First off I just want to start off by saying Merry Christmas to everyone out there. This is always my favorite time of the year because regardless of what I was doing or where I was at, I always was able to come back home to my wonderful family. We had a good Christmas at my house; my brother got a new bed, my sister got an iTouch, and I got a plane ticket down to Dallas to see one of my best friends Jordan get married. My mom asked me for about a week straight what I wanted and that was the only thing that I could come up with! So with that said I hope everyone out there got what they wanted and if you didn't then I'm sure that there was a very good explanation as to why you didn't!
Now back to some of my baseball talk:
Playing professional baseball has plenty of positives that greatly outweigh the negatives. But there is this one negative that I have to deal with that really gets to me...the fact that we don't play for a whole 6 months! Let's go back to my first year on pro ball. The year was over and everyone was packing up their things and getting ready to go back home. I was excited because everyone else was and I thought that was the right emotion, go with the crowd right? I, however, had no idea what I was about to face. I got home, spent some quality time with my family, ate at some of my favorite local restaurants, and then I was lost. It was the first time in my life where I hadn't been active in something and I had no idea what to do. I never was forced to get a job because I was always so busy doing other things where I never had any free time. Now I had all the free time that I had ever wanted and more. I'm already a very anxious person and having to wait 6 months to play again made things even worse. I quickly went into a downward spiral, not knowing how to attack the off season.
I finally got a job as a substitute teacher, but who wants to wake up at 5:15 in the morning in their off season?!?! So I only ended up working 1 or 2 days a week before that got old for me. Basically to sum up that first off season, it was an absolute learning experience that I didn't like.
At the end of this past season I knew that it was eventually was going to come to an end and I was going to have to face all of those factors once again. What made things even harder was how I began to play my best baseball of the year towards the end of it. I did everything I could to try and get a gig playing winter ball somewhere, but it was a no go. I was 24 playing in Low A and I guess that didn't really help me out too much. So I went back home this time knowing exactly what I had in store for me.
I've figured a few things out that have helped me along the way. I more look at it now as a different "season". A season that helps me get better and get to where I want to be. It might sound a little cliche but I look at what I do in the off season as an investment. I am only able to perform to a certain level and that level is determined by how much I invest into being the best player that I can be in the off season. So that's what I try and think about whenever I start to sulk and begin to count down the days until I'm back in Florida.
Now I'm approaching the start of the year. I've kind of used this time to gage the point where I finally begin to kick it into gear. I begin hitting and throwing more, I cut down my hours at work so that I can concentrate on my training, and I begin to condition even more. Baseball is such a game of routine, usually thought of as just a routine during the year, but as I've found out if I don't create some kind of routine during the off season I go absolutely crazy!
Thanks for checking back in. I decided not to write about Beyonce...maybe sometime down the road.
Once again, I hope everyone had a great holiday and that everyone has a great new year.
"You begin to believe in luck once you finally start to realize that the hard work you put in and the results aren't just a coincidence."
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
The Restaurant business
This off season so far has been a very humbling one to say the least. Throughout my whole life I feel like I've been known as a "baseball player". When you have that as a label people look at you a little different and treat you a little different. For the last three months I've been known as a "server". For the first time in my life I took on the challenge of being a waiter at one of my favorite restaurants, Rancho Grande Cantina. I love all the people I work with and I have a great time every time I come into work...except when I have to deal with customers have no consideration and respect for people trying to make an honest living.
It's definitely been a learning experience dealing with different sorts of people from table to table. You can go from one table who is grateful for everything that you do for them to another table who could care less as to how they treat you. I've never felt this way towards servers because I've always understood that they're trying their hardest, but sometimes it just seems as if people that you serve look down upon you because you are a server. It doesn't really make sense to me. I used to always try and find the good in people, and I do feel that there is good in everyone, but some people give you no other choice than to think that they are the scum of the Earth. We have a lot of regulars that come into the restaurant and you would be surprised at how everyone is remembered in the restaurant. You have your people who tip well, the ones who don't tip well, you have nice and considerate people, you also have the other end of the spectrum, you have needy people, and you have people who love to throw fits. For me I have absolutely no problem serving someone who doesn't tip a lot as long as they are nice people and don't try to make my life a living hell. Here's another side note for when you go to restaurants. If you appreciate the way that your server treated you, then let them know. It absolutely makes my day whenever someone notices how hard we work trying to please our tables. Another piece of advice is never get upset with your server at something that they can't control! I've never really understood how people can complain to their server about the food not tasting right. It's like they think that we get their drinks, fill their chips and salsa, take their order, and make their food! Just remember that servers are trying to make an honest living and most of the money that they make is based upon the tips that they make and if they did a good job make sure that they know that you appreciated their services.
I hope that didn't seem like I don't like my job, because that's the furthest thing from the truth. I like being in a setting where I get to interact with all kinds of different people. I've gotten to talk to a bunch of people that I haven't seen in years and catch up on how everything is going. It's also shed some light for me onto how some people just aren't nice! It's a hard thing for me to imagine and to comprehend but it really is the truth.
Come back in a few days, I've got a bone to pick with Beyonce...
I love all the comments and the verses. I love looking up new verses and I love feedback letting me know that people actually enjoy hearing what I have to say. Keep 'em coming!
Meet someone with an open mind, let them persuade to you who they really are.
It's definitely been a learning experience dealing with different sorts of people from table to table. You can go from one table who is grateful for everything that you do for them to another table who could care less as to how they treat you. I've never felt this way towards servers because I've always understood that they're trying their hardest, but sometimes it just seems as if people that you serve look down upon you because you are a server. It doesn't really make sense to me. I used to always try and find the good in people, and I do feel that there is good in everyone, but some people give you no other choice than to think that they are the scum of the Earth. We have a lot of regulars that come into the restaurant and you would be surprised at how everyone is remembered in the restaurant. You have your people who tip well, the ones who don't tip well, you have nice and considerate people, you also have the other end of the spectrum, you have needy people, and you have people who love to throw fits. For me I have absolutely no problem serving someone who doesn't tip a lot as long as they are nice people and don't try to make my life a living hell. Here's another side note for when you go to restaurants. If you appreciate the way that your server treated you, then let them know. It absolutely makes my day whenever someone notices how hard we work trying to please our tables. Another piece of advice is never get upset with your server at something that they can't control! I've never really understood how people can complain to their server about the food not tasting right. It's like they think that we get their drinks, fill their chips and salsa, take their order, and make their food! Just remember that servers are trying to make an honest living and most of the money that they make is based upon the tips that they make and if they did a good job make sure that they know that you appreciated their services.
I hope that didn't seem like I don't like my job, because that's the furthest thing from the truth. I like being in a setting where I get to interact with all kinds of different people. I've gotten to talk to a bunch of people that I haven't seen in years and catch up on how everything is going. It's also shed some light for me onto how some people just aren't nice! It's a hard thing for me to imagine and to comprehend but it really is the truth.
Come back in a few days, I've got a bone to pick with Beyonce...
I love all the comments and the verses. I love looking up new verses and I love feedback letting me know that people actually enjoy hearing what I have to say. Keep 'em coming!
Meet someone with an open mind, let them persuade to you who they really are.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Changes
This recent off season I've experienced a ton of changes. I'm usually someone that likes to live my life with a little regularity in what I do and I eventually become a creature of habit. For the past three months though I've had to accomidate myself to some changes. I guess I've finally began to accept the fact that everything happens for a reason. At times of change I've realized that I just have to lean back on that fact and put my faith in the knowing that everything will work out in the long run. Things happen in everyone's lives where you think "why me?", but I really believe that you will figure out the answer to that question eventually. It's just getting past that initial change that tends to be the hardest part.
I guess this blog was a little bit of a ramble but it's just something that I've learned along my journey. I'm not sure if anyone even reads this but if someone does and it makes sense to just one person that would make me extremely happy. If at the very least no one reads my blog, I'm still getting my thoughts onto paper, which is always a good way for me to organize my brain a little bit.
I guess this blog was a little bit of a ramble but it's just something that I've learned along my journey. I'm not sure if anyone even reads this but if someone does and it makes sense to just one person that would make me extremely happy. If at the very least no one reads my blog, I'm still getting my thoughts onto paper, which is always a good way for me to organize my brain a little bit.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Here we go...
It's the first day of December and we're about 3 months into the off-season, halfway to getting back to the game I love. This past year was a successful one. It was my first full season and going into the year I just had one goal and that was to stay healthy. I figured that if I was able to maintain my health then everything else would fall in place. I did everything that I could last off season to ensure the fact that I would be in the best shape of my life to endure a 140 game season. I ended up playing in Greensboro, North Carolina for the Greensboro Grasshoppers the class low a affiliate of the Florida Marlins. All my numbers for the year are on milb.com, just type in my last name in the player search and you can see how my year went numbers wise.
Being in low a with a bunch of 18 and 19 year old kids was definitely a learning experience. I was the old guy of all the position players and I not only felt like a player but I also felt a lot like a mentor and coach. I'd like to think that a lot of the guys looked up to me and saw how I went about my business and learned a few things from me. I ended up getting voted as the MVP of the team which makes me believe that I was respected in how everyone on the team viewed me. I've come to realize that gaining the respect and trust of your teammates can be a tough thing because of how the dynamics of pro ball are, but when you do gain those two things from your teammates then it's that much more special.
Going into the year everyone said how long of a season it was going to be and to be prepared. To me it wasn't the physical part of the season that was the hardest it was the mental part. When you don't get a hit one game you can't worry about it because you more than likely have a game the next day. If you do begin to worry about one game or one situation then that's when it all begins to snowball and then your facing the dreaded "s" word (s***p). It got tough for a lot of guys at the end of the year because the off season was approaching and guys began to shut it down. For me the last couple of months was when I began to turn it on. I looked at it as being a time when everyone else is waring down so it would be a great time to turn it on. It also helped me with the simple fact of knowing that I was getting to play baseball still. As I grow older I begin to appreciate the gift that I have been given to play baseball and I take less and less for granted.
It was hard at the end of the season to say goodbye to some of the guys on the team that I had grown close to, but I also knew that I was transitioning into a different part of my life where I was going to get to see some more people who are a big part of my life.
I ended up getting back to Liberty on September 3rd, and I had a lot of questions about what I was going to do with my off season. I decided to stay at home with my family (which has been a great idea) and workout here at William Jewell College. After a couple weeks of taking some time off I got really bored and decided that it was about time to get a job. I got a job as a server at my favorite restaurant, Rancho Grande Cantina. I love the job, it keeps me busy, and there are a bunch of great people who I get to work with.
Right now my weeks usually consist of working out in the mornings and either hitting, cardio, or working in the evenings. I try to keep myself occupied with things to do while getting myself into even better shape than I was in last year. I know what it takes now for a full season and I just want to build on some of my successes that I enjoyed last year.
I'm hoping to update my blog at least 2 or 3 times a week, so make sure you check back to see what I have to say!
"If you're affraid to fail then ultimately you're affraid to succeed."
Being in low a with a bunch of 18 and 19 year old kids was definitely a learning experience. I was the old guy of all the position players and I not only felt like a player but I also felt a lot like a mentor and coach. I'd like to think that a lot of the guys looked up to me and saw how I went about my business and learned a few things from me. I ended up getting voted as the MVP of the team which makes me believe that I was respected in how everyone on the team viewed me. I've come to realize that gaining the respect and trust of your teammates can be a tough thing because of how the dynamics of pro ball are, but when you do gain those two things from your teammates then it's that much more special.
Going into the year everyone said how long of a season it was going to be and to be prepared. To me it wasn't the physical part of the season that was the hardest it was the mental part. When you don't get a hit one game you can't worry about it because you more than likely have a game the next day. If you do begin to worry about one game or one situation then that's when it all begins to snowball and then your facing the dreaded "s" word (s***p). It got tough for a lot of guys at the end of the year because the off season was approaching and guys began to shut it down. For me the last couple of months was when I began to turn it on. I looked at it as being a time when everyone else is waring down so it would be a great time to turn it on. It also helped me with the simple fact of knowing that I was getting to play baseball still. As I grow older I begin to appreciate the gift that I have been given to play baseball and I take less and less for granted.
It was hard at the end of the season to say goodbye to some of the guys on the team that I had grown close to, but I also knew that I was transitioning into a different part of my life where I was going to get to see some more people who are a big part of my life.
I ended up getting back to Liberty on September 3rd, and I had a lot of questions about what I was going to do with my off season. I decided to stay at home with my family (which has been a great idea) and workout here at William Jewell College. After a couple weeks of taking some time off I got really bored and decided that it was about time to get a job. I got a job as a server at my favorite restaurant, Rancho Grande Cantina. I love the job, it keeps me busy, and there are a bunch of great people who I get to work with.
Right now my weeks usually consist of working out in the mornings and either hitting, cardio, or working in the evenings. I try to keep myself occupied with things to do while getting myself into even better shape than I was in last year. I know what it takes now for a full season and I just want to build on some of my successes that I enjoyed last year.
I'm hoping to update my blog at least 2 or 3 times a week, so make sure you check back to see what I have to say!
"If you're affraid to fail then ultimately you're affraid to succeed."
I miss this...
After talking to Brock, one of my good friends, this weekend I decided that it was time that I start blogging again. I started to think back on how much I loved it and how much of a stress reliever it was for me to get some of my words down on paper. I'm off to workout right now, but I'll be back later with my updated blog notes!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
