Hitting with the Guys

I had my first taste of D-1 hitting today. I went out and hit and played catch with two of the established members of the team, a 5th-year first baseman and a 3rd-year middle infielder. Both nice guys, both good athletes. Both got legitimate playing time last year and figure to be in the plans for this year.

First we played catch. Well, no, first I waited AN HOUR for them to show up...I always thought the point of having cell phones was to answer them, but hey, that's just me. In any case, we got to playing catch. On the one hand, I was throwing great; no pain, great range of motion, none of the things that usually bother me when I throw, even some carry on the ball. On the other hand, I felt like I was carrying a slingshot compared to their rifles. Just another reminder that the quality of athlete is higher here. I certainly didn't embarrass myself, but I definitely have a weaker arm. It's odd to be throwing and thinking "Oh my god! My arm feels fantastic! Whoo hoooo!" in your head, and still be the worst arm out there. Whatever.

After throwing, we step into the cage. I was just about shaking, because I was nervous and really wanted to show these guys that I belong, regardless of if I do or not. But thankfully, the first baseman went first. The guy is 6'5", 250, and cut. He started DESTROYING the ball. I would bet he could launch a ball 500 feet if he wanted to.

Watching him hit had an unexpected effect on me. I was all of a sudden very relaxed, no longer concerned with impressing these players. Why? Because not only did I know that I will never be able to hit like this other guy, nobody on the field expects me to be able to. I play a different game, and I need to be the best at MY game, not at anybody else's. So I stepped up next, had a pretty good round, didn't come anywhere CLOSE to the other guy's power, and was totally fine with it.

I think there will be two themes here that I need to be aware of. First, I am a fifth-year player who supposedly has been there and seen it all. I need to portray the image that nothing surprises me or fazes me. Hard to do when I'm going to be facing pitching that's faster than any I've ever seen before, or watching our first baseman launch balls into low Earth orbit. But I need to convince everyone that I belong. Second, I can't worry about how I do relative to the other players in terms of power. I'm smaller. I'm not going to beat them in power, and if I make the competition about power, then I'm going to lose. I need to make sure I'm competing based on my strengths: anticipation, bunting, speed, covering ground in the outfield. Spray hitting. Coaching other players. Confidence. And most of all, no QUESTION most of all, hustle. If I let anyone on the team out-hustle me, I'm not making it. I can't forget that.