This year, I have tried to keep these blog posts more general. I have attempted, whether successfully or not, to try show how the European baseball player lives both on and off the field. I have spoken about baseball, and the collective efforts of our team. I have also spoken about traveling, living arrangements, and just general European baseball lifestyle moments. The truth is, baseball is baseball, no matter where you play it. It is a game of failure, and a game that can wear you down. This post is more about that side of things, and the difficulties that can be encountered.
This year has been a tough one in general. Although we are in second, only a game out of first place with a record of 12-6, a lot has been transpiring. Last year was a breeze, with all of us contributing equally and the team rolling consistently. This year has been a little different, with on and off the field problems. It has also been personally difficult. Last year I came over after a year off from baseball. I had no expectations of myself, and was pleasantly surprised when I was able to thrive. The team played well as a group, and it led us to a championship. I was contributing in a major way, and it felt good to play at such a high level. This year has been a totally different story.
I came into this year having expectations of myself. I wanted to be as good as last year, if not better. I spent the off season working in New York City, but found time to go to the gym every day. I was preparing myself for a big year. I came over here confident, but baseball has a way of humbling you. After a mediocre start, I didn't feel I was where I should be. This was the beginning of what is currently a major slump.
They say that you start to slump once you believe you are in one. The mind is a powerful thing, and I am finding that out first hand. With rainouts and off weekends making the beginning of the season inconsistent, I started to fall into a rut. Weekend after weekend, I felt worse and worse. Mixed in would be a game where you get a couple of hits, and then right back to square one. I started to lose confidence, both in my swing and in myself. With nobody to go to, it was getting worse and worse. This was the polar opposite of last year. In my first game for Reggio, I had one of the best games of my career. My confidence was high, and it carried throughout the season. This year has been difficult on me.
The toughest part of being in a slump is not the stats, it's the fact of not contributing. It is difficult, especially as a foreign player, when you struggle. You want to help the team win so bad, but the more you press the more you struggle. The team and organization expect a lot out of you, and in most cases if you don't do well they will send you home. Luckily, I'm with an organization that is loyal to their players, and they have stuck by me. There are no excuses, and eventually I know I will come out of it. After struggling the weekend prior, the toughest part is waiting that week until the next two games.
This is baseball. It's what makes you love and hate the sport at the same time. Like golf, it just takes that one good swing to turn it all around. I'm still waiting on that moment, and hopefully it comes soon. The team needs all of us to perform at our highest level. With 6 weeks left, every game counts. The push for the playoffs begins this weekend, and I think it's a good time to break out of this slump.
Enough about me. This weekend we faced off against Sala Baganza. After winning in dominating fashion the first game, we were set to face one of the better pitchers in the league. Josh threw a strong game, but it wasn't enough as we lost 5-0. Sala's pitcher was great, both pitching and offensively. After the split, we fell out of first place but are still in the playoff picture. This weekend should be an interesting one. Although I don't know the exact plan yet, we are supposed to head down to Messina, Sicily to make up the games that were rained out. With money being of the essence, I have no idea how we are intending on getting there. Either way, these next six weeks are extremely important. There are a few teams in the hunt, and everybody is out to get us.
Remember to go to www.reggiobaseball.com to keep up with our hunt for the playoffs. Also, go to mister-baseball.com for all European results and news. Thanks again for the continued support, and hopefully the next post is a much more positive one. Hope everybody has a great fourth of July weekend! Talk to you soon!
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