Alright, so this is going to be another long one. This weekend really wore me out. It was an unbelievable time though. As you know, we ventured down south to Sicily to play in Messina. We met at the field at about 1, and headed over to Parma to catch a flight. The flight was short, taking only about an hour and half. We arrived in Sicily, and hoped on a bus for an hour ride down the coast. We finally arrived in Messina at about 6 pm. First, about Messina.
Messina is a town located right on the coast. Our hotel was about 10 steps away from the beach. The beaches aren't like the beaches at home. The meditteranean sea was beautiful. It was fairly clear and very blue, unlike the Adriatic. When we arrived, we put our stuff in the room, walked outside, bought a beer, and sat by the beach. Looking out, you could see the Italian mainland, the city of Reggio Calabria. It was cool to be staring at the bottom of the boot. Cruise ships and barges alike were traveling through the water. It was also very different here. The drivers were insane, beeping at everything and never stopping. It was almost as if they hit you, they wouldn't think twice about it. After our beer, we went into the hotel for dinner.
After a good dinner, the plan was to go to one of the local beach bars. At first, I thought it would only be the young guys who would venture out. It turned out that most of the team came, even a couple of the coaches. We ended up having a great time. We sat around, drank, ate, and laughed. At one point, one of the rookies was being quizzed on famous people. He didn't fair to well, and was required to strip down to his underwear and jump in the water. No hazing laws in Italy. He did was he was required to do, and we all laughed at his expense. Nothing better than being a part of a team.
By the time we got back, it was about 1 am. We strolled into the hotel, and got some rest. I made a point to wake up early so I could head out to the beach. Reggio Emilia is dead center of Italy, and each coast is about 2 hours away. So I reluctantly woke up at about 9:30, put on my bathing suit, bought some powerade, and headed across the street. I ran into my teammate Paul on the way down, and he decided to come along.
The beach itself isn't all that nice. The sand is fairly rocky, but the water looked beautiful. I made a point that I needed to go in the water. After a few more of the guys showed up, I convinced one of them to come in with me. We needed to find a point of entry, given that the beach was surrounded by large rocks. The water was cold, much colder than the Adriatic. It was refreshing, and it definitely woke me up. We then met for lunch, got our stuff together, and headed out to the field.
The field was very nice. It had the perfect setting, up in the hills of Sicily. I'm waiting on my computer, but once I do get it I'll post the pictures. When we arrived, they were playing techno and some of the Messina players were dancing. I couldn't help but laugh. I even went so far as to get my camera and film one of the players. It is exactly what you expected the south of Italy to be. These games were important, and after having a bad week last week, I was determined to rebound.
The first game was much like all the other first games in Serie A baseball. I ended up going 2 for 5 with a double and triple. I was very pleased with my at bats, and I felt good at the plate. I was hitting the ball hard and to all fields. I was excited for the second game. The pitcher was a Venezuelan who had played minor league ball. He threw low 90's and had a hard breaking ball. I was anxious to see how I would do.
From the very beginning of the second game, both teams were tense. Messina was fired up, and our team was very confident. In my first at bat, I hit a hard ground ball to third that ate up the third basemen. I was able to beat it out for a single. In my second at bat, the Messina foreigner got the best of me and made me look bad. I took strike three. It was after when the game got really interesting.
All game the Messina foreigner had been taking his sweet time, complaining about balls and strikes, and just generally being disrespectful to the game. He would take 5 minutes between batters, and maybe sometimes pitches. Our teammate Paul had hit an absolute bomb of a home run off him in the first inning. He settled down after that, striking out a bunch of guys. It all came to a boiling point for me. The umpires weren't doing anything about it. The dugouts started barking at eachother, and the inevitable finally happened. I was on deck, and our starting first basemen Claudio was up. The Messina pitcher threw up and in. Now normally, I wouldn't mind something like this. It's a part of the game. This ball was going for his head, and he just barely got out of the way. Needless to say, I lost it. I started yelling at the top of my lungs at the pitcher. Granted, I don't necessarily know if he knew what I was saying, but he definitely knew my intent. He ended up striking out Claudio, and on his way to the dugout we got into it. Both the umpires and coaches broke it up. All I could think about was my next at bat against him.
After a tense inning in the field (which we obviously threw at one of there players), I was set to hit. In my head I was preparing myself for him to throw one at me. If he did, I was going to do my best to keep a cool head. Getting ejected would be the last thing I wanted to do, considering you have to miss games. He didn't and I was able to work the count to 3 and 2. I was anticipating the fastball, thinking his ego would prevail. I was wrong, but it didn't matter. He threw a curveball, and I turned on it for a long fly ball into the left field corner. I ended up on second base, and had won my personal battle. I ended up scoring that inning, further pleasing my desire for him to lose. We ended up beating him 5-2, and I went 3 for 4 against him with 2 doubles and a single. After the game, we shook hands and went on our way. That's the beautiful part about baseball.
After coming out with two big wins, we went to dinner. It was about midnight. We ate some fish, then headed to the airport. We arrived at about 3 am. The only thing was that our flight wasn't until 7. So, we set up shop and slept on the floor. It was really interesting waking up to people coming in to catch their flights. So much for being a professional baseball player. After sleeping on the flight back, we arrived back in Reggio at about 9:30.
To celebrate the big wins, I decided I wanted to go to the beach. After convincing my roommate to come along, we invited a girl (Lucy) that we had met from our Italian class. She is a babysitter and is from New Zealand. She was in, so we picked her up and went on our way. She invited another babysitter she had met the night before, an American girl (Sophia). Sophia was going to meet us there later. So Chris, Lucy, and I jumped in the car and went on our way. After a two hour drive, we arrived in Riccione. We layed on the beach and enjoyed the sun and water. It felt great to finally relax. Lucy and Chris went to meet Sophia at the train station. I stayed and enjoyed the beautiful day.
After the beach, the four of us got changed and headed to apertivo. We drank a little bit, watched some soccer, and decided to head out to Rimini. Rimini is known as the Italian hot spot. People from all over the world come to vacation and party in Rimini. When we arrived, it reminded me a lot of Miami. There were people everywhere, and we jumped right in the mix. We had an absolute blast, finishing the night off at around 2:30 am. Safe to say I will be going back to Rimini and Riccione. It is definitely worth the two hour drive, and I would highly recommend it to anybody looking for a vacation!
This week, we are home against Anzio. Anzio is in second place. If we sweep, it will make it very hard for us to lose the number 1 seed in the playoffs. I'm looking forward to not having to travel this weekend. I'm sorry for the ridiculously long blog post. I hope everybody had a great weekend! I should have my computer this week. I have been taking a lot of pictures and video, so there is plenty to share and look forward to. Enjoy the rest of the week and I'll talk to you soon!
Reggio Baseball: Pro Days in Italy
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Sicily and the World Cup
In about 15 minutes, Reggio Baseball will be leaving to catch a flight down to Sicily. I am excited to go. It should be very different from here. I have heard Messina is beautiful, and that it is very hot down South. It's even better that these are important games. It could essentially guarantee us a playoff spot, possibly a number 1 seed. They are a good team, and this shouldn't be an easy feat. It will be our first time seeing them, given that we got rained out when they came to our home field.
The field is located right by the beach. We fly in tonight, play tomorrow, and stay up all night to catch a flight early the next morning. It is definitely a true reminder that we are not all that important here, and money is tight. It should be fun though and create some team bonding. Overall, I'm looking forward to it.
In regards to the world cup, it's safe to say that everybody is upset. I'm mostly upset because of my experience. It would have been amazing if Italy had gone far, but I would definitely prefer the USA to win it all. I never thought I would rather be in New York then Italy for the World cup. I might have to come back if they make the championship! I hope everybody has a great weekend, and I'll try to have a good one as well!
The field is located right by the beach. We fly in tonight, play tomorrow, and stay up all night to catch a flight early the next morning. It is definitely a true reminder that we are not all that important here, and money is tight. It should be fun though and create some team bonding. Overall, I'm looking forward to it.
In regards to the world cup, it's safe to say that everybody is upset. I'm mostly upset because of my experience. It would have been amazing if Italy had gone far, but I would definitely prefer the USA to win it all. I never thought I would rather be in New York then Italy for the World cup. I might have to come back if they make the championship! I hope everybody has a great weekend, and I'll try to have a good one as well!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Good and Bad week
So this week was both good and bad. During the week, I have decided to take the initiative in going out and meeting people. So, it started at the gym. I started trying to talk to people, and it actually kind of worked. I wish my Italian was better, but I can somewhat struggle through a conversation. Once they realize you speak English, they do all they can to help you. You become somewhat of an English teacher, and it goes both ways. It's kind of fun actually. Me and the girl at the front desk have an agreement that we will teach eachother something new everyday. Sadly, I'm a little more advanced in Italian than she is in English, so I have a feeling this deal helps her a little more than me.
Now that the summer has arrived, the center becomes alive. Every Wednesday, the shops in the center open at night, and people crowd the center. It was actually cool to see so much night life in Reggio. In the beginning, the center was dead. Now, its taken a complete 180. We will be hanging out in the center mostly every Wed. Sometimes they even hold concerts, but Italian music isn't anything to write home about. Thursday, one of the softball girls invited us to Parma, where she goes to University. We met up with her and some of her friends there. They were like any other college kids. They are all studying in the medical field, and are from all over Italy. It was cool to sit and talk with them about the different parts of Italy. At one point, they all started speaking in their dialects, and nobody could understand eachother. Amazing. It was a nice change of pace, and I'm sure we will be hanging out with them more often. We will teach them how to party like American college students, that's a promise.
This weekend we played at home against Rome. Rain was in the forecast, so I was worried that we wouldn't play. It seems like every home game, its supposed to rain. After the two games were over, I wished it had rained. I put up the worst weekend to date, going 0 for 8. It wasn't that I didn't hit the ball well, they just didn't fall. I was seeing the ball great, and felt very comfortable at the plate. I also put together some good at bats. Rome doesn't have a foreign pitcher. Instead, they have almost a full lineup of foreigners. They hit the ball very well, but there pitching is poor. Both me and my teammate Paul struggled, and we tried everything to break out. Needless to say, nothing worked. I'm sure me and him will be making some adjustments at practice this week. Regardless of mine and Pauls lack of production, the team played very well. We took two from Rome, and are sitting comfortably in first. This weekend we head to Messina, Sicily. It should be a hot one.
Right now, I am about to head to my teammates house to watch Italy. I hope every Dad out there has a great fathers day. Have a great day and Forza Azzuri!
Now that the summer has arrived, the center becomes alive. Every Wednesday, the shops in the center open at night, and people crowd the center. It was actually cool to see so much night life in Reggio. In the beginning, the center was dead. Now, its taken a complete 180. We will be hanging out in the center mostly every Wed. Sometimes they even hold concerts, but Italian music isn't anything to write home about. Thursday, one of the softball girls invited us to Parma, where she goes to University. We met up with her and some of her friends there. They were like any other college kids. They are all studying in the medical field, and are from all over Italy. It was cool to sit and talk with them about the different parts of Italy. At one point, they all started speaking in their dialects, and nobody could understand eachother. Amazing. It was a nice change of pace, and I'm sure we will be hanging out with them more often. We will teach them how to party like American college students, that's a promise.
This weekend we played at home against Rome. Rain was in the forecast, so I was worried that we wouldn't play. It seems like every home game, its supposed to rain. After the two games were over, I wished it had rained. I put up the worst weekend to date, going 0 for 8. It wasn't that I didn't hit the ball well, they just didn't fall. I was seeing the ball great, and felt very comfortable at the plate. I also put together some good at bats. Rome doesn't have a foreign pitcher. Instead, they have almost a full lineup of foreigners. They hit the ball very well, but there pitching is poor. Both me and my teammate Paul struggled, and we tried everything to break out. Needless to say, nothing worked. I'm sure me and him will be making some adjustments at practice this week. Regardless of mine and Pauls lack of production, the team played very well. We took two from Rome, and are sitting comfortably in first. This weekend we head to Messina, Sicily. It should be a hot one.
Right now, I am about to head to my teammates house to watch Italy. I hope every Dad out there has a great fathers day. Have a great day and Forza Azzuri!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
A long time coming
Alright, so although I didn't get my new computer yet, my teammate was kind enough to let me borrow his for the time being. I have a lot to update you on, so this may turn into a long one. This weekend was a very good one, probably the best yet. This is why.
So this past week was my friend Taka's birthday. He decided to put something together for Friday. We woke up early in the morning, and met at his friends Robbies house. The plan was to go to Mirabilandia, an amusement park. It wasn't as big as, say, your average six flags, but it is home to two of the top rollercoasters in Europe. About an hour and a half drive, me and nine others arrived at the park. They tried to make a play off Disney, which kind of worked but not really. Anyway, it was a great time. The two main attractions were Ispeed and Katun. Both were very good, and after some food and a few drinks, they got even better. The park wasn't very packed, so waiting wasn't a problem. It really was just good fun, and a real nice change of pace.
After the park, we hopped in the car and headed to the beach. It was my first experience going to one of the coasts. Supposively the beach we went to was very high end, and many celebrities have places there. We pulled up at the Meditteranean sea, got out, and ran right into the water. The beach itself was beautiful. It somewhat reminded me of Miami. The water was the perfect temperature, but wasn't very blue. I'm used to this type of water, going to Lido and swimming in the Atlantic, but it would have been nice to see some bright blue water. I reminded myself I'm not in the Carribean, and enjoyed the beach. We were there later in the day, so there weren't many people left. I look forward to heading to Rimini and Riccione during the summer vacation months. Should be very interesting. They are also home to some of the best discos in Italy. Just throwing that out there.
After the beach, we washed up and headed to dinner. The restaurant wasn't very far. We arrived and sat down outside. It was a beautiful set up, and I was excited for the food. The Italians did all the ordering, and that's not something I object to. The dish of the region is a pasta with meat sauce (ragu). It was absolutely delicious. Then, the steak came out, and finally, a dessert. After dinner was over, we hopped in the car and headed back to Reggio. We took a brief stop at the gas station, and I decided to start a mini dance party. It lasted a few minutes, but it was worth it. It was a great day, and exhausting.
The next day we headed to Collechio for a nice double header. The day didn't start out well for me. I arrived at the field, only to realize I forgot my cleats. Luckily, a parent of my teammate was going to the field, and was able to bring them over before the game. Dodged a bullet there. The first game was brutal, as always. Fillo threw well again, and Collechio didn't stand a chance. I went 1 for 4 on the day, but had some good atbats. When the game finally ended, I was excited to start the second one. It's always better facing the foreign pitchers, and Collechio had a good one.
The second game was a much better one. Collechio jumped out to an early lead against Luis. Up 1-0, and after grounding out in my first at bat and walking in my second, I got up to the plate with the bases loaded. I stepped to the plate anxious to get those runs in, and put our team ahead. After working the count to 2 and 2, the Collechio starter threw me a hard slider. The infield was playing in, and all I was focused on doing was putting the ball in play. I took a defensive swing, and was able to push the ball the other way between first and second. Two runs scored on the single, and we took a 2 to 1 lead. After, with runners on first and third, Fabio (hitting behind me) dropped a perfect bunt to score the runner at third. The inning ended with us up 3 to 1.
Both pitchers were throwing good games, battling out of jams. With the score still 3 to 1, I stepped to the plate again with runners on second and third. In my previous at bat, the Collechio pitcher threw me mostly offspead pitches. The one fastball he did throw me, he blew right by me. I knew coming into this atbat that he was going to try to overpower me with the fastball. Basically, I was sitting dead red. First pitch, he threw a fastball by me for a strike. Next pitch, he came back with the fastball and I fouled it back. I was down o-2, and I knew he would come with the fastball again. I shortened up, and thought about driving the ball to the right side. He came back with the fastball, and I did what I anticipated doing. I hit a long fly ball down the right field line. It shorthopped the fence, and I went in standing to third, scoring the two runs. We were now up 5-1, and we would score one more to win 6-2. It felt good to have driven in 4 of the 6 runs, and overall it was a solid win.
After the game, we headed back to Reggio. The center was holding its yearly white night. This is basically when everybody in the town of Reggio Emilia goes to the center and gets drunk. There is music everywhere, and people all over the place. We arrived late, unfortunately, so most of the festivities were over. I did, however, stumble upon a Euro Rave. Set up were three dj booths, and they were playing hardcore techno. Some people were dancing, some people were sleeping on the ground, and some people were just staring at the light show. Either way, it was awesome. It was a great way to celebrate a sweep, and great to see the city so alive.
I know many of you are also wondering about the World Cup. It is awesome to be here experiencing it. Mostly everybody here is very passionate about the team. It's a great way for the nation to come together and cheer for one cause. Flags are scattered all over, and Forza Azzuri is in full effect. To truly experience the mayhem of the World Cup, I hope Italy goes somewhat far in the tournament. They definitely love their soccer here, and aren't afraid to show it.
This week we play at home against Rome. Hopefully I can get back to the regular scheduling of writing the blog. Enjoy the World Cup at home, and I'll talk to you soon!
So this past week was my friend Taka's birthday. He decided to put something together for Friday. We woke up early in the morning, and met at his friends Robbies house. The plan was to go to Mirabilandia, an amusement park. It wasn't as big as, say, your average six flags, but it is home to two of the top rollercoasters in Europe. About an hour and a half drive, me and nine others arrived at the park. They tried to make a play off Disney, which kind of worked but not really. Anyway, it was a great time. The two main attractions were Ispeed and Katun. Both were very good, and after some food and a few drinks, they got even better. The park wasn't very packed, so waiting wasn't a problem. It really was just good fun, and a real nice change of pace.
After the park, we hopped in the car and headed to the beach. It was my first experience going to one of the coasts. Supposively the beach we went to was very high end, and many celebrities have places there. We pulled up at the Meditteranean sea, got out, and ran right into the water. The beach itself was beautiful. It somewhat reminded me of Miami. The water was the perfect temperature, but wasn't very blue. I'm used to this type of water, going to Lido and swimming in the Atlantic, but it would have been nice to see some bright blue water. I reminded myself I'm not in the Carribean, and enjoyed the beach. We were there later in the day, so there weren't many people left. I look forward to heading to Rimini and Riccione during the summer vacation months. Should be very interesting. They are also home to some of the best discos in Italy. Just throwing that out there.
After the beach, we washed up and headed to dinner. The restaurant wasn't very far. We arrived and sat down outside. It was a beautiful set up, and I was excited for the food. The Italians did all the ordering, and that's not something I object to. The dish of the region is a pasta with meat sauce (ragu). It was absolutely delicious. Then, the steak came out, and finally, a dessert. After dinner was over, we hopped in the car and headed back to Reggio. We took a brief stop at the gas station, and I decided to start a mini dance party. It lasted a few minutes, but it was worth it. It was a great day, and exhausting.
The next day we headed to Collechio for a nice double header. The day didn't start out well for me. I arrived at the field, only to realize I forgot my cleats. Luckily, a parent of my teammate was going to the field, and was able to bring them over before the game. Dodged a bullet there. The first game was brutal, as always. Fillo threw well again, and Collechio didn't stand a chance. I went 1 for 4 on the day, but had some good atbats. When the game finally ended, I was excited to start the second one. It's always better facing the foreign pitchers, and Collechio had a good one.
The second game was a much better one. Collechio jumped out to an early lead against Luis. Up 1-0, and after grounding out in my first at bat and walking in my second, I got up to the plate with the bases loaded. I stepped to the plate anxious to get those runs in, and put our team ahead. After working the count to 2 and 2, the Collechio starter threw me a hard slider. The infield was playing in, and all I was focused on doing was putting the ball in play. I took a defensive swing, and was able to push the ball the other way between first and second. Two runs scored on the single, and we took a 2 to 1 lead. After, with runners on first and third, Fabio (hitting behind me) dropped a perfect bunt to score the runner at third. The inning ended with us up 3 to 1.
Both pitchers were throwing good games, battling out of jams. With the score still 3 to 1, I stepped to the plate again with runners on second and third. In my previous at bat, the Collechio pitcher threw me mostly offspead pitches. The one fastball he did throw me, he blew right by me. I knew coming into this atbat that he was going to try to overpower me with the fastball. Basically, I was sitting dead red. First pitch, he threw a fastball by me for a strike. Next pitch, he came back with the fastball and I fouled it back. I was down o-2, and I knew he would come with the fastball again. I shortened up, and thought about driving the ball to the right side. He came back with the fastball, and I did what I anticipated doing. I hit a long fly ball down the right field line. It shorthopped the fence, and I went in standing to third, scoring the two runs. We were now up 5-1, and we would score one more to win 6-2. It felt good to have driven in 4 of the 6 runs, and overall it was a solid win.
After the game, we headed back to Reggio. The center was holding its yearly white night. This is basically when everybody in the town of Reggio Emilia goes to the center and gets drunk. There is music everywhere, and people all over the place. We arrived late, unfortunately, so most of the festivities were over. I did, however, stumble upon a Euro Rave. Set up were three dj booths, and they were playing hardcore techno. Some people were dancing, some people were sleeping on the ground, and some people were just staring at the light show. Either way, it was awesome. It was a great way to celebrate a sweep, and great to see the city so alive.
I know many of you are also wondering about the World Cup. It is awesome to be here experiencing it. Mostly everybody here is very passionate about the team. It's a great way for the nation to come together and cheer for one cause. Flags are scattered all over, and Forza Azzuri is in full effect. To truly experience the mayhem of the World Cup, I hope Italy goes somewhat far in the tournament. They definitely love their soccer here, and aren't afraid to show it.
This week we play at home against Rome. Hopefully I can get back to the regular scheduling of writing the blog. Enjoy the World Cup at home, and I'll talk to you soon!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Broken Computer
The worst thing that could have happened here happened, my computer broke. Well, to be exact, the monitor stopped working. It is a devastating lose, and explains my recent absence from the blog. I am currently using my roommates computer to let everybody know the situation. Hopefully, I will have a new one soon and can continue writing and telling everybody what is going on.
I'm sure your wondering about this weekend. We went down to Viterbo, and destroyed them in two games. We scored a total of 28 runs. The pitching was good, and the offense was better. It was a frustrating weekend for me, however. In the first game I went 3 for 6 with a couple of rbis. The next game I went 0 for 2 with two sac flies and a hit by pitch. This game was aggravating. Every ball I hit, and I mean every one, I hit hard. They were either lined at somebody, or I got robbed. What could have been a 4 for 4 day with God knows how many rbis turned into an 0-fer day. Goes to show you how this game can humble you. My teammates took pleasure in my misfortunes, and made sure to let me know about it. It was all in good fun, and I took solice in knowing I hit the ball hard. I will be waiting for my opportunity to get them back, though. Don't you worry about that.
In order to compensate for lack of my computer, I have been keeping myself busy doing things around the town, around the apartment, working out, and reading. It's been a nice change of pace. This "no power" thing that I have been going thru is starting to annoy me, so I am trying a different workout in the gym with my teammate Paul. Hopefully it translates into a couple more feet of travel on the baseball. My roommate and I are contimplating enrolling in a language school here, called Reggio Lingua. They take students from around the world and teach them Italian. We met with the lady yesterday, and she was a pleasure to talk to. She was very helpful, and told us what the class would entail. We even took a placement test. I can't say I did amazing on it, but I definitely did better than I originally thought I would. I am almost certain we will join the class, which is 3 days a week for 3 hours. Should really help with our experience here.
Today is my teammates Taka's birthday. This Friday, we are spending a full day celebrating. We are heading to the amusement park near Milan for the day, and then going to Happy Hour, and finishing up at a restaurant Taka claims to be "amazing". It should turn out to be a great time. The group of friends he hangs out with is nothing but nice and welcoming. It's definitely refreshing to be accepted by a group. Anyway, I hope I can solve this computer situation out soon, and be back to regularly writing blogs. Don't worry, I didn't forget about you or get lazy. Hope you have a great day and rest of the week!
I'm sure your wondering about this weekend. We went down to Viterbo, and destroyed them in two games. We scored a total of 28 runs. The pitching was good, and the offense was better. It was a frustrating weekend for me, however. In the first game I went 3 for 6 with a couple of rbis. The next game I went 0 for 2 with two sac flies and a hit by pitch. This game was aggravating. Every ball I hit, and I mean every one, I hit hard. They were either lined at somebody, or I got robbed. What could have been a 4 for 4 day with God knows how many rbis turned into an 0-fer day. Goes to show you how this game can humble you. My teammates took pleasure in my misfortunes, and made sure to let me know about it. It was all in good fun, and I took solice in knowing I hit the ball hard. I will be waiting for my opportunity to get them back, though. Don't you worry about that.
In order to compensate for lack of my computer, I have been keeping myself busy doing things around the town, around the apartment, working out, and reading. It's been a nice change of pace. This "no power" thing that I have been going thru is starting to annoy me, so I am trying a different workout in the gym with my teammate Paul. Hopefully it translates into a couple more feet of travel on the baseball. My roommate and I are contimplating enrolling in a language school here, called Reggio Lingua. They take students from around the world and teach them Italian. We met with the lady yesterday, and she was a pleasure to talk to. She was very helpful, and told us what the class would entail. We even took a placement test. I can't say I did amazing on it, but I definitely did better than I originally thought I would. I am almost certain we will join the class, which is 3 days a week for 3 hours. Should really help with our experience here.
Today is my teammates Taka's birthday. This Friday, we are spending a full day celebrating. We are heading to the amusement park near Milan for the day, and then going to Happy Hour, and finishing up at a restaurant Taka claims to be "amazing". It should turn out to be a great time. The group of friends he hangs out with is nothing but nice and welcoming. It's definitely refreshing to be accepted by a group. Anyway, I hope I can solve this computer situation out soon, and be back to regularly writing blogs. Don't worry, I didn't forget about you or get lazy. Hope you have a great day and rest of the week!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Holiday and Mid-week Baseball
So yesterday was an Italian holiday. It marks the day Italy became a republic. It is no Memorial Day Weekend, but the team had a BBQ anyway. It was good, and a bunch of the guys showed up with their girlfriends, wives, and children. It was cool to hang out with my teammates families, friends, and members of the society. It was like one big family. I do have to admit, Italy has great food, but nothing beats a good American BBQ on Memorial day or the 4th of July. Don't worry Americans, they can't claim that one.
After some beers, wine, and shots of mint vodka, we headed home. I relaxed the rest of the day, watching movies on my computer. I knew I had a busy day the next day. I woke up early to go to the gym. I thought by going earlier than I normally do, it would be less crowded. I was wrong. It was full of people. I got a good workout in, and then headed home. I had to get some food from the store, so I went to the Esselunga (their version of Stop and Shop). I have decided that I am going to do my best to eat healthier. I have been working really hard, and I feel like I should be showing more results. I know, I'm in Italy, but its worth a shot.
My roommate and I were asked to play in Parma against their IBL team. This week starts the Euro cup, and some of the IBL teams had to go to wherever to play in it. So Parma decided to put together a little scrimmage game so they had a chance to get some playing time in. They asked around the league for players, and I jumped at the opportunity. I wanted to see what the competition was like, and also get an idea for where I would stand. So me, my roommate Chris, and our first basemen Claudio (who played two years in Parma), go in the car and headed to the field.
When we arrived, Parma had begun taking bp. They play in a brand new stadium. It's a nice field, and the playing surface is very well maintained. Anyway, we got changed and started to warm up. We then were told we would take bp and get the game started. While taking bp, I overheard somebody speaking English. At first, I thought it was their coach. It turned out to be a Colorado Rockies scout. He had been traveling around Italy to all of the IBL teams. I went up to say hello, mostly because he spoke English. He told me he had coached Parma in 1984, winning the Euro Cup. He was a nice guy, and very intense. After bp, I was told to go to the Parma dugout. The way they worked it, the Parma pitchers would throw to their own hitters, and the other pitchers would throw to the miscellaneous squad.
I know that sound confusing, so I'll sum it up this way. I was playing on the Parma team. I was hitting sixth in their lineup. I wasn't catching the Parma pitchers, however. I would be catching the assortment of pitchers from around the A2 division. The Parma catcher would be hitting with the other team, but catching the Parma pitchers. The good thing about this was I got to face Parma's pitching, which was the reason I came in the first place.
Parma's ace threw first. In my first at bat, I hit a decently hard groundball between third and shortstop. The shortstop made a nice play and threw me out by a step. At least I was able to turn on the pitch, so I was happy. Out on the field, I was feeling great. I was blocking every ball, and calling a good game. In my next at bat, I would be facing the same pitcher with a runner on second. After falling behind 0-2, I worked the count back to 2-2. He threw me a letter high fastball, and I drove it deep to right center. It short hopped the fence and I went in sliding for a triple. I would later score on a passed ball.
When I went back into the dugout, the scout and another member of the Parma organization pulled me aside. They asked me a bunch of questions, mostly about how I got to Italy and where I played college baseball. The Parma rep gave me his email, and asked me to stay in touch. It felt good to be noticed for my play, and I was very happy I went. I am not putting a lot of stress on it, though. I am just focused on playing well in Reggio and hopefully winning a championship. Whatever happens after that is just a bonus.
This Saturday we play in Vitterbo. I'm hoping it is a good series. I'm glad I got some extra at bats in this week, and hopefully it translates into this weekends games. I'll talk to everybody soon, and hope for some good news! Thanks and have a great rest of your week!
After some beers, wine, and shots of mint vodka, we headed home. I relaxed the rest of the day, watching movies on my computer. I knew I had a busy day the next day. I woke up early to go to the gym. I thought by going earlier than I normally do, it would be less crowded. I was wrong. It was full of people. I got a good workout in, and then headed home. I had to get some food from the store, so I went to the Esselunga (their version of Stop and Shop). I have decided that I am going to do my best to eat healthier. I have been working really hard, and I feel like I should be showing more results. I know, I'm in Italy, but its worth a shot.
My roommate and I were asked to play in Parma against their IBL team. This week starts the Euro cup, and some of the IBL teams had to go to wherever to play in it. So Parma decided to put together a little scrimmage game so they had a chance to get some playing time in. They asked around the league for players, and I jumped at the opportunity. I wanted to see what the competition was like, and also get an idea for where I would stand. So me, my roommate Chris, and our first basemen Claudio (who played two years in Parma), go in the car and headed to the field.
When we arrived, Parma had begun taking bp. They play in a brand new stadium. It's a nice field, and the playing surface is very well maintained. Anyway, we got changed and started to warm up. We then were told we would take bp and get the game started. While taking bp, I overheard somebody speaking English. At first, I thought it was their coach. It turned out to be a Colorado Rockies scout. He had been traveling around Italy to all of the IBL teams. I went up to say hello, mostly because he spoke English. He told me he had coached Parma in 1984, winning the Euro Cup. He was a nice guy, and very intense. After bp, I was told to go to the Parma dugout. The way they worked it, the Parma pitchers would throw to their own hitters, and the other pitchers would throw to the miscellaneous squad.
I know that sound confusing, so I'll sum it up this way. I was playing on the Parma team. I was hitting sixth in their lineup. I wasn't catching the Parma pitchers, however. I would be catching the assortment of pitchers from around the A2 division. The Parma catcher would be hitting with the other team, but catching the Parma pitchers. The good thing about this was I got to face Parma's pitching, which was the reason I came in the first place.
Parma's ace threw first. In my first at bat, I hit a decently hard groundball between third and shortstop. The shortstop made a nice play and threw me out by a step. At least I was able to turn on the pitch, so I was happy. Out on the field, I was feeling great. I was blocking every ball, and calling a good game. In my next at bat, I would be facing the same pitcher with a runner on second. After falling behind 0-2, I worked the count back to 2-2. He threw me a letter high fastball, and I drove it deep to right center. It short hopped the fence and I went in sliding for a triple. I would later score on a passed ball.
When I went back into the dugout, the scout and another member of the Parma organization pulled me aside. They asked me a bunch of questions, mostly about how I got to Italy and where I played college baseball. The Parma rep gave me his email, and asked me to stay in touch. It felt good to be noticed for my play, and I was very happy I went. I am not putting a lot of stress on it, though. I am just focused on playing well in Reggio and hopefully winning a championship. Whatever happens after that is just a bonus.
This Saturday we play in Vitterbo. I'm hoping it is a good series. I'm glad I got some extra at bats in this week, and hopefully it translates into this weekends games. I'll talk to everybody soon, and hope for some good news! Thanks and have a great rest of your week!
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