I know I promised a mailbag, but in baseball and in life, some things change. Continue reading An Awesomely Crazy 29 Hours →

Many of you have asked about pitch calling and the mental approach to the game. I have also been asked to put some film up on the site, so you can see what I am trying to describe. This article kills 2 birds with one stone. At the bottom of this paragraph you will find 2 links. The first is the 8^th inning and the second is the 9^th inning of my most recent outing, August 20, 2009, a 2 inning save vs Dunedin Blue Jays. I will explain to you what my thought process was behind each pitch I threw. My advice is to click on the video and go pitch by pitch with me. As in read my commentary on the pitch, watch the pitch, press pause, and then go to the next one. Obviously you can do whatever you want, but I think this would make the most sense.

8^th inning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb2C0g5FhYU

9^th inning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrl3VSBwTDI

THE SITUATION: I have just been called in to relieve Julian Sampson in the 8^th inning. We are winning 1-0 and there are runners on first and second with no outs. At bat for the Jays is Manny Rodriguez, their left handed cleanup hitter. Keep in mind, I have pitched against the Blue Jays multiple times this season, so I know their hitters tendencies pretty well, and they know how I pitch.

Continue reading Between the Ears: The Mental Side of Pitching →

Before I start with some Q&A, I want to again thank you for your continued support each week.  I am humbled by your interest in my baseball career. Continue reading Mailbag: Rosenberg, Dead Arm, Schwimlocity, Nutrition, and more… →

As promised, this entry will respond to your questions about Jason Knapp.  However, before I get started, I would like to explain our relationship.  I met Jason during Instructional League last year.  Jason lives in New Jersey, and many of my relatives are from New York so we had an immediate connection. Ironically, when Jason was 17 he was looking into colleges and his dad called my dad to discuss the pros and cons of the University of Virginia.  Ultimately, Jason signed with the University of North Carolina before accepting the Phillies offer to be their 2^nd round selection. Continue reading Jason Knapp Answers →

I was originally going to do a mailbag column today, but with the huge trade I thought it would be more appropriate to do a conversation/interview piece with arguably the most integral part in that trade.  Jason Knapp is a good friend of mine and he has agreed to answer any of my questions for this site.  That being said, I am interested in any input you have.  If you email me your questions for Jason, I could get a good sense of what I should put in the column.  This column will be ready a week from today.  My email is x

Also today, August 3, is one of my favorite days of the year.  It is the birthday of the most loving, attentive, and generous person I know.  All my friends call her “Cindy the Saint” for having to put up with me and my dad.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Hopefully this post can keep your minds off the trade deadline for a little bit.

Continue reading Baseballs Tradition: A Love-hate Relationship →

My weekly post will still be coming out on Tuesday, but I thought a few of you might want to read a first hand account on Pedro, so here it is.

Continue reading The Pedro Experience →

Before I get started on this week’s entry, I would like to thank everyone for reading my blog and for your kind words.  As a result of your interest and participation in this blog, I have received many good questions.

Since I have received so many questions, I will devote this entry to answering some of them.  Also, in the future, please send your questions to me via email at x rather than posting your questions in the comments section of the blog.  This would be very much appreciated.

Continue reading Mailbag: Instruction, Halladay, Brown, Lidge, and more… →

Before I get started, I would like to thank Phuture Phillies for giving me this opportunity to write this column. I have three reasons for creating this blog. First, I feel like very few people understand the life of a minor league ballplayer, and I wish to shed some light on the excitement and rigors this profession provides. Second, I believe the reason baseball thrives is because of its loyal fan base. I receive many emails, txts, etc from baseball fans. Unfortunately, they’re only so many hours in a day, and I believe this column will allow me to answer even more of your questions. Lastly, when people come up to me and ask me about life as a professional baseball player, in addition to answering their question, I can share with them this link to the column so they can learn even more about this life.

Continue reading The Daily Life →