First rain

It is just only October in San Diego, but the rain delays have begun. It was sunny on Friday, and it was sunny Saturday afternoon and Sunday, but it was raining hard enough Saturday morning to cancel my Halos game on Saturday and my Warriors game on Sunday.

Video - pitching sample innings

Here are two sample innings from the Arizona Junior Fall Classic 2010. They are edited to include only each pitch for the batters I faced in these innings.

Sample 1


Sample 2


Click here for additional details from the tournament.

Video - Arizona Junior Fall Classic 2010

When I committed to attending the Arizona Junior Fall Classic, there were two things that I wanted to learn:

1) How I would do when put in a situation where I don’t anybody. The team was assembled based on nationwide tryouts, and I was meeting everybody for the first time at the tournament. I was flying alone for the first time, was rooming in a hotel with a teammate I just met, and was living within a five day schedule without any parental support.

2) How I would compete at the tournament level. This event attracts the top teams, and I figured I would be facing some pretty nasty pitching. Also, since I was attending as a pitcher, I was eager to see if my focused training since August would give me the tools to battle against the big bats.

I am happy to report that it all went really well. I survived and thrived, met a bunch of good guys on the team, and was coached by guys with MLB experience (Jimmy Johnson, Josh Muecke, Brice Cutspec). I am eager to continue my training, and look forward to the rest of the fall season.

Here are a few sample videos from the tournament.

Introduction



Pitching



Hitting

Arizona Junior Fall Classic Roster & Schedule

Getting ready to go to the Arizona Junior Fall Classic.

A list of all the participating teams is online.

I will be flying out tonight. Here is my team. Here is my schedule

Freddy "Sez" Schuman

When my family went to New York this past summer, we went to a Yankees game and the guy in the picture was sitting in front of us. We didn't know who he was, but he was pretty unique. Turns out he is a famous Yankees fan. His signs were kind of weak, but he also had this big frying pan that he would bang. He let us bang it too. He gave us his newsletter, and he also had a website.

Unfortunately, he died this week. Here is a story from ESPN:

Freddy "Sez" Schuman, the longtime New York Yankees fan who made a tradition out of bringing signs to Yankee Stadium and encouraging the crowd to cheer by banging together a spoon and frying pan, has died at age 85.

Schuman died at Lenox Hill Hospital on Sunday afternoon after suffering a heart attack on Friday night, according to longtime friend Chuck Frantz. A hospital official confirmed Schuman's death.

"It's a sad day for Yankee fans and for anyone who knew Freddy," Frantz said.

Schuman, who was known around the ballpark as "Freddy Sez," often walked around the stadium during games with an inspirational message for the Yankees written on white posterboard. He also would bang a frying pan and a spoon together to encourage fans to make noise. He attended most Yankees home games.

Heal my mind and body

Most sports can deal with winter except for baseball. Some early San Diego rain cancelled some training and one of my games this past week, and what I could have done was stopped by a nagging cold I have had. The good news I guess is that my body is getting some rest, and that my cold is getting better.

The Saints baseball players are now scheduled for yoga on Monday and Wednesday (along with a practice on Friday). Maybe this will help heal my mind and body.

Life is a gift

My friend Irish and I wanted to do something to memorialize our fellow Saintsman Bryan Goebel, who died last week. We didn’t know him, but felt that what happened was such a tragedy that it should not be forgotten.

Last Friday he and I made up shirts that we wore to our high school football game, and spread the word that we were planning on making more. Today we met with Principle Horne, and the school is helping us push through a 100+ shirts that we will distribute this week.

The mission isn’t to make money, but to help people remember that life is a gift.

Countdown

There are only two and a half weeks before I leave for the Arizona Junior Fall Classic, so today my dad and I mapped out a training schedule that will hopefully give me the training I need while still insuring my arm is fresh for when I leave on October 20th.

Busy

I didn’t think today was going to work out but it did. I had a 9am game with the Halos at Hickman Field (Saints home field),  and then a noon game with the Warriors at Rancho Buena Vista High School, which was about 40 minutes north of Hickman. Fortunately the Halos game went by fast, and the Warriors game was delayed.

The Halos were giving all the pitchers an inning, but I passed as I knew I would get time on the mound with the Warriors. Instead I played First, Second, Third, and the outfield corners. I have played all those positions before, but I don’t think I have ever done it in one game.

My trip to the Warriors game was well worth it, as I had three scoreless innings on the mound, and had a two RBI hit to help pad the lead. Felt comfortable from the wind up but need to keep working on throwing from the stretch.

Pretty tired now.

Bryan Goebel - RIP