We have been riding the roller coaster for 6 seasons now. The entire milb process can be frustrating, confusing, entertaining and rewarding. From a few championship celebrations, injuries, trades of teammates, to the releases, the emotions felt every day for players can be overwhelming. Roster changes are too numerous to keep track of, trying to justify some of them are mind boggling.
This is the first year since short season that his team has provided housing at no costs to the players, probably one of the few organizations to do so. Imagine getting a call at 9:00 at night that you are catching a plane at 6:00 am the next morning to a new work location and once you get there you have three days to find a place to live. With no time to do it and no vehicle because its 2,000 miles away. Providing housing should be mandatory for every team.
Son is a relief pitcher, so we never have much of a clue when he will be coming into a game. The other night during a mid-game nap (he’s playing out west and the late nights are killing me) I awake to see him on the mound. Usually a sibling texts me but she fell asleep also. Late night calls or texts after the game further disrupt the sleep pattern…. We utilize the archive feature on the milb app a lot.
Being evaluated and judged on every pitch whether a position player or pitcher has to be nerve wracking. The 2020 season really affected player movement, being added to the 60 man list that was able to practice and be able to be added to the 40 man roster benefitted some younger players that were able to bypass some levels. Injuries forced some teams to move up players that typically would not be added to mlb rosters and as a result a few were released due to roster constraints. A full season is now starting to show its toll on pitchers arms, the next few months will be interesting to see who remains healthy. The tools/tech that players have access to are great to see, every once in awhile I’ll get a text or video that the son shares, I pretend to know what he’s talking about!
Timing is such an overlooked aspect of moving up the ladder, who is in front of you, who gets hurt, traded or released. Is the parent club tanking for the next season, or are they trying to win. Seeing DFA’d teammates get signed and moved up to mlb squads is encouraging and disappointing at the same time.
We did a trip earlier this year, typical pitchers parent trip. Plane was to land at 10:30 am, doesn’t land until 5:30pm. Driving like a madman, we are 80 miles from the stadium when son comes into pitch….. the day we fly out, watching on the plane and he comes in again….I did get to see him throw in the bullpen for a while only to sit back down.
Visiting during games is so much more than being baseball related, first respect the players work schedule…remember they typically work from 3 pm to well after midnight. Wakeup is by noon, getting a brunch together and a few hours after the game together are pretty special. A lot of towns that we have gone to close down at 10:00 at night, finding a decent place to eat is near impossible at times, but just spending those times together are great for parent and player. Players are together 24/7, being able to escape that for a few hours during the season is always appreciated. Players have such a grind with the travel and the schedule, true days off are few and far between. Like others we try to keep away from baseball discussions when we are together or talk, always letting him dictate if he wants to talk about the game.
The one thing that truly impresses me is the overall number of really talented players in the game, and the difference in talent at the different levels. Seasoned pros make the game look effortless at times, and how anyone can hit a slider is beyond my comprehension!