First home game

The other day was the teams first outdoor practice and it was freezing. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday i have a class at 3-4. My practice was starting at four oclock and i had to rush down to the field. When i arrived at the field i remembered that the team had recently changed locker rooms because of work that is going to be done on our old locker room, right near the field. I finally got to Park Center and when i got into the locker room i realized that i left my bag with all my baseball stuff in it, in my dorm. I got out to practice with just my baseball pants and one of practice shirts. I had no long sleeve shirt, no socks, or my glove. Along with me not being prepared for practice, my coach tells me right away that i will be throwing live in practice. Throwing live implies that practice will be a simulated game situation, so pitchers will throw to batters. Things worked out in the end because i thought i threw well. That weekend we had our first home game, and it was freezing. The weather, at the max, was 30 degrees. Only nine guys play at a time, so you can imagine what the other thirty guys are doing to keep warm. The more important part of the day was the actual outcome of the game. The team we played was absolutely horrible and i think my high school team could of beat them. The final score was 16-2 and the only runs they got were in the first inning. After the game, a huge display of food was layed out for the team and we got to feast.

Spring Break

Spring break is upon us and the team is traveling to florida. Unfortunately im not traveling this week with the team but their could be worse things in life. Im only a freshman so still learning the system can be a challenge. The upperclassman on our team are rediculous and are the engine behind the whole squad. Over break i decided to go with a kid on my team that stayed behind to his hometown on Long Island. He gave me a ride to Commack, then i was picked up by my boy who lives in Smithtown. I chilled their for the night, saw all the sights and sounds of wonderful Long Island. It reminds me exactly of Cape Cod. The small shops and restaurants looked very familiar to me. I had to wake up really early in the morning and take the ferry acrsoss the water to Bridgeport Connecticut. My father picked me up there at around 1230 and I came home to a family party. My mothers twin sister was up from Virginia visiting for the weekend so all the aunts and uncles were over. It was good to come home to that because that means my mom was cooking up a bomb dinner. The last thing i needed was another fantastic meal from predictable Nuebig. On Sunday, i woke up early wit the crew and went into the city for the St. Pattys day parade. Nice little pre game session in Bridgewater then we took the train into the city and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the Bean. South Boston, however, is not your typical city. It is much different from going into the financial district of Boston, which has all the big buildings and monuments. It is the ideal Irish Town and it was perfect for the holiday. I had a great time with all my boys from back home and st. pattys day was a blast.

Long Island Trip

The team traveled to Long Island this weekend to play four games at Baseball Heaven. The schedule was to play a game on friday night, a double-header on saturday, and one on sunday. The game friday night took a suprising turn for the worst. We were down 4-2 and with two outs we had a kid get on base. The next batter hit a two run homerun to tie the ball game up. The next batter happened to get out and the umpire called the game due to darkness. The coaches had made an agreement prior the contest that if the light was a factor, the lights would be turned on. The coach from the other team wouldnt turn the lights on and we were forced to loose because the game's decision goes back to the previous inning, when we were losing. There was ntohing we could do about the games outcome, but there was in the next games we played. We had a double header the next day and didnt even let up a run. Mike Assman pitched a complete game shutout. The next game was won 4-0, credited to kris gentzke who hit a three-run homer to seal the deal. The season is panning out well as we continue to limit teams run production and tack on our own fair share of runs. The games victories are earned in practices, as our coach often says. You, as a team, only get stronger by not taking victories for granted and continue to battle at practice and get better. No one in practice takes it easy, ever. The coaches are constantly behind us guiding us and pushing us to exceed expectations. The final game, on sunday, is agains Farmingdale State. The team that eliminated us from the regional tournament last season. The guns are being brought out for that game to send a message to that school that we did not forget about last years mishap.

Practice went really well today. The pitchers, ofcourse, had to do their daily conditioning. We had to run for 20 minutes around the track in the field house, which is getting easier and easier every time we do it. Each pitcher has a job every practice according to their personal schedule. Certain pitchers will throw on certain days and recovery time is key because you get stronger over that period via conditioning. The program every year hosts close to 20 clinics for baseball players that range from middle school to high school players. Our coach gave out assigned jobs to each player as he arranged groups. Each group would aid the players throughout the drills that the coaching staff set up. Arriving in the locker room at 8:30 in the morning was very tough because of events that occur during the weekend, if you get what im saying. The clinic lasted from 9-4 consisting of two sessions. The morning session seemed longer because there are more kids that attend that time slot. Working the clinic, however, was not that bad because i enjoy coaching and helping out kids get better because that is ultimately what i want to do when i get older. Coaching sports and being a high school teacher is simple and interesting; can't complain about summers off. I would be perfectly ok with my wife being the bread winner lol. Anyways, when the first session ended, coach treated us to pizza in the locker room, which was mediocre at best. Beggars can't be choosers though. The syllabus for the second session was given to us and the older kids had to stay longer because they knew how to run the camp better then the underclassman. They knew the drills better then the freshman and souphmores ,so, instructing the players would be more personal and benefitial. The day was long, but, it was spent around baseball, where i cannot complain. After all, what else is there to do on a Sunday in Cortland, Ny when sleeping is not your number one priority.

Social life

The first month of practice is pretty much over with and things are looking optimistic with the team. The new transfer players are exceeding expectations and everyone from the freshman class to the senior class is doing their part to help our team function. The life of not going out and cutting back on socializing was a little different and confusing at first but as it happens more and more now each week it is becoming a daily routine. It is expected from the team, especially if a player is not 21, to follow team rules and cooperate with the coaches and captains. The team rule simply states to not consume alcohol within twenty four hours of a game day. If a player is 21 years old, they are allowed to go downtown but if a player is not they are not allowed to go at all, no matter the hour rule or not. For example, every single Saturday and Sunday the team takes part in a game-day like atmosphere by competing against one another in practice. The pitchers set up the two batting cages that our team has in Lusk field house by pulling the nets out and dragging the portable mounds in. All the coaches have speed guns in back of home plate and pitchers that are not throwing are keeping pitch counts. The position players stand in and face the pitchers who throw as if it were game seven of the World Series. Saturday an d Sunday are such important days because it is a great way for coaches to examine their players progress and work ethic. One week a pitcher can throw really well in the cage and not perform the next week at that previous level they were at. Batters can get three hits out of three at bats the week before and then get zero hits out of three at bats. It is important for all of us to work hard every day and perform.

Every Day Changes

The team has kicked off its third week of practice and things are looking pretty optimistic. Coach Brown brought in 5 new transfer students from other colleges or Junior Colleges around the state of New York or relatively close. Players on the team were wondering if it would be the best move as far as messing with team chemistry, but it has actually benefited. The pitching staff acquired four new pitchers, two of which are upper classman. It helps our team a great deal because the two older pitchers have been throwing at the collegiate level for a few years now. Every player had trust in our coaches recruiting abilities because he has been around the game of baseball for many years now. It also helps that four of our coaches have played professional baseball straight out of Cortland State. The only position player that our coach brought in was our new shortstop. He transfered from a school in West Virginia and is very skilled at the position. The only negative part about bringing in five new players is that some of the old players have to undergo tight observation from the coaching staff and deal with the choice of being on the team with not much playing time or quitting the team. All in all, my opinion on the decision that those players face is a positive one. If the coach feels that your talent is only getting you so far and it is going to limit your playing time then that would motivate me to work that much harder. It is discouraging to know that the coach feels that way about you but to certain people it just adds fuel to the fire. I wouldnt just quit the team, I would find a way to improve my skills as much as I could to try and get playing time. Because a player is not getting as much playing time as a fellow teammate does not mean that they are not part of the team. Practicing with the team, lifting with the team, even eating with the team every day is what makes a team. Being part of that is truly something special and just being part of the ride, the season, is fun enough. Winning a National Championship is a consolation prize.