Foul Ball Distribution

It can be a swift, random toss, or a premeditated handoff.  When foul balls are hit down the lines, the pitchers and catcher in the bullpen are responsible for who gets these balls.  “Can I have a ball?” is the most commonly posed question from kids hanging over the rails in the ballparks where fans have direct access to the players in the bullpens.  It is so incessant that we are immune to them, with our responses of, “We get fined if we give them out” or, “We’ll give you a foul ball when it comes” being spoken robotically in reply.  This usually buys us a few moments of silence before the next wave of kids comes to the rail.

When the foul ball finally does come, a decision must be made: do you casually flip the ball into the crowd of kids so one at the bottom of the scrum can come up with it, or do you hand it to someone you have preselected?  Provided I have had ample prep time, I tend to follow the latter practice.  This prevents the kids from tackling each other trying to get the ball and the risk of anyone crying as a result.  Who do I look to give the ball to when I get one?  I usually look for the smallest and quietest kid I can find.  These are the kids that poke their heads over the rails amidst the older and bigger kids (who are generally the ones repetitively asking for a ball), not really thinking they even have a chance among the trees to their sides.

The reaction of these little ones upon the ball offering is typically one of shock, as if to say “Are you serious?  That ball is for me?”  After some reassurance they will take the ball, face beaming as they trot back to show their friends or parents.  This is just another public service we provide the fans in an effort to make their experience at the ballpark more enjoyable.

Men Amongst the Shadows

We enter another weekend in this long season where you can be at least guaranteed one thing: the home Sunday game with a 5:00 p.m. start.  During the first-half of the season, the Quakes home games on Sundays are at 2:00 (as are most teams’).  Once the All-Star break is reached, these game times shift to 5:00.  This change is said to be of the player’s benefit, so that we do not have to play during the hottest part of the day during the summer months.

While this is a good thought in theory, there are more drawbacks for the players of playing at 5:00 than 2:00, and it seems to me that this is being primarily done to keep the fans out of the heat.  For a 2:00 game, pitchers and catchers do the bullpens and drills around noon, and batting practice does not usually consist of anything more than hitting in the cage.  Assuming a three-hour game, that puts us outside for five hours, from noon to 5:00.  For a 5:00 game, bullpens will usually be around 3:00, with pre-game hitting, again, being done in the cages (Sundays are generally considered “fundays”: pitchers do not have their daily running, and position players do not go through early work and batting practice).  Again, assuming a three-hour game, we are outside for five hours, from 3:00 to 8:00.

So, it seems that we are outside during the “cooler” part of the day.  For those of you who have frequented Southern California, you know that the summer temperature at 5:00 is not much different than the temperature at 2:00.  The sun does not leave the field until close to 7:00 anyway; if this is the case, then maybe the last hour of the 5:00 game starts to cool down a bit.

The sun setting poses, perhaps, the most aggravating thing about playing an early evening game: shadows.  Squaring up a round ball with a round bat is already the toughest sport in the world, having to hit a ball that “flashes” from light to dark (and sometimes back to light depending on the stadium), or hit a dark ball off a bright batter’s eye only makes things more challenging.  These ill-lighting effects make it very difficult to pick up rotation, and makes not only hitting more difficult, but catching as well.  The worst situation is when the pitcher is in the sun and home plate is in the shadows, with the next bad situation occurring when the field and batter’s eye is bright, with the pitcher and home plate in the shadows.

For the usual 7:00 start, shadows have covered the mound and home plate, eliminating the worst shadows, with the sun getting off the field by 8:00, at the latest.  During the 5:00 games, the shadows start creeping onto the field a little after 6:00 (but cover a good portion of the fans in the stands from the start, hence why I feel that saying the later start time is a benefit to the players is a copout).

Another drawback of the later Sunday games is the loss of the “mini-off days” that the early Sunday games provide.  Finishing a Sunday game by 5:00 gives us the entire evening to ourselves, giving us the chance to catch a blow, especially during long streaks of consecutive games.  The Sunday games that end closer to 8:00 do not give us much more time off than regular 7:00 games that end at 10:00 do.

These later start times were not done on Sundays in the Midwest League, and the humidity there during the summer can make it feel just as hot as anywhere in Southern California.  I find it rare that things are ever done for the players’ best interests.  While there are those that will say we have no right to complain because we are playing a game for a profession, there are plenty of injustices that go on to highlight the importance of some small positives we achieve along the way.  But, the professional athlete’s livelihood ultimately lies with the support of fans.  For this reason, we must be willing to make sacrifices to cater to their wishes, for without their attendance, there are no professional sports.

Called-Up

Over the past three days, I have taken four flights, spanning three states and two time zones, a journey not uncommon for a Minor League baseball player.  On Monday, I was called up to our Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City to provide support to a team riddled with injuries.  Ironically, this was a year and one day after I was called up to Rancho last season.

After returning home from our Sunday night game in Lake Elsinore, I packed up some things to make a 7:40am flight on Monday.  This flight to Salt Lake City was via San Jose and Reno, making a two-hour trip an all-morning adventure.  After arriving in Salt Lake around 1:00pm, I took a taxi to the stadium.  From here, I went about a typical day at the field, with the usual early work, bullpens, batting practice, and game against the Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners affiliate).  The next two days were business as usual, with the series finale against Tacoma Tuesday night, and the series opener against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Colorado Rockies affiliate) Wednesday.

 While I did not play in any of the games, it was a good experience to see the level of competition at the Triple-A level.  Players are always being told that on a given play, we could play at any level, including the Major Leagues.  However, the separating factor between the upper and lower levels is consistency.  This improved consistency was the biggest difference I noticed between Rancho and Salt Lake from a baseball perspective; games were cleaner and more strikes were thrown.  Then again, this is not to say that the teams were perfect.  I still saw a pitcher cut a ball off from the outfield on a throw home and redirect it to third (when he should have been backing up the catcher), as well as an outfield misplay a fly ball that led to a triple and a subsequent throwing error that allowed the runner to score.  Management is more hands-off at this level, with instruction being done subtly as the situation calls for it.

From a non-baseball perspective, I noticed that things ran a lot more smoothly in Salt Lake, from pre-game activities to in-between inning entertainment to clubhouse administration.  However, this is to be expected from a Triple-A organization that has a lot more support staff and additional resources compared to its Single-A counterparts.  There are some additional perks to being in Salt Lake, aside from the increased efficiencies:  salary is increased (which is still nothing to live off of), spikes are cleaned each night, and a wider variety of food is available (including a catered post-game spread).  The trade-off is higher clubhouse dues ($12 per day versus the $4 per day in Rancho).

Overall, this call-up, while short, was beneficial and has given me another perspective on the journey through the minor leagues.  It was finally nice to be one of the younger guys on the team instead of one of the oldest.  In fact, I warmed up Rudy Seanez last night, a relief pitcher who was drafted when I was two-years-old and has played for nine Major League teams spanning 17 seasons (a call-up to the Angels would make this his tenth team in 18 seasons).  If he pitches next season, his professional career will have spanned four decades (there’s a feat in itself).  Talking with Rudy offered me a unique glimpse into what playing is like for someone has been doing it for that long.  It turns out that he has many of the same concerns as the younger players do: staying healthy and concerns about job security.

I wrap this up prior to landing in Ontario (bordering city of Rancho; fortunately this was a direct flight) with some final thoughts.  This brief reprieve provided me with valuable insight into what makes players successful at the upper levels and has given me the chance to work alongside players a step away from the Big Leagues.  The randomness of this opportunity is further support that you never know where this game will take you and what opportunities will present themselves.  All you can do is complete the preparation so that when the opportunity strikes, you are ready to seize the moment and succeed.

Boys of Summer

Nothing signals the start of the summer better than Independence Day.  The Fourth of July is iconic in American culture for barbeques, warm weather, military appreciation, baseball, and fireworks.  Minor League teams always seem to do well on July 3 and July 4 (with all teams having a home date on either of these days to get the increased gate sales), with fans packing stadiums around the country to watch America’s Pastime and enjoy a post-game fireworks show.

The firework spectacles last night at The Epicenter and tonight at The Diamond were nice to see; a refreshing few minutes that allowed my mind to wander off the field and become lost in the awe of this 2,000-year-old Chinese invention.  The summer months become the Dog Days, where the long season can turn into a grind.  We are still refreshed from the recent All-Star break, and most players will not begin to feel the grind of the Dog Days until August.  This is where the offseason and in-season training will yield dividends, preventing fatigue as the days get hotter.

While government employees (and many others) took their holiday yesterday, we were busy working; our “holidays” come on random weekdays every two weeks.  However, we cannot complain, for we are playing a game for work, and subsequently providing enjoyment for everyone else working traditional jobs.  We will take the random “holidays” on random weekdays throughout the season, knowing we have the major offseason holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) to ourselves.  For the next eight weeks, we will be pushing our bodies and minds to their limits with the goal of bettering ourselves and making a run for one of the two playoff spots up for grabs this second-half of the season.