week #3 - Effort and a State of Emergency

We reached that pivotal point in the season, we are a 10 games played. So far we are 5-5, this is mediocre to say the least. Our coach believes and I am with him on this that we're better than our record shows.
We started thursday with a double header in Melville, which was a tough task as we had been a comeback team all year who seemed to get hot in the later innings. Both games would be just 7 innings, in the first one we started really slow not recording a hit until the 5th inning where we left 2 runners on base. Our ace was on the hill and was throwing well, he kept us in the game. In the end though we were downed 4-0. We now had a scoreless streak of 9 innings against this team stemming back to a loss 4 days prior.
The second game came around ans same story we were behind early, but with a pitcher on the mound who was making his first start of the year we seemed to stick with the Mils, down 1-0 and only recording one hit so far, we got a few timely walks and an error that would put us up 2-1. This must of been rough on melville, we had only 1- hit but we held a lead going into the 6th, where they threatened with a man on third with 2 outs. As our started left the game with the lead he put it in the hands of 'Bartolo' as we like to call him who hales from Cali. He proceeded to get a ground ball and get us right back on the sticks where we put up one more run and he held down the opposition in the bottom of the 7th to get us back in the win column.
I hadn't seen action for a good 4 or 5 days and was getting anxious. We were scheduled to play a home game against Saskatoon the friday after our DH'er, but what happened next was a shock to everyone, not just the players and coaches on our team, but the entire city of Weyburn.

That night on the ride back we were hit with severe thunderstorms, in whih 3 inches of rain had fallen. The next day flooding had occured all over town and we as ambassadors of the community were there to help. Some of us had problems with our billets houses and some went about town helping those in need. I myself went to our coaches house where his basement had taken a major hit, with the smell of sewage looming, 8 of us bailed around 250 gallons of water out of his basement with the aid of pumps and buckets. The next day it was declared that Weyburn was in a state of emergency. Of course being 18-24 year olds we did the only thing we knew how to do in a stressful situation like this. We hit the bars, with the whole team out we had a great night enjoying it as we knew. And me and 'Big country' as I call him had one helluva night, Ill remember to tell you about it later.

So as a Boil Water advisory went out, most of us were without showers, drinking water, and unable to wash clothes. That sunday though we had to suit up at home to play Melville. Surprisingly we had a good number of fans out to watch the game, but with exhaustion taking over we put up a fight but made mental errors which cost us to drop to .500 on the season and share 2nd place in our division with the Millionaires. I never saw action but was ready to go as I wanted to 'put on for my city' and show Weyburn that we could bring some hope to a city who had seen damages done that could cost them millions in repairs. After that game coach made it clear that some guys hadn't been doing their jobs and he was going to bring in guys who could, so now it was clear that turning into high gear was no loner an option, it was a requirement. I myself feel pressure now, but this is where I dwell, put a guy on the roster that might throw harder, have better stuff. But I will run harder, lift more, throw more, be at the field longer because baseball is like my frst born and its something I will never take for granted just like the people of Weyburn will never take water for granted again.
In my next installment I will enlighten you on the situation regarding the State of Emergency and how our team is performing including myself, both mentally and physically.

Week # 2 - Above .500

So week one was awesome, I was welcomed with open arms. We all bonded as teammates on and off the field, also we understood our jobs this summer, to play baseball .
Game 2 of the series against yorkton ended like a story book, I was red lighted as I was to be used in our next game on the upcoming monday. But our team showed grit on that day, we were 0-1 and knew we were way better than this yorkton team. Lets skip to the good part, its the bottom of the 9th and its 9-5 for yorkton, the fans had already started to exit Tom Laing Park, but we knew that his wasn't over. With 1 out Yorkton brought in their second reliever of the game and he was having a hard time hitting his spots. As the first two batters he faced got on we loaded the bases one batter later. Then our pinch hitter came up 'Chad' , a kid from new orleans, so in story book fashion he roped a line drive that the outfield Botched and so it was now 9-8 with 2 outs (there was a stirkeout in there somewhere , excuse my loss of memory). Now it was a runner on 3rd, DP our left fielder went to the dish after getting down 0-2 he lined one at the shortstop, he jumped and the ball fell out of his glove it was on now, tie game 9-9. After a single and a walk, we were in position to win this thing. Our #2 hitter came up, with one pitch the game was over. The pitcher ran a fastball in that caught our hitters arm, walk off HBP. Now thats a greasy win, but thats what we do we get wins anyway we can.
The next night we were at home again against the league leading Regina Red Sox, these guys were known for having a strong team every year in the WMBL. So lets just say the game never went the way we wanted, we lost yes and lost big. But I got to do some mop up duty. I was on the bump in the 8th with 2 outs and gave up 2 hits before getting a ground ball to end it, then in the 9th I got a quick K then walked one. The next batter popped up, and the one after that grounded out. Another solid outing, but damn that loss left a bitter taste in everyones mouth.
So we were 1-2 going into a road gam against yorkton, but luckily enough our #1 starter was on the bump for this game. After some struggles with umpires and a key error in the field he battled to get a CG win. This was huge although I got 'dry humped' in the pen, meaning I got hot and was told that I wasn't needed. Hey we are now at .500 (2-2) on the year. This led us into our Saturday night showdown at melville.
This game started good, 4 runs for us in the top of the first as the Melville started struggled to throw strikes. Our starter was again rolling in this game, he was mowing down batters possibly hitting 90mph with nasty breaking stuff. Around the 5th though there was some chirping going on as our bench was getting in the pitchers head, it got tense after our pitcher gave up a 3 run shot bringing Melville within 1, but our bats were hot. After a few walks and a couple of singles we put up a 3 spot to spread our lead back to 4 runs.
Skip to the 9th, after a barrage of runs we had a comfortable 14-5 lead. But our starter (still in the game) was getting tired leaving pitches up in the zone, so melville capitalized. I was sent to warm-up in the pen, working quick I didn't even notice but he got out of the jam to pick up the CG win. The final score was 14-9, but most importantly we are now above .500 on the year (3-2).
It is about trusting your stuff, hitting the ball hard, rattling the opposition and knowing that you are better if you you just put your mind to it. That is how I define Beaver Baseball.

Week #1 Cnt'd - First game = First debut

So after the 'lights out' fiasco in Melville. We took to Tom Laing Park to play a 2 game set against the Yorkton Cardinals. The game was going smooth our starter who is from Eastern Arizona CC was rolling through 5. In the sixth though the cold got to him, hes a mexican kid from Arizona, so I don't think he was quite adjusted to the 8 degree celsius weather. As the runners crossed the plate for the Cards, our first reliver got hot in the pen. I sat nervously on the bench trying to stay warm and loose. It was tough, but it had to be done. So after one quick inning in the sixth for our first reliever he struggled in the 7th.
Our pitching coach gave me the nod to get loose. As I sprinted, stretched and threw, I knew it was my time to heat it up. So I worked on spotting my pitches in the pen, then he told me I would be in for the 8th and 9th no matter what.
I didn't have much behind my fastball but that didn't stop me, as I left the pen and ran to the bump I was ready to go. My first batter grounded out, the next one proceeded to squeak out a base hit that my shortstop just narrowly missed. The next batter went down on strikes (the hitter in question had hit a 2 run bomb in the 4th inning of the game), with the big bat out of the way I met the #4 hitter who hit a long fly ball. My right fielder laid out and it just tipped off the heal of his glove (SHIT). 'hey I gave my outfielder a pat on the back because in that cold on that unforgiving ground that was an awesome effort. The next two batters then popped out to end the 8th, I was quite content with only 1 run given up . In the ninth I was getting hit hard, but after a pop out, then immediately after with a runner on first my shortstop made a diving stab behind second, made a quick flip and got the DP to end the top of the ninth.
Although we didn't win I was happy with my effort, I knew if I kept working hard on my off days I would be able to keep the flow and maybe even solidify a spot as the set up man.
keep your head up eyes on the prize and never look back thats my attitude from here on out. Follow this advice and im sure anyone out there can do anything they choose

Week #1 - Bug bites / oil shows / blackouts

So when I arrived in regina at 8pm on a wednesday I was anxious to play ball. To say the least my blood was boiling, as we rode to weyburn my GM talked about all the rain the city had gotten over the past few weeks. I was shocked, I always thought the prairies were moderately dry. As we pulled into my billets apartment the first person I met was pitching coach who then shared a beer with me and we just relaxed. My billet is a great lady and I mean hey when someone will cook for a 20 year old college kid who just works out and plays ball, theyre a really cool person ( considering I eat about every 2 hours, I am surprised I havent eaten her out of house and home yet ).

The very next day I was greeted at the park by my head coach and a fellow pitcher, I was nervous but we had a good day working on the diamond. As lunch rolled around we went to a buffet, a small place in town which was unreal, so much food, thank god after lunch we had limited work to do.

As my third day rolled around so did the players I met guys from west virginia , louisiana, BC, Manitoba, New Mexico and arizona. That day was our first day of 'work' helping to set up this big oil and gas show held in weyburn every 2 years. I mean I do work in the summers but 10 hours of labor , it got out of hand. We legit put up 50 tents some as big as 180 by 60 , which was a huge task. My legs were sore and my mind was going nuts just waiting to hit the field. We did this for 4 days, then had to do security at the gates of the show. Yes we got paid but it was under minimum wage and the hours were longer then I could have imagined. This was also a very good way to get to know the guys we all worked together shared college stories, talked about what schools we thought were most legit and who we had played against.

After a few days of work we hit the field as a team finally. Pitchers of course ran sprints, did core work, and had a long toss day. I was content, it felt great throwing and working like a real big league pitcher. When the day was over I stayed behind and threw a pen to get my stuff down, change-up, curve-ball, and spotting my fastball. I then was given a 3 day program for relievers that I have followed exactly and will continue to follow because it makes me feel like a big leaguer. Showing up to the park 2 hours before BP, getting my running done, getting my toss in, then relaxing in the clubhouse jamming out to the tunes blasting on the ipod.

Game day came around friday June 3rd, we hit the road. 17 players 1 goal, win a ball game. The 2 hour drive that proceeded was a great time, everyone with ipods in. Some guys munching on some pre-game candy or downing a pre-game drink. Then we arrived, with an hour to spare. As we watched The Millionaires take BP we just kind of joked threw in lippers and got ready for game 1 of 43. With our ace on the hill we were in good shape he got 3 innings out of the way quick, then we were up to hit in the 4th and all of a sudden the lights turned off leaving the field in a slight darkness. Of course the game stopped, we came to realize the power went out in the town , so our game would be delayed for the time being. After the upside down man, games of flip and 2 ball, and countless dips the game was to be rescheduled to a later date for a double header.

So there ya go , week one in gods country playing the game I love, more to come even my first appearance in our very first official game.

stage #1 - packing and preparation

                                                                         
Most kids in college would be preparing to go home and enjoy  9 to 5 job in their hometown. With such perks as their parents home cooking and the ability to drive their own cars to the ballpark for their games.

On the other side, instead of heading east to my hometown of Mt.Pearl, Newfoundland, I am heading in the other direction west to Weyburn, SK. For me I have to pack all my things that I think I might need. I hope my billets understand that I enjoy to eat alot and like to do things for myself since thats how I have lived for 8 months. So when I pulled my suitcase out of the closet and cleaned the dust out I was contemplating how I was going to pack all of my stuff and avoid paying for an overweight bag. Like a ball player though first thing I did was clean my gear, so that my billets wouldn't be repulsed by the smell of victory ( a smell that comes from winning an OUA championship).Once all my stuff was out of the wash I packed it tight in my baseball bag, made sure all socks and belts were accounted for and that was the start. As the hours go by I think what should I bring, the weather is always warm, sometimes rainy. So of course all tee shirts and shorts head into the bag, the socks and other unmentionables will be put in the last day because they of course still have some usage before wednesday. Another vital part was finding some essentials such as cleats and turfs for the summer, so of course I shopped online and bought a new pair of both. Then as any other ball player would I headed across the border and purchased a hefty amount of dip to make it throughout the season without paying a ridiculous price. So as the hours tick by, I still add other things to my suitcase. Stay tuned to see what the next day of prep will bring, most likely it will discuss my workout regime as opening day gets closer.

Travel Life

Like most baseball players in college or university I experience quite alot of travelling. I mean waking up and being at the park to catch an 830am bus to a doubleheader can get tiring. So when I head out west in 6 days, I have to prepare for a long travel schedule, and even just the trip to Regina itself is going to be very annoying.

My favorite piece of work regarding travel, is the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary called Jordan Rides The Bus. This chronicles Michael Jordan's baseball career in the minors or 'Bus Leagues'. So let's start from the beginning, when a ball player wakes up in the morning about to embark on a road trip after a game the night before. Most likely your body is sore, you have a hard time rolling out of bed, and the coffee is just never strong enough to keep those eyes open. Now most times you will get the guys who are morning people who just can roll out of bed, put a smile on and be very alert during the whole trip (these guys are a rare breed). Then there is the guy who thinks mornings are something to be outlawed in baseball, just like betting on the game. Those guys get up, usually with eyes closed head to the washroom, shower, grab a small bite to eat then rush to pack their bags for the trip.

As the players swarm the park and await to board another rough looking bus, maybe a better model DRL if you play minor league ball. Rookies piling gear under the bus while coach stresses to have his fungo's packed, there was one time as a rookie where my responsibility was bats and I forgot to pack the fungo's and coach had to use a Tin Bat to hit IN and OUT. Lets just say I never took the responsibility of the bats again. As the gear is piled onto the bus, the mix of Vets and Rooks climb up the 3 steps and onto the bus. The Rookie's eyes gaze intently on seats they see would be the most comfy or the ones with the best view of the TV's. As much hope as there is in those eyes, a Vet will usually always play the Vet card and make a rookie move seats. On our team it is a custom for the rookies to share seats on road trips, so us Vets can stretch out and enjoy some relaxation before game time.

Once the team is on and the dvd of the day is put on, usually something with Will Ferrell or baseball related (one time on a 2 hour bus ride our coach decided he wanted to show us his boxing match he had when he was a border patrol officer, the thing never did work and the whole time he was stood up trying to fix it. That was the most boring and annoying bus trip to say the least). Now the guys who aren't morning people, will usually bunk up in their seats with their pillow and catch some extra Z's so they feel fresh for the game, there are also the guys who talk about their everyday lives, such as which girl they think is the hottest in class or talk about the mystery hot girl that everyone sees but no one knows. Then of course you have got the hardcore baseball guys, I fit into this category. This breed of baseball bus riders will more often then not start the trip by discussing the MLB highlights from the night before, while critically analyzing why teams won or lost, then as the talk winds down the dip tins come out of the bags or pockets and we proceed to just the right amount of dip in to keep us mellow for the rest of the trip. As the dip is pinched someone immediately sparks up the name game, this game is hard to explain so you can just look it up on google if you want. This will usually take us right to our destination.

Bus rides are like getting on a bad carnival ride, usually they are driven by sweaty old guys. And sometimes they break down and are out of commission for a while. But we are ball players we have our ways of keeping occupied.

OUA All-Star Showcase

Sunday May.8th/2011, to most people it was mothers day, to me and 20 of my teammates it was a day most of us will remember for years to come. On that day at 5pm Brock University played the OUA All-stars in the OUA All-star Showcase at the Rogers Center.

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 .