In-game action...

A couple weeks ago on a clear Thursday evening game I did the unthinkable. I took pictures from the dugout during a game. Actually, I've done this a lot in the past couple years, just trying to capture memories I know I'll want to be able to re-live through pictures. So, I popped outside the dugout in the 5th and shot a couple quick hidden cam style pictures. Of course taken without a flash, to ensure I didn't bring any attention to my baseball etiquette breaking move. Well, I took a couple shots and, you can obviously tell I'm no pro at this photography stuff (even though I took it as an elective in high school), but better than nothing I guess!

If you're willing to search a bit, find some albums with either Neptunus or the national team games, you might find some good pics. And who knows, you might pickup a little dutch on the way ;) Here are 4 photographers who frequent the dutch league games, the top two being mainly Neptunus.
Rob Jelsma
Eye of the Tiger
Reni-photo
Alfred Cop

The dugout. There is very good chemistry on our team. Even though, yes, the Antillians sit on the left side... it's because talking in Papiamento (official Carribean islands language (Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire)) is easier for them. It doesn't matter though... as usual there are 3 languages spoken regularly in the dugout. Our coaches have our team meetings in english for Our Austalian pitcher and somewhat myself, even though I can follow the Dutch.

Just a little peak at the scoreboard and back drop. For north americans, on the bottom line on the lit up scoreboard the have P: BBFS... they track the pitches. B=Ball, F=Foul, S=Strike, I=In play... it's a dutch thing.

Oh, uhh... they were giving away invisible syrum at the gates.

If it's clear, we get some beautiful sunsets at our night games.

News and my new flat (dutch apt)..

So I've settled into my new pad. I've thrown up a couple shots I just took from the inside of my 2 bedroom apartment here on the south side of Rotterdam. The past week has been good, I was awarded my first start this past saturday due to a slight injury to Diegomar Markwell, who tweaked his hamstring in his previous start. This next weekend is shaping up to possibly give me my second start of the year, only because of a rainout yesterday, and today. The makeup game for yesterdays rainout was cancelled before I even had a chance to get to the field to catch the team bus today. That means Kevin Heijstek (no link available for him) who was supposed to start yesterday, will be likely pushed to the next available start, being our next game on thursday. This makes his almost guarenteed (we don't find out until tuesday practice) next sunday start less and less likely, throwing in the need of another starter. We'll see.

Life's been going. I chat with my wonderful wife via a 'pay as you go' cell phone, which ends up costing a lot, but skype isn't possible for us, so we do what we can with what is available. Her first season of coaching just wrapped up, it was a struggle to win games, they lost 12 1 run games, which is always frustrating. But, as I expect from Shorty, she was satistfied when the girls played hard and gave maximum effort, which unfortunately seemed to be the case less often than more. Either way, she's going to wrap up the last couple weeks of school now, get her A's, then drive home, and fly out here in less that 3 weeks.

My good friend Zach Dials, who was my room mate at home and on the road in both single A and double A was recently also released by the Blue Jays. But, I am happy to report he has been signed by the Washington Nationals and will report to their High A team in Potomac in the next week. He's easily one of the best guys I've ever met, and has good stuff too. 91-95 sinker, cutter in the upper 80's, and a devastating slider... oh year, his changeup is a plus pitch too.

Well here's the couple pictures I promised.


A picture from my last game, and my first start of the year. I got into the 8th inning without giving up a hit, then got touched for a broken bat single with 1 out. Oh well... I felt great, and it was so comfortable to be back in a starting role, even know it doesn't seem permanent.

It's not an optical illusion, my kitchen gets smaller all the way to the balcony. I'm on the 4th floor, so the view is pretty solid. See the previous post.

Tonights dinner. In dutch - Kipfilet blokjes, met pinda saus, en a kleine groene salad'je. In english - Chicken pieces with peanut sauce, and a small green salad.

My awesomely plain shower room, I would show you the WC (toilet) which is in another room, but I will save you the sheer awesomeness.

I'm a big fan of condiments... and these 3 are used regularly. Don't worry, the knoflook sauce (garlic sauce, the closest thing to ranch in Holland) isn't opened yet, it'll be in the fridge once cracked, no worries.

New spot

Well, after my release from the Toronto Blue Jays I've found a familiar but new home. I'm back in Holland, Rotterdam at that, but have new accomadations, different than the apartment I lived in right by the field in 2007-2008. It's quite nice, 4th floor facing the city from across the river. I signed back to play with Door Neptunus in Rotterdam, glad to be back, but like I've told many people here it's quite biter-sweet. I truely believe if the Jays would have given me another chance at double A I would have thrived. We'll never know. For now I'm back here, and enjoying it, despite shorty being in the states still to finish up her school.

I should see her in about 3-4 weeks, and I can not wait for that day! Until then, working out 5 times a week with Hans Kroon the national teams' personal trainer, and only 1 day off from practices and games. Lotsa baseball!! I've taken some pics of and from my new place and added them below... check it out! Beautiful view, nice 2 bedroom apartment overlooking the city.

Alles goed vanaf nu!

Unsung Hero

Coach Phil Clabaugh here at Eastern New Mexico University has been kind enough to let me join his team, and even go out of his way to give me presidence to his pitchers (which is definitely not due) at his teams workouts.

Coach Clay, as he is referred to around the athletic department, is the baseball coach, and has been for quite some time. His bio is incomplete on the schools slacking website (they still don't have Shorty as an assistant coach), so I can't get into his career coaching stats, but while walking through their clubhouse I found some old pictures up on the wall from the early 90's, (maybe even late 80's, my memory is weak with all this dry air) and he was at the helm then. He and the team has been quite welcoming to me, a non-alum, and let me mix in for bullpens, throw inter-squad to their hitters, and utilize their clubhouse whenever needed.

In return I have been happy to work with some of his pitchers. He has about 17 or so on his staff, some with some real projectability (baseball term for could be a big leaguer some day). After doing pitching lessons all winter I know more what to look for, and have already helped with a couple guys, hopefully giving them an extra few K's, an extra couple mph's, or even drop the team era by 0.15, I'll take it, as long as they're getting better.

I'm about to head out and meet up with the team again, and get my 20-30 pitches in off the mound to their hitters, working on my delivery, throwing strikes, and deceiving hitters. Honestly, I don't care if they hit me, as long as I'm hitting my spots and getting stronger and stronger right now.

Time to get'er going.

Uummm...

Well, I'm not sure what to write about. If I had been writing regularly over the past while, I would have lots to write about though, because there wouldn't be 100 little things to try and stuff into one blog. Life's been busy, my job right now is to get as ready as I can for spring training, so basically, working out, eating right, mechanics work, and last but not least enjoy the time I have with my wife.

Right now I am in the beautiful small town of Portales, New Mexico. It's best known for having the biggest organic peanut plant in the US, woohoo. To be honest, other than the small Division 2 university, I'm not sure why the city is here. But that is just my 'grown up in a big city' view. I have been using everything the school has to offer, working out in their gym, running stairs and doing plyometrics in their basketball arena, and throwing with and to the baseball team.

I've lost over 25 pounds this off season. This is something I knew I needed to accomplish to be able to obtain my ideal physique to throw to my maximum potential this spring. I'm not sure if it's just me, or my mindset, but I truly believe I throw looser, harder and more accurately the less excess weight I carry. That has me pretty skinny, but quick and strong. I can't take any chances, and have been working out several different ways and hours a day to get my body in as good a shape as I can before I report to camp March 6.

The Blue Jays have been signing pitchers left and right, hoping that one or more can fill the void left by the Roy Halladay trade. They have 30 healthy pitchers vying for 12 spots in the big league camp right now. Realistically, a couple will be cut, but the rest will be shuffled down into the minor leagues. I've known since the end of last season (actually the middle) that I need to shine in spring training, so I'm setting myself up to do the best I can do at that time. Like my dad always says "you don't want to look back and say to yourself - did I really do all that I could have?". What a smart man.

I have about 10 more days of ass-busting here before I fly to Dunedin, Florida, and that's when the ass-busting really gets going. Up at 5:30, several hours of baseball, then back around 2-4 pm. Until then I'm very glad to be in my spring training training period and spending very valuable time with my wife. Shorty is very supportive, and even a driving force behind me to get better, work harder and be as good a pitcher as I can be.

I'll see if I can think of a actual title for my next post.

Should we write a book?

Shorty(wife) and I are approaching, if we have not already passed the point in our relationship where we may or may not be in the most long-lasting long distance relationship ever.

We have been a couple for almost 8 years, and married for almost 2... having said that, we have been apart for more than 1/2 of our relationship. This automatically puts huge speed bumps in a relationship, and marriage.

We have flown in to see one another maybe.... 30 times by now, we spend a month or two together, then the same or more time apart. This is caused mainly because I play baseball, and never know where I'll be playing from one day to another (we found out the hard way last year as Shorty drove 20 hours to be with me for a month until I got moved, where she drove 25 hours to be there with me, until I got moved back(3weeks later... then we said screw this). She is from the Midwest (USA), I and I am from Vancouver, Canada, and still call this home. Shorty is currently in New Mexico following what she loves, as am I. It's not easy, it never is, never was, but hopefully will be once we're together for good. We have made it this far, so I am really thinking, we must have figured something out right? I never wanted to have a long distance relationship, that's the exact reason I broke up with my last girlfriend, I didn't want to try to make it work. But low and behold, Shorty and I have found our way (not a way, our way). We don't ever talk about it or realize how far we've come as a couple, as individuals, as relationship pioneers. We have broken down walls that's probably 99% of couple would have failed at, we have done so much, and still have our lives to accomplish.

The title of this post is a joke, but, could almost be true. If we had the right author and editors around us, we could probably have a bestseller. We have so many stories, so many highs and lows. From living in Europe for 3 years, playing in 2 universities together, accents, crazy nights, random experiences, friends and acquaintances coming and going... oh man, book material!

We have had so much stuff to go through, and are still so unsure about our future, and how it will play out, because so far nothing has gone according to plan. Present times suck (because, yes, we are apart right now) but we know that deep down the other cares so much for us that no matter what, it will be okay, and when WE believe, things work out.

Picture #1 = about 3 minutes after I threw my first no-hitter.

Picture #2 = Shorty and I in Stanley park, Vancouver, BC.

Picture #3 = Us skating ... good times.

Response

Asonas wrote =

"i have one question too. how do you think - What MPH is the lower border an athletics person should be able to throw without any special talent for throwing a ball? i'm teaching myself and other guys pitching here in Latvia where we have no coaches. i'm the fastest thrower on the team and last year I topped out at 78 MPH (my teammates 65-74MPH). i think I can improve this year, and get at least over 80 just by improwing my mechanics. but what should I expect from other who maybe are athletic but not talented in throwing? i wonder how fast jonny damon is throwing - seems to not have a lot of talent for throwing :)

I have taken wayyyy to long to write back to my friends in Latvia, but here it is. First off, thank you for reading my blog, it's good to see it is read all over the world (I even had a comment in Chinese that I couldn't post last week because it was, well, in Chinese). A couple things to let you know about Asonas, the speed of a pitch is only 1/3 of the pitching, the other 2/3 are made up of location (where you pitch it) and movement on the baseball (depending on grips and arm angles). Also, any American pitching coach wouldn't like you referring to pitching as throwing, because pitching means something much different than throwing. Pitching= art. Throwing= throwing something. Not sure if you and your friends are pitchers, but for those who aren't they can still call it throwing :)

To answer your first question, it's actually a very tough question which could have many different answers. But, the average speed of a grown man who doesn't have any pitching coaching in their life I would say 65-75 is decent. Every MPH above that is harder and harder to achieve, but the Internet is a wonderful tool, and there are many ways to read about proper pitching mechanics. For others I would say maybe only 5 MPH less on average, so 60-70MPH would be the average for a grown man (20+).

I never threw hard growing up. I was a guy who mastered his location before figuring out how to throw hard. I got a college scholarship throwing 80-82 MPH, but being able to throw pitches where I wanted to. Then I figured my body out when I was playing in Belgium at age 22, and figured out how to throw 90MPH. So, here's a couple pitching tips to maybe accelerate your fastballs a couple MPH.

-When your throwing hand splits from your glove (which should happen at the exact same time as your knee drops from your leg kick) make sure it stays in an even line behind your body, if you let it get to far behind you, you will lose power, and the batter may have a chance to see what you're throwing.

-Extend! When you release the ball, see how close you can release it to your target. Pretend that you are trying to throw the ball through the glove, not just to it.

-Stand tall. Pretend there is a string going from your butt through your spine, and out through the top of your head, attached to something in the sky, or on the roof.

-Make sure your elbows are up. When your stride foot lands, you should be at the power position. Both elbows at shoulder height, front one flat and.... just check out the picture I found on google.

Johnny Damon has maybe the worst arm of any major leaguer, that's why he's a left fielder... if he wasn't fast he would be a DH, or out of baseball, but speed is so important at that level.

I wish you all the best, and I hope to hear good news that you have raised above 80 MPH, and your friends are approaching 78 MPH!!

Latest session

Yea, it's sideways, I know... my computer wouldn't download the longer upright side angle version... Sorry. That's me last week getting some work in.

Random notes

->It's almost Christmas, holy crap.

->Shorty (wife) has recently joined me here in White Rock, Canada for the holidays, and is now a Canadian permanent resident too! I know, this is excellent news.

->We won't have a white Christmas like last year, but I'm not going to complain about a sunny one when it rains 95% of the time during winters here in Canada's hotspot.

->I've lost 25 pounds in about 65 days with my off-season workouts. I'm at a good weight now, I just need to continue to drop the body fat %.

->Shorty and I are joining 10 of our friends at a cabin on Sheridan Lake in the interior of BC for 5 days over new years for snowmobiling, ice hockey (on our own man-made rink), lots of games, cheers' and good times to be had by all. Pumped.

->I've been molding youths pitching mechanics for the past couple months, enjoying it, and even getting paid for it here.

->That's about it for now... looking forward to a couple weeks of family, friends, and good times.

One month

Over a month ago, I posted my last blog. I know. Sad.

Anyways, back at it today.

In the past 43 days since I've been home I have=

Ran stairs 16 times
Long tossed 14 times
played catch / flat ground bullpen 11 times
Sprinted 10 times
New "White Rock Run" 6 times

All of that has me down 15.5 pounds, so I guess an average of about a 1/3 of a pound a day loss. That's not the most important thing though. I feel a lot more energy, and my body (mostly my legs) have gotten a lot stronger, and I can tell already. I am happy to be in this shape at this point in my winter workout. 43 days down and about 70 left until I head back down south for spring training. This will the most important month of baseball in my life. I am going to battle everyday for over a month to claim a spot on a minor league team with the Toronto Blue Jays. Last year, they started me right away in double A... This year, assuming the Jays still have plans to keep me around, I will have to earn a spot in spring training. This is what I am getting ready for.

Other things I've been keeping busy with=

Seeing many close friends of whom I don't get to see for 9 months out of the year.
Pitching lessons part time (21 hours a week)
Not blogging
Hanging out and helping the folks around the house
Watching hockey
Walking the dogs / Hanging out with the sister

Well, time for December, hope you are all ready. It's about to get cold here in Vancouver for a while. To me, this is bitter sweet, it'll be dry so working out is possible, but it'll be cold, so I better get sweating fast!

Until next time.