Major League Rehab Asssignments

After a heartbreaking loss in High Desert last night, we rebounded tonight to take the series opener from the Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego affiliate), albeit with some help from some Major League rehabbers.  Kelvim Escobar started for us tonight and threw 4.2 innings (his pitch count was 60), while Vladimir Guerrero was our designated hitter and had a double, RBI, and a run in three at-bats.  Cliff Floyd was on rehab assignment with the Storm, taking some at-bats as their designated hitter.

It is common for the California League to be home to some Major League rehab appearances due to some affiliates’ close proximities to the locations of their parent clubs.  These rehabbers do not cost their teams roster space, and all players on the active roster as eligible to play.  Escobar and Guerrero are the second and third players making appearances for us this season, with Ervin Santana making a start for us a few weeks ago.  There always seems to be more of a frenzy prior to these games.  Scores of fans line the fences to get a glimpse of the Major Leaguers and hope that they pause from their pregame routines to sign a few autographs.

To the players, it is business as usual with us going through our regular routines.  However, we do take the time to watch these players go about their routines; after all, they are who we are striving to become.  For the fans though, these rarities are a much bigger deal and jump at the chance to see Big Leaguers in their backyards (at a much cheaper rate).  A tangible perk for the players of these assignments is that a post-game spread is usually purchased for us by the Major Leaguers.

O! Say Can You See

After winning three of the last four, we enter the final game of our home stand with renewed spirits and heightened optimism.  A few victories do wonders for confidence, and things have slowly been on the upswing.  Last night’s inspiration may have been partly attributed to the Quakes’ honoring of Armed Forces Day.  This game included the wearing of red, white, and blue uniform tops that were auctioned off for a charitable cause, as well as the honoring of military personnel throughout the game.

With a patriotic mood in mind, I got to thinking about the National Anthem we hear prior to every game and some of the features that make some performances better than others.  Personally, I get a bit antsy during the Anthem as the game is about to begin and I have to stand still for a period of time.  This brief anxiety leaves me hoping for shorter anthems over the longer performances.

I see there being three components to the Anthem: length, type, and originality.  I have already touched on length, which tends to be directly correlated to anthem type.  Anthems can be performed vocally or instrumentally, and done solo or in groups.  Instrumental anthems tend to be on the shorter end, with there being minimal room for musical interpretation and drawn out notes.  The same goes for group performances; these anthems are typically shorter in length than solo renditions.

Finally, the last Anthem component is originality.  The desirability of this trait differs from listener to listener; however, I prefer that there be as little variation from the “traditional” Anthem as possible.  I do not enjoy hearing certain words and notes drawn out in a variety of ways so the performer can express his or her individuality.  Instead, I prefer the traditional Anthem because it is intended to be a reminder of the freedoms we enjoy as Americans and the people that give their lives to protect these liberties.

To sum things up, I find the most enjoyable anthems to be performed instrumentally by a group.  This is not to say that I have not heard solo vocalists put a solid performance together; however, when looking for a terse and traditional National Anthem, group instrumental renditions are my preference.  Despite the fact that some performances are personally more enjoyable than others, the efforts to provide the subtle reminder that our freedoms have not come without a fight are always greatly appreciated and admired by all.

Finito

Now the writing can pick up with the completion of my MBA.  I guess I could consider just being a professional student and work on a second Masters this offseason, but I am pretty much over school and will be looking for a real job.

I had a minor setback on our road trip last week by injuring myself during the series finale at Stockton (Oakland Athletics affiliate).  I partially dislocated my left shoulder on a slide into second base during the second inning (somehow I managed to do this on a feet-first slide).  While this is my second trip to the DL in as many seasons, this ailment should not set me back the four weeks my sprained MCL did last July.  Since the shoulder did not fully dislocate, I am mostly dealing with rotator cuff irritation.  The rehab is just going to be shoulder strengthening and getting game ready.

The team has been struggling a bit lately, with the pitching, defense, and hitting not being able to get on the same page.  This has lead to blown leads, comebacks that have fallen short, and overall disappointment.  However, it is a long season and we will continue to keep grinding things out.  We were faced with a similar situation last season in Cedar Rapids, with the team struggling through May, then figuring it out before the All-Star break.  This led to a strong second-half and a playoff run.  Figuring things out sooner rather than later is the goal, with individual improvements being the means that lead to overall team success.

Winding Down

No, not the season.  School is finally winding down for me.  My business forecasting class (glorified stats) culminated last night with a 3:00am run to FedEx Office so I could print my 90-page Excel file and Second Day Air it to my professor in Tampa.  And now, with the recent submission of my data base for the data base development and administration class, all that separates me from an MBA is the take-home (or take-to-wherever you are playing that day as this case may be) final exam due on Thursday.  Finally being able to not think about school is going to be a great feeling.

After some recent struggles, the team has reeled off two wins; one in convincing 6-2 fashion, the other in a 7-6 comeback.  Tonight featured Ervin Santana making a rehab start, which brought some hype to a typically quiet Monday crowd.  The idea of Major Leaguers playing in games that do not really count for them, but is of utmost importance to us is a bit of a conundrum to me.  You have players of the ultimate caliber mixing in with guys who are still learning the inner workings and skills of the game, leaving some to expect the Major Leaguers to dominate and make the games one-sided.  However, we were actually trailing 3-2 when Santana came out in the 5^th inning after reaching his 60-pitch limit.  This is just more proof that baseball is an equalizing game; the biggest, strongest, and fastest players do not necessarily have the most success on a given night. 

The main separation between Major and Minor League players is consistency.  Given 10 opportunities, the Major Leaguers are going to be successful one or two more times than the Minor Leaguer.  For now, we will soak up the experience and presence of someone performing where we hope to be and keep grinding through the days.

Show and Go

Crunch time during the final few weeks of the semester has caused my post frequency to dwindle.  However, I will have things wrapped up by the end of the first week of May and that will leave more time to get after some the posts. 

The team has been hovering around .500 throughout the first two weeks of the season with the injury bug seeming to be the prevailing theme throughout the organization.  We have had three pitchers and a position player injured already, with other pitchers getting called up to replace injured and underachieving arms at higher levels.  Of the seven original bullpen pitchers on opening day, we are down to three (and one of them has already been on the disabled list and recovered).  Time will be the only indicator of whether things will stabilize or if this season will continue to be a revolving door of personnel.

Today was the last game of a three-game set at High Desert (Seattle Mariners affiliate), but with an added wrinkle.  Walking out of the clubhouse with the field already chalked and watered with morning radio talk shows going on can only mean one thing: a 10:35am start time.  This is the earliest game I have been a part of since rain forced The University of Tampa to play a 9:00am game as part of a doubleheader my junior season.  This is the type of day perfect for a “show-and-go.”

Usually reserved for day games or night games after long extra-inning affairs the previous night, the show-and-go is pretty much what it sounds like: we show up to the field and play.  There is no formal batting practice, no early work, and no ground balls.  You show up to the field, stretch, throw, and get ready to play.  Ironically, these days are the days where players or teams find a way to break out of slumps. Sometimes, taking all of the thinking and extra work out of things are what people need to clear their heads and break out their funks. 

Unfortunately, today was not the case for us as we dropped the game 6-3 and lost the series 2-1.  We currently sit two games under .500 and begin a four-game series at Lancaster (Houston Astros affiliate) tomorrow night.

Kids

Tonight’s home opener did not go as well as planned with Visalia hanging 13 on us tonight to our no-show.  It is baseball.  It happens.  It is just disappointing we did not put on a better showing for the many fans that came out tonight.  It is nice to be back in the atmosphere of the home ballpark after being gone for seven months (and the four road games to start the year).  Playing where you are appreciated definitely makes things easier, and players definitely feed off the fans’ emotions.

My favorite part about the crowds is seeing the kids, especially the younger ones.  It does not matter if you are a prospect or an organizational player trying to stick around; they want to be just like you when they are older.  Their admiration is unwavering.  Even in your tough times they still want you to sign a ball for them or just give you a “high-five.”  It fascinates me to see how excited they are to run out on the field with you for player introductions or if you come over and actually talk to them for a few minutes.  I try to make it a point to do this when I have a free moment because you never actually know how rough a child has things going for them.  Going to that baseball game might be the high point of their day, week, or month, and your interactions can be the world to them.

We are all dreamers, and that starts in our youth.  I am an adult playing a kid’s game.  Baseball was so much easier at that age: you were sometimes more concerned with what the after game snack was than what you did at the plate that day.  And that error you made late in the game is by the wayside before you even get home to play with your friends.  The game definitely changes as you get older, but the roots of it remain the same.  Taking this game too seriously will wear you out and age you beyond your years.  Laughing about some mistakes, at times, can be just as important as learning from them.  A big key to success in baseball is respecting the game, and making sure to have fun doing it.  Whether you are up or down by 13 can be a laugher or an embarrassment, but if you are still playing like a kid, it is still better than any other job I will ever have.

Opening Day, NA 34

Groundhog Day is upon us.  Those who have followed my blog since its inception or those familiar with some inside jokes of baseball understand this reference.  A quip in the business is that every day is “Groundhog Day,” referencing that every day is pretty much the same. The only things that matter are if we are home or away and if it is a day or night game.  Unfortunately, this day is not like the others.

This Minor League Opening Day, in what is supposed to be full of excitement and optimism does not have that feel.  The Angels’ 22-year old rookie right-hander, Nick Adenhart, was killed by a drunk driver last night.  This tragedy has cast a dark shadow over baseball, especially the Angels and its affiliates.  While I did not, personally, know Nick, many of my teammates did an either spoke with him or played with him just weeks prior during Big League camp and spring training.  Despite this, whether I knew him or not is irrelevant; it still pains me that he is gone and will not have a chance to live the dream he had finally achieved.

Despite the heartbreak, the games will continue.  It is likely someone will get called up to fill the void, and it will follow down the minor league chain. We will play tonight against Inland Empire (Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate) and kick off our 2009 campaign.  However, whether we win tonight by ten or lose a heartbreaker late, the outcome just is not going to have the same meaning.  Our family lost a brother today and Nick will be sorely missed.

Odds and Ends

And we’re off.  I compose this post as I travel north to Rancho Cucamonga, California.  A few days ago, I was assigned to our Class A-Advanced affiliate, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League.  Getting team assignments can be a bittersweet day; some people are placed where they were expecting to go, while others are placed at a lower level than they were expecting.  However, there is always the possibility of getting released, which was the unfortunate fate of about ten players this year on this second “cut-day.”  This day takes a somber tone as some former teammates are headed home and people are sometimes left wondering, “Why?” 

The process is simple.  The rosters are waiting on the bulletin boards at the complex that day next to the daily schedule and various other notices, and you search for your name.  Your name is on one of the four minor league affiliates, the extended spring training list, or not at all.  In the case of the latter, you know that your time with the organization is finished, and there is a note taped to your locker “see Abe” ([Flores], minor league director).  You stop by his office, get an explanation, and then pack your things for your trip home.

But, for those that survive, business continues as usual and we finish out the rest of the spring training schedule and prepare to report to our affiliates.  That brings me to today, which involved getting all of my things on the 6:30am bus over to the complex so we could leave immediately following our 9:00am game.  We are bussing (or driving if you have a car or ride with a teammate) to Rancho, while the Cedar Rapids and Arkansas affiliates have Monday morning flights (Salt Lake has alternate arrangements that vary as well).

It will be nice to have a change of scenery in California (and enjoy some added moisture in the air).  I took a brief escape from the hotel and baseball on Thursday night with a trip to the Phoenix Coyotes hockey game.  Leave it to me to find the only sheet of frozen water in the desert, but I did.  My close friends know that I am very big into hockey and follow it closely.  But, it was good to get away from the field and see something other than a red and white ball.

Ironically, I ended up sitting behind the clubhouse manager for the Great Falls Voyagers (Pioneer League Advanced Rookie affiliate of the Chicago White Sox).  We ended up talking for a bit and I learned he has been the “clubbie” in Great Falls for over 20 years.  The conversation was split between the present, as well as recollecting the 2007 Pioneer League Championship.  That Championship involved the Orem Owlz (the team I played on my first year of pro ball) and the Great Falls White Sox (before their 2008 name change).  We ended up winning game two 3-2 in 16 innings to clinch the series and complete the upset of the favored White Sox.  This was just another instance that you never know who you are going to come across in your travels.

This concludes the posts from Arizona.  Hopefully, I will not be making any from this state until next year.  While spring training was long and tiring, it was constructive and beneficial.  The season will begin on the foundation of habits that have been drilled into us for the past few weeks with the idea that work has only just begun.

We Make the Best Story Tellers

The idea of this blog post formulated while I was showering after the day’s events.  For some reason, I tend to do some of my better thinking in the shower, but that is another story all together.  This brings me to the realization I had that throughout the day: baseball players and coaches tell stories.  A lot.  I do not think I could identify a 20-minute window throughout the day where I did not listen to, or tell a story regarding a past baseball event.

There are recollections of plays, follies, speeches, road trip highlights, and pretty much any other things you can think of that occur during a season.  It is funny how homeruns always seem to be farther, the weather that night worsens, and the situation gets direr each time the story is retold.  As if the seasons were not long enough, we are always the first to go back and relive the experiences.  This is one of the reasons we play.  We get to do things that only a handful of people in the population will ever be able to say they did.  This fraternity has its own set of rules, and with that is the folklore that goes with it.  Some of these stories make for interesting conversations with outsiders, but there are some stories that do not belong in the public’s eye. 

It is not that we are trying to keep things a big secret.  There are just some things that the general public does not need to know about.  During the long season, there are many things that are said and actions that are taken that may not be the best things to say or do at the time.  These may be viewed poorly in the public’s eye.  Conversely, there are motivational words said and experiences that are very positive in nature.  While these occurrences may seem like nothing to hide, there is a bond between players and organizational staff that may dictate this information is best to be kept in-house.  Everything that goes on “behind closed doors” and not discussed in public are not all negative things.  There is a social stigma that if someone does not want to talk about a situation or a conversation that something is trying to be hidden.  This is simply not the case.

Some may be wondering what provoked me to write about this topic.  Anyone following the Angels closely (or maybe even minor league baseball in general) is aware of a recently published book that was supposed to provide an inside look of a minor league baseball season.  I have been asked many times what my feelings on this book are, and this will be the only time I discuss it.  I am not going to name the author or the book because this “misfit” does not need any more undeserving publicity. 

I have not read the book, and have no intentions of reading it.  However, I have read excerpts and spoken to individuals surrounding the stories told within the covers, and have formed my opinion that this work was an attempt to hurt people for personal gain.  Many things discussed in this book, whether true or not (and much evidence is piling up suggesting the latter), occurred in the inner sanctum of a clubhouse or related team functions. 

Everyone has heard “what happens in the clubhouse, stays in the clubhouse.”  We are not trying to hide everything from the public’s eye.  There are just some things behind these doors that warrant them to remain “classified.”  Do you see the military disseminating all of their classified information to the public?  Absolutely not.  Why do professional athletes have to be held to different standards?  Yes, we are looked at as role models by kids and have an obligation to be quality citizens and set professional examples.  However, this does not take away our right to share experiences with each other that deserve to stay within these close-knit families.  This book violated the inherent trust shared among individuals in these organizations and attempted to mar the reputations of many innocent people.  This proves that in order to know the whole story, you just had to be there.

“Ninety Percent of this Game is Half Mental”

It is understood that spring training is part of the grand cycle ongoing process of player development.  During March, this is accomplished by repetition of individual defensive, pitching, and hitting drills, as well as team defensive drills of picks and rundowns, first and third defenses, bunt defenses, cuts and relays, and pop fly communication.  These drills are performed over and over until they become force of habit, which are then reinforced in games.

However, as much as physical acts are a part of the game, the mental aspect of the game can be paramount.  Optimal physical performance begins with preparation and a plan.  Focusing on a plan and developing a routine to achieve the plan’s objectives is how players are most successful.  To aid us in developing this part of our games, we have had several guest speakers.  Last week, the pitchers listened to a discussion presented by former California/Anaheim Angels pitcher, Chuck Finley, who spoke about a variety of pitching topics.

A few days ago, Mickey Hatcher, former Big Leaguer and current Angels hitting coach spoke to hitters about the importance of having a plan when going up to the plate, and sticking with it.  He stressed that all of the mechanical drill work is done in the cages and batting practice, and that once game time rolls around, you need to trust what you have on that given night.  This echoes what last year’s hitting coach, Damon Mashore, was always stressing: ‘your swing for that night is what you have, trust it.’

Yesterday, former Major League utility player and current Angels color commentary, Rex Hudler, spoke to all players about a variety of topics.  In his twenty minute talk (which is one of the best speeches I have listened to), the main message was to “sense the urgency.”  In the scheme of life, our professional baseball careers only make up a small timeframe.  “Hud” stressed the importance of giving it everything you have every day, because nothing is guaranteed.  Someone is always ready to take food of your table and win your job.  This motivational discussion was admirably presented and very well received by the players.