Hello again baseball fans!  This has been a busy week.  For any of you who have ever been to Arizona you know this, but to those of you who haven’t had the pleasure to visit, IT’S HOT!  I have been in Arizona a few times, for two spring trainings and two instructional leagues, but I seem to be amazed everytime I visit at how hot it really is.  Being from Georgia, I am used to heat, but there is no doubt a huge difference between humid heat and dry heat.  The night games are not so bad, because we are only out in the sun to stretch and for batting practice.  Usually it has cooled off by game time (7:05 p.m.).  Day games (12:30 p.m.) are similar to sitting in an oven.  Seriously if you want to know what it is like to be in the Arizona sun, turn your oven on to about 400 degrees and hold your face in front of it with the door open.  Please don’t really do that!  I would feel horible if anyone was to hurt themself. 

 

The sun is not the only thing giving off heat out here.  There are some serious flame throwers in this league.  It is amazing to watch all of these guys throw, and it is a daily reminder of how blessed I am to be in the company of the best of the best.  What I love about this game is seeing the different size players, and different builds of bodies that God displays his gifts.  There are guys that are 6’6″ and guys who are under 6′ throwing anywhere from ninety to one hundred miles an hour.  I feel, for that reason, that this is no doubt the greatest game on Earth. 

 

I got roughed up a little in my first outting, but I really felt good about my outting.  I was pounding the strike zone with all of my pitches, really about as good as I ever have.  It being the first time I had pitched in a game in almost three weeks, I was still knocking some rust off.  I left a few off-speed pitches up in the zone which resulted in several hits, and in the end a few runs.  The talent level here is far too high to make many mistakes, as I quickly learned. 

 

So far, the biggest adjustment for me, and I am sure that other guys in the league would agree, would be playing day games after night games, and the other way around.  During the season we usually only play day games on Sundays, which allows us to get in a comfortable day to day routine.  The ability to have a consistent routine while at the stadium helps me to be as relaxed as possible during the game, and I believe strongly increases my chances of being succesful.  Equally as important is being able to get into a routine for resting in between games.  We have already completed a long regular and post-season, so our bodies are starting to wear down a little.  Getting plenty of sleep, eating well, and staying of our feet during our down time really helps our performance. 

 

I will be writting again in the next day or two, but for now I am going to watch some football, play some Halo, and make phone calls to family and friends.  I ask that you will keep me and my family in your prayers, as we have lost a loved one.  I hope that you have all had a great week, and I am looking forward to filling you in again in a couple of days.  God Bless!

 

Verse for the day:  “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?”  Job 2:10