Fans Without Entire Picture

I had the idea for this post a few days ago, but due to my recent travel (which has become the story of my season lately), I am composing it now.  The idea of this discussion was prompted while I was watching one of our games in Rancho a few nights ago, when some fans yelled derogatory comments directed at my teammates and manager.

Before I make my point, I want to preface by pointing out that I am not making an appeal that home fans always need to be supportive of a team’s play.  We are professional athletes and fans have every right to applaud or criticize our efforts.  During a player’s or team’s struggle, booing can sometimes be the motivation for a turn around.  However, the purpose of my discussion is not to ask fans to be more respectful of feelings during bad times.  The aim is to have fans consider some latent factors that may be contributing to a slump.

As much as professional athletes are subjected to media coverage, there is only so much that can be publically disseminated.  In lower professional ranks, public knowledge of athletes is even less due to the large quantity of players and relative interest a team’s players being tied only to local communities. This absence of public information can be the cause for some unrighteous negative comments from fans and the media during times of bad performance. 

The lack of full disclosure is good for the players, as it allows the team to handle issues in-house, and provides the players with privacy and keeping them from being publically scrutinized.  Unfortunately, these private issues may surface to the public as poor on-field play.  Baseball players, like all other working people, have personal issues, family problems, and many things weighing on their minds.  However, with the exception of dire circumstances, we are not entitled to take personal days off to deal with these situations.

The reality of the matter is that fans only know so much about players, and it generally only pertains to do with how they have been playing over the past few days (for those fans keeping close tabs with the team).  Outsiders do not know if a player is having family problems at home (parents going through a divorce, a troubled brother or sister, a sick relative); thinking about a close friend that was involved in a serious car accident; having marital problems; coming back from an injury (minor league players do not generally get rehab starts, with the exception of some innings in Arizona Rookie League games, when coming back from injury like major leaguers); or, dealing with any other problems that may be detrimental to a player’s psyche.

We are expected to play 140 games in 152 days, and many times, work more than two weeks without having a day off.  The absence of time to properly deal with many issues can weigh heavily on a player and affect their performance.  Thus, the point I raise is not to ask fans to stop voicing their displeasure, but it is to consider the possibility that maybe a player’s performance is being negatively impacted by a distraction out of his control.

Arizona Rehab

When it seems that everyone else is leaving me, I am the one to leave for a change.  Prior to last night’s thrilling 10^th inning, 10-8 walk-off victory thanks to a Mark Trumbo home run, I was told I would be reporting to Tempe the following day to continue my rehab. Since Rancho is on a seven-day road trip to the northern division, rehab on the road would be difficult due to the lack of a quality facility that we have at home.  Furthermore, I will be better able to get functional work of catching pitchers, working on defensive skills, and hitting by mixing in with the Rookie level team in the midst of their season.  While I do not want to do this because I have to leave my teammates and miss the games, I know it is in my best interest to get healthy faster than I would be able to on the road trip.

I made the hour-long flight this morning at 8:30 and went directly to the Angels’ minor league facility in Tempe, AZ to begin my continuing rehab program.  After completing my first day of rehab, I am optimistic that I will be returning to a club soon.  Players dread being sent to rehab in Tempe, and I was in the same position.  Rehab days are long, high temperatures are generally in excess of 100 degrees, and it is very tough being away from teammates.  While it is true that I am still with Angel teammates from the organization, it is frustrating being away from the team you have been going to battle with on a nightly basis.  However, the teams go on, and I will be doing my best to get back as soon as possible.

The initial report is that my ligament strength is strong, despite there still being pain.  I was told that I am going to have pain for a while, so it is going to be about pain management and tolerance.  So, the plan is to build up leg and knee strength and work on the functional baseball skills until I am game ready.  This will be done through a variety of strengthening and conditioning exercises, and with the aid of an MCL taping and brace.

Tomorrow will have me doing rehab exercises, going through team stretch and conditioning, throwing, and hitting off a tee and taking soft toss.  If all goes well, I will probably be catching bullpens Sunday.

The Carousel Continues

In what has already become a comical and absurd situation, more catcher moves have left me without a roommate, again.  Yes, for those of you keeping score at home, this brings the count to four.  The running joke in Cedar Rapids was “if you want to be promoted to Rancho, room with Rosey,” after my losing three roommates to promotion in about four weeks.  Apparently, the joke might be rekindled here, as my roommate of two days, Flint Wipke, was sent to Arkansas (Double-A), after another catcher was placed on the disabled list with a concussion.  In addition to my roommate transactions, I would not be surprised if the Angels lead professional baseball with the greatest number of transactions made throughout their entire organization.

Just as an example, Alberto Rosario, young prospect who is supposed to be the starting catcher in Orem (Advanced Rookie), began his season out of extended spring training in Rancho, and has been bouncing back and forth between Rancho, Salt Lake City (Triple-A) ever since.  His latest travels have him rejoining us from Salt Lake, where he was there for three days to cover Tim Duff’s spot, who went to be with his wife for the birth of their child.  This is Rosario’s third time with Rancho this season.  Once again, as I discussed in a previous post, I reiterate the importance of keeping relationships with teammates and coaches that are at a professional level, because you never know when someone is leaving.

The team has been playing well, as we have won six of our last seven, and hold a share of first place as we begin a three-game series at home with Stockton (Oakland Athletics affiliate) tomorrow.  My rehab is progressing, although it is not as fast as I like (but those things never progress as fast as anyone wants).  A knee brace was ordered for me today to provide lateral stability, and will allow me to get back to active status faster.  I hope to be playing again by the beginning of August.

Injury Update

On Monday, I received the results of the MRI I had over the weekend.  What was originally thought to be a slightly torn medial meniscus, turned out to be a grade one medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain.  So, while a tear of the cartilage separating the bones would not have been terrible, there is a chance it would have nagged me throughout my career and later on in life.  The sprain is better news for me, and there is a loose estimate of two weeks for my return.

I began rehab yesterday.  I have very good and painless mobility of my right knee, and the rehab program is primarily designed to build up my leg and core strength doing exercises that do not put strain on the MCL.  By doing this, when the ligament has healed completely, I will already have built up strength in the surrounding muscles and ligaments and be that much closer to full recovery.

While injuries are physical, it is often most difficult to deal with the mental strain resulting from them.  There are three issues athletes face when having an injury: 

1.)  The frustration of being injured and dealing with the monotony of days not being able to participate on the field is very difficult.  In the moments right after I was injured, I was already preparing myself that the season was over and that I might be faced with never being able to play again (a serious knee injury to a catcher could be disastrous).  I would later find out that this serious injury was highly unlikely, but I was still faced with having to sit around and just watch afternoon practices and games.

2.) Dealing with rehab tends to be arduous and painful, and getting back to the pre-injury condition requires great intensity.  As I have begun this phase, I am once again amazed at how fast strength can be lost through lack of activity.  While I have been doing pushups and abdominal work since my injury, I have been able to do nothing with my legs.  This is the primary focus of my rehab program, and after the first day, I was sore.

3.) Perhaps the most trying issue to face after injury is the subconscious thoughts that it might happen again.  Having pulled my hamstring several times in the past, there was always a thought in the back of my mind that I might pull it again soon thereafter.  I will be forced to suppress these thoughts and any resulting tentativeness, for it will hinder my performance (and actually increase the likelihood for injury).

So, while the injury happened eleven days ago, the effects will linger much longer.  However, in dealing with injuries in the past, I am confident I will be able to return to the success I was experiencing prior to my injury.

Player Salaries

Tonight was an earlier game, as Sunday’s usually are.  However, it was at 5:05pm, not quite as early as Sunday games in Cedar Rapids.  I am guessing this is to stay out of the afternoon heat, but players sometimes view Sundays as a shortened workday, and look forward to them because of typically lighter workouts and early departures.  After falling behind early, we cut the deficit to one run in the sixth inning, but would not get any closer as we lost 7-3.  The team has been up and down this past week, and it is very frustrating only being able to watch.  My knee is feeling better though and I hope to begin moving on it and getting into drills these next few days. 

Before today’s game, I was signing some autographs and met someone who had made the trip from Cedar Rapids for the week to visit his grandfather and catch some Quakes games.  I spoke with him for a little while and he was telling me how he enjoys the blog.  Over the past few weeks, the discussions I have had with people and the emails I have received have made me realize the reach of this blog, and that it is more widely read than I had imagined.  I am happy to know that many people are finding the blog to be a useful tool for gaining insight into professional baseball and how a baseball player actually lives.

A question I am frequently asked is with regard to how much money baseball players at the minor league level make.  It is a common misconception that all professional baseball players are making very good, or even decent money.  However, the truth is that minor league baseball is no way to make a living.  It seems that we are making just enough money to break even during the season, having only a little extra money left over. 

I am going to go into specifics in a moment, but I want clarify that not all players, including myself, are in it for the money.  Yes, there are players that are fortunate enough to make a good amount of money with bonuses, but after the signing bonus, almost all players at a given minor league level make the same amount of money.  If I were looking to make money, I would already be in the working world using my Finance degree and working reasonable hours Monday through Friday.  Playing baseball right now is about chasing a dream; a dream that all of us have been chasing since we started playing baseball.  I have the rest of my life to work, so I might as well play as long as I can.

The base salary for all Class A (both A and A-Advanced) players is $1,300 per month.  Class AA and Class AAA players have higher monthly salaries, with players on the MLB 40-man roster paid even more.  We are paid bi-monthly, and for simplicity, the figures I discuss will be for a two week period.  The two-week pay of $650 is pre-tax, and after Social Security and Medicare is taken out, I am left with a $600 check.  Fortunately (or unfortunately as it may be for my overall finances), I have not made enough annually that requires deductions to be taken out.  Clubhouse dues are $45 every two weeks (these cover all of the food we have in our clubhouse, the cleaning of our uniforms and baseball apparel, and for additional compensation for our clubby, so of course, this does not include tip).  A reasonable tip for this period is $15.

We will assume that we are on an overnight road trip for half of this two week period (tend to be more expensive than commuters), where we get a $20 per diem.  While we get this $20, I tend to eat at restaurants that are not of the fast food variety (which I find to be gross, but sometimes are forced to frequent due to the odd hours), and after tax and tip on a meal, staying under $20 for lunch and dinner is seemingly impossible.  So, it will be assumed that I am spending $28 per day for food on the road.  While at home, lunch and/or dinner is sometimes had away from the field or the host family, so it will be assumed that one meal of $12 is had every day during a home game.

So far, the breakdown is as follows:

Take home pay: $600

Less dues: $60

Credit road per diem: $140

Less road food: $196

Less home food: $84

This leaves a current total of $400.  Over the course of a season (10 pay cycles), I receive $6,000 of take home pay, and only $4,000 after the necessary expenses are covered.  I need to use this money for miscellaneous expenses, including a cell phone bill, any gear (batting gloves, mitts, spikes, apparel) that I had to purchase during the season (which this year will total about $700), and anything else I need to pay for, like the $50 bag overage that will not be reimbursed for during my flight to San Jose after being promoted.

This amount of money is nothing to live by.  Fortunately, I have family support to help me financially when needed, as they feel that chasing this dream will provide me with value that cannot be measured monetarily.  So, the next time you look out on the field thinking that professional athletes are overpaid, consider the time and financial sacrifices that were endured along the way to make Major League salaries.  For most, it is not a free ride from when a player is signed until they reach the Majors.

Disabled List

I begin this (1:15am PDT) at my hotel in Rancho Cucamonga after eating dinner delivered from a local restaurant.  We arrived home from our commuter road trip to High Desert (Seattle Mariners affiliate) close to two hours ago; fortunately, the trip is only 45 minutes.  All of our in-division road trips are commuters.  We will see if the distaste that I have expressed about commuter trips continues since I will be going on these trips more often than I did in the Midwest League.

As I mentioned in my previous entry, I was injured during my first game as a Quake during the second inning on Saturday night.  There were runners are second and third with no outs and a ground ball was hit back to the pitcher.  After checking the runner back to third, the pitcher threw to first.  On the throw, the runner at third broke for the plate.  I was in position to take the throw from first base, catch the ball, and turn to tag the runner sliding in headfirst.  As I turned to tag the runner, I felt something in my right knee pop.  The runner was out, but this was the least thing I was focused on at this time.

During the ten seconds or so that this play happened, many things went through my mind.  After feeling something in my knee pop my thought process was, “the season is over, I need surgery, and I hope that my career is not finished (how can a catcher play with a messed up knee?)”  I walked over to see our trainer so the injury could be assessed.  I was not in pain, but something did not feel right.  I came out of the game, and as I sat around during an examination, felt my knee tightening up and getting sore.  The assessment at the field was either a medial collateral ligament or meniscus sprain. 

While a tear was not out of the question, the stability of my knee was good, and this was a positive sign.  However, despite this encouraging news, I was still very concerned.  I was not going to be able to see a team doctor until we returned from our road trip in San Jose.  It was an anxious time for me until I was able to see the orthopedist yesterday.

The official diagnosis is a strained medial meniscus.  Since the knee’s stability is still good, the knee is still functioning properly, and my condition has been improving, it is unlikely to be anything more serious.  If my condition keeps improving as it has since Saturday, I hope to be back in action in two weeks.  I hope to have dodged a serious bullet with this minor injury, knowing that things could have been a lot worse.

I expect to recover quickly, and this will be another injury to add to the list.  Since entering college, I have suffered the following: pulled hamstring (twice); dislocated shoulder; thoracic outlet syndrome (also known as deep venous thrombosis; I had a blood clot in my right shoulder and needed my first rib removed); mild concussion (twice); bicep tendonitis; shin splints; and, strained oblique.  Sounds like I might be a good poster child for WebMD.com.

I have been placed on the seven-day disabled list (this is the only length for the minor leagues; the Major League minimum is 15 days, with a 60-day option also available).  This means that I do not have a place on the 25-player active roster, but remain with the team.

Promotion

The past few days have been tumultuous for me as I have been through three time zones, and spent nights in three different cities.  After the third game of the Quad Cities series on July 3, I was walking into the clubhouse through the tunnel and was told by our hitting coach that KJ had to speak to me.  The timing of this is what tipped me off that this was not going to be a random question; he had to speak to me before our post-game meeting.  Those meetings usually mean a player move.  I went into the office thinking either I was moving up, moving down, or moving out.  I was confident about the situation though since I had been playing well and I felt I was in good standing with the organization.

All of the coaches were in KJ’s office when I got there and I was told that I had been promoted to Rancho Cucamonga, our Class A Advanced affiliate in southern California.  My flight was at 8am out of Cedar Rapids the following morning (July 4), and I would be flying to San Jose (through Chicago) to meet up with the team beginning a three-game road trip against the northern division affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.  I initially did not know how to react, as I was still surprised.  However, after some reassurance from my teammates that it was all right to smile, I was able to express some excitement about being called up.

Both flights were on time and I arrived in San Jose at 12:30pm PDT on Friday and took a taxi to the stadium.  Similar to how things went were when I arrived for my first professional season in Orem with respect that both times were road trips, I basically took anything that fit as far as the uniform goes (hats, pants, undershirt) since the amount of reserve attire is limited.

The new team will take a little getting used to, but the overlying philosophies and style of baseball remain the same.  I started the second game of the series, but did not make it past the second inning as I sprained my right knee on a play at the plate.  I will delve further into this in my next post where I discuss my first stint on the disabled list.

Despite the injury, I am still in high spirits and confident that I will return to the lineup soon.  It will be the beginning of the work necessary to climb the next rung on this baseball ladder.

Auxiliary Staff

After winning two of our first three series of the second half (we split the other), we headed into tonight’s opener against Quad Cities (St. Louis affiliate) with heightened optimism and a share of the divisional lead.  Quad Cities, located in Davenport, IA, is a commuter trip, and is even more undesirable after getting home at 2am last night from Beloit.  We had to take batting practice and do bullpens at our stadium because of a high school game in Quad Cities prior to ours, so we were on the field at 2pm this afternoon and left for Davenport at 4pm.

Tonight’s game was a sloppy start for us with two errors costing us two early runs.  However, we kept ourselves in the game and were able to manage a 7-4 win.  I had my second start in three days, and although it took me until my third at-bat, I was able to find my swing after two early groundouts and finished the night with two hits.  Most importantly though, I was able to catch a winner.

I write this post as we make the 75-minute trip back west to Cedar Rapids and am expecting to be home by midnight, just in time to find something to eat.  Last week I receive an email asking me to discuss our auxiliary staff.  Aside from our manager and hitting and pitching coaches, we have three other staff members: an athletic trainer, a strength and conditioning coach, and our equipment manager.

Our athletic trainer’s main responsibility is to look out for the welfare of players, whether it is battles with injury or illness.  He is the first link in the medical chain and makes the initial assessment that will determine the treatment for a player.  Minor injuries can be handled “in-house”, meaning that treatment and rehab can be done with the team, even if it requires a short stint on the 7-day disabled list.  However, for more serious problems, a team doctor may be called in (these are usually local doctors in the cities we play in) to get another medical opinion.  After this examination and discussion with Angels’ medical and professional staffs a decision may be made to send a player to Tempe, AZ to rehab and bring a healthy player in to take his place.  Whatever the injury or illness, everything is communicated back to the minor league headquarters in Tempe, nightly so that the entire organization is aware of the health of all players. 

The strength and conditioning coach has the role of making sure the players are maintaining body strength and health throughout the grind of a 140 game season.  Some of these responsibilities include (but definitely not limited to) leading players through stretching before afternoon workouts, stretching players individually prior to games, administering agility exercises and conditioning workouts, and coordinating a lifting schedule and overseeing player lifts.  The goal of lifting during the season is not to get stronger, but to maintain the strength that was developed during the offseason.  Maintenance lifting is designed to keep muscles healthy and the body flexible in an effort to prevent injury (commonly known as “prehab”).

It is likely that the thankless job on the team belongs to the equipment manager.  Although, we know for sure that our sixty-something equipment manager, Roady, loves his job because he has been at it for over 30 years and dresses up every night in uniform to aid the bat boys retrieving bats and foul balls.  Some of his many responsibilities include: washing our uniforms and personals (this is not our personal laundry like jeans and polo shirts, but the shorts, sliders, undershirts, etc. that we wear everyday); distributing bats; making sure there are enough balls around for that day’s activities; cleaning the clubhouse; putting out the daily spreads (food); organize the loading of the bus on road trips and, pretty much anything else needed by the players and staff.  He has a tough job and the players sometimes give him a hard time, but he does not hesitate to give it right back.  We look at Roady sometimes as a grandfather, but I do not know of too many grandfathers who will put up with a bunch of teenagers and twenty-something’s on a daily basis.  While he is not one to avoid conflict with players, things would not run as smoothly as they do during the season without the long hours he puts in.

As I wrap this up, I want to thank the people who have expressed their interest in the blog and encourage people to keep sending me emails with topic suggestions.  This is as much for the fans’ knowledge as it is for me to have a written record of my thoughts throughout the season.  Again, thank you to everyone who has been reading and I hope everyone is finding this to be as useful as I have.