Pitching Doctor Strikes Again

Hello! It is day 9 of Diva's sickness and now she is moaning, shaking, and sleeping. Poor thing. Off to the vet to figure it out. Obviously, the meds are not working. This is not the perky pup who bit Sparky when she would not stop to say hello...another story for the future....



The big kid called yesterday in a tiff 'cause he seems to think that he has tennis elbow. Doctor, do not heal yourself, 'cause you have a fool for a patient....back to the kid.....



The elbow hurts on the outside and as a person who has had TE for 5 years, he called me for advice. I immediately said that it was due to a missing link in his delivery. He is either twisting his arm or not decelerating/pronating properly. Am I a genius? Nope, I know 'elbows.'



OK, so when I call Dr G for assistance, this is what he says..."Ice, rest, ibuprophen." Nothing else? Nope. Ice, rest, Motrin. Gotcha....yes, and I still have TE, but in my case, it is chronic. In other words, I will have it until the day I die. On my grave stone, it will say....professor...mother....wife...daughter...sister....friend....vanilla vanilla cake and Skittle lover.....tennis player.....suffered from tennis elbow most of her life but rallied to support friends and family. A true hero (cough, cough.....).



Back to the story...so he seemed pretty upset and I shared with him how I handle my TE. Yet, I still have it. OK, let's look at how other people handle it....go to your PT and ask him for exercises. Good idea....then he hung up. Oh, by the way, I also now wear a cool black sleeve on my forearm to cut down on the swelling. I look like a middle aged NBA player with bad knees...yep, the look I was shooting for.....back to the kid....



While at the ball park, he had a friend video him while he pitched and sent it to the Pitching Doctor. Yep, his good buddy from last year. The PD remembered him (who could forget the guy who opened and closed his camp every day for a month last year?). The PD got right back to him, told him to do two things with his delivery and if he fixes it, he will increase his velocity by 3-4 mph (let's see...89-91 + 4=93-95!!!) and eliminate the pain.


Then we got another call...."MOM! Listen to this..." No, he did not share that his incredible enthusiasm was due to a Middle East Peace Treaty or finding the airplane lost in the Pacific Ocean or someone had found a cure for cancer. Nope, the excitement was due to the PD's words of encouragement.

Now dad got on the phone and told him to take a weekend at the PD's ranch for a tune up. "No, dad, if the Czar finds out, he will cut me from the team." We can't win here, right. Dad continued to encourage him to fly to Texas. No one at the university will know that he was there.

This is incredible. The guy could fix his elbow and ramp up his velocity, but he is afraid of the Czar who is so incredibly narrow minded that he will cut his top pitcher for trying to better himself because it is not according to his personal home spun program! Keep in mind that the Czar screamed at him for an hour telling him that the PD ruined him. Yet, he continued to secretly incorporate the PD's program into his training and rose to be the top pitcher on the team after he was released from the bench for the lack of mental toughness. I am at a loss for words....not usually, but in this case, I am.

What will happen to our big kid? Stay tuned.

Peace!

The draft

Good morning! It's an early day as the oh-so-sick Diva sits on my lap and is shaking her booty. No, she is not dancing, she is shaking from a fever. Poor baby. She cannot catch a break. With her eye problem, Lyme disease and fever, our favorite little pup is still battling a nasty illness.





Yesterday began the MLB draft and no one could have been more despondent than the big lefty. After all, according to his plans, he was to be drafted this year so that he did not have to return to school. But the Czar had other ideas like punishing him by benching him for a month derailing his plans and the team's quest for a play off spot. We can say a bunch of 'what ifs?', but the reality is that he watched players that he dominated or struck out be drafted by a number of teams. So, is he salty? Have you been reading this blog? If so, you know the answer to that question.



And so, he had a start last night as Tink and I settled in front of the computer to watch. He had 8 Ks, 5BBs, 2 earned runs. Taken out in the 5th, the bullpen imploded. The team lost again.

While on the mound, the coach walked out and asked him to keep pace. That is, please throw a ball every 11 seconds. Huh? After a month on the bench for throwing too fast, then finding out that if he slows down, he dominates a game, the coach wants him to revert back to his former self. Uh, coach....ain't happening. In fact, the salty lefty got saltier and cussed the coach off. Interesting. Several years ago, he would have melted. Today, he looks at these guys eye to eye and advocated for himself. My goodness....life has changed a great deal for this kid.



The coach also wanted him to throw only fast balls but the catcher told him that the team could not hit his nasty slider. Once again, the catcher stood up for his pitcher. Is this because it is the summer or have these two guys figured out the process?



Whatever it is, he is turning into his own man and will make it or not make it in his own terms. Good for you, kiddo.

OK, the internship is finally on. He will be writing articles for the website and earn his final three credits. What does this mean? Hey, how about a college degree? Uh huh! About time...just sayin'.
No celebration. When he finally finishes his fifth year, we will think about a cake and maybe some balloons. Until then, we go along as if nothing has happened.

Although, he has no where to live in September and has to change the yoga course into something a bit more.....challenging. Yet, I have found that yoga can be tough BUT should not be a college course. let me make myself clear, I will not write a check for any kid of mine to take a three credit college level course in yoga, basket weaving, swimming or gym. I draw a line here.



Ok, I gotta go and spray the weeds with my homemade weed killer.....vinegar, blue Dawn dish detergent and Epsom salts. Spray on the weed, it dies, you dispose of it. No chemicals....no smell....



Have a nice weekend.

Bull dog

Good morning. I was an early riser and hit a Pilates class. Sadly, I almost threw up my toast, which tells me not to eat before doing crunches. Another thing that I learned was to take Aleve before the class and not after. Gee, life is about learning these fun little lessons, isn't it? I would have been way embarrassed if I tossed my toast in front of these beasts of women. I have been the doughiest person in class until a new student walked in today. So now...I am the second doughiest and most queasy person of the bunch.

As we waited for the instructor, a woman built like an elite athlete was trying to sell us on this cleansing method of weight loss. It seems that a person drinks a few shakes, eats 900 calories per day, fasts four days a month. On the fasting days, you get to eat four of their cookies. The bonus to this treachery is that she feels great, lost 16 pounds, and has so much more energy. I listened patiently and with a comment that only a doughy person could make said: "It sounds like torture." Needless to say, I did not make a friend today.  Sheesh....900 calories? Hey, I eat that on a road trip to see baseball games.

Actually, I have a proven weight loss method....eat all the Skittles that you want.....vomit....go to bed. That's it folks. No fasting...no weight loss cookies....no shakes.

On to my big kid...we have a better understanding of each other. I get it. He is nervous about this being his last chance. SO, he tightens up. This is tough to get over. After all, he has something to prove. Or does he?

Let's review. He has overcome a great deal of doubts from others and coaches. When he stopped by his high school two weeks ago, he met a pitcher on the team who seems to be a stud. According to the coach, "You're a bulldog; he's a race horse."

Really? A bull dog? Are we serious?

This kid did not come near breaking any of the bull dog's school and state records for strike outs, ERA, and so on. Yet, he's a dog and the other guy is a race horse. OK, I am understanding the tension about proving oneself to doubters.

Another fascinating fact that he discovered this week is that the Czar never played baseball past his junior year. It seems that he went to junior college then signed with a D1 team. He then proceeded to quit the team. Hmmmm...this is the guy who would not let my kid drop accounting because he would be a quitter. Dude! Look in the mirror.



Now what? Well, the big lefty has to figure out how to take the mound and not freeze. He has what it takes and just needs to set his head straight. He has the summer....let's see how it goes.

Off to work!

Peace!

What did you say?

Good morning! It is a good morning. Dad and Tink made it home after traveling 16 hours yesterday. Sadly, they were delayed by weather....missed a connection....started in St Louis....diverted to Milwaukee for refueling....landed in Chicago...missed the connection.....waited.....waited....waited.....home by midnight. That is a day to forget. Although, they probably could have gotten home faster if they walked.


I apologize for not posting sooner, but I had a lengthy meeting in the city...roads were backed up 10 miles for construction....lots of pot holes in the northeast. Naturally, they have to fix them all at once. So, I was on the road too for hours on end....just wanting to get home....
 

How is Diva? Well, I believe that she is better but not out of the woods yet. She has not vomited since Saturday...whew. I am particularly happy about that, especially since I kept her in bed with me so that I could monitor her. In the middle of the night on Saturday, I thought that she died. She wasn't moving or breathing. It was a scary few minutes.


On to the big kid in the Midwest. I am going to divide this part of the post into three sections. Before, During, and After.....Here we go.....

Before

As you know, dad and Tink drove his car to Illinois after having it cleaned and detailed and handed it to him with a full tank of gas. The next day, they were to meet for breakfast and he was quiet. "I don't talk on the days that I pitch."

Huh? What? What did you say? What did you not say? Who the heck do you think that you are? Curt Shilling? Cole Hamels? Mariano Rivera? Are we talking diva-like behavior?

I lost it. Seriously folks.....I did not raise a diva or spoiled brat....or did I? let me at him....he will hear me from my back yard to Illinois.

During

 The game started at 6pm, our time and we opened Betty's computer at BP Grandmom's house as we sat at dinner....hmmm....is this right? It is 2-0 at the bottom of the first inning....oh boy. Not a great start. Then I began to look at the stats...an error and multiple strike outs. Nice.

By the third inning, he had thrown 70+ pitches and was destined to leave the game before the 5th inning. When he left, the score was 5-0, he had 7 K's, and a few walks. As I spoke to Dad, he mentioned that he pitched well, but his defense could not keep runners on first base since the catcher could not hold them. The outfielders were not as good as his university's team so balls dropped. Lastly, the team that they played was the best in the league. He actually pitched well despite the stats.

After

I texted him on Monday and wrote "call me or else". Sheesh....such a threat. Yo ma, really? What's has your knickers in a knot? Well, I will tell you....it was not the game but the diva-like behavior. Soooooo, I let him have it. I  sounded like Charley Brown's teacher as I reviewed the way that he was raised and how he is no better than anyone else and how his family has gone above and beyond the call of duty to help him to achieve his dream. Just stating fact....

Then he had had enough and shouted back "you don't understand how nervous I was."

Right. We all get nervous, but a guy is not to forget his manners. Now...enough said.

Really After

Now it is time to reflect on the conversation....as I have stated from the very beginning, this blog is to share the journey...good...bad...ugly.....this was ugly and an important part of the story. That is, talent and hard work are essential to achieve any goal, but if you are anxious and your head is not at peace, then the road is all the more difficult. We discovered this on Sunday night.

On the whole, this guy is one of the most terrific people that I know. He has a heart and soul of gold. If you lined up all of the leftys in the world, I would choose my own big kid every time.

With that said, he knows that this year may be his last playing baseball. At the end of May next year, he may be hanging up his cleats....or not.....however, the realty is, this could be his last chance to prove his worthiness to take the step to the next level.

Now I see why he was playing a mute on Sunday. This means so much to him that he is struggling to find a place for the tension. Ok, the kid is forgiven, but he has to know that bad behavior is bad behavior. Also, by trying to focus on a night time start in the morning, this guy began obsessing rather than preparing. So, he needs a better system to preparation. Naturally, I went online and found a you tube about test anxiety. Hey, anxiety is anxiety, so the 5 step process offered on the video makes perfect sense.

Here is a better way to start the focus process. After all, reading about other pitchers and how they prepare is good, but in the long run, he needs his own style. Therefore, he needs to reflect, pray, and figure out what best suits him. I honestly doubt if silence especially around his uber-supportive family is the way to prepare for any game. Although I did read that Curt Shilling ate Ellio's pizza before he started any game. Each person has to have their own routine....but letting the stress creep up on you is not helpful. Sure, I get nervous when I play tennis....

Fade to black.....

There have been a number of matches where I let my nerves get the best of me. Guess what? I lost each one. So, I totally understand why he needs to be in a place of dominance when on the mound. He has to remember that he has the tools, he just needs to sort out how to block out the distractions. Not talking does not do it. In fact, I believe that talking with someone who knows you is the way to go. BUT, this is the big guy that I am writing about....not me.

Oh, well. These are the joys and sorrows of this journey. I hope that he never forgets what he has learned and experienced, because if the ride is over in May, he will have to look back and say 'this was been the most extraordinary experience of my life.' Then he has to say...."I have had a great life so far, I cannot wait for the next chapter of the book. Because....it is only going to get better...."

'Nuff said.....

Peace!