Ridiculous Day

Well, on the bright side, it didn't rain.  However, when I got to the field for my start I realized we only had 9 guys, including me.  I had to hit, and I knew that after I threw I would have to play the field.  I threw 5 innings and my pitch count was up.  During the entire game, it seemed like I had no rest.  I would throw, hit and go right back out.  I was dead tired.  The fastball had no velocity and every ball fell in the outfield due to us having pitchers playing the field.  I'm not blaming them, I'm blaming the other players who decided to take the day off.  It hurt our entire team, and made all of us look bad.

This is what frustrates me more than anything, lack of effort.  I was out there playing positions I haven't played in 6 years and hitting.  I went 1 for 4 with an RBI single.  I did the best I could, and that was that.  Those players who decided to be lazy or "hurt" have to live knowing they're not giving 100%.  Statistically, it wasn't my best game, but I gave all the effort I could and had as much fun as I could.

I'm probably gonna head home for this week, and come back next week for my start.  I'll have about 3 weeks left when I get back and it'll be good to see my family and such.  I need a break from this place.

Rain!

Well, today was rather slow to get going. I chose to sleep in until noon.  I lifted anyway, and got a decent workout in so it's not all that bad.  It rained rather hard for about 20 minutes and the field we were supposed to play on is probably under water.  As a pitcher, I don't need to attend every game, which is nice considering some of the fields are an hour plus away.

My teammates are getting ready to leave, probably only to turn around in a half hour and come back due to the rain.  I'm going to find food and such to busy my day up.  I'll start looking at rosters as well for my start on Saturday.  If it gets rained out again I'm going to cry myself to sleep.

Student Loan Day....

Today was that infamous day that I had to apply for a student loan for the next school year.  If you haven't gone through this process, it's basically the same feeling as bashing your head against the nearest desk.  I called up the company and went through the validation process, which was unnecessarily too long.  Once I got on the phone with an actual human, she of course had an indecipherable accent.  I went through the application process without killing anyone and finally got through it.  On the bright side, I don't need an excessive amount of money due to the scholarships I receive academically.

Today was pretty much the same as any other day.  I woke up, worked out and ate.  Now I'm doing my daily post trying to get out some stress.  I'll probably follow this up with some music and Xbox Live.  It's always fun to take out my frustrations on Call of Duty and the 13 year-olds on Summer vacation.  I don't have much more to write about right now.  Here's a video I've been watching a lot lately.  Makes me feel better at times.

Solid Tuesday

Today started off like most days here, with us in the weight room.  I love getting up relatively early and getting a great workout in and still having all afternoon to do whatever I need to do.  My suite mates are helping me immensely.  I've put on about 6 pounds in the past 4 weeks or so.  My goal is to gain a pound a week, and it's going very well.  I'm on a better diet and I'm focusing on getting stronger every day.  It's coming through on the mound as well, as I feel a bit more behind the baseball when I throw.

Our team played one of the better teams in the league today, and ended up losing 5-1.  Our pitcher threw pretty well, but a couple home runs made the difference.  With kids from UNC and big name schools, we have to keep the ball down in small ballparks such as the one we played at tonight.

I start this upcoming Saturday, so I'll begin to look at rosters, stats, and such to break down how I want to attack this team.  I have a lot of confidence right now, so that should come through and help me throw a solid outing.  For now, I'm off to half-price appetizers at Applebee's for a late dinner, should be delicious.

Sunday Doubleheader

Yesterday we played a 2 game set.  I showed up for Game 2 as I was in relief.  Game 1 went really well and we ended up beating the team pretty badly, something like 12-1.

Our Game 2 starter did extremely well, as all our starters do.  I came into the game in the 5th inning with 2 outs and got the batter to fly out to center after the previous batter hit one over our shortstop.  I went into the 6th inning and started a kid off with a walk.  I'm struggling with accuracy due to the lack of flat work away from the game, I'm getting my suitemates to work on that with me so I can stay sharp.  I struck the next kid out on a fastball that froze him on the corner.  My arm felt pretty alive yesterday and I felt like I was throwing hard, which isn't usually the case.  The next kid flew out to right and we actually doubled the kid up at first, but the umpire decided to not watch the play.  I battled the next kid for honestly 13 pitches, he fouled everything off to the right side.  I fooled him with a splitter low and away, but the zone just wasn't there for the home plate umpire either.  Runners on first and second, and I got the next kid to fly out to center.  1 hit, no runs, and a strikeout isn't too bad a day for me.

I start this Saturday, and will not be able to make it home for my brother's graduation party now.  On the bright side, I finally get to start a game, but won't be able to see my friends or family at the party.  I guess this is the price I pay for going 350 miles away to play baseball.

Friday Night

Last night was pretty much a chill night, as are most of our nights. We were bored after hours of video games and eating, so we decided to go to a movie.

We went to the 11:40 pm showing of The Hangover 2. If you haven't seen it, it's the first Hangover in a different country. It was a decent laugh and after the day I had it was a mood fixer. Today we just hungout and went to Chipotle. I have a double header tomorrow and I will most likely see some work in relief until I know when my next start is. Hopefully soon.

First Win Today

Today I was in the bullpen. I was told I'd be needed for 2 innings and possibly more. Our starter threw really well and by the 4th inning his pitch count was getting up around our team's limit. I hate pitch count, but in this league we try to get everyone work. I went to warm up in the bottom of the 4th and was in the next inning.

I walked the leadoff batter. I hate uttering those words but it happened. After a few hits and 2 awful calls in the field I gave up 3 runs. Not happy, I then realize our pitchers are hitting tonight due to a lack of players. We're now down one run and I'm up to bat. I worked myself into a 2-2 count against a D1 kid. I smoked the next pitch into right field. Opposite field hit. I continued to score a run and tied the game up.

The next 2 innings went smoothly and we were leading by 4 when I came out of the game. My first hit in 2 years got me a victory in a college-level game. Not a bad night

I'm writing this on my phone as we have a 1.5 hour drive back to our place. I'm pretty happy about tonight. Even though I struck out to a lefty throwing 90 the next at bat. Oh well. I got the win.