On Friday I had my first follow up appointment with the doctor after having my hip surgery. They took out my stitches because my incisions are healing well. They also gave me the go ahead to stop using my crutches pain permitting. The doctors said that I may experience some pain or soreness over the next week or two just walking around, and that if I do it is not a bad idea to use the crutches for a while just to give my hip a rest. The third thing that happened at the doctor, and the thing I am most excited about is that I got my rehab plan. The doctors gave me a full lay out of my rehab for the first six weeks after surgery.
The rehab plan starts tomorrow, Monday, and is physical therapy sessions two to three times a week with our athletic trainers at school. The first few weeks focus on getting my normal gait back and then getting my full range of motion back in my hip. After six weeks I can start to build my strength back. With this plan it wasn't all good news though, I got a whole list of restrictions. For the next six weeks I can do no running, jumping, jogging, or lifting of anything over 20 lbs. That means I am restricted to just walking and working on my shoulder and scap circuits.
After I got my rehab plan I asked the question I wanted to know the most. What can I do as far as throwing a baseball over these couple months of rehab? The answer was better than I had expected. For the next two to three weeks I can sit in a chair and throw as long as I do not cause too much discomfort in my hip. After that period I can start to stand up and throw lightly without a too much of a step as long as I don't incorporate an excessive amount of rotation with my hips. The final step, assuming everything is healing properly and I have my full range of motion back, after six weeks of rehab I can begin my normal routine of playing catch, but not throwing off of a mound.
This will give me the best chance to keep my arm in shape during this down time, so when I am finally released as 100% it won't take as long to get game ready. I am getting the opportunity to get my body fully back to 100%, and still having the chance to be ready to go by game one of the season. That is the best possible opportunity I can hope for once I sustained this injury.
I will begin my rehab plan officially on Monday and do as much as I am allowed to do to get better and get back out there with my teammates.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Recovering from Surgery.......November 1, 2010
It was a pretty rough weekend, spent mostly sleeping and laying around. I am on crutches for a week, before I head back to the doctor to get my stitches removed. They gave me some pictures of the inside of my hip that they took with the arthroscopic camera while performing the surgery, but I am not sure what they are. Maybe we can get some of those us on here in later posts.
Other than recovering from surgery there is not too much to report. I have been attending the lifting and conditioning sessions with my teammates, although I am unable to participate. My teammates are working hard in the weight room, and that is going to go a long way to getting us ready to compete in the spring. On Friday after I get my stitches removed I will also get my rehab plan that I can start doing next week. They have already informed me that it will be frustratingly slow, starting with some light walking. My only physical activity for six weeks will be walking. Only after that six week period will I be able to do some light jogging and other things like that to get me ready to get back in baseball shape. On Friday I will definitely be asking when I am able to start at least doing some light throwing to keep my arm in shape.
I had what I considered a pretty successful fall, and am excited to get to the spring. I have not really been in the mix to get a lot of innings in my previous two years of college, but this year my coach has made it clear that I have the opportunity to throw a lot of meaningful innings and help us win games. That means I need to get myself ready to compete at a high level when I am fully recovered.
I am excited though, I have had some nagging hip injuries for the last two seasons, which finally led to this major tear. But having had this surgery and going through rehab, this season my body will be completely 100%. That is definitely exciting, and I will work hard to get myself mentally prepared and keep my mechanics sharp so that I can have a big contribution on the field this spring.
I will make sure to keep everyone posted on the rehab as I go through, and keep supporting my teammates as they go through off-season workouts. It is definitely frustrating to sit out while everyone else is working hard. I wish I could be in there sweating and getting stronger with the rest of the guys. I will just have to work even harder when I finally get cleared.
Keep working towards goals, mine is to get healed and back to strength so I can contribute the best I can to a Concordia Golden Bears championship season.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Sorry for the Hiatus.....October 22, 2010
Greetings readers, I apologize for the extended hiatus. I have been dealing with an injury, and have been trying to get all that in order before continuing with the blog. But now that I have that all settled I can continue my blogging.
When I last left off I was preparing to throw in a scrimmage against St. Cloud State University. I got the start in that scrimmage, tossing two innings. I didn't have my best stuff in the outing, but was able to minimize damage for the most part. I gave up one run in the first inning, and two in the second inning. I had two walks in the outing and allowed three hits to provide the three runs for SCSU. For the outing I threw 40 pitches (19 strikes, 21 balls) giving me a strike percentage of 48%. Not the best, but as I said I was able to minimize the damage.
Following SCSU I had one more outing on the mound in an intersquad scrimmage before suffering, what would be a significant injury, at the end of fall ball. I had some nagging pains in my hip and groin area throughout the fall, but nothing serious. By no means was it anything that effected my play, and therefore I didn't think anything of it. The last week of the fall the pain started to be sharper and come more often. By the final day of fall practice it was getting to be pretty bad.
I went to the trainer and they suggested I see the team doctor over at TRIA Orthopedic Clinic in Bloomington, Minn. The day after the final fall practice I went to the doctor and had my hip checked. After initially thinking it could be a sports hernia, the doctor did some range of motion tests which he thought indicated a tear in the labrum of my left hip.
He sent me to get an MRI, which I did this week, and when the results came back the doctor's fear was confirmed. I had a rather substantial tear of the labrum. He explained to me what this meant.
I will be having surgery this coming Thursday, where they will put me to sleep using general anesthetics, at that point they will make a small incision in the front of my hip as well as one in the side. They will go into the joint with a tiny camera, and make the repairs necessary, this is known as an arthroscopic surgery, or "hip scope".
To the right you will see the picture of my MRI. The white in the middle is my labrum, and that black dot on it in the upper right portion is the tear.
The procedure will take about an hour and a half of actual surgery. After that I will spend the weekend recovering at my sister's house in the western suburbs of the twin cities. My mom is flying in for the weekend to help take care of me. It won't be easy to deal with me after the surgery as I will be a heavily sedated 195 lbs.
Recovery from this operation is typically 10 weeks to three months. This means I would hypothetically be 100% somewhere between January 7th and January 21st. Our first official practice of the season is scheduled for January 17th, meaning I am in good shape for the season. Unfortunately though this means I will be sidelined for all of the off-season lifting and conditioning, meaning I will be a step or two behind the rest of my teammates when practice kicks off.
As for my goal of becoming a weekend starter, that is not currently the case, as I met with my coach last week. But after my meeting I can set a goal of being the best reliever possible to help this team win games. I was informed that I would begin the year as one of the top guys out of the bullpen, with the chance to throw 30 to 40 big innings. I was told I would not be a guy that throws in blowouts this year, I would be turned to with the game on the line and be expected to win games for us out of the bullpen, and with the potential to get some spot starts.
It might not of been my goal, but it is a role that I will gladly accept. Anything I can do to help this team win is what I want to do. Being a weekend starter may have been one of my goals, but my number one goal in baseball has always been to win a championship, and I will do whatever it takes to get us to that point.
So for now what I can do to help this team is to get this surgery and rehab it back to strength so I can back our starters up out of the bullpen.
I will not be taking any more lengthy stretches off from writing. I will be keeping readers up to date on my recovery from surgery, my rehab, and life in general as a D2 baseball player.
Sorry again for the long hiatus, I appreciate anyone that take the time to read my blogs.
Always chasing after dreams.
When I last left off I was preparing to throw in a scrimmage against St. Cloud State University. I got the start in that scrimmage, tossing two innings. I didn't have my best stuff in the outing, but was able to minimize damage for the most part. I gave up one run in the first inning, and two in the second inning. I had two walks in the outing and allowed three hits to provide the three runs for SCSU. For the outing I threw 40 pitches (19 strikes, 21 balls) giving me a strike percentage of 48%. Not the best, but as I said I was able to minimize the damage.
Following SCSU I had one more outing on the mound in an intersquad scrimmage before suffering, what would be a significant injury, at the end of fall ball. I had some nagging pains in my hip and groin area throughout the fall, but nothing serious. By no means was it anything that effected my play, and therefore I didn't think anything of it. The last week of the fall the pain started to be sharper and come more often. By the final day of fall practice it was getting to be pretty bad.
I went to the trainer and they suggested I see the team doctor over at TRIA Orthopedic Clinic in Bloomington, Minn. The day after the final fall practice I went to the doctor and had my hip checked. After initially thinking it could be a sports hernia, the doctor did some range of motion tests which he thought indicated a tear in the labrum of my left hip.
He sent me to get an MRI, which I did this week, and when the results came back the doctor's fear was confirmed. I had a rather substantial tear of the labrum. He explained to me what this meant.
I will be having surgery this coming Thursday, where they will put me to sleep using general anesthetics, at that point they will make a small incision in the front of my hip as well as one in the side. They will go into the joint with a tiny camera, and make the repairs necessary, this is known as an arthroscopic surgery, or "hip scope".
To the right you will see the picture of my MRI. The white in the middle is my labrum, and that black dot on it in the upper right portion is the tear. The procedure will take about an hour and a half of actual surgery. After that I will spend the weekend recovering at my sister's house in the western suburbs of the twin cities. My mom is flying in for the weekend to help take care of me. It won't be easy to deal with me after the surgery as I will be a heavily sedated 195 lbs.
Recovery from this operation is typically 10 weeks to three months. This means I would hypothetically be 100% somewhere between January 7th and January 21st. Our first official practice of the season is scheduled for January 17th, meaning I am in good shape for the season. Unfortunately though this means I will be sidelined for all of the off-season lifting and conditioning, meaning I will be a step or two behind the rest of my teammates when practice kicks off.
As for my goal of becoming a weekend starter, that is not currently the case, as I met with my coach last week. But after my meeting I can set a goal of being the best reliever possible to help this team win games. I was informed that I would begin the year as one of the top guys out of the bullpen, with the chance to throw 30 to 40 big innings. I was told I would not be a guy that throws in blowouts this year, I would be turned to with the game on the line and be expected to win games for us out of the bullpen, and with the potential to get some spot starts.
It might not of been my goal, but it is a role that I will gladly accept. Anything I can do to help this team win is what I want to do. Being a weekend starter may have been one of my goals, but my number one goal in baseball has always been to win a championship, and I will do whatever it takes to get us to that point.
So for now what I can do to help this team is to get this surgery and rehab it back to strength so I can back our starters up out of the bullpen.
I will not be taking any more lengthy stretches off from writing. I will be keeping readers up to date on my recovery from surgery, my rehab, and life in general as a D2 baseball player.
Sorry again for the long hiatus, I appreciate anyone that take the time to read my blogs.
Always chasing after dreams.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Taking the Good with the Bad.......October 5, 2010
Today was a bullpen day to get pitchers ready for our double-header scrimmage with St. Cloud State University on Saturday. We were each scheduled to throw one inning or 15 pitches, whatever came first. And today for me, that was the latter.
I was scheduled to throw in the middle of the scrimmage, so I had some time before I had to warm up when we got to the field. After running and stretching I played some light catch with one of the other pitchers just to get my shoulder to feel loose. After that it was time to take pregame infield and outfield while the starting pitcher got warm. During I/O as its called, pitchers take turns covering first base on ground balls hit to the right side of the infield. After going through our complete pregame routine, it was scrimmage time.
The first pitchers took the mound, and everything was flowing smoothly. I stood behind the batting cage and helped with keeping strike percentage and average velocity for fellow pitchers as they threw. As time neared towards my inning I started to get ready to pitch by playing catch with the pitcher that would throw after me. As it came time to start to throw off the mound in the bullpen I could not find a catcher. We have three catchers on our team, and all of them were unavailable. One catcher was catching in the scrimmage, one was on base after getting a hit, and the other was currently playing left field. I felt an almost sense of panic when I realized I would not be able to begin warming up in the bullpen until the next inning started, and if the pitcher before me had a quick 1-2-3 inning, I might not be loose in time to take the mound.
Once I finally found a catcher I started to frantically warm up, and as I feared the pitcher before me had a great inning. I was able to get my arm loose to pitch, but I didn't take the time to get my mind locked in to execute pitches. As someone that has struggled with control in the past, it is key for me to get my mind locked in and focused. Concentration is the biggest key to executing successful pitches.
I took the mound and delivered my warm up pitches trying to get my mind in the right place. As always the warm up pitches go quick, and the first hitter steps in. The first batter I faced is a returning all conference player, one that hit .410 last season from the left side. I know that as a left-handed pitcher, if I do not get one of the starting rotation spots, that I need to prove that I can dominate left-handed hitters as a reliever. My first fastball sailed up and in for ball one. The second pitch was a good down-in-the-zone fastball, which Lippy dropped the barrel on, but could not get enough of it to drive the other way, and became a pop up victim to the left fielder. The second hitter, a right-handed stick, worked the count to 3-2 before I left a fastball low and away and walked him. I hate walks, instant frustration. One pitch can still get me out of this unscathed. The next hitter also worked the count to 3-2, but couldn't get the bat on a fastball and struck out swinging. The final batter watched a first pitch curve ball over the middle of the plate for strike two, then watched a fastball for ball two. On the 2-2 count I threw what I felt was a great curve ball that the catcher caught in the heart of the plate. But I'm not the umpire, and our collection of coaches overwhelmingly decided that the pitch had curved around the plate. On 3-2 another fastball was lost low and away and the hitter walked. How can you walk two guys in an inning? You need to be battling with a full count. I was frustrated with myself, and to make matters worse I didn't get the opportunity to finish the inning off, that walk came on pitch number 15.
I wanted to finish off the inning, but had to understand that this was simply a bullpen session to get ready to pitch on Saturday. I got my final statistics for the session. 15 pitches, six strikes, nine balls for just a 40% strike percentage. Not good. Now I was really down, but I didn't have much time to be down. My coach called me over and said TK wanted to work with me in the bullpen. (TK is Tom Kelly, former manager of the Minnesota Twins, World Series Champion 1987 and 1991). TK took me to the bullpen and said that I needed to make one minor adjustment to get my consistency in the strike zone back. He said I was rushing a little bit today and not staying on my backside, especially with runners on base. I threw maybe ten pitches in the pen with TK and he had plenty to say about each one. He is a perfectionist, and he had me throw until I had the ball on a downward plane, hitting the glove on the bottom of the zone, and repeat it. Once I did it twice in a row just how he wanted, he told me that now I understand what it is that I am doing and how to fix it. I will definitely be implementing that and working on it before Saturday's outing. Having TK there is awesome, because there are very few people that know as much about baseball as he does, and he is always looking to teach and share what he knows.
So even though I didn't have the outing that I expect of myself, I got to understand things I need to work on and improve myself as a pitcher. Now I just have to put in the work to make the adjustments and put them into action on Saturday against SCSU. I still am throwing 57% strikes this fall through 95 in-game pitches. I really would like to get that number back up to 60% or better, which mean in the three fall outings I have left I need to pound the zone. So that is the goal for the rest of fall, get my total strike percentage to 60%. Anything less will simply not be acceptable as I try and reach my goal as a weekend starter.
Never stop working towards goals and dreams.
I was scheduled to throw in the middle of the scrimmage, so I had some time before I had to warm up when we got to the field. After running and stretching I played some light catch with one of the other pitchers just to get my shoulder to feel loose. After that it was time to take pregame infield and outfield while the starting pitcher got warm. During I/O as its called, pitchers take turns covering first base on ground balls hit to the right side of the infield. After going through our complete pregame routine, it was scrimmage time.
The first pitchers took the mound, and everything was flowing smoothly. I stood behind the batting cage and helped with keeping strike percentage and average velocity for fellow pitchers as they threw. As time neared towards my inning I started to get ready to pitch by playing catch with the pitcher that would throw after me. As it came time to start to throw off the mound in the bullpen I could not find a catcher. We have three catchers on our team, and all of them were unavailable. One catcher was catching in the scrimmage, one was on base after getting a hit, and the other was currently playing left field. I felt an almost sense of panic when I realized I would not be able to begin warming up in the bullpen until the next inning started, and if the pitcher before me had a quick 1-2-3 inning, I might not be loose in time to take the mound.
Once I finally found a catcher I started to frantically warm up, and as I feared the pitcher before me had a great inning. I was able to get my arm loose to pitch, but I didn't take the time to get my mind locked in to execute pitches. As someone that has struggled with control in the past, it is key for me to get my mind locked in and focused. Concentration is the biggest key to executing successful pitches.
I took the mound and delivered my warm up pitches trying to get my mind in the right place. As always the warm up pitches go quick, and the first hitter steps in. The first batter I faced is a returning all conference player, one that hit .410 last season from the left side. I know that as a left-handed pitcher, if I do not get one of the starting rotation spots, that I need to prove that I can dominate left-handed hitters as a reliever. My first fastball sailed up and in for ball one. The second pitch was a good down-in-the-zone fastball, which Lippy dropped the barrel on, but could not get enough of it to drive the other way, and became a pop up victim to the left fielder. The second hitter, a right-handed stick, worked the count to 3-2 before I left a fastball low and away and walked him. I hate walks, instant frustration. One pitch can still get me out of this unscathed. The next hitter also worked the count to 3-2, but couldn't get the bat on a fastball and struck out swinging. The final batter watched a first pitch curve ball over the middle of the plate for strike two, then watched a fastball for ball two. On the 2-2 count I threw what I felt was a great curve ball that the catcher caught in the heart of the plate. But I'm not the umpire, and our collection of coaches overwhelmingly decided that the pitch had curved around the plate. On 3-2 another fastball was lost low and away and the hitter walked. How can you walk two guys in an inning? You need to be battling with a full count. I was frustrated with myself, and to make matters worse I didn't get the opportunity to finish the inning off, that walk came on pitch number 15.
I wanted to finish off the inning, but had to understand that this was simply a bullpen session to get ready to pitch on Saturday. I got my final statistics for the session. 15 pitches, six strikes, nine balls for just a 40% strike percentage. Not good. Now I was really down, but I didn't have much time to be down. My coach called me over and said TK wanted to work with me in the bullpen. (TK is Tom Kelly, former manager of the Minnesota Twins, World Series Champion 1987 and 1991). TK took me to the bullpen and said that I needed to make one minor adjustment to get my consistency in the strike zone back. He said I was rushing a little bit today and not staying on my backside, especially with runners on base. I threw maybe ten pitches in the pen with TK and he had plenty to say about each one. He is a perfectionist, and he had me throw until I had the ball on a downward plane, hitting the glove on the bottom of the zone, and repeat it. Once I did it twice in a row just how he wanted, he told me that now I understand what it is that I am doing and how to fix it. I will definitely be implementing that and working on it before Saturday's outing. Having TK there is awesome, because there are very few people that know as much about baseball as he does, and he is always looking to teach and share what he knows.
So even though I didn't have the outing that I expect of myself, I got to understand things I need to work on and improve myself as a pitcher. Now I just have to put in the work to make the adjustments and put them into action on Saturday against SCSU. I still am throwing 57% strikes this fall through 95 in-game pitches. I really would like to get that number back up to 60% or better, which mean in the three fall outings I have left I need to pound the zone. So that is the goal for the rest of fall, get my total strike percentage to 60%. Anything less will simply not be acceptable as I try and reach my goal as a weekend starter.
Never stop working towards goals and dreams.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Life outside of baseball.....October 3, 2010
Being a collegiate student-athlete is so much more than just sports. Baseball is just a small part of the bigger picture. There is always talk about the word "student-athlete", and how people think they should be called "athlete-students" because athletes put their sport first. But what people need to understand is that student comes first because, if you aren't a student, you don't get to be an athlete. The NCAA enforces strict academic standards for athletes to remain eligible to compete in competition. These standards include GPA and progress towards graduation. If you don't meet them, you don't play, so we are student-athletes.
This means not only do athletes have to get themselves prepared to compete at the highest level of their sport, but also have to excel in the classroom. I have been working hard in the classroom all semester. I am a communications major, and working towards a writing minor as well. As a junior I have completed most of my general education classes, and am really starting to focus in on classes for my major and minor.
This semester I also have the added responsibility of my internship in the Concordia University Sports Information Office. Part of my responsibility for this internship is writing articles for our athletic website, www.cugoldenbears.com, working athletic events, and creating other projects for the athletic department. This Saturday I had to play many different roles. As part of fundraisers for the baseball team we setup for the football games on Saturday mornings. I joined my teammates for work before the game. Once the game started I had to switch roles to intern, where I had to head to the press box to help with keeping stats and player participation. After football I had to finish my role as intern for the football game, and head over to the Gangelhoff Center to be the intern for the volleyball match. It was a long day, I arrived at the football stadium at 9:45 a.m. and left the Gangelhoff Center around 6:00 p.m. I have been gaining valuable experience in the sports media field along the way though.
Being a successful college baseball players involves every aspect of your life. How you play and practice is just a portion. It also includes how you eat, how you sleep, how you study, how you spend your free time. Everything matters and combines to make each person the student-athlete you are.
I hope that I can continue to be successful in and out of the classroom, and on and off the baseball field. We are down to the final two weeks of our fall practices, and getting down to our last chances to make lasting impressions on the coaching staff before we find out where we stand heading into the spring. Saturday will be the coaches best chance to evaluate players as we are playing a double-header scrimmage against St. Cloud State University. Last season we played about 25 innings against SCSU in our fall scrimmage. This year we are scheduling it as two 7-inning games, and seven of our pitchers will each throw two innings, myself included in that group.
As I try to make my last impressions on the coaching staff I will also get to have the joy of having some family watching. My dad is making the trip out from our hometown in Colorado to spend the weekend visiting here in Minnesota. My sister, her husband, and their adorable two-year old daughter live in a suburb nearby in Minnesota, and hopefully all four will be in the stands as I pitch this weekend.
Trying to finish off the fall right, and working towards my goal to be a weekend starter this season.
This means not only do athletes have to get themselves prepared to compete at the highest level of their sport, but also have to excel in the classroom. I have been working hard in the classroom all semester. I am a communications major, and working towards a writing minor as well. As a junior I have completed most of my general education classes, and am really starting to focus in on classes for my major and minor.
This semester I also have the added responsibility of my internship in the Concordia University Sports Information Office. Part of my responsibility for this internship is writing articles for our athletic website, www.cugoldenbears.com, working athletic events, and creating other projects for the athletic department. This Saturday I had to play many different roles. As part of fundraisers for the baseball team we setup for the football games on Saturday mornings. I joined my teammates for work before the game. Once the game started I had to switch roles to intern, where I had to head to the press box to help with keeping stats and player participation. After football I had to finish my role as intern for the football game, and head over to the Gangelhoff Center to be the intern for the volleyball match. It was a long day, I arrived at the football stadium at 9:45 a.m. and left the Gangelhoff Center around 6:00 p.m. I have been gaining valuable experience in the sports media field along the way though.
Being a successful college baseball players involves every aspect of your life. How you play and practice is just a portion. It also includes how you eat, how you sleep, how you study, how you spend your free time. Everything matters and combines to make each person the student-athlete you are.
I hope that I can continue to be successful in and out of the classroom, and on and off the baseball field. We are down to the final two weeks of our fall practices, and getting down to our last chances to make lasting impressions on the coaching staff before we find out where we stand heading into the spring. Saturday will be the coaches best chance to evaluate players as we are playing a double-header scrimmage against St. Cloud State University. Last season we played about 25 innings against SCSU in our fall scrimmage. This year we are scheduling it as two 7-inning games, and seven of our pitchers will each throw two innings, myself included in that group.
As I try to make my last impressions on the coaching staff I will also get to have the joy of having some family watching. My dad is making the trip out from our hometown in Colorado to spend the weekend visiting here in Minnesota. My sister, her husband, and their adorable two-year old daughter live in a suburb nearby in Minnesota, and hopefully all four will be in the stands as I pitch this weekend.
Trying to finish off the fall right, and working towards my goal to be a weekend starter this season.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
More fall scrimmaging.......September 29, 2010
Another Wednesday, another scrimmage. Today was a nine inning scrimmage for us, getting nine pitchers an opportunity to get some work in. As has been the norm thus far, each pitcher throws one inning of work. Today I was scheduled to be the starting pitcher and couldn't wait to get out to the field and get ready to go. I arrived at the lovely Bob Barnes Field at 2:40pm. After getting my cleats on and collecting my thoughts for a few minutes I went out to go through my pregame routine. With me I took my glove, a ball to warm up with, and my towel for drills (a towel with a golf ball taped into it). I ran to centerfield and back, and then went through my dynamic stretching. Then I went through all my static stretching until I felt that all my muscles were properly warmed up and ready to go. If one little thing doesn't feel right, you might not get the results you want, so it is so important for pitchers to thoroughly and properly warm up before taking the mound.
After stretching it is time to play catch, but before I play catch I like to go through 10 or 15 repetitions of my pitching mechanics with the towel rather than the ball. Going through your mechanics with a towel is a great tool for pitchers because it has limited stress on your arm when you throw with the towel rather than a ball. After that its time to throw. The starting pitcher always plays catch with the starting catcher, and today was no exception. When I warm up I go through a process called walking your arm out. I make 10 throws in three different drills, one at 30 feet, one at 45 feet, and one at 60 feet. Then I lob catch the ball all the way back to around 150 feet. After I feel my shoulder is loosened up I start to work my way back in from 150 feet throwing the ball with more velocity and on a tighter flatter line rather than arching it. I worked my way all the way back in, and finally felt loose enough to head to the bullpen to finish the warm up process.
In the bullpen I throw five light fastballs to my glove side to make sure my mechanics are sound and my arm is loose. Then I start to work at game speed. Two fastballs outside to a right-handed hitter and two change-ups outside to a right-handed hitter. Then two fastballs inside to a right-handed hitter and two change-ups inside to a right-handed hitter. After I feel I have command of the plate I start alternating fastball, change-up, fastball, change-up every pitch getting the feel for them. Then I go to the stretch and repeat the same routine, except I throw my breaking ball instead of my change up. Finally I like to finish my bullpen with going through each of my four pitches from the wind-up and then the stretch throwing them at game-speed with a purpose and a location in mind.
I was loose, I was ready, I was focused. I took the mound for the scrimmage. I had been at the ball park getting ready for over an hour, it was time to go get my real work in. I threw my eight warm-up pitches with conviction and purpose. Finally the first hitter stepped in. First pitch fastball, ball one. Dang, I hate when I don't throw that first one in there. Second pitch fastball, strike one. Alright we are back, don't mess around and pound the zone. After a couple of foul balls and a ball, the hitter fisted a 2-2 fastball to the shortstop and became out number one. The next hitter was jammed and popped a soft fly ball into the waiting glove of our right fielder. The third hitter worked the count well. He took a check swing at a 2-2 slider and was deemed to have held back. He watched as a 3-2 fastball flew over the plate, but it was too low, and he reached on a two-out walk. You can't be walking people, don't let this one hurt you. With that, the next hitter popped a routine fly ball to center field and ended my inning.
I was happy with the outing, but not happy with the walk. I felt I executed my pitches when I needed to, but would have liked to have that 3-2 pitch back that walked the hitter. I got a little too out front with the ball, and the fastball at the shins was not the right pitch in that situation. Nonetheless I did my job and got the boys off the field and up to bat with a zero on the scoreboard. As always I went to check my strike percentage, that ultimate teller of success. After much debate on who had the correct percentage it was finally recorded that I threw 17 pitches, 10 strikes, 7 balls, for a final strike percentage of 59%. Not stats that jump off the page, but I threw the ball well and continued to collect the outs I needed. After the high-fives and "good inning" from my teammates, I consulted my pitching coach for feedback. He responded with a simple, "I'm not going to fix what's not broken." I'll take that as I am throwing the ball well and getting the job done. As long as I am getting outs and putting up good strike percentages, I'll take the lack of feedback as a good thing.
I ran 10 poles in the outfield with a fellow pitcher during of the scrimmage for conditioning and to flush the lactic acid build-up out of my arm before leaving at 5:30 to head to night class. It was another successful day, and I feel like I am really building towards my goal of being a weekend rotation guy. I have no control over what will happen and who pitches on the weekend, but if I keep throwing good strikes and getting guys out, I can make it pretty tough for the coaches to keep me off the mound.
As always, never stopping working towards my goal.
After stretching it is time to play catch, but before I play catch I like to go through 10 or 15 repetitions of my pitching mechanics with the towel rather than the ball. Going through your mechanics with a towel is a great tool for pitchers because it has limited stress on your arm when you throw with the towel rather than a ball. After that its time to throw. The starting pitcher always plays catch with the starting catcher, and today was no exception. When I warm up I go through a process called walking your arm out. I make 10 throws in three different drills, one at 30 feet, one at 45 feet, and one at 60 feet. Then I lob catch the ball all the way back to around 150 feet. After I feel my shoulder is loosened up I start to work my way back in from 150 feet throwing the ball with more velocity and on a tighter flatter line rather than arching it. I worked my way all the way back in, and finally felt loose enough to head to the bullpen to finish the warm up process.
In the bullpen I throw five light fastballs to my glove side to make sure my mechanics are sound and my arm is loose. Then I start to work at game speed. Two fastballs outside to a right-handed hitter and two change-ups outside to a right-handed hitter. Then two fastballs inside to a right-handed hitter and two change-ups inside to a right-handed hitter. After I feel I have command of the plate I start alternating fastball, change-up, fastball, change-up every pitch getting the feel for them. Then I go to the stretch and repeat the same routine, except I throw my breaking ball instead of my change up. Finally I like to finish my bullpen with going through each of my four pitches from the wind-up and then the stretch throwing them at game-speed with a purpose and a location in mind.
I was loose, I was ready, I was focused. I took the mound for the scrimmage. I had been at the ball park getting ready for over an hour, it was time to go get my real work in. I threw my eight warm-up pitches with conviction and purpose. Finally the first hitter stepped in. First pitch fastball, ball one. Dang, I hate when I don't throw that first one in there. Second pitch fastball, strike one. Alright we are back, don't mess around and pound the zone. After a couple of foul balls and a ball, the hitter fisted a 2-2 fastball to the shortstop and became out number one. The next hitter was jammed and popped a soft fly ball into the waiting glove of our right fielder. The third hitter worked the count well. He took a check swing at a 2-2 slider and was deemed to have held back. He watched as a 3-2 fastball flew over the plate, but it was too low, and he reached on a two-out walk. You can't be walking people, don't let this one hurt you. With that, the next hitter popped a routine fly ball to center field and ended my inning.
I was happy with the outing, but not happy with the walk. I felt I executed my pitches when I needed to, but would have liked to have that 3-2 pitch back that walked the hitter. I got a little too out front with the ball, and the fastball at the shins was not the right pitch in that situation. Nonetheless I did my job and got the boys off the field and up to bat with a zero on the scoreboard. As always I went to check my strike percentage, that ultimate teller of success. After much debate on who had the correct percentage it was finally recorded that I threw 17 pitches, 10 strikes, 7 balls, for a final strike percentage of 59%. Not stats that jump off the page, but I threw the ball well and continued to collect the outs I needed. After the high-fives and "good inning" from my teammates, I consulted my pitching coach for feedback. He responded with a simple, "I'm not going to fix what's not broken." I'll take that as I am throwing the ball well and getting the job done. As long as I am getting outs and putting up good strike percentages, I'll take the lack of feedback as a good thing.
I ran 10 poles in the outfield with a fellow pitcher during of the scrimmage for conditioning and to flush the lactic acid build-up out of my arm before leaving at 5:30 to head to night class. It was another successful day, and I feel like I am really building towards my goal of being a weekend rotation guy. I have no control over what will happen and who pitches on the weekend, but if I keep throwing good strikes and getting guys out, I can make it pretty tough for the coaches to keep me off the mound.
As always, never stopping working towards my goal.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Saturday Afternoon Intersquads....September 25, 2010
Fall ball is a time to get work in and see who is going to contribute on the field in the spring and who needs another year to mature and work before they are ready to be a major player on the collegiate level. That is why scrimmages are so prevalent during this fall season.
Today was an intersquad scrimmage, where we divide up the roster into two sides and play it out like a real game. Pitchers each throw an inning, and are on 15 pitch maximums.I was slated to be the fourth pitcher on the mound today, pitching the bottom of the second inning.
Saturday intersquads are usually a very relaxed and fun, but still competitive atmosphere. Today was no exception. Everyone arrived to the park by about 10:30 for the noon scrimmage. There was a lot of field work to be done following the days of rain we have had in the Twin Cities. After we got the field, especially the mound and home plate, in playable condition, we ran, stretched, and played catch to get loose.
All morning my shoulder and pectoral muscle on my left side were much tighter than usually. It took me a lot longer to get loose than normal, and even after playing catch to about 100 feet, my arm still felt tight. I knew I had to get my body ready to pitch so I asked one of the freshman pitchers to come to the bullpen with me. I went through my wind-up over and over just lobbing fastballs and change-ups down there, getting my arm warm and my body used to my mechanics off the mound. I probably made 50 throws before I finally felt loose enough to open up and put something on the ball. I went through my pregame bullpen routine throwing fastballs and change ups on the inner half from the full wind-up, and fastballs and breaking balls down the middle from the stretch. Once I feel like I have command of my pitches, I like to go through all my pitches throwing them to particular spots and executing them with game like mentality. I always finish the bullpen by saying 3-2 fastball and spotting up a good down in the zone fastball.
I took the mound and made my eight warm-up pitches with the best game-like mentality, hitting spots and making the ball move. Then the first hitter stepped in and the game gets real. The first hitter worked his way to a 3-2 count (keep in mind we start with a 1-1 count) before a fastball on the outer half was cued of the end towards the third baseman. The long wet grass of the infield slowed the ball and we never had a chance to get him. An infield hit, the worse! You make a great pitch and can't do anything about it. With a runner on first and no outs I automatically made a throw over to first base to check for the hitter squaring to bunt, he didn't. After the runner moved up to second on wild pitch on a slider thrown far too outside trying to get a strikeout, the left-handed hitter rolled over to the second baseman for the first out of the inning, but moving the runner up another 90 feet to third base. After a first pitch strike, I wanted to throw a change-up down and away, but missed right down the middle. If the pitch hadn't of fooled him and let his weight get out front, the ball might still be flying. As is, he was out front and hit is squarely to centerfield for a sacrifice fly. With two outs and no one on, the next hitter flyed out to centerfield to end the inning. I felt I had made good pitches outside of the one slider and the one change-up, but I was still a little frustrated allowing my first run of the fall.
As always I went over to get my statistics for the day, and they were as following; 13 pitches, eight for strikes, five for balls, which is 62% strikes. I gave up 1 run on 1 hit with no strikeouts and no free bases. A pretty solid outing for a fall scrimmage I think. All I can do is keep working towards my goals and giving my self the best opportunities to be successful. If I handle my business the rest will work out.
Fall Stat Line thus far:
63 Pitches (38 strikes-25 balls, 60.3%)
ERA 0.53 (1 earned run allowed over 17 outs collected or 5 and 2/3 innings)
Opponets Batting Avg, .105 (2 hits in 19 at-bats)
Strikeout-to-Walk & HBP Ratio 3 to 2 (1 BB, 1 HBP)
These stats mean nothing, they aren't going to get me the baseball on the weekend. Being successful and confident in the execution of my pitches is the only way to earn the spot I want in the weekend rotation.
Today was an intersquad scrimmage, where we divide up the roster into two sides and play it out like a real game. Pitchers each throw an inning, and are on 15 pitch maximums.I was slated to be the fourth pitcher on the mound today, pitching the bottom of the second inning.
Saturday intersquads are usually a very relaxed and fun, but still competitive atmosphere. Today was no exception. Everyone arrived to the park by about 10:30 for the noon scrimmage. There was a lot of field work to be done following the days of rain we have had in the Twin Cities. After we got the field, especially the mound and home plate, in playable condition, we ran, stretched, and played catch to get loose.
All morning my shoulder and pectoral muscle on my left side were much tighter than usually. It took me a lot longer to get loose than normal, and even after playing catch to about 100 feet, my arm still felt tight. I knew I had to get my body ready to pitch so I asked one of the freshman pitchers to come to the bullpen with me. I went through my wind-up over and over just lobbing fastballs and change-ups down there, getting my arm warm and my body used to my mechanics off the mound. I probably made 50 throws before I finally felt loose enough to open up and put something on the ball. I went through my pregame bullpen routine throwing fastballs and change ups on the inner half from the full wind-up, and fastballs and breaking balls down the middle from the stretch. Once I feel like I have command of my pitches, I like to go through all my pitches throwing them to particular spots and executing them with game like mentality. I always finish the bullpen by saying 3-2 fastball and spotting up a good down in the zone fastball.
I took the mound and made my eight warm-up pitches with the best game-like mentality, hitting spots and making the ball move. Then the first hitter stepped in and the game gets real. The first hitter worked his way to a 3-2 count (keep in mind we start with a 1-1 count) before a fastball on the outer half was cued of the end towards the third baseman. The long wet grass of the infield slowed the ball and we never had a chance to get him. An infield hit, the worse! You make a great pitch and can't do anything about it. With a runner on first and no outs I automatically made a throw over to first base to check for the hitter squaring to bunt, he didn't. After the runner moved up to second on wild pitch on a slider thrown far too outside trying to get a strikeout, the left-handed hitter rolled over to the second baseman for the first out of the inning, but moving the runner up another 90 feet to third base. After a first pitch strike, I wanted to throw a change-up down and away, but missed right down the middle. If the pitch hadn't of fooled him and let his weight get out front, the ball might still be flying. As is, he was out front and hit is squarely to centerfield for a sacrifice fly. With two outs and no one on, the next hitter flyed out to centerfield to end the inning. I felt I had made good pitches outside of the one slider and the one change-up, but I was still a little frustrated allowing my first run of the fall.
As always I went over to get my statistics for the day, and they were as following; 13 pitches, eight for strikes, five for balls, which is 62% strikes. I gave up 1 run on 1 hit with no strikeouts and no free bases. A pretty solid outing for a fall scrimmage I think. All I can do is keep working towards my goals and giving my self the best opportunities to be successful. If I handle my business the rest will work out.
Fall Stat Line thus far:
63 Pitches (38 strikes-25 balls, 60.3%)
ERA 0.53 (1 earned run allowed over 17 outs collected or 5 and 2/3 innings)
Opponets Batting Avg, .105 (2 hits in 19 at-bats)
Strikeout-to-Walk & HBP Ratio 3 to 2 (1 BB, 1 HBP)
These stats mean nothing, they aren't going to get me the baseball on the weekend. Being successful and confident in the execution of my pitches is the only way to earn the spot I want in the weekend rotation.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Scrimmaging in the Rain.....September 22, 2010
Today was a scrimmage for us. It rained all game, but never hard enough that we had to leave the field. Scrimmages like this are not my favorite. It is wet and cold, guys lose focus easily, and my least favorite thing is when a coach calls balls and strikes from behind the pitcher. This is something I battle with every year, I don't like people calling pitches from behind the mound. I don't know what it is about it that I don't like, I just don't. But that was the situation for the day, and I don't have a say in the way scrimmages are run, I just have to shut up and play.
We had nine pitchers throw today, each an innings worth of work. I was scheduled to throw the seventh inning today, and on a day like today that is not an easy task. You warm up with the team before the game, before standing around for six innings getting colder and wetter by the minute. Luckily after dealing with this last year I keep my jacket and a pair of gloves in my bag at all times. Today they definitely came in handy. The gloves kept my hands warm, and for a pitcher that is a huge thing. If your hands stay warm, it is easier to get the rest of your body ready to pitch. So word of advice for any young pitchers that play in places where it can get cold, always have a pair of gloves in your bag!
As for the game, I started the seventh inning. I had some nerves today, because earlier today I spoke to the general manager of a summer team that I am looking to play for in a pretty prestigious league. I had a great talk with the GM, and he said he would be phoning my head coach tomorrow to talk about my performances and possibly signing me for the college summer. Since this would be my last outing before coach gave his report to this GM, I knew I had to leave a good impression.
I took the eight warm up pitches to think through my mechanics and breath out any nerves that I had. It was still raining lightly as I faced my first hitter of the day. The first hitter struck out on a great sequence. I threw to one of my favorite catchers today. For whatever reason I am extremely comfortable with him behind the plate. He always calls a great game for my strengths as a pitcher. The first batter saw a fastball on each side of the plate, followed by a great change-up on the outer half, and went down swinging on a fastball up. One down. The next hitter worked me to a full count before hitting an outside fastball high into right field. With the rain coming down and the wind blowing our right fielder couldn't make a read on the ball and it dropped in for a double. Nothing hurt. The next hitter got a wet baseball to the back as the ball, still slick from getting hit for a double slipped off and into the HBP column. Breath, you are still one pitch away from being out of the inning. After regaining my composure it was time to turn it on. I had to execute pitches and get myself out of the mini jam. The next hitter rolled a change-up to our charging third baseman who made a great play on the ball to get the out at first base. Two down, still nothing hurt. With runners on second and third with two outs, I was one pitch away from getting out of the inning unscathed. Three pitches later I did just that, a 1-1 fastball on the hands of the hitter was lined softly into the waiting glove of our second baseman. I had gotten out of the inning with no damage to the scoreboard, and had executed pitches when it mattered.
Walking off the field I got some high fives and "good jobs" from teammates and coaches. But I wanted to know one thing; what was my strike percentage? That was my downfall the previous season, so now that's just about the only stat I care about. If you throw well, ERA, opponents batting average, and wins work themselves out, but strike percentage, that's what decides who gets the ball, and who cheers from the bench. Today I threw 18 pitches, 10 were strikes, eight were balls, for a final strike percentage of 56%. I didn't miss the zone by much on those eight balls. I made timely executed pitches, and did my job of collecting three outs and getting the team off the field with a zero up on the scoreboard.
Hopefully I get a good report from my coach to my possible summer GM. I can't control that, all I can do is be successful on and off the field in the things that I do. I am confident in my ability and the way I am throwing the baseball right now, everything else will fall into place. Still continuously working towards my goal to be a Concordia Golden Bear weekend starter.
We had nine pitchers throw today, each an innings worth of work. I was scheduled to throw the seventh inning today, and on a day like today that is not an easy task. You warm up with the team before the game, before standing around for six innings getting colder and wetter by the minute. Luckily after dealing with this last year I keep my jacket and a pair of gloves in my bag at all times. Today they definitely came in handy. The gloves kept my hands warm, and for a pitcher that is a huge thing. If your hands stay warm, it is easier to get the rest of your body ready to pitch. So word of advice for any young pitchers that play in places where it can get cold, always have a pair of gloves in your bag!
As for the game, I started the seventh inning. I had some nerves today, because earlier today I spoke to the general manager of a summer team that I am looking to play for in a pretty prestigious league. I had a great talk with the GM, and he said he would be phoning my head coach tomorrow to talk about my performances and possibly signing me for the college summer. Since this would be my last outing before coach gave his report to this GM, I knew I had to leave a good impression.
I took the eight warm up pitches to think through my mechanics and breath out any nerves that I had. It was still raining lightly as I faced my first hitter of the day. The first hitter struck out on a great sequence. I threw to one of my favorite catchers today. For whatever reason I am extremely comfortable with him behind the plate. He always calls a great game for my strengths as a pitcher. The first batter saw a fastball on each side of the plate, followed by a great change-up on the outer half, and went down swinging on a fastball up. One down. The next hitter worked me to a full count before hitting an outside fastball high into right field. With the rain coming down and the wind blowing our right fielder couldn't make a read on the ball and it dropped in for a double. Nothing hurt. The next hitter got a wet baseball to the back as the ball, still slick from getting hit for a double slipped off and into the HBP column. Breath, you are still one pitch away from being out of the inning. After regaining my composure it was time to turn it on. I had to execute pitches and get myself out of the mini jam. The next hitter rolled a change-up to our charging third baseman who made a great play on the ball to get the out at first base. Two down, still nothing hurt. With runners on second and third with two outs, I was one pitch away from getting out of the inning unscathed. Three pitches later I did just that, a 1-1 fastball on the hands of the hitter was lined softly into the waiting glove of our second baseman. I had gotten out of the inning with no damage to the scoreboard, and had executed pitches when it mattered.
Walking off the field I got some high fives and "good jobs" from teammates and coaches. But I wanted to know one thing; what was my strike percentage? That was my downfall the previous season, so now that's just about the only stat I care about. If you throw well, ERA, opponents batting average, and wins work themselves out, but strike percentage, that's what decides who gets the ball, and who cheers from the bench. Today I threw 18 pitches, 10 were strikes, eight were balls, for a final strike percentage of 56%. I didn't miss the zone by much on those eight balls. I made timely executed pitches, and did my job of collecting three outs and getting the team off the field with a zero up on the scoreboard.
Hopefully I get a good report from my coach to my possible summer GM. I can't control that, all I can do is be successful on and off the field in the things that I do. I am confident in my ability and the way I am throwing the baseball right now, everything else will fall into place. Still continuously working towards my goal to be a Concordia Golden Bear weekend starter.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Day One with the New Squad.....September 20, 2010
There is inevitability in collegiate athletics, and one thing that is absolutely inevitable is that there will not be enough spots on the team for everyone that wants to be on it. This year we had five days of practice for players to prove their mettle to the coaching staff. With 40+ guys trying out this year our coaching staff decided for the first time in the program under head coach Mark "Lunch" McKenzie to do a normal cut process. After five days last week a list of 30 players was posted, and that became the new team for the 2010-11 season. There are many guys that are willing to put in the work to be on the team, but the coaches have to make the decisions that will best provide us with a winning formula.
Today we practiced for the first time as the team that we will be competing with this spring. The feeling was a little lighter, people are not worried about cuts and can now use the fall for what it is intended; working on your game and earning tentative spots for the spring. These 29 guys will be my family for the next nine months. I will spend more time with my fellow teammates than I will with family, friends, and classmates. My teammates are my brothers, and these will be guys that I will remember long after my playing days are over. When it comes to playing baseball everyone has to do their job for the overall success of the team, and that can me setting aside personal issues and just being teammates.
Lunch also announced to us that for the first time in the program under his management we will have individual player meetings following the fall season. During this time players will get a definite answer to what their role is on this team as we head into the spring season of 2011. This puts on some pressure to perform in the fall, but also will give players a clear cut answer and take away a lot of that gray area surrounding position battles. With any sport though these spots are very fluid and can change, but knowing where you stand going into the spring is a great thing. It can motivate guys to work hard over the winter and push for a position in the spring, and can also let guys know that it is their spot to lose, and they need to put in the work that goes with being the starting shortstop or a weekend starter.
Today was the first day as "our team", and just another day to work towards my goal of being a weekend starter this season. Here is a glimpse into what my day consisted of:
-Jog to centerfield and back, dynamic stretching, static stretching.
-Pitcher crossover bands and body-blade exercises
-Pitcher fielding practice working on covering first base on a ground ball to the first baseman
-Pitchers long toss out to 150 feet while dodging balls from hitters taking on-field batting practice
-Throw a 30-pitch bullpen to prepare for Wednesday's scrimmage against Hamline University
-Run 12 jog-sprint-walks on warning track for conditioning
-Clean up the field and put the tarp on the pitcher's mound
That is just a general idea of what a pitcher, in this case myself, does on a daily basis. College baseball is a 12-month job, and every day counts.
Today we practiced for the first time as the team that we will be competing with this spring. The feeling was a little lighter, people are not worried about cuts and can now use the fall for what it is intended; working on your game and earning tentative spots for the spring. These 29 guys will be my family for the next nine months. I will spend more time with my fellow teammates than I will with family, friends, and classmates. My teammates are my brothers, and these will be guys that I will remember long after my playing days are over. When it comes to playing baseball everyone has to do their job for the overall success of the team, and that can me setting aside personal issues and just being teammates.
Lunch also announced to us that for the first time in the program under his management we will have individual player meetings following the fall season. During this time players will get a definite answer to what their role is on this team as we head into the spring season of 2011. This puts on some pressure to perform in the fall, but also will give players a clear cut answer and take away a lot of that gray area surrounding position battles. With any sport though these spots are very fluid and can change, but knowing where you stand going into the spring is a great thing. It can motivate guys to work hard over the winter and push for a position in the spring, and can also let guys know that it is their spot to lose, and they need to put in the work that goes with being the starting shortstop or a weekend starter.
Today was the first day as "our team", and just another day to work towards my goal of being a weekend starter this season. Here is a glimpse into what my day consisted of:
-Jog to centerfield and back, dynamic stretching, static stretching.
-Pitcher crossover bands and body-blade exercises
-Pitcher fielding practice working on covering first base on a ground ball to the first baseman
-Pitchers long toss out to 150 feet while dodging balls from hitters taking on-field batting practice
-Throw a 30-pitch bullpen to prepare for Wednesday's scrimmage against Hamline University
-Run 12 jog-sprint-walks on warning track for conditioning
-Clean up the field and put the tarp on the pitcher's mound
That is just a general idea of what a pitcher, in this case myself, does on a daily basis. College baseball is a 12-month job, and every day counts.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
A New Beginning...
Baseball is a funny game. Coaches can analyze you, measure you, and time you all they want, but the only thing that matters is can you deliver between the lines. In the two years since high school I have been in a category of "people that don't deliver". Last year as a left-handed pitcher, that at times registered on the radar gun as high as 85 mph (a pretty good velocity for a division two lefty) was a "touchdown guy", and for those of you that don't know that means I pitched in the game when we were up seven runs or down seven runs. It was somewhat embarrassing for me, because I felt that I had more talent than that. But it was because of my constant pitching Achilles heal, strikes. Throwing strikes has been my problem since I left the comforts of high school baseball. In a game last year in Orlando, Fla. against St. Joseph's (IN) I managed to throw just 42% strikes, and although I only allowed one run, I limped through the game. I was constantly right around 50% strikes every time I took the baseball, and that is not going to lead to success. I am sure when I left after the season last year my coaches did not have the highest of expectations for me for the coming season, and the saddest thing is I couldn't blame them.
But I left with a goal. I wanted to live up to the talent that I felt I have, and turn myself into what I considered a "weekend-starter" caliber pitcher. I wanted to earn the right to be one of the four guys that gets the baseball every weekend against our conference opponents. These are our four guys. The ones that we count on, the ones that win or lose conference championships. And while you can't win a championship without a complete pitching staff, including your "touchdown" guy, I want to be the guy that can throw six innings and give his team the chance to win games. So that was my goal, and I was determined to work towards it.
I spent the summer in Honolulu, HI playing in the Hawaii Collegiate League. This league does not get the publicity that Cape Cod or the Northwoods League receive, but I would be willing to bet a lot of the talent is on par with those leagues. We had players from all over the country, from the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 10, Mountain West, WAC, Big West, Ivy League, Big East, Missouri Valley, and various division two and three powerhouses such as perennial world series participants UC-San Diego (D2) and Chapman (D3). This gave me the chance to learn and absorb what guys that have continuously gotten it done on big stages are doing. I was able to learn how they carry themselves on and off the field, and how deliberate they are with each action they make between the lines. If I could say the one thing that I absolutely took away from this summer, its that I learned what a college baseball player is. I worked hard to make myself one, I experimented with workout bands and weighted balls, long tossing and flat grounds. I made myself consistent, and I made myself confident.
So when we returned to St. Paul, Minn. for fall ball practice this week, I felt confident and ready to chase after my goal. For the first time in college when I stepped on the field this week I felt that all my goals and aspirations were suddenly very attainable. I don't know if my coaches or teammates saw or noticed, but I personally felt I played this week with a sense of swagger, just a little bit different attitude then what I've had on the field since high school. I had to wait until Friday to get the opportunity I've been waiting for, to prove it between the lines. You can work hard in all the drills you want, but what the coaches want to see is are you a guy that can go collect outs, can you execute pitches to help us win. After four days of waiting I finally got my chance, and I took my new found swagger to the mound.
Keep in mind that every hitter in our inter-squad scrimmage starts with a 1-1 count, so just three off target pitches and you've walked someone. But I came out firing. I punched out the first hitter on three fastballs. The second hitter was set down on back-to-back strikes, and when the next three hitters all hit rollers to the shortstop my first set was done. Through 14 pitches I had delivered nine strikes (thats 64% for anyone that was wondering, because I was) including some great off-speed pitches in the zone. I had located my fastball and was in complete command of every aspect of the game around me. But its not enough to do it once, anyone can do it once, that is why we throw two sets. That second set is the separater between the guys that get lucky, and the guys that get it done. After watching a teammate throw his first set, I retook the mound. After the first batter became my fourth straight ground ball victim, a slow roller to the second baseman, I found myself getting into trouble for the first time. I threw two straight balls to the next hitter, I battled back, but eventually walked him. My first walk of the fall, and something that had haunted me for two years. For a moment all those negative thoughts came rushing into my head, was I suddenly back to the old me? I had to step off the mound and take a deep breath. I told myself to knock it off, everybody walks a person now and then, I was still me, I still had my swagger. After going to 2-1 on the next hitter, I delivered a brilliant fastball on the hitters hands which he grounded right to the short stop, and in any game probably would have resulted in a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play. I was suddenly back. The next hitter again was the victim of a well placed inside fastball and chopped an easy one to the third baseman. Another strikeout and a ground ball out later and I was done for the day.
I was excited for my performance, how could I not be? I delivered between the lines. Part of me wanted to run over to the coaches and just receive all this praise and hear how great I was, but part of me understood that I should have been doing this all along, that I didn't deserve all this praise, this should be an expectation, the norm. Plus who was I kidding? This isn't third grade, coaches aren't like that anymore. So I went in the dugout had a drink of water and collected my thoughts. When I finally walked over to the coaching staff I got my final stats for the day. I threw 32 pitches, 20 of them were strikes, which when rounded was a 63% strike percentage. I topped out at 81 mph with my fastball but more consistently sat 78-79 mph. I got a couple hand shakes and some job well dones, but it didn't matter. All that mattered to me is I had taken a step toward showing the coaches that I am capable of going out their and dominating all aspects of the game. I am okay that I won't blow fastballs by anyone, but if I can execute a pitch on the inside corner it doesn't matter, a hitter is going to hit a soft ground ball on that every time. I have come to understand pitching more, and come to understand my capabilities more. As the season goes on I will probably level off around 80-84mph with my fastball, and that will be plenty.
I know that yesterday I took a big step towards my goal of being a weekend starter. But plenty of other guys had good outings this week too. I am not rooting against any of them. If we have a pitching staff of seven righties and five lefties that can all throw above 60% strikes and hit spots and command the running game, we will probably be playing for a national championship. If one of my teammates is more deserving of that weekend role, then I will accept whatever role I'm given to help the team win, as long as I have shown how I'm capable of pitching, I know I will get plenty of innings in whatever role I serve. But we all have a competitive nature, and I want that weekend job badly. We have some great young guys, so its not going to be easy. Hopefully we all push each other to that point where it doesn't matter who our coach puts out there, we are all going to be successful.
Now I get to enjoy my weekend and get ready for practice on Monday.
For more information on myself and my teammates please visit www.cugoldenbears.com
For more information on the NSIC conference please visit www.northernsun.org
And, for more information on the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League please visit www.hawaii-cbl.com
But I left with a goal. I wanted to live up to the talent that I felt I have, and turn myself into what I considered a "weekend-starter" caliber pitcher. I wanted to earn the right to be one of the four guys that gets the baseball every weekend against our conference opponents. These are our four guys. The ones that we count on, the ones that win or lose conference championships. And while you can't win a championship without a complete pitching staff, including your "touchdown" guy, I want to be the guy that can throw six innings and give his team the chance to win games. So that was my goal, and I was determined to work towards it.
I spent the summer in Honolulu, HI playing in the Hawaii Collegiate League. This league does not get the publicity that Cape Cod or the Northwoods League receive, but I would be willing to bet a lot of the talent is on par with those leagues. We had players from all over the country, from the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 10, Mountain West, WAC, Big West, Ivy League, Big East, Missouri Valley, and various division two and three powerhouses such as perennial world series participants UC-San Diego (D2) and Chapman (D3). This gave me the chance to learn and absorb what guys that have continuously gotten it done on big stages are doing. I was able to learn how they carry themselves on and off the field, and how deliberate they are with each action they make between the lines. If I could say the one thing that I absolutely took away from this summer, its that I learned what a college baseball player is. I worked hard to make myself one, I experimented with workout bands and weighted balls, long tossing and flat grounds. I made myself consistent, and I made myself confident.
So when we returned to St. Paul, Minn. for fall ball practice this week, I felt confident and ready to chase after my goal. For the first time in college when I stepped on the field this week I felt that all my goals and aspirations were suddenly very attainable. I don't know if my coaches or teammates saw or noticed, but I personally felt I played this week with a sense of swagger, just a little bit different attitude then what I've had on the field since high school. I had to wait until Friday to get the opportunity I've been waiting for, to prove it between the lines. You can work hard in all the drills you want, but what the coaches want to see is are you a guy that can go collect outs, can you execute pitches to help us win. After four days of waiting I finally got my chance, and I took my new found swagger to the mound.
Keep in mind that every hitter in our inter-squad scrimmage starts with a 1-1 count, so just three off target pitches and you've walked someone. But I came out firing. I punched out the first hitter on three fastballs. The second hitter was set down on back-to-back strikes, and when the next three hitters all hit rollers to the shortstop my first set was done. Through 14 pitches I had delivered nine strikes (thats 64% for anyone that was wondering, because I was) including some great off-speed pitches in the zone. I had located my fastball and was in complete command of every aspect of the game around me. But its not enough to do it once, anyone can do it once, that is why we throw two sets. That second set is the separater between the guys that get lucky, and the guys that get it done. After watching a teammate throw his first set, I retook the mound. After the first batter became my fourth straight ground ball victim, a slow roller to the second baseman, I found myself getting into trouble for the first time. I threw two straight balls to the next hitter, I battled back, but eventually walked him. My first walk of the fall, and something that had haunted me for two years. For a moment all those negative thoughts came rushing into my head, was I suddenly back to the old me? I had to step off the mound and take a deep breath. I told myself to knock it off, everybody walks a person now and then, I was still me, I still had my swagger. After going to 2-1 on the next hitter, I delivered a brilliant fastball on the hitters hands which he grounded right to the short stop, and in any game probably would have resulted in a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play. I was suddenly back. The next hitter again was the victim of a well placed inside fastball and chopped an easy one to the third baseman. Another strikeout and a ground ball out later and I was done for the day.
I was excited for my performance, how could I not be? I delivered between the lines. Part of me wanted to run over to the coaches and just receive all this praise and hear how great I was, but part of me understood that I should have been doing this all along, that I didn't deserve all this praise, this should be an expectation, the norm. Plus who was I kidding? This isn't third grade, coaches aren't like that anymore. So I went in the dugout had a drink of water and collected my thoughts. When I finally walked over to the coaching staff I got my final stats for the day. I threw 32 pitches, 20 of them were strikes, which when rounded was a 63% strike percentage. I topped out at 81 mph with my fastball but more consistently sat 78-79 mph. I got a couple hand shakes and some job well dones, but it didn't matter. All that mattered to me is I had taken a step toward showing the coaches that I am capable of going out their and dominating all aspects of the game. I am okay that I won't blow fastballs by anyone, but if I can execute a pitch on the inside corner it doesn't matter, a hitter is going to hit a soft ground ball on that every time. I have come to understand pitching more, and come to understand my capabilities more. As the season goes on I will probably level off around 80-84mph with my fastball, and that will be plenty.
I know that yesterday I took a big step towards my goal of being a weekend starter. But plenty of other guys had good outings this week too. I am not rooting against any of them. If we have a pitching staff of seven righties and five lefties that can all throw above 60% strikes and hit spots and command the running game, we will probably be playing for a national championship. If one of my teammates is more deserving of that weekend role, then I will accept whatever role I'm given to help the team win, as long as I have shown how I'm capable of pitching, I know I will get plenty of innings in whatever role I serve. But we all have a competitive nature, and I want that weekend job badly. We have some great young guys, so its not going to be easy. Hopefully we all push each other to that point where it doesn't matter who our coach puts out there, we are all going to be successful.
Now I get to enjoy my weekend and get ready for practice on Monday.
For more information on myself and my teammates please visit www.cugoldenbears.com
For more information on the NSIC conference please visit www.northernsun.org
And, for more information on the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League please visit www.hawaii-cbl.com
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