After winning 9 straight and getting back from Myrtle Beach we arrived back home and lost 2 of 3 to Wilmington (Royals). I pitched 2 good innings our 3rd game a Myrtle. I felt really on top of things, got ahead in the count well and pretty much dictated every at bat.
I write a few things on the inside of my hat that remind me of my plan out there. One of them is "authority." This means 2 things to me. I want to throw all my pitches with authority and confidence and I want to have authority over the at bat. The easiest way to have authority and dictate an at bat is to throw strike one. Strike one is said to be the "best pitch in baseball." This statement is absolutely true. I used to half joke that the best pitch was strike 3...not true.
We are in first place at 12-5 and we start a 3 game series at home with the Frederick Keyes (Oriols) today.
Yesterday was an off day and 8 of us played golf. Brutal course but it was fun. I think the course might have been haunted because balls disappeared in the middle of the fairway, it was outrageous.
An avid reader told me I wrote too much about fish and not enough about baseball last time. I offer my deep apologies to everyone and I will refrain from writing about fish ever again.
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess."
Kobe Bryant
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Myrtle Beach 4/19
After a successful homestand we arrived in Myrtle Beach today. The Dash are hot, we have won 5 straight and are 7-3. We had 2 walkoff victories on the homestand so that was a lot of fun. Our game yesterday ended on a 2 run home run by Ozzie Lewis with 2 outs. It was a back and forth game and we showed alot of fight coming back with 2 outs in the 9th.
In Myrtle we are staying right on the "Boardwalk at the Beach." It's basically a big tourist trap and that per diem goes real fast here with all the restaurants. A bunch of us just got back from Margartitaville. Jimmy Buffet's songs are replaying over and over in my head. If I worked there I would flip out within the first 2 hours.
This Boardwalk basically sits on top and around a body of water filled with big carp, ducks, and turtles. You can feed the fish for a quarter and they all come to the surf ice in anticipation with gaping mouths. When you drop the food all hell breaks loose there are tons of these fish and then the ducks swim in and basically walk on them to try to get food as well. Last year one guy fed them pasta I heard they eat anything.
I am goin good, I have a few things to clean up but I am satisfied with how things are going for me.
In Myrtle we are staying right on the "Boardwalk at the Beach." It's basically a big tourist trap and that per diem goes real fast here with all the restaurants. A bunch of us just got back from Margartitaville. Jimmy Buffet's songs are replaying over and over in my head. If I worked there I would flip out within the first 2 hours.
This Boardwalk basically sits on top and around a body of water filled with big carp, ducks, and turtles. You can feed the fish for a quarter and they all come to the surf ice in anticipation with gaping mouths. When you drop the food all hell breaks loose there are tons of these fish and then the ducks swim in and basically walk on them to try to get food as well. Last year one guy fed them pasta I heard they eat anything.
I am goin good, I have a few things to clean up but I am satisfied with how things are going for me.
Monday, April 12, 2010
4/12
We are back home in Winston-Salem after spliting our first series with Kinston 2-2. We won the first game, dropped the next 2 and the got a much needed win in game 4 to even it up.
I got to catch up a little bit with my college roomate at UCI Bryce Stowell who is a pitcher now with Kinston. It's great to see your buddies out there on this journey.
I pitched 3 innings in game 3 and had good results. I felt a little rusty from a longish layoff but I got the job done. I allowed 1 hit and no runs or walks. I could have done a better job getting ahead of hitters especailly in my first inning but I made pitches when I had to with a man on base and cruised through the next 2 innings. It was good to get out there and get some kinks out and get on track.
We had a brief practice in our new stadium for the first time today. There are some crazy angles in the outfield and there is gonna be some bizarre stuff happening out there. I must say this place is a "graveyard" meaning its tough to hit a home run there. So thats good for pitchers but it also means big gaps and anything that gets passed an outfielder in the gap is probably a triple. So we will just have to see how the field plays.
Opening night of BB&T Ballpark tommorrow. The stadium seats 5500, but I heard 6500 will be packing it in so it should be fun.
Words of Wisdom:
"Anything in any way beautiful derives its beauty from itself and asks nothing beyond itself. Praise is no part of it, for nothing is made worse or better by praise."
-Marcus Aurelius
I got to catch up a little bit with my college roomate at UCI Bryce Stowell who is a pitcher now with Kinston. It's great to see your buddies out there on this journey.
I pitched 3 innings in game 3 and had good results. I felt a little rusty from a longish layoff but I got the job done. I allowed 1 hit and no runs or walks. I could have done a better job getting ahead of hitters especailly in my first inning but I made pitches when I had to with a man on base and cruised through the next 2 innings. It was good to get out there and get some kinks out and get on track.
We had a brief practice in our new stadium for the first time today. There are some crazy angles in the outfield and there is gonna be some bizarre stuff happening out there. I must say this place is a "graveyard" meaning its tough to hit a home run there. So thats good for pitchers but it also means big gaps and anything that gets passed an outfielder in the gap is probably a triple. So we will just have to see how the field plays.
Opening night of BB&T Ballpark tommorrow. The stadium seats 5500, but I heard 6500 will be packing it in so it should be fun.
Words of Wisdom:
"Anything in any way beautiful derives its beauty from itself and asks nothing beyond itself. Praise is no part of it, for nothing is made worse or better by praise."
-Marcus Aurelius
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
4/7
Since leaveing spring training I am definately a little behind on the reportation (I make up words). It was kind of a whirlwind flying in and going to the hotel for a couple days. Since coming to NC we played a scrimmage in Charlotte our triple A team and 2 games in Kannapolis our low A team.
Charlotte was playing the big league team and we went to take over for the big league team whenever Jake Peavy was done pitching. Peavy ended up going for innings and we finished out the last 5 innings for the big league team. Our side lost 4-3. It was a cool game and atmosphere probably like 9000 people there. We all dressed out in White Sox uniforms so they thought we were big leaguers too and were hounding us for autographs and stuff. We were just like "hey man we arent who you think we are...sorry bout it." I pitched 2 innings no hits/walks with 4 K's. Hope to play in that ballpark in Charlotte eventually.
We are itching to get this season going. We have been practicing at this local high school because our field is not ready and its just a weird situation. We have been doing all the prep stuff too. Like yesterday we had Media Day after practice. They had a press conference, interviews and took our pictures and moving scoreboard shots like the have in the football intros on ESPN.
Basically we are pumped to start tomarrow and get to what we do best, playing ball. We bus to Kinston tomarrow to play the Indians affilate. Time to get after it!
Baseball Season Quotes
You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen. - JOE DIMAGGIO
There is no sports event like Opening Day of baseball, the sense of beating back the forces of darkness and the National Football League. - George Vecsey
The good thing about Opening Day is, at the end of the day it counts. It's on record. - Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins
This shit don't count. This shit don't go on the bubble gum card." - Rickey Henderson on spring training
I love Opening Day. I think we all do, whether it's the players, coaches or front office. It's just a special day in our American culture. It's weaved into the fabric of what we are, and I think it's a great day. - Padres manager Bud Black
Charlotte was playing the big league team and we went to take over for the big league team whenever Jake Peavy was done pitching. Peavy ended up going for innings and we finished out the last 5 innings for the big league team. Our side lost 4-3. It was a cool game and atmosphere probably like 9000 people there. We all dressed out in White Sox uniforms so they thought we were big leaguers too and were hounding us for autographs and stuff. We were just like "hey man we arent who you think we are...sorry bout it." I pitched 2 innings no hits/walks with 4 K's. Hope to play in that ballpark in Charlotte eventually.
We are itching to get this season going. We have been practicing at this local high school because our field is not ready and its just a weird situation. We have been doing all the prep stuff too. Like yesterday we had Media Day after practice. They had a press conference, interviews and took our pictures and moving scoreboard shots like the have in the football intros on ESPN.
Basically we are pumped to start tomarrow and get to what we do best, playing ball. We bus to Kinston tomarrow to play the Indians affilate. Time to get after it!
Baseball Season Quotes
You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen. - JOE DIMAGGIO
There is no sports event like Opening Day of baseball, the sense of beating back the forces of darkness and the National Football League. - George Vecsey
The good thing about Opening Day is, at the end of the day it counts. It's on record. - Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins
This shit don't count. This shit don't go on the bubble gum card." - Rickey Henderson on spring training
I love Opening Day. I think we all do, whether it's the players, coaches or front office. It's just a special day in our American culture. It's weaved into the fabric of what we are, and I think it's a great day. - Padres manager Bud Black
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