had the best range in the infield and had the best look as far as looking like a baseball player goes. He also looked the strongest out of anybody there (I won't lie, he is BIG). Just by watching, you could tell he was a cut above the others. All this was also the morning after he had just finished playing a football on Friday night! <div><br />
</div><div>I couldn't be any happier for him because I know how much he wanted to play and how much he wanted the chance to play at the next level. He has put in a tremendous amount of work and dedication to getting better and you can tell just by looking at him. He has transformed his body from small and wiry, to muscular and cut. I'll give it to him, he looks really good.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I know my entire family is proud of him and I know he is ecstatic to have the chance to play at the next level. I am definitely a proud big brother and I can't wait to be able to watch him play at the collegiate level. </div><div><br />
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</div></div>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-32831293731204365682011-10-25T13:17:00.000-07:002011-10-25T13:17:47.788-07:00Long Time, No Talk...I realize it has been almost a month since I have last blogged, but I have been busier than I expected myself to be and quite honest not too much is going on....<br />
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I have been working at Dick's Sporting Goods as a Sales Associate in Team Sports. It is a rather easy job, but the hours are long. I usually work 3 - 9:30 pm. When I finally get home from work, I am exhausted and usually watch a little bit of TV then get in bed. Everyday I have a couple of duties or jobs that I have to get done, but they never take longer than an hour. Some of the jobs consist of restocking shelves or rearranging shelves. <br />
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The worst part of the job is having to pick up after these little kids. I have come to realize that most parents have ZERO control over their kids and let them run around like maniacs. These little kids rip things off the shelves and leave them on the ground or rip things out of the package and leave them laying around. Nothing has made me madder since I have started working than when little kids do this or when their parents allow it!<br />
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Aside from working, I have been training extremely hard. Every morning, Monday - Friday, I get up at about 9 am and get some breakfast. I then watch some Sportscenter or MLB Network before I get ready to head to the gym. I usually get to the gym around 10 and train from 10-12:30/1. I get my cardio in along with my weight training and core work.<br />
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When I get home from the gym, I make something to eat for lunch and shower before I usually go to work. Thankfully, I have had today and yesterday (Monday and Tuesday) off to relax a little bit.<br />
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A couple of weekends ago, I took a road trip with my brothers, Max and Cooper down to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. My brother, Max, was going down there for a baseball showcase type thing. I drove home Friday for his football game, which they won, and after the game we loaded up the car and set off. Cooper was able to watch his movies in the back seat while Max and I talked in the front seat. It was the first time Max and I had been able to talk about anything and everything by ourselves in a long time.<br />
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It was an easy drive until they both fell asleep and I was left all alone. It was about a 7 hour drive. I tried stopping in Gatlinburg, Tennessee to get a hotel for us because the plan was to drive until I got tired, then stop and get a hotel somewhere, then wake up early Saturday morning and finish the drive....no such luck. There was not one hotel with any vacancy so I made the decision to fill up on gas and get all hopped up on caffeine and finish the drive that night. I won't lie, driving through the Smokey Mountains was scary. It was all twists and turns, then factor in the big semi-trucks that were on my rear, it was nerve wracking. Once I got through the mountains, I finally stopped in Asheville, North Carolina, about an hour away from Furman. I was exhausted and needed a couple hours of sleep. I pulled off around 5 am in a Holiday Inn parking lot and slept for about 3 hours. When I woke up at 8, we pulled out again and finished the hour drive. <br />
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It was a good weekend, there was a little fall festival in downtown Greenville that "the brothers" went to after Max was done with baseball (Cooper always used to refer to Kendall, Max, himself and I, as "the brothers" when he was talking about us all in a group, so it kind of caught on as a nickname of sorts). We found a cool little sports bar to get some dinner at while we watched some college football. It was WILD in there because the Clemson game was on and Clemson is only about 15 minutes from where we were.<br />
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Max's baseball was a 2 day event on Saturday and Sunday. I will hold my own opinions on how he did to myself because to me it is a NO BRAINER that he was the best middle infielder there, HANDS DOWN! But yet again coaches are all caught up on the size of the kid rather than the heart and work ethic and desire of the kid, but thats a whole other issue...<br />
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Sunday after Max was done, we made the drive home. We met my parents right outside of Lexington so they could take Max and Coop back to Cincinnati and I could go my separate way back to Huntington, WV...all in all it was a fun trip and the brothers had some great bonding time. <br />
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That has been the most exciting thing that I have done in the past month or so. Lately, I have been getting that itch to start baseball again. I can't help, but get excited, especially as I am watching the World Series! <br />
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Once again, sorry it has been so long since I last blogged, but I will try to write more...Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-18520383557935788682011-09-28T11:32:00.000-07:002011-09-28T13:36:39.256-07:00MLB Reports #2So MLB Reports asked me to do another blog entry because there was good feedback on the first one. This will be a 2 part entry, the first part looking back at my 2011 season and how it went and the second part will be about what my offseason will consist of and my expectations for 2012.<br />
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<b><u>Part 1 - A Look Back at the 2011 Season</u></b><br />
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In my opinion, the 2011 season had it's ups and downs as well a learning curve, both personally and as a team. The Bluefield team made a great first impression and was a big hit (no pun intended). It was the Blue Jays first year in Bluefield after a 52 year existence of the Baltimore Oriole organization. We surely set the bar high for next year's team. From what everybody said, the Oriole's didn't win much in Bluefield and the fans didn't show much support because they weren't winning. We brought a Division Championship to Bluefield in our first year, which the fans were ecstatic about, but what surprised the team was how into the Bluefield/Princeton rivalry the fans were. I'm telling you, these fans went nuts when we played the Princeton Rays. They sold out the stadium every game of the series because of the close proximity of the two teams (only about 15 minutes). The rivalry was for the Mercer Cup. It's called the Mercer Cup because the two teams are located in Mercer County. The Blue Jays won the Mercer Cup this year and I honestly think the fans were happier we won the Mercer Cup rather than the Division Championship! Princeton had won the Mercer Cup the past several years and it's about time it's back in Bluefield. We made it all the way to the League Championship vs. the Johnson City Cardinals, but came up just short. They won the best of 3 series to capture their second league championship in a row. <br />
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The team was a great group of guys. Everybody got along and a big reason why we were so successful was due to our chemistry. Everybody pushed one another and everybody picked each other up. We played as a team, just how our manager wanted us to play. He always said to put aside your personal goals and go after the team goals and your personal goals will follow. Our coaching staff was just as great. I can't even begin to explain how much I learned from my manager. He taught me not only on the field, but off the field. I actually have a notebook full of quotes he said and lessons he would teach the team throughout the season. Now that I think of it, I still owe him a Marshall University clock and Montgomery Inn barbecue sauce (Montgomery Inn is a world famous rib place in Cincinnati with the BEST barbecue sauce in the history of all barbecue sauces). He loves collecting clocks and has a great amount of them hanging in the locker room. I owe him a Marshall University one because I came into the locker room one day and saw a WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY clock hanging from a wall. Marshall and West Virginia are HUGE rivals and it's either one or the other...he told me if I got him a Marshall clock he would get rid of the West Virginia clock. <br />
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I could go on and on with the stories, but overall the season was a successful one, and one that made me want more...Now that it's the offseason, I can concentrate on what I need to improve on and prepare for a strong Spring Training and 2012 season...<br />
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<b><u>Part 2 - Offseason and Expectations for 2012</u></b><br />
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This offseason, I am back in Huntington, West Virginia. Marshall is located in Huntington and there are a few different reasons why I chose to come back even though I graduated last May. The biggest reason I chose to come back is due to the fact that I would have a great gym to train at for free. The Strength and Conditioning Coach that I had in college told me I could train there in the offseason for free if I wanted to. The pitching coach at Marshall also told me that I could come throw with him whenever I wanted/needed to. He offered to have somebody catch my bullpens when the time came and he also said I could face some hitters before I left for Spring Training, which will be a great help. That makes it so much easier for me rather than being at home because I would have to find a gym in Cincinnati and pay a monthly fee and more than likely the gym wouldn't have everything I needed. I also would be scrambling to find somebody/somewhere to throw when the time came.<br />
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After a long college season, followed by another professional short-season, I gave my body a week off to recuperate from all the wear and tear of the baseball season. This offseason, my plan is to hit the weight room hard in order to become bigger, faster, and stronger in a baseball pitching aspect. The Blue Jays gave everybody in the organization a big booklet with specific workouts in them. I have specific goals that I am wishing to achieve in the offseason. I also want to improve on my flaws not only in the weight room, but on the field as well. I am going to take time off from throwing to give my arm a rest, but not too long of a rest because I can't use spring training as a time for my arm to get in shape. I need to go to spring training 100% ready to go... <br />
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Aside from training in the offseason, I got a job working at Dick's Sporting Goods. It's just like a Sports Authority or any other sporting good store like that. I wanted to get a job because I do not want to rely on my parents for everything. Many minor league players have to get a job in the offseason because not everybody signs a large signing bonus so it is not uncommon to get an offseason job. I am actually looking forward to it because it will keep me busy when I am not training.<br />
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My expectations are just like any other minor league player's expectations. We all have goals we want to achieve and we all have dreams we want to come true. I'm no different. I am very hard on myself and push my body to great lengths, almost to failure because I know it will pay off during the season. The work I put in off the field will prepare me for every situation on field. There are specific expectations/goals that I have. Of course, one of them is to hopefully receive a promotion, but before I can do that I have to better myself. I'm going to work extremely hard this offseason, harder than I have ever worked because that's all I know. I have worked extremely hard to get to this point and I am still not satisfied... I'm going to get after it and hopefully the hard work will pay off...Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-40713628831586364632011-09-28T10:54:00.000-07:002011-09-28T10:54:06.621-07:00It's about time...The first part of this week has been a much needed one, because I finally found a job. I'm going to be working at Dick's Sporting Goods in Team Sports Sales. It's about time I found a job (I know my dad is happy). The interview was not your typical interview either. The guy only wanted to talk about baseball, the Blue Jays, and minor league baseball, which I had no problem doing because I felt more comfortable doing that compared to a typical interview anyway. <div><br />
</div><div>I had ONLY applied to about 20 different places...I never thought getting a job would be as hard as it was. I think I had a hard time because I have never had a job before in part because I have never had any time. That made it more difficult for me because more often than not, places would rather hire somebody with experience. Ever since I can remember, I have been busy with baseball or some other sport and have not had the time to get a job (Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about it). A great deal of stress was lifted off my chest when I was offered the job and I feel so relieved to finally have been hired. I actually look forward to working because it will keep me busy...is that bad? <div><br />
</div><div>I go in tomorrow at 3 for orientation. I am not sure what orientation/training will consist of, but it can't be too hard...</div></div>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-16877407675901911142011-09-20T15:15:00.000-07:002011-09-20T15:56:05.190-07:00On My Own...Due to the fact that I am not represented by an agent/advisor, I am left having to supply myself with running shoes, training shoes, spikes, gloves, and all the other necessities of professional baseball. The last couple of days, I have been trying to get ahold of various companies, such as Under Armour, Nike, New Balance, Wilson, Louisville Slugger and Rawlings to talk to them about an endorsement deal. I have written separate e-mails based on each company that I am hoping to send out. I had my dad look over them for me just to make sure they were business appropriate (my dad is a lawyer so he deals with business e-mails and letters all the time). Most agents already have these connections, but since I am not represented, I have to build them myself. <br />
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So far, I have contacted New Balance, Louisville Slugger, and Under Armour. My goal for tomorrow is to reach the other companies by either phone or e-mail. I have been lucky so far in not having too much trouble finding the contacts.<br />
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I was lucky enough to be able to find the e-mail address to New Balance and Louisville Slugger. Under Armour was a little bit tougher. Thankfully, the internet has almost everything. I was able to find out who I needed to be in contact with at Under Armour. I called the customer service number and they transferred me to a receptionist who transferred me to who I was trying to reach. I did not think I would actually be able to have a conversation with the person, but luckily he answered! I was shocked he answered because I was preparing myself for the voicemail. I told him what I was trying to do and why I wanted to contact Under Armour. I can not even begin to describe how impressed I was with him because he actually took the time to listen to what I had to say. I developed a great amount of respect for him and Under Armour. <br />
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Hopefully, I will not have a hard time tomorrow trying to find the contacts for the other companies and hopefully, I hear back from Under Armour, New Balance, and/or Louisville Slugger. I will keep you guys updated...Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-51161150064170094292011-09-14T09:02:00.000-07:002011-09-14T09:02:39.532-07:00I'm Not Normal...Yes, you read that right...I'm not normal. I haven't met another person that loves the feeling of being sore after a hard work out like I do. Last week, I took the week off to let my body recover after 2 hard baseball seasons (college and short season for the Jays). I started working out this past Monday again and needless to say, I am sore. I lifted legs Monday and upper body Tuesday. Wednesday is the day where I don't lift, but I will still do my shoulder program. When I woke up Tuesday, my legs were toast. And when I woke up this morning, my back was toast. I don't know why I love that feeling, but it gives me satisfaction that I know I worked hard and got after it in the weight room. There will be and has been a great amount of stretching so I will not get too tight and stay lean. <br />
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During my week off last week, I went job hunting. I have applied to 11 different places and am waiting to hear back. Hopefully, one of them will call, but if not I will continue to look. I had no idea it would be this hard to find a job. Because I just got into town last week and school was already 2 weeks in, most places have already hired the college students. If I haven't found a job by this weekend, I am going to go home Friday night to watch my brother, Max. The high school football team plays the big rival this weekend, Indian Hill and I haven't been home in a long time.<br />
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On the baseball side of things, I want to congratulate the Vancouver Canadians for winning the Northwest League Championship. They are affiliated with the Blue Jays and are the other short season team. I knew several people on the team and couldn't have been happier for them. The Blue Jays minor league system is having an unbelievable season. Bluefield (rookie level short season), Vancouver (short season A), Lansing (LowA), Dunedin (HighA), and New Hampshire (AA) all made playoff appearances with Bluefield, Vancouver, Lansing and New Hampshire making it all the way to the Championship series. Vancouver is the only winner so far as Lansing and New Hampshire are still playing...Best of luck to them!Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-75634412220548536092011-09-08T08:12:00.000-07:002011-09-08T08:12:41.488-07:00MLB ReportsI was recently approached by MLB Reports to be featured on their website. We both got together to come up with an idea of what to do and we decided on a blog post about the path I took to get to professional baseball. Most of you guys that are close to me probably know the story already, but here it is again for the ones who don't...<br />
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I went to a small high school just North of Cincinnati, Wyoming High School. My graduating class was only 160 kids and football is the big thing there (Football is the big high school sport in Ohio). I actually thought I was going to play college football as a kicker. I thought I had a better chance at football than I did at baseball even though my childhood dream was to be a big league pitcher. I was not highly recruited for baseball and if it wasn't for the summer program I played for, I would not have had the chance to play college baseball. I played for Midland Baseball and that is where I met one of the most influential coaches of my life, Mike Maundrell. Coach Maundrell taught me everything I know about pitching and taught me exactly what I needed to do to be successful. Midland is the best summer baseball program in the country and attracts kids from all over the country. There is a great number of major leaguers that have played for them and it was an unbelievable experience to be able to play for them. I learned more about baseball in those 3 years than I did at any point up until then. I committed to play baseball at Marshall University.<br />
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I spent 4 years at Marshall, earning my degree in Business Management with minors in marketing and entrepreneurship. In those 4 years, I learned a tremendous amount about baseball and life. I really think those 4 years prepared me for professional baseball because I lived on my own and learned how to deal with factors outside of baseball. I never really had great success in college baseball and at one point, I was ready to transfer out (my mom and dad are the only ones that know how many break downs I had because I was so frustrated. I was working harder than everybody and I was still not getting the results I wanted.).<br />
After my sophomore year, I went back home to play summer baseball in the Great Lakes League for the Cincinnati Steam. I went home because I needed to decide if I wanted to go back to Marshall or transfer somewhere else. That summer was the deciding factor because I got to spend time with my family and play with some very close friends that I had played with growing up. I went back to Marshall as a Junior and there was a new pitching coach. Joe Renner was a coach at Midland so I kind of knew him even though he was a new coach. I was very excited to work with him and after the summer I had, I was newly energized and ready to get back to work. I continued to work hard and ended up earning the Friday night starter role. This was a big jump for me because I had never started and the previous 2 years, I was pitching out of the bullpen. I struggled in the starter role and had again, another frustrating season. <br />
After my Junior year, I went to play with the Rochester Honkers in the Northwoods League. Playing there was truly the best experience for me since playing for Midland. All the guys on the team were great guys and we all became pretty close. The guys on the team taught me how to have fun with baseball again and relax. I was taking the game way too seriously and was not playing up to how I thought I should be playing because I was too uptight. Going into my senior season, the coaches were wanting to put me into the closer's role and I couldn't have been happier. I embraced the role and told myself I was going to have more fun this year. Senior year was much more fun than the previous 3 years because I was more laid back. After my senior season, I went home to wait and see what would happen with the draft.<br />
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I won't lie, I was hoping I was going to get drafted, but as day 3 came, I was slowly beginning to think that I was not going to get a chance to play professional baseball and keep my dream alive. My dad and I went golfing on day 3 of the draft just to try to get my mind off of things, but I was still thinking about it. I was on my phone all day and when I learned that it was late in the draft and I still had not gotten picked yet, I began to talk with my dad about where I go from there. I did not know if I wanted to go to grad school or try to get a job in the real world. As soon as the draft was over, we were just finishing golfing and that's when I got the call. Nick Manno, the area scout for the Blue Jays, called me and explained the situation to me. He said he knew that money did not matter to me and he knew that all I ever wanted was a chance to prove myself and play. He offered me a free agent contract and I gladly accepted! My dream was still alive, and I couldn't have been happier! <br />
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From there, I was off to Florida for a mini-camp and to keep my dream alive, just like every other little 12 year old, to be a big league pitcher...Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-52963764550067981992011-09-07T15:45:00.000-07:002011-09-07T15:45:19.124-07:00The Start of the OffseasonNow that the season is over, that means the dreaded offseason is here...I will be living in Huntington, WV. I know my parents probably wish that I was coming home, but I know I will get more done here because I will have the resources I need. I will have a free gym to workout at with my college strength and conditioning coach and somewhere to throw when I start throwing. <div><br />
</div><div>The offseason also means that I will have to find a job. I have applied to several places and am still looking. I think it hurts that I just now got to town because all the college students have started working. </div><div><br />
</div><div>I am completely moved into my new apartment and finally got cable and internet earlier today. I was quite bored the last 2 days without internet or cable. The only internet source I had was my phone. And the only thing I could watch on TV was a movie I had (the movie Wall Street, which I had never seen before. I thought it was a good movie, but I did not like the ending.)</div><div><br />
</div><div>Even though it's the off season, I will still be blogging, but it may not always be about baseball (it more than likely will have something to do with baseball, but since I am not playing there will be other topics I will blog about). If there is anything specific you guys would like me to blog about please let me know! I would be more than happy to...</div><div><br />
</div><div>For now, I am off to make dinner, hopefully I don't burn down the apartment complex! </div>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-33340368347387704212011-09-07T15:18:00.000-07:002011-09-07T15:18:39.437-07:00Championship Series!In my opinion, the two best teams in the league were in the Championship series (us and the cardinals). We both finished in first in our divisions and had played each other evenly throughout the season. The first series between us at Bluefield was won by the Bluejays. The second series at Johnson City was won by the Cardinals. Going into the championship series, we thought we had a great chance at winning because we had home field advantage.<br />
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We were winning the entire game because we scored first. I think scoring first is a huge momentum swing in the game because the other team has to play catchup. We scored in the first inning on a 3 run home run by Kevin Pillar. We were winning 3-1 until the 7th inning until the scratched across another run making it 3-2. The score remained the same going into the bottom of the ninth. The first batter reached base on a double in the gap past a diving center fielder. The next guy also doubled in the gap to score the tying run and we still did not have any outs. The next batter was retired, while the following hitter was walked. There were now runners on first and second. The following hitter worked the count to 3 balls 2 strikes before delivering the game winning hit just over the shortstops reach. The Cardinals won 4-3.<br />
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We went back to Bluefield and on the way back, the bus was dead silent. Everybody was pissed off about the game and we couldn't believe we lost it. We had to move on though and think about the next game. We couldn't live in the past. We had to handle our business and take care of what we had to take care of in game 2 to live to play game 3. <br />
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Game 2 was close with the exception of one inning. They scored 4 runs in the inning putting the game just out of our reach. They won game 2 meaning they were the champions. I had to watch them dog pile on our home field and celebrate at our home stadium while we couldn't do anything but watch. It was one of the worst moments ever. I hate losing and I hate seeing other people celebrate. <br />
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Although we did not win the championship, we had a great year and an unforgettable one at that. I met a great bunch of guys and can't wait to see them again at Spring Training. Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-27792233582907167492011-09-07T14:56:00.000-07:002011-09-07T14:56:33.905-07:00Playoff Time Round 1!In the first round of the playoffs, we had to play the Elizabethton Twins (the team that just waxed our ass a couple of series before). The first game was at Elizabethton while the second and third game (if necessary) were played at Bluefield. Everybody on the team was amped up for the playoffs. We were all dragging the previous series, but when the playoffs came around there was a new sort of energy that the team had and everybody was itching to play. <br />
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The first game at Elizabethton was intense. We won, but the whole game was intense. We got a great pitching effort from Tyler Ybarra and Misual Diaz. I pitched a clean ninth inning to secure the win and the whole team was excited after the game. We were going back home for game 2 and the chance to clinch a spot in the championship series. <br />
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Game 2 was not like the first. We lost forcing a final game 3. The second game was not even close and they jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. It was one of those game that we just had to forget about and move on. <br />
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In game 3, we jumped out to an 8-1 lead after a few innings, but could not hold it. They came barreling back narrowing the lead to 8-7, but we held on and in the 8th inning, we scored some more runs making it 11-7 and securing the win. I came in in the 6th inning with a runner on first base and one out. I struck the first guy out, but the second guy hit a hanging change-up out narrowing the lead to 8-7. I struck the next guy out as well ending the inning. I pitched 2 more clean innings before being relieved in the ninth. Misual Diaz pitched a clean ninth inning. We won the series and were going to the championship!<br />
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Once again, we all celebrated like we did in Danville after clinching the division championship. There was champagne and a bunch of pictures taken. Everybody was drenched in champagne and the locker room was soaked (I feel bad for the clubby that had to clean the locker room later that night). The following day we were traveling to Johnson City to play game one of the championship series (we had home field advantage once again)...Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-28104344643987563922011-08-28T20:38:00.000-07:002011-08-28T20:38:35.745-07:00Long Time, No TalkAfter I promised you guys I would keep up with the blog much better, the place where the Blue Jays house us in Bluefield cut our internet, so I have been left with no internet connection. A lot has happened in the past 10 days or so and I will try to fill you in as best as possible...I have more stories that need to be told rather than game updates...<div><br />
</div><div>But first thing is first, the game updates. Right now we are in Danville, Virginia playing the Braves in the final series of the regular season. We have already clinched a playoff spot and now we are battling to see who comes in first or second. Obviously, first place would be better in my opinion. </div><div><br />
</div><div>The previous series we played the second place team in the other division, Elizabethton Twins. There is no other way to put it besides....they whipped our ass. They won all three games and won them easily. Granted, we did not play the brand of baseball that we typically do, but nonetheless they gave us a reality check. Our manager said that the game has a way of humbling everybody and there are two kinds of people in the game, the ones that are humble and the ones that are fixing to get humbled. Thankfully, we came out today and beat the Danville Braves pretty bad. It was good to see us playing how we are supposed to play. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Before the Elizabethton series, we played the Greenville Astros. We won the series, but the biggest thing that stuck out to me was their field. It was UNBELIEVABLE. It was the nicest field we have played on this year, hands down. It was located on Tusculum College's campus. They use the field as well. As you all know, I went to Marshall University. It is sad, but Marshall University has NO home field. Their facilities are lack luster to say the least and it is truly a shame that the administration does not do something about it. Being in CUSA (Conference USA) which is the 5th best conference in the country, they are the only team without a field and it is an absolute joke. I could go on for days about this topic and I wish I could really express my feelings about it, but it would be quite inappropriate....</div><div><br />
</div><div>Moving on...We played Pulaski for a three game series before the Greenville series. We won that series as well and nothing special happened that I can remember (the days are starting to string together if you could not tell...). </div><div><br />
</div><div>Personally, I have been working on trying to stay tall and throw downhill as well as stay on my line rather than fall off toward the first base line. When I do not stay tall, the pitching coach says it flattens my ball out making it easier to pick it up. For those of you that do not understand what I am talking about, when I say stay on line I mean that I want to stay on line with the catcher and throw through the catcher. I do not want to fall off toward the first base side of the mound because it makes it harder for me to repeat my delivery and throw consistent strikes. When I say I need to stay tall to throw downhill, I mean that I do not want to collapse my back leg, I want to stay strong on the back side and throw the ball downhill to the catcher (some little league coaches call it the drop and drive which is the absolute WORST way to teach a kid and if your kid is being taught that or if you are even teaching that, you should look elsewhere...sorry if it's harsh, but its the truth.). I have been doing countless amounts of Towel drills on my own to get better acclimated with the new pitching mechanics. I think I can finally say that I am starting to feel comfortable with it and it has been working for me (Go figure, I would finally get the hang of it at the end of the year!)</div><div><br />
</div><div>There is just over a week left and I have always been told that it is not how you start but how you finish. I am trying to finish strong and hopefully win that ring! </div><div><br />
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</div></div></div>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-80154642204212597252011-08-15T15:50:00.000-07:002011-08-15T15:50:15.420-07:00Twitter QuestionsI am very active on twitter in part because it is accessible on my phone at anytime. My twitter name is Bearjew36, feel free to follow me if you have a twitter! I recently posted on Twitter if anybody had any questions or topics they would like me to discuss in my next blog entry. One of the topics thrown out was what we do on bus trips to make the time go by quicker? <br />
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Thankfully, the bus trips that we have had have not been long at all. I think the longest bus trip this year has been 4 hours so we have been lucky with that, but as far as passing time most people sleep or at least try to sleep on the bus. I know I have no problem sleeping on the bus because I have been out on every bus trip. I will put my headphones in and listen to music until I am out cold. I know other people bring their laptops or ipads and watch movies on the bus. Everybody kind of does their own thing, either watching movies, sleeping, or listening to music. People also play games on their phones or computers if they can. <br />
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Another question that was asked via Twitter was, what has been the most rewarding part of the season so far?<br />
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If I had to pick one thing that I will always remember from the season so far, it would have to be the people that I have met and/or played against. I have played against some very high round draft picks and am playing with some high round draft picks. Some of the guys that I played against will be in the Major Leagues in a few years. The relationships that I have developed on my team with some of my teammates I will never forget as well. Although the season is not over, that has to be the most rewarding part so far. Hopefully we can win a ring here in a couple weeks and that will be right up there as well!<br />
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Both questions were asked by April Whitzman. She works for the website Jaysprospects.com which is also a very cool website that is worth checking out for information on BlueJays minor leaguers.Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4452339921802577966.post-18923223977779118972011-08-15T15:28:00.000-07:002011-08-15T15:28:35.033-07:00Off Day...Today is our third off day of the season...it was much needed to say the least. I slept till 12:30 today...thats the latest I have slept in I don't know how long. Although I felt like I wasted my day, I needed the rest. So far my off day has consisted of laying in bed and going to the mall with Jonathan Lucas and Les Williams (I bought a couple of shirts because I feel like I need to get an "adult" wardrobe since I have graduated college and can no longer wear Marshall Baseball gear everyday...). Now, we all are hanging out. They are playing video games while I am catching up on some blogging. I am not a big video gamer because I tend to take it too serious. I hate when I lose and I do not have the patience for video games. I think part of the reason why my mom wouldn't let me have a system or whatever they call it when I was a kid is because she knew I would get so angry I would end up throwing the controllers through the wall...I know, I know I need to be able to control it, but I can't! I just HATE losing.<br />
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Now as for the baseball part...we just finished up a series vs. the Pulaski Mariners. We took 2 of 3 from them and the first 2 games were quite lopsided. We won the first game 10-2 and lost the second 15-5....weird huh? That's just how baseball works. The third game we won 7-2, but the game was closer than the score indicates. <br />
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Before the Pulaski series, we had a series with the Princeton Rays. This series was the last series of the year between us and the winner of it would determine who wins the Mercer Cup! We ended up sweeping them to win the Mercer Cup and I picked up the save in the deciding game 2 of the series. With the sweep we also built our lead in the standings. We regained sole possession of first place and almost sank Princeton's hopes (unless they make a miraculous comeback) of making the playoffs. <br />
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A couple of series ago, we played the Johnson City Cardinals. They are the first place team in the other division and they have the best record out of any team in the league. In my personal opinion, I think we are still a better team than them, but it is hard to say. When they came to play us, we beat them 2 of 3, but when we went to play them at their place they beat us 2 of 3. The Elizabethton Twins and Kingsport Mets are tied for second in the other division. Johnson City already has first place pretty much clinched with a 7 game lead.<br />
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Tomorrow we start a 3 game series with the Burlington Royals followed by a 3 game series with Pulaski all at home. My Dad will be making his first trip down to watch this upcoming weekend. My little brother cooper will be coming down with him. Cooper would come to every game if he could. <br />
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That gets everything pretty much up to date with how the teams doing. Hopefully we can finish strong and win a ring! It'd be nice to get a ring in my first season of professional baseball...<br />
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Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299783143256079509noreply@blogger.com0