The feeling as we all walked to our dressing room was that of excitement, I felt like I was walking to another day of work in the Big Leagues. I almost felt comfortable, its a place where I ultimately want to end up. But today I can pretend, on May 8th , I got to do everything the pros do. As we entered the field from the visitors bullpen, I had my camera out taking a video with no words being said I was in Awe. As my cleats pierced the turf beneath me I knew that this was something to be proud of. As a team we did our traditional warm-up, then toss. Arm felt great, but my mind was racing, never a good thing for a pitcher. As the anthem ended and the teams were introduced me and the rest of the family of pitchers made the trek to the bullpen. climbing up stairs to the seats where we would gaze over the outfield wall, we all just had a swagger about us that was comparable to the Pro's who sat there 81 days out of the summer.
As we settled in and crushed the final redbulls the Jays Relievers had left for us, I started to once again get anxious, I wanted to go out there and throw 90. I wanted to throw a deuce that would even buckle the fans watching behind the plate. So to calm myself, I reached in my back pocket and pulled my tin of Cope WG.
As I pinched and filled my lip, I zoned in. This was big league ball, this is the feeling I want to feel someday. the 4th inning was coming up and that was when I got the call, warming up I worked vigorously on my location and my offspeed stuff. Then as the inning ended my boys in the pen opened the gate and I made the jog to the mound, I was the first reliever to do this so as our team ran on the field I heard laughs and cheers. This was my time. It was kind of lame to run out to Dynamite by Taio Cruz, I would of much rathered have something harder like put on by young jeezy and kanye or cant be touched by roy jones, but I dealt with it, plus I was on the same mound that Doc Halladay won on night after night during his time as a Jay, the same mound that Juan Guzman would throw Cheese on in the early to mid 90's. And where The Rocket, Roger Clemens won a Cy young award in 1997. I knew the history, but now it was time to make my own.
First batter was walked on 6 pitches, I was nervous and wound up, they could all tell that. the next hitter then proceeded to hit a ground ball which was booted by my second basemen, I wasn't rattled, thats not me. I am a rock on the mound just bare down. When all was said and done I didn't have a Cy Young performance, but I knew that I didn't get shook. I gave up 3 earned runs on 2 hits and 2 walks with 1 HBP. No K's but I wasnt worried about that. I was in the building formerly known as the Skydome, where my role models threw, where so many superstars had shut down teams.
So, as my day as a pro ended, I now await the next time I get back to that mound. I hope the next time Ill be wearing a Pro Uni with fans peppered all over the stadium cheering for my team .
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