Good People - 10/29/12

This is going to be an interesting offseason. But, it might also not be that interesting. In baseball, a lot can happen in an offseason. 2 years ago I was traded about this time to the Oakland A's. I was placed on their 40 man roster and invited to big league spring training. Last offseason, I was still hoping to get my shoulder sorted out, I was traded back to the Toronto Blue Jays, I avoided surgery on my shoulder, started my shoulder rehab 3 days a week with Dr. Kibler in Lexington, Ky, was placed on the Blue Jays 40 man roster, and invited to big league spring training again. This offseason is going to be a very interesting one because there are so many possibilities. I have told you about the rule 5 draft before, but as a refresher, it is a draft that happens for players who are currently in the minor leagues and not on the 40 man roster (after 3 years for college players and 5 years for high schoolers). This rule was put into place so that one team cannot stockpile talent in the minor leagues and hoard players who should be playing at a higher level. The rule is that if another team drafts a player they have to place them at a level higher than the one they were at. So, if in AA, the new team has to place them in AAA. If in AAA, the new team has to place them in the big leagues. So, teams have a couple options to protect players. By placing them at AAA it would force the new team to put the player in the big leagues, which they might not want to do. Also, being placed on the 40 man roster restricts you from being available for the rule 5 draft. All this to say, I am currently not on the Blue Jays 40 man roster, so one of these things will happen: I will remain off the Blue Jays roster and in the minor leagues, I will be placed on the Blue Jays 40 man roster and therefore protected from the rule 5 draft, I will be traded before the rule 5 draft and then placed on the new team's 40 man roster (like I was with the previous trades), or I will be unprotected by the Blue Jays and drafted by a team in the rule 5 draft and placed at a higher level than where the Blue Jays have me. I could end up anywhere. But, one thing I know is that I am working hard this offseason, I am healthy, and I'm looking forward to dominating next season wherever that may be. 

Sometimes I hear someone tell me that I am a good guy.  Do you ever get called a good person?  They tell me, “Trystan, you are a good guy.” I tell them, "no I am not." "Now behold, one came and said to Jesus, ‘Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’ So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.’” (Matthew 19:16-17) Notice, Jesus does not say that He is not good, He says that God alone is good.  So, He didn’t deny the man's statement, but just wanted to clarify that God, and His Son Jesus, are the only One that is good.  For the rest of us, Jesus is saying that we are not good.  To which I agree whole-heartedly.  Ever wonder how some of the thoughts you think get into your mind? Where do they come from? You never have to teach a little kid "mine", you have to teach sharing.  You never have to teach a kid how to be mean, you have to teach kindness.  We, at our very core, are not good.  And we see our nature displayed in all its ugliness on the news, in others, and in ourselves.  Ever get mad or say something mean? Ever look at something you shouldn't have? Ever treat someone badly? Ever wanted to? Ever been jealous?  Ever been unsatisfied? Yeah, we are a sorry group of good people.  In an episode of Star Trek, Captain Kirk is confronted by a world that is at war with another planet.  And they have been at war for over 500 years.  But, they have done away with they ugliness of not being good people by conducting their war through computers.  Attacks and counterattacks are launched and recorded.  Casualties are computed and people have to report to disintegration machines.  There is no damage done to cities or land, there isn't the messiness of injuries or disease or famine.  They have done this because they realize that they are not good people.  That at their very core they are savage and are killers, just like you and me.  Listen to this conversation between Captain Kirk and their First Councilman, "ANAN: There can be no peace. Don't you see? We've admitted it to ourselves. We're a killer species. It's instinctive. It's the same with you. KIRK: All right. It's instinctive. But the instinct can be fought... We can admit that we're killers, but we're not going to kill today. That's all it takes. Knowing that we won't kill today." You and I and everyone on this planet are sinners.  We are not good people. "Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.  Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against You, and You alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in Your sight.  You will be proved right in what You say, and Your judgment against me is just.  For I was born a sinner-yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.  Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:1-7 Yes, you and I are sinners from our birth.  Born to do things which we aught not to do.  Born to want to steal, to want things other people have, born to want to be selfish, to want to think about and take part in sex outside of God's design, to be greedy, to be lazy, to be unloving, untrustworthy, born to be deceitful, to lie.  All right.  It's instinctive.  But the instinct can be fought. We can admit that we are sinners, but we're not going to sin today.  That's all it takes.  Knowing that we won't sin today.  "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not whither." Psalm 1:1-3

World Baseball Classic Qualifier - Regensburg Germany - Team Canada

Act of Valor - 10/8/12

Act of Valor - 10/8/12

My season ended last week after my participation in Team Canada's World Baseball Classic Qualifying Tournament in Regensburg, Germany.  We won the tournament and qualified for the World Baseball Classic which is in March of 2013.  I only pitched 1 inning because we dominated.  We beat Great Britain by 10 runs, Germany by 9 runs, and in the last game beat Germany again by 10 runs.  We are now looking forward to Canada doing some work in March.  My season was an interesting one.  My doctor told me in January that my arm was probably going to hurt until at least half way through the season and that is exactly what happened.  So, in the first half of the season it was slow going and plodding work.  Although each time I took the mound I competed, I was not myself.  But, my arm started to respond about halfway through the year and I finished really strong in AA New Hampshire.  I was in Extended Spring Training until joining A Dunedin Blue Jays in May.  I pitched in 13 games, throwing 18.1 innings for Dunedin going 0-4 with a 5.40 ERA, 25 hits, 11 earned runs, 4 homers, 26 strikeouts and 3 walks.  I joined the AA New Hampshire Fishercats and went 0-1, with 5 saves, while posting a 1.95 ERA in 25 games, 32.1 innings, 26 hits, 7 earned runs, 1 homer, 24 strikeouts and 7 walks.  The most important stats I think come from the 2nd half of the season, after the all-star break in AA.  In the 2nd half I went 0-0 with 5 saves while posting a 0.82 ERA in 19 games, 22 innings pitched, giving up 16 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 homer, 15 strikeouts and 5 walks.  Like I said, my arm felt better the 2nd half of the year.

Not long ago I watched the movie "Act of Valor".  It was a fantastic movie.  I really enjoyed it.  It did such a good job showcasing the sacrifice, the service, that so many of our armed forces give.  It is the ultimate act of service, the ultimate act of love, just as Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:13) There are husbands, fathers, wives, mothers, sons, and daughters, who put themselves in harms way to protect us and on the behalf of others.  They are heroes.  They live lives of valor.  Am I a man who is going to live a life of such courage?  Each one of us has the opportunity to live with honor and courage.  Not only with physical acts of courage, but also mental and spiritual acts of courage.  Soldiers are called not only to act with courage in a physical way, but mentally as well.  In fact, it is the mind and heart that needs to be trained so that the body will act the way it is supposed to. God is looking for men and women to act with valor. He is searching for people who want Him, who desire Him, who desire His peace and goodness. But, goodness and living for Christ requires valor.  It requires courage. He develops us into people with backbone.  People who have found such a treasure in Him that they can act with bravery and determination  in the face of the world. "The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.  They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one." Psalm 15:2-3 Am I going to be a man of valor in the lockerroom, on the field, in my thoughts, with my actions, with my finances, with my time? I don't want to be a part of the "all" who turned aside.

Turning Corners - 8/4/12

Turning Corners - 8/4/12

I think my shoulder has turned a corner.  In the last few weeks I have been hitting 94 and sitting 92-93.  My cutter has started to get good depth and I’ve been getting ground balls with my splitter.  I’m debating whether to throw my slider again.  I’ve been having great conversations with the other guys in the pen and I’ve learned a lot about throwing breaking balls.  One aspect of my game my teammates brought up a few days ago was that all of my pitches are hard.  It might be good to have something to get hitters moving forward and backward, not just having a pitches that are all hard.  So, we’ll see.  I’ll play around with my slider and try to apply what I've learned.  The good news is that I’m getting great extension.  My fastball is moving, my cutter is late, and so is my splitter.  I’m really happy with how my shoulder is doing.  Yesterday I pitched 2/3 of an inning.  The day before I had thrown 2 innings.  So, when I pitched well yesterday and felt like I hadn’t missed a step, everyone was very happy.  So, lets keep getting strong and feeling good.  I’ve been lifting harder recently (more weight and fewer reps) and I really like how that makes me feel.  I feel stronger.  I think as pitchers we get a lot of work during the season at lower intensity, that sometimes it is good to lift to maintain that maximum strength threshold.  If you don’t stay strong during the season, you will lose whatever strength you have. My last 10 games have been fantastic.  1.38 ERA, 13 innings pitched, 8 hits, 2 runs, 13 strikeouts, 3 walks, .174 opponents avg for the New Hampshire Fishercats, AA Eastern League.

When we go on the road in the minor leagues, the key thing we all ask is what's around the hotel? Restaurants are good, stores are good, but teams try to find a mall. There are many options for everyone and it gives us things to do. Recently, our hotel wasn't ready when we got to the new city, so the bus dropped everyone off at a mall. Pretty standard procedure. It's fun to people watch in a mall. The best is when you find a Brookstone and get time in one of the massage chairs as you people watch. We wonder what other people are thinking, what they are there for. Many people are busy, looking at things, checking out new products, hanging out with friends. When walking around a mall, the things that run through my mind are things I want, most of the time. Other times, like recently when I found a breath freshening spray that also gives you an instant Irish accent, I thought it would be fun to get that for someone else.  I think most of the time that is where our agenda lies, with what builds us and our kingdom. In other words, I am building my kingdom and not Christ's. Isn't it true though, as we live our lives, we are either building Christ's kingdom or we are building our own. We cannot do both, just as scripture says, "No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. (2 Timothy 2:4 NKJV)" and "“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. (Matthew 6:24 NLT)" Are my thoughts about what I can do to further His kingdom or how I can build a life for myself here on earth? We can spend so much time thinking, planning, decorating, acquiring, and is all of that for ourselves or for His kingdom. Many of the things we acquire can be used to build Christ's kingdom if only we use them to serve Him and others. Where are my efforts and ingenuity going? Am I using my life to serve Him, to serve others? Where are my thoughts as I walk through a mall, walk through this life?

Approval - 6/14/12

Approval - 6/14/12

I think my shoulder has turned the corner.  In my last update, the situation seemed pretty dire, with my shoulder feeling tired and not having much life.  The life has started to come back and so have the strikeouts.  In my last 4 outings I have had at least 2 strikeouts.  I pitched in both of our last two games. It was my first time to pitch back to back games this year.  I was still 91-92 yesterday, with 2 strikeouts and a lazy pop fly in one inning of work.  It was a really good outing.  So things seem to be coming around for the better.  Not quite back to where I want to be, but definitely on the right track.  I received a really good piece of advice from my catcher a few games ago.  He said, “You need to throw your offspeed pitches harder.  You need to throw them as hard as you can.  You’ll eventually get the feel even if at the beginning you bounce them, but right now they’re not doing much.”  He was totally right and since then I have been working on my slider and my split finger.  I have been trying to throw them as hard as my fastball, not holding back, no tentativeness, not trying to throw them in the strike zone, just throwing them.  They have been excellent! Yesterday I struck out two batters, a lefty and a righty, on my split finger fastball.  It was really enjoyable to see the ball dive down and the hitters swing over the top.  When throwing a breaking ball, a pitcher must throw it hard just like his fastball.  You have to grip the ball and apply pressure with the fingers so that you impart the tight spin you want on your breaking ball.  You also have to stay firmly on top of the ball.  Don’t let your wrist slide underneath because then anything you throw will be lazy and will not have the sharp downward action you want.  I am really encouraged by how my last 4 outings have gone and I’m looking forward to continuing the process. 

As we live life, we are surrounded by people who influence what we believe.  Sometimes their influence comes directly with direct comments about how we live or what they think we should do in a certain situation.  Sometimes it comes indirectly through conversations that we overhear, the content of conversations the people around us are having, or even just the way other people conduct themselves. Regardless of how you try to conduct yourself, the people you surround yourself with, voluntarily or involuntarily, affect you. This is especially the case on a sports team and in a sports locker room.  You very well may hear and see things that are shocking, sad, disturbing, and evil.  It’s shocking enough to hear the conversations being had, but it is also shocking to see who is approving of them.  Paul describes them, “knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things [sin] are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:32.  Not only do they do things that aren’t honorable or what the bible says, but they also approve of people who act that way. This can even come from people who claim to be followers of Christ.  We need to pay attention to what we are approving.  Think about the movies or TV shows or stories or conversations you are in.  Am I laughing at the jokes, am I approving of the conversations that people are having, am I approving the shows that are crude and immoral, am I approving of people who act in a way contrary to what God wishes for us? A long time ago, I told a joke to one of my friends and she called me out on it.  She said that it was inappropriate.  At the time, I didn’t think it was that bad.  I had heard many jokes that were a lot worse, but I had to realize that I spent most of my time in a locker room.  I am so thankful she called me out on it.  This is really important stuff because not only does it reflect upon my Savior, but it also reveals my heart.  What does my heart look like?  Does my heart delight in sin?  Is my heart enticed and entertained by things that I wouldn’t want my parents or a child or my pastor or my God to be a part of? “8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8 I will search the bible so that I know what is praiseworthy.  I will examine what it says so that I am not swayed by anyone who may be approving of things that God does not approve of. I will pray and ask God to reveal in my heart where I am not true or noble or just or pure.

Florida Fishing 2012

The nice thing about having spring training, extended spring training, and high-A, in Florida is that there are fish here.  And although most of the fish that I really want to catch, Snook and Tarpon, have only just arrived here in the Tampa Bay Area, my teammates and I have had some fun catching some fun and interesting fish. I was able to help two of my teammates learn how to fish and I got to take pictures of their first fish.  Now that's fun!

My teammate Wes caught this puffer fish along Gulf to Bay

Just practicing for Emily.

This was one of my favorites from a couple years ago.

http://exposfan.mlblogs.com/2012/05/29/q-and-a-with-trystan-magnuson/

Q and A With Trystan Magnuson

Trystan Magnuson is a relief pitcher in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He is born on June 6, 1985 in Vancouver, Canada. He weighs 220 lbs and he is 6′ 7″. He was recently traded to the Jays last year from the Oakland Athletics. He made his major league day view last year for the Athletics and had a 6.14 ERA in a mere 14.2 innings pitched. Before getting called up, he played for the Sacramento River Cats in AAA and he was 4-2 with a 2.98 ERA in 45 innings pitched. He is rehabbing from an injury so he is in High-A this year with the Dunedin Blue Jays. He is 0-4 with a 5.25 ERA. He will keep going up the minor leagues once he is 100% healed from his injury.  He took the time to do a Q and A for my blog. Here it is:

1. At what age did you get interested in baseball? At what age did it become serious for you?

I always enjoyed playing baseball. When I was young, my family lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba,Canada. We played hockey in the winter and baseball in the summer.  My dad always loved baseball.  We listened to the Blue Jays on the radio and really enjoyed watching them win the 1992-1993 World Series.  When we moved to Louisville, I was in middle school.  There is not much ice hockey in Louisville, but they did have fall baseball, which we thought was great.

2. Who had the biggest influence on you in baseball?

My dad has had the biggest influence on my baseball career.  A close second is my brother.  Even now we enjoy talking baseball and the things I am working on. Every once in a while, I talk to my dad on the phone and we talk about how to improve my pitches.

3. Who was your favorite player growing and why?

My favorite player growing up was John Olerud.  That guy was an incredible hitter.  He never got intimidated or influenced by what was going on around him.  Steady as a rock.  When I decided to really focus on pitching I really paid a lot of attention to Nolan Ryan, naturally.

4. You were drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1st round (56th pick) of the 2007 amateur draft. Where were you when you got drafted and what was the moment like when you heard you were drafted?

I knew from all of the scouts and the interest, that my advisor was saying that there were many teams really interested in drafting me.  To get drafted by the Blue Jays was a dream.  I grew up watching them in Winnipeg.  To hear that they had drafted me with the 56th pick made me wonder if it could all be real. I was thrilled.

5. This is your 6th big league season. Do you have any goals by the end of the year?

I was injured at the end of the last year and I’m still coming back from that.  I am really close.  That is my goal, to be 100% healthy by the end of the year and make myself valuable to this organization whether it be in the big leagues or elsewhere this year.  I want to do my job and do it well.

6. What is the feeling like getting promoted to the next minor league level?

I remember thinking, as I was struggling in Low-A my first year, it’s going to be tough to get promoted to High-A.  I thought AA was out of the question.  So, when I got promoted to AA at the end of 2009 I was thinking, “Yeah! I made it!”

7. What did it feel like when you got traded from the Oakland Athletics to the Toronto Blue Jays?

My experience with Oakland was a very positive one.  I made some great adjustments that allowed me to have some good outings and experience in the big leagues.  Getting traded back was nice because I know the Blue Jays know what they are getting and that they want me. It’s nice to know that they value me.

8. What is your favorite movie?

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

9. What is your favorite TV show?

Star Trek, the Original Series.

10. What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career so far?

Some of the most memorable times for me have been conversations with fans who ask me for my autograph.  I ask them how they are doing and if they are enjoying the day or ballpark.  One of the most important times to me is when I have someone come up to me that I have signed for before and they tell me how much they appreciated the time I spent with them and the things I signed.  Every year I sign a different verse of the bible with my autograph, that way anyone can tell what year I signed the card or ball.  This year I am signing Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you, Never will I forsake you.’”

11. Finally, what advice would you give to kids that are just starting out the dream of playing professional baseball one day?

I would tell them to have fun, work hard, and enjoy every minute of it.  It’s really important for every kid to know that baseball is about having fun.  I would tell them that if they don’t make it to a certain level or on a certain team, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t any less valuable or important than anyone else.  Talent doesn’t define significance.  The important thing is to be significant wherever God has placed you.  Even God himself took the role of a servant and washed his disciples feet.

 Follow him on Twitter @TrystanMagnuson

The Boxscore - 5/16/12

The Boxscore – 5/16/12

A few days ago, I was told that the Blue Jays were taking me off the 40-man roster.  This is a significant happening in my baseball career.  If you remember last November, the A’s took me off their 40-man roster and the Blue Jays picked me up and placed me on their 40-man roster.  Being on the 40-man is significant because a major league team can only use players that are on their 40-man roster.  Within the 40-man, there is the 25-man active roster, which is the roster of available players that the team can use that day.  The 40-man is a selection of players that the big league team has protected and who are available to then be selected for the 25-man active roster.  The 15 players who are not on the 40-man roster are in the minor leagues, but can be called up to the big leagues or sent back to the minors with relative ease.  To sum this up, if you want to make it to the big leagues you want to be on the 40-man roster.  If you are not on the 40-man and the team wants to call you up, they have to make room on their 40-man for you, which allows whoever they are taking off the 40-man to be eligible for another team to claim them.  A team protects its most important players and prospects from other teams by placing them on the 40-man roster.  I had a great outing a few days ago. I threw 2 innings, giving up 1 hit, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts.  But, my last few outings have not been good.  I haven’t had much “life” on the ball.  I have given up a bunch of runs.  In my two previous outings, I entered the game with the lead or with a tie and I gave it up, thereby getting the loss for both games.  One outing wasn’t as bad as it sounded in the box score, but I’ll tell you more about that in the next paragraph.

In this outing, my box score (my statistics for the outing) read 0-1, 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K.  This all means that I got the loss, throwing 1 2/3 innings while giving up 1 run on 1 hit with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts.  Now to a reliever and to my team, this says that I gave up the lead by giving up a run when we were tied and I was the one who gave up the run, thereby earning the loss for the team.  What the box score doesn’t tell you is that the one hit I gave up came in the 1^st inning and the walk wasn’t the guy who scored, but actually an intentional walk.  What really happened was I threw my first inning well and only gave up one hit.  The 2^nd inning started and I threw well getting the 1^st out easily.  The next batter I struck out, but the ball took a funny bounce and got by my catcher, so even though I struck the batter out, he got to 1^st base.  He then stole 2^nd base (barely).  There was a fly ball to center field and the runner tagged up and got to third.  So, now it was runner on 3^rd and 2 outs.  We then intentionally walked the next guy (my walk) and they brought in a new reliever.  The runner then scored on a bloop hit off the new pitcher.  My runner, my fault, my loss.  But isn’t it funny that the one walk I have on my record this year is an intentional walk and that the loss and earned run for that game came from a guy I struck out on a good slider?  The box score doesn’t tell the story.  The way things look doesn’t tell the whole story, whether that’s the way someone else appears to us or the way God is working in our lives.  Everyone has a story that is so much deeper than what appears on the outside.  Likewise, God has a story for each one of us that is so much deeper than what we are experiencing on the outside.  Our box score might not look too bright, but God’s writing the story for His purpose and there are some good things going on in the real story.  What’s His purpose? I think it’s probably exactly what His purpose was for the Israelites: “For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.” Psalm 78:5-7  “That they may set their hope in God.”

I Know That Guy - 4/24/12

I Know That Guy – 4/24/12

I am still here in Dunedin.  I am getting really close to leaving, though.  My arm is bouncing back quicker each time I throw.  I am pitching more often and for longer.  On Thursday, I threw 2 innings for the first time this year. I am finishing up my rehab throwing program before heading out to a full-season team.  This is the wonderful world of Extended Spring Training.  It is a place where you forget about a baseball season because all of us are stuck in an unending Spring Training.  Our days look just like Spring Training, practice in the morning and games in the afternoon.  Although, now we have Sundays off, which is looked forward to with much anticipation.  The soreness that I have been describing is fading with every day even as I increase my workload.  The thing that hasn’t been so great is my consistency in my pitching.  I haven’t been throwing many strikes.  I haven’t been consistent with my cutter or my changeup.  This is rather frustrating and not much fun.  It is a bummer when I have to compete against myself, just trying to throw the ball close to where I want it with the type of movement I want.  I think this will come, though.  As with any rehab and throwing program, progress is made through practice and patience.  I can’t throw with a full-season throwing program because my arm cannot take it yet (I’m close though). As I get stronger, I am throwing more in between my outings and I’m getting the chance to work on my pitches again.  I’m reestablishing the feel.  I remember watching some of the great relievers in the game when I was up with the A’s and they threw a flatground everyday to establish that feel.  A flatground is a short time of pitching right at the end of your throwing program.  Your throwing partner, or if you’re lucky a catcher, will crouch down as a catcher and you will practice your pitches.  I really enjoy throwing flatgrounds and finding the feel of my pitches.  I am looking forward to joining a full-season team soon and I look forward to getting that feel of my pitches that comes with repetition and practice.

It’s amazing how many guys I know are now in the big leagues.  A few of my former teammates have made it to the big leagues recently.  And you know what, I have had short periods of envy, jealousy.  It’s amazing how we can see someone’s good fortune and immediately we are tempted to be bitter about our situation.  We can stew about things that have gone wrong, how things aren’t quite coming together, dwell upon the things that are holding us back.  In my heart I’m thinking, “How cool is this, I’m so happy for these guys that they get to experience the thrill of playing the best baseball in the world and are getting paid.” But in my mind, I think, “This isn’t fair, I should be there,” and I am tempted to be bitter and mad.  We can always find ways in which our lives are not matching up to what we want or have imagined.  Where does my bitterness come from?  It comes from wanting something that someone else has. It comes from striving for something.  When the thing we want doesn’t happen, we become disappointed, frustrated, sad, or mad.  God’s goals for us are that we Love God with all our heart, mind, strength and that we love our neighbor as ourselves.  We get distracted from His goals by things like jobs, success, athletics, looks, illness, relationships, etc.  The damage done is not through the success or failure in these areas, but by how they affect our relationship with God and with other people.  The struggle we should be undertaking is not for our health and wealth, but can we demonstrate God’s love towards others through our lives in every circumstance.  I have had parents and kids who come up to me after hearing my story about being cut in high school and tell me that I am an inspiration.  They have always dreamed of playing College baseball or playing Professional baseball or playing in the Major leagues.  To them I reply, “Playing high level baseball is fun, but sometimes the best thing ever is to get exactly what you have always dreamed of because you will still be unsatisfied.”  The gifts and pleasures we have here on earth are a dim sample of the treasure God is.  He created all of the good things we have here on earth so that we can have a glimpse of our great Father and know that one day we will get to be in His presence.  That is our treasure.  That is our dream.  That makes me forget my bitterness.  That makes me happy for the enjoyment that my friends and teammates are getting by playing the best baseball in the world. That makes me pray that my friends and teammates enjoy baseball and recognize the One who gave us all our good gifts.  He is our good gift.  I am so thankful for Him. “Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does not satisfy? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good, You will enjoy the finest food. Come to me with your ears wide open, Listen, and you will find life, I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.” (Isaiah 55:2-3 NLT)

He's pitching already? - 3/12/12

He's pitching already? - 3/12/12

My arm is really turning the corner. It has made some amazing progress. A few days ago I threw a live batting practice to some hitters at high intensity. Today, I pitched in my first game. The coaches and trainers were all smiles. They didn’t see any hesitation or reservation in my delivery. That is important because a pitcher who has an injury, or still has in his mind that he is injured, usually has some sort of hesitation in his throwing that tells the coaches his arm is not yet feeling right. There has been a lot of work put in over the offseason to get to this point and even now there is a lot of diligent work being done. It has been a process to find a routine that gets my arm ready to throw. The reason that finding a routine is important is the fact that once I get my arm warmed up, it feels great. Because my soreness is now only the muscles in my shoulder, the warm up is critical to the health and temperament of my shoulder. Every morning I get to the field about 2 hours before we stretch. I first eat my first breakfast. I don’t eat too much, just some strawberries, blueberries, egg whites, yogurt, maybe a banana or bagel. Next I run about 1.5-2 miles to get my body going. After running, I get on the arm bike, which is a machine with handles that operates like a stationary bike, to warm up my arm muscles some more. Then I do some light resistance training with tubing to get the muscles around my shoulder blade going. I then visit the trainers for some arm TLC. Next, second breakfast! Which is usually some more egg whites, berries, yogurt and a bagel. About 20 minutes before we head outside I hop back on the arm bike for a few, then stretch my pec muscles, do some range of motion exercises (meaning I externally rotate and internally rotate my arm to get it used to going it’s full range without putting force on it), and I throw a weighted medicine ball off a small trampoline to get the throwing motion going without putting a lot of velocity on it. This routine helps me get my shoulder nice and warm before throwing. I think it has had a huge impact on how my shoulder feels and why it is progressing so well. Gotta do the work that is necessary!

My teammate and I were recovering after a practice by “contrasting”. This involves immersing yourself in a hot tub, usually around 105-108 degrees, for a couple minutes and then contrasting that by immersing yourself in a cold tub, usually around 56-60 degrees. We alternate between the tubs 3 or 4 times each. The idea behind this is that it gets your blood vessels to open and close, thereby helping circulation. Sometimes, just like when we shag batting practice, the funniest as well as the deepest conversations are had in situations like this. Yesterday, my teammate decided to see how long he could hold his breath in the cold tub. The water is cold, shocking, and tough to endure. I timed it while he submerged himself in the cold. 30 seconds! Not bad for such cold water. He then told me that in a normal temperature pool he could hold his breath for 2 minutes. Pretty impressive. 2 minutes. It can seem like such a long time and yet 2 minutes is so short. He told me, we are 2 minutes away from death at any time. Pretty crazy. At any one time, 2 minutes without oxygen and we’re done. He asked me, “What if, given the life that you have lived, you came before God and He condemned you to Hell? What would you think about that?” I thought for a minute. A lot of thoughts ran through my head. I know that I should be sure of my salvation, but everyone has some doubts now and again. What if my life hadn’t reflected Him enough? What does He ask of me? He wants me to love Him with all my heart, soul, and strength and love my neighbor as myself. What if I don’t love Him or my neighbors enough? What if I’m not a good enough person? A lot of thoughts and questions ran through my mind, including what should I answer my friend? What I say right now may change the way he views God. I came to a conclusion, “He won’t condemn me to Hell. I know He won’t. But, it has nothing to do with my life and what I have or haven’t done. If He saves me, it is not because of me, it is because of Him. It’s not because I deserve it, it’s because He wants to save me.” This is what the Psalms say about Israel: Psalm 106:6-8 NJKV “We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea – the Red Sea. Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake, That He might make His mighty power known.” Just like with the Israelites, He rescued them from slavery in Egypt not because they were righteous (“Therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.” Deut 9:6 NKJV), but because He is God. God doesn’t save us because we are good. “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time – to show us His grace through Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 1:9 NLT Grace Grace Grace

Demeanor - 3/10/12

His Demeanor – 3/10/12

Self-diagnosis: the bane of doctors everywhere and a necessary attribute of professional athletes.  While it may cause doctors headaches because each patient is convinced they already know what is wrong with them, sometimes the best thing for a player is to take a step back, survey the situation, and make an adjustment.  A coach can talk to a kid until he’s blue in the face, but until the kid starts to feel what his body does when he doesn’t make a good pitch, it doesn’t matter.  I have heard tons of stories (in other words, it’s happened to me) of coaches going out to a mound because a pitcher can’t throw a strike.  He may have even struck the last batter out, but there are times when a pitcher says, “I’ve lost it, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”  I have learned a lot in my career and one of the most important things is how to feel what my body is doing.  I might pull off one pitch, but I felt it.  So, I know what I want to correct in my next pitch, then I take a deep breath, put that thought in the back of my mind, and execute this next pitch just like I dreamed.  That, the art of self-diagnosis, is crucial for most great pitchers.  It means that you will never be out of a situation because with just one adjustment you can get right back into your groove and make the pitch you need to make.  I haven’t thrown off a mound in a long time.  Today was my first bullpen session off a mound.  It felt great.  I made a few pitches that I didn’t like the feel of, but I felt what I did wrong.  So, I took a breath and the next pitch was just like I wanted it.  As I prepare for Spring Training, this technique is crucial.  I’m not in mid-season form, especially considering that I have been rehabbing from my shoulder injury and as a result I have not thrown much since august of last year.  The news is that my arm is feeling great.  It feels better as I warm it up and throw harder.  I threw off the mound with no pain and no throbbing afterwards.  I did my rehab exercises and I’m looking forward to throwing again on Monday.  I never thought I would be in this situation right now given how my arm was feeling only 3 months ago.  I can’t take it easy now that everything is heading in such a good direction. I have to keep doing my exercises, keep practicing correctly, keep working and doing the things I need to do to prepare for a successful season.

Do you ever wish you could live when Jesus lived?  That way you could see what sort of personality came across, what sort of demeanor He lived with.  Did He have a timid demeanor?  Did He display gentleness?  Was He intense?  Was He milquetoast that everyone just treated the way they wanted?  Did He display confidence?  I think we have missed out on a portion of His character.  We have the idea of the Father being powerful as in the scene of Him speaking to Moses at the burning bush or displaying himself in a pillar of fire that protected the Israelites from the pursuing Egyptians as they crossed the Red Sea or when He sent down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice on Mount Carmel or … But when it comes to Jesus, we see Him as different, as gentle, as cuddly. “Judas had promised to betray Jesus. So he went to the garden with some Roman soldiers and temple police, who had been sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees. They carried torches, lanterns, and weapons. Jesus already knew everything that was going to happen, but he asked, "Who are you looking for?" They answered, "We are looking for Jesus from Nazareth!" Jesus told them, "I am Jesus!" At once they all backed away and fell to the ground.” John 18:3-6. Jesus seems like someone who is confident and bold.  He did not run away when they were searching for Him.  He did not shrink back.  In John 10:18 Jesus says, “No one takes my life from me.  I give it up willingly! I have the power to give it up and the power to receive it back again, just as my Father commanded me to do.”  Do you remember the scene in Gladiator when Maximus reveals his identity to the Emperor who tried to kill him? Commodus: How dare you show your back to me! Slave, you will remove your helmet and tell me your name. Maximus: [removes helmet and turns around to face Commodus] My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next. [Commodus trembles in disbelief]  I feel like that might be the tone of voice and confidence that Jesus might have had when He declared openly that no man had power over Him.  He gave His life willingly.  No one took it from Him.  It gives me chills.  Christ displayed confidence.  He knew who He was.  Likewise, we need to know who we are.  We are sons and daughters of the King of Kings.  That is the type of man I want to be, bold.  I will not judge others because I am a man just like they are, but I will be confident in who my Father is and the knowledge that He is with me.  I don’t want to shrink back from the truth.  I do not want to give in to the temptations that surround me in the lockerroom.  Even when all the other people around me might be living for themselves and the moment, I want to live for Him. And for that purpose, He will be with us.  “So we may say boldly, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?’”  Hebrews 13:6

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