Heels On The Field: A Baseball Blog

The Value Of Blue Jays Pitcher Kyle Drabek's Long Development

When Kyle Drabek was in the Phillies organization, he was a huge prospect whose Major League debut Phillies fans feverishly anticipated.

Ditto his status in the Blue Jays organization.

After the Double-A Fisher Cats season ended, instead of letting him sit at home, Drabek got the call from Toronto. For his debut he pitched a solid six innings against the Baltimore Orioles, and allowed 3 earned runs on 9 hits. Most baseball people believed that's exactly what they'd get out of Drabek at this stage. It was a good showcase of all his talents.

There was immediate reaction and the narrative was that Drabek should have been brought up earlier.

Had Drabek been given a spot in the rotation sometime in July or August, he would've been a huge boon to the Blue Jays pitching staff. But instead he continued compiling innings at Double-A New Hampshire, finishing the season with a career-high 162 innings pitched. HIS 2.94 ERA and 132 strikeouts.

While it often felt as if you were watching a Major League pitcher in the minors, the righthander made it clear when asked that he was focused on where he was, not where he would be. Or when.

"No, not really," he said casually when I questioned him about wondering when he'd get to pitch for the big club.

Had he remained with the Phillies and there was no trade for Roy Halladay, he might have already been in the rotation. That would have meant less developmental innings for Drabek. While the Phillies hit the jackpot with that trade, perhaps it was the best thing for him.

Rushing a prospect when he's needed is part of the game. Sometimes the club can't stay patient and they take a chance. A kid gets the call when someone goes down to injury early in the season. It is all good experience. But Drabek's bell rang in mid-September when rosters were expanding.

2010 was a hugely successful year for him in every area of his game.

When conducting a poll for Project Prospect http://projectprospect.com/article/2010/09/14/poll-eastern-leagues-top-player, Drabek came out on top, his ability to baffle hitters by keeping them guessing was mentioned often.

And although Drabek and Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg are two very different kinds of pitchers, it's hard not to look at the difference in paths. Strasburg's miracle-worker status put him on the fast-track to the majors and he logged just 55 innings between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse. He pitched a total of 68 innings and posted a 2.91 ERA before an elbow injury that forced him to have Tommy John surgery.

Drabek's development has been a study in patience. It was an experience for him in keeping his mind anxiety-free clear back to the early trade talks when he was still with the Phillies.

Pedigree might have had a lot to do with his mentality. The twenty-three year old has constantly credited his father for keeping him on an even keel whenever conversation heated up about him in the mass media. Doug Drabek, a former Cy Young Award winner, spent 12 years pitching in the majors. Kyle also spends a lot of time in the off-season working on his pitching with his father. While the exact impact is unmeasurable, it can't be undervalued.

Further developing his change-up and arm strength was also another reward in waiting. The change-up was the one pitch he frequently mentioned as a work-in-progress. And having  witnessed his maturity as a person from Reading to New Hampshire was also impressive.

On Tuesday he will make his third and final start for the Toronto Blue Jays. That test will be against the New York Yankees.

Drabek is a guy with a firm grasp of taking his time to learn. He's never shown any signs of being overwhelmed by the attention or expectations.

Perhaps we could all learn something from Kyle Drabek.

 

 

 

 

Yankees Prospect Andrew Brackman

Here's excerpts from my story for Pinstripes Plus at Scout.com on Trenton Thunder pitcher Andrew Brackman. You can find the full story there.

Brackman

 

"The guys in the locker room hand the articles out and put it in your locker and I just put it away and give it to my mom."

 

“I'm always working on fastball location.”

 

“It's a big jump. You can tell the caliber of players at this level. I had to adjust. It took a little time and some experience."

 

"I feel like it's a really close bunch. Everyone treats everyone like 25 best friends and that's what you see everyday."

 

"The whole thing of being a Yankee...I don't look at it like that anymore. Now I look at it as it's another baseball game."

 

Thunder catcher Austin Romine

 

“He's really polished up more. And I think he's getting more confident out there.”

 

"Since he's been up here, it's unbelievable how far he's come.”

 

Thunder pitching coach Tommy Phelps

 

“He's got a lot of power and a lot of movement to his fastball. He's got a lot of weapons to attack hitters with.”

 

"He's repeating his delivery and his release point. That's what's giving him a lot of help."

 

 

Phillies FSL Champion Lakewood OF Brian Gump Talks Results & Winning A Title

Brian Gump has gone on a long journey in his pursuit of baseball. The 23 year old has had to work hard for every opportunity and prove himself in many ways. Overcoming injury is always a good test. Though he struggled a lot this season between Clearwater, GCL, and Lakewood, he's done his best to get healthy, stay healthy, and show what he's made of. He also got to experience winning the South Atlantic League title with the Lakewood BlueClaws. He answered some questions via e-mail just days after the Claws victory.

Gump finished the season hitting .218 in 147 at-bats. He put up his best average at Lakewood hitting .255.

Movin' On Up, Not Entirely Deluxe

This year certainly threw a lot of curveballs at me. I really feel like all the level jumping allowed me to experience being in just about every role there is in professional baseball player, from being a bench/role player in High A, to being an every day starter bottom of the lineup guy in low A, to being a run producing middle to top of the lineup guy in the GCL while I was rehabbing, to being on the DL while I was injured. Although, this was definitely not the ideal year that I had in mind, the experience that it offered me is incredibly valuable. I really feel like I have a more complete perspective on minor league baseball as a result of being sandwiched between the lower and upper levels of minor league ball and seeing many of my teammates move up to AA and hear about their experiences. It certainly hasn't been all fun for me this year, but I think it has provided me with countless essential individual experiences and a wholistic experience that will serve me well as my career moves ahead.

 

Seeing The (High A) Ball

Well, statistically it appears that High A was the toughest and I think I would agree with the statistics although I believe I struggled so mightily for two altering reasons. The first was that after the first week of the season, I went from being a starter and putting up decent numbers to playing every 3rd or 4th day and then every 5th or 6th day. Obviously, hitting is one of the hardest jobs in sports, and hitting when you aren't playing every day is even tougher. It took me quite a while to begin learning the in's and out's of how to establish continuity at the plate when you are not in the lineup every day. A lot of this knowledge was passed down to be by older players like Keoni De Renne who have played all the way up at the AAA level and are truly professional hitters. The second reason was that my swing needed fixing, something I sensed but wasn't sure of until I got down to Low A and our hitting coach Greg Legg sat me down and told me what he saw. We worked hard on making 3 key adjustments and I instantly began seeing results. On top of these two explanations, the pitching at the high A level is slightly better than the low A level because most of the pitchers have slightly better command of their off-speed pitches. I wouldn't say its a big difference by any means, I would say its a slight step up.

 
Many people say that the GCL is actually one of the hardest leagues to hit in, but after playing in the GCL last year I think I figured out the key to that league. The challenges are many, mainly the pitchers command isn't very refined so they often times "don't know where the ball is going once it leaves their hand", the catchers are also no very experience in the art of calling a game so you will get pitch sequences that don't have much substance or thought behind them which is very effective and lastly, the umpires are rookies too so the strike zone can be a bit erratic at times. All this being said, I have found that if you just don't think and go out there with a certain zone in mind and be aggressive early in the count so you don't have to gamble with the umpires you can generally have success because the stuff and pinpoint control isn't nearly as good as it is once you move up a level or two.
 
So after that lengthy breakdown, I would say that it is a consensus that High A is the toughest pitching I saw all year, but I would like to note that it wasn't too much better than low A. The difference is small.
 
Tough Breaks:
 
My biggest challenge was that fact that I experienced almost no continuity this season. Once I got moved to Low A and was playing every day and started to hit really well and see some continuity, I got injured and missed the next 5 weeks or so. So I came back to the GCL for rehab and got some continuity there and then moved right back up to low A and spent some more time getting settled in and refining my swing even more up there for the last week plus playoffs and then the season was already over. Granted, I was not supposed to make it back on the field this year according the initially prognosis when I broke my arm, so making it back and winning a ring with the GCL AND with lakewood was quite a reward for the hard work I put in and the steps i took to heal fast which worked well.
 
Knowing Is Half The Battle
 
I feel like I have a much stronger mental approach to the game and anything it throws at me. I also feel like I have a clearer picture of what I need to do to take care of my body during the season and what I need to improve upon in my game and more importantly I feel like I know how to make improvements now.
 
Good Taste
 
I have always thrived on "pressure" situations and big time games. For me, there is nothing more rewarding in baseball and more enjoyable than playing in the playoffs and pivotal games that make or break seasons. It just demands a level of focus and attention to detail that elicits baseball at its purist form from both teams. I have had the privilege of contributing to 3 championship titles in my 2 seasons as a professional baseball player and Im not sure I can name a time when I had more fun playing baseball. Everything is better in the playoffs, the baseball is better, the food is better, the crowds are typically better, the time spent with your teammates and the experiences you make are all better because it is a collective reward for all the hard work you put in on the field together all year. It is tough to really put a finger on, but there is something about winning again and again and then getting sprayed with champagne and beer and smoking cigars and dog-piling that is incredibly special and bonds teammates for life. Oh yea, and then getting a huge ring(s) on top of all that
 
Lights, Stealing, Action:

Im very excited for this off-season because I have a better idea of what I need to do to prepare myself now that I have been through spring training once. I will be working harder than ever this off-season, fueled by the personal struggle of this season. Im moving up to the San Fran bay area with a very good friend of mine and equally hard worker who was also my college teammate before he transferred to V Tech and got drafted by the dodgers this year in the 10th round (Steve Domecus). I wanted to move so that I wouldn't have any distractions and could be on my own. Im very excited about it. I will focus mostly on my hitting and speed aside from building up strength which is always important. I did okay on the base paths this year, but I know I am capable of stealing a lot of bags and I want to turn some heads in that department. Hitting wise, I have a clear picture of what I need to work on mechanically and mentally, now I get to do the fun part of putting in all the hours of focused repetitions in the cage (I mean fun when I say that, I genuinely enjoy working at hitting).

Trenton Thunder 2010 Quotables

If you ask a lot of people, the Trenton Thunder weren't even supposed to be in Round Two.

After sweeping the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the ELDS, the Thunder advanced to the Eastern League Championship to face the Altoona Curve. The Curve won the title tonight in a Game 4 that saw both teams putting a good chance on the hill - Tony Watson for the Curve and Yankees top pitching prospect Manuel Banuelos. The Curve won it 5-2.

That concluded my second season covering the Trenton Thunder (for Pinstripes Plus at Scout.com, while also doing some coverage here) and I wanted to share my favorite quotes from the season.

I tip my cap to them all. They are a great group of guys and have a great deal to be proud of. I was most impressed with their closeness, their maturity, and, always, their manager, Tony Franklin.

"I don't mind the losses, we're going to get beat. But as you're being beaten, there's a measure of character you show." - Thunder manager Tony Franklin

"New Hampshire is a good team, but we try not to look too far into it or get caught up in it." - Second Baseman Matt Cusick before Game 1 of the ELDS (they sure didn't)

"The biggest thing for me and what I've learned is that Double-A to Triple-A is the biggest jump." - Reliever George Kontos, who finished the season back up at Triple-A Scranton.

"I haven't really had time to adapt to it. A lot of times I didn't capitalize on a pitch they threw...I'd swing at stuff in the dirt. So that's been a good for me to learn from. They know how to fool you better."- Second Baseman Corban Joseph on adjusting to Double-A pitching. Joseph will participate in the Arizona Fall League.

"You see guys who have more of a thought process. Pretty much the only difference was off the field, in the clubhouse. They've been up and down, up and down. You notice that everything is a little more business-like at evey level you go up.- Second Baseman Justin Snyder on his few days at Triple-A Scranton

"No one likes being on the bench, but I understand. I wish I could play everyday, but I'm ok with it." - OF Edwar Gonzalez on his Thunder role. Gonzalez got his first taste of Triple-A baseball in his five-year career, getting promoted to Scranton on September 1st.

"I think it's tremendous for him. Number one, I think Romy has really improved over the course of the year with calling the game. We talked about that early in the season, about what his value was going to be to the game." - Tony Franklin on catcher Austin Romine's opportunity to catch Andy Pettitte in his rehab appearance and progress.

“Defensively, I feel I’ve mastered what I need to master. But you have to keep working everyday or those aspects of your game are going to fail. Never sit back.” - Austin Romine

"The whole year felt kind of inconsistent to me. Mechanically, I just haven't controlled the baseball as much as I'd have liked all year. It's kind of been on and off." - Reliever Josh Schmidt, who won EL Pitcher of the Year honors. Schmidt pitched 60 innings and went 3-3 with a 2.67 ERA.

"Well, I always wait for the fastball no matter what the situation is. It's the best pitch to hit. I never look for anything else." - Backup catcher Rene Rivera on his hitting approach. Which is pretty straightforward.

"I had to kind of lock in mentally and try to keep everything the same. In the bullpen I didn't feel as loose as I usually do, because I didn't have a chance to run around as much. Once I got in the game, I got a little bit of adrenaline going." - Adam Warren on relieving Andy Pettitte in Game 2 of the ELDS, during Pettitte's two-game rehab with the Thunder

"I've never been part of a team where every time you take the field you feel like you're going to win. It's very exciting being a part of that." - Pitcher Andrew Brackman on his Thunder teammates 

Eastern League Playoffs: A Conversation With MILB President Pat O'Conner

Trenton, New Jersey - Pat O'Conner's love for his job is clear from the moment he starts talking. The President of Minor League Baseball paid a visit to Waterfront Ballpark for Game Three of the EL Championship (the game was later postponed to Friday) between the home team Trenton Thunder and the Altoona Curve, and spoke about his hope for MILB, what has impressed him, and the power of diversity.

Change Is Good:

"I want to see more diversity, both with race and gender in MILB. Because baseball should reflect the world at large. I want to see more players of color and to embrace our diversity. And with the new initiative we've started this year, we've begun to do that. As the world changes, baseball does as well."

Getting Used To The Girls:

"There's no question it's important for them to be around women in the media at this level, absolutely. I'm a traditionalist in the sense that I believe in a cooling off period," he said. "I'm still enough of an old school [man] that I don't think men should be in the women's locker room and women shouldn't be in a man's locker room when they're showering. But they need to have access to them. Right after the game there always needs to be a cooling off period for all media. From time to time you see boys being boys, or men being boys, and they shouldn't be that way. I remember the players were brought to a room so the women could talk to players. It should be the way it is now, a freer flow, while also respecting everyone's privacy and also respecting everybody's got a job to do."

Financial Statement:

"Well, as a result of the economy we've taken a hit, just like everyone else. But our characterization is that we are not recession-proof, but we are very recession resistant. We are a collection of small businesses. And when you compare other small businesses to us, we've taken far less of a hit. Our attendance this year will be down less than one percent. In this economy we're extremely proud of that. From our position - stability, viability,  financially - we're fine. We're not seeing layoffs or cut backs."

Testing, Testing:

"We wholeheartedly support what the commissioner [of MLB, Bud Selig] is doing in regards to smokeless tobacco, drug testing prior to this...we've had drug testing for over ten years. My hope is that it will clean up a game to the extent that there isn't a problem, but it will send a message to the young people coming into this game, emulating the players that you can't do that. That there are options, there will be options and it's an unacceptable option. And I think what you're going to see is that as these players learn to feel ground balls a certain way, to hit pitches a certain way, to throw a certain way, as they work their way to the Minor Leagues, they're going to learn that life in this game is drug free and that you are responsible for what goes into your body, and there are going to be ramifications and consequences if you do something you shouldn't be doing. My hope is that it will send the intended message that baseball wants to be drug free, and it wants to keep a level playing field on natural skills. I hope that's the result of what the commissioner is putting in place here.

The Unforgiven:

"The policies depend on what the infraction is, what the violation is. There are counseling measures that go along with [getting caught]. It's not just you're suspended for fifty games, come back in a month and half. It's incumbent upon the player to help make sure that he doesn't fall through the cracks. Organizations have about 250 players under contract, does one get lost? I think that's naive to say that's not a possibility. But baseball has a great opportunity to help a young man, one, straighten out his life, and two, what is the introduction? How is it getting in the game? The science in this whole performance enhancing drug business is so advanced. For every scientist trying to identify the drug for MLB, there's a guy out there trying to develop the next one. It's a very difficult paradigm to try and work in. It's incumbent upon us to do the very best we can. It's not going to be fool-proof. But I believe any testing that will be done will be vetted and it will be the fairest."

The Passion Of The President:

"I think being in ballparks [is favorite thing about the job]. I don't have a team, I have 160. But when I come to a ballpark and I get a chance to talk to the media, I find it very engaging. The questions are genuine, sincere, and informed. It makes me feel that we have that kind of interest. When I go out and look out here and see fans cheering because the tarp is coming off, what it does is it validates everything we do back home in St. Pete. Tonight you see generational family. That validates what we're trying to do. I travel about 180 to 190 days a year, so getting there is an exaggeration because of travel, but being there is still the same gas it was three years ago. So being with the fans, watching the game, seeing the athleticism [is my favorite]. I've been to a lot of games this summer and I think the play has been better this year, than I can recall. I've been to more playoff games this year than I have in the last few, and I've been so impressed with the energy level of the fans, the awareness of the fans, they're staying through the whole game. I was at a game Friday night, 6,700 people, fireworks after the game, and I thought that's why they were staying so late- but there was a mass exodus after the last out. They weren't there for fireworks. They were there for the ballgame. That kind of stuff is still fun."

Eastern League Playoffs Spotlight: Altoona Curve's Miles Durham

Trenton, New Jersey - Before Game 3 of the Eastern League Championship between the Trenton Thunder and Altoona Curve, Curve outfielder Miles Durham spoke about his highly productive season. Eastern League Manager of the Year Matt Walbeck also spoke about Durham, who finished the regular season hitting .259 with 69 runs batted in. Durham was slated to hit 8th in the lineup, but has been successful hitting in the 4,6, and 7 hole.

Matt Walbeck:

On Durham's Season: He's done a great job for us. He's been very reliable. He's been consistent on and off the field. Defensively he's made great plays for us. His throwing has gotten better. He's gotten some big hits for us. A model of consistency.

On Durham's Need To Cut Down On Strikeouts: His strikeout numbers are a little bit high, but I think over time he'll get better with it and start to recognize breaking pitches better. With that he'll probably cut down on strikeouts.

On His Plate Discipline: Much better and he's gotten better as the season has gone on. He's been able to recognize some breaking balls and lay off some pitches that he probably would have swung at early in the season. He has room for improvement, but he's certainly a big reason why we've been so successful.

On His First Full Season at Double-A: One thing- I think just getting the chance to play everyday, stay healthy...he played football in college and got a late start at baseball, so even though he's 27 now he has less experience than most 27 year old's professionally. It's just a matter of getting out there and playing on a regular basis.

Miles:

Looking Back On 2010: I just came in trying to improve on everything and get closer to being ready to move to the next level.

First Full Season At Double-A Difficulties: The first half of the season was really difficult. I had a rough time with it. I made some adjustments at the break and started seeing the ball better.

Off-Season Focus: Getting bigger and stronger and hopefully playing a little more in the winter. When I played in Hawaii a couple of years ago [it helped me because] everybody there is a pretty good player and you see different kinds of players that you haven't faced in these leagues because they're from teams all over the place. So I hope to do that again.

Comfort With Place In the Lineup: Really doesn't matter as long as I get in there everyday.

Safe: Life As A Woman In Minor League Baseball

Stare steadily into the eyes of a young hotshot player who is laughing as his teammates mock you and make sexual remarks. Stay focused. You cannot waver or walk away. You can't turn and respond, no, that will do no good. And no matter what, no matter how physically and emotionally impossible it feels, you cannot cry. Don't show one single emotion. Smile, ask your questions as if you are being respected with quiet understanding of the job you're trying  to do. Pretend that your interview subject isn't testing you and turning to his laughing teammates. Hold on. It's the clubhouse. Your office and theirs.

Welcome. 

In my nearly seven years as a MILB writer, this type of experience doesn't happen even half of the time. Not that bad, anyway. Yes, there's usually one player, sometimes a few that call me out to embarrass me or make a filthy comment. And while I've always turned my head to that, the recent controversy over NFL reporter Ines Sainz in the Jets locker room made me wonder about my own reaction, which was a mixture of a shrug and a fist in the air. I shrugged at whistling and catcalling. That's never bothered me. I threw my fist in the air for good measure, though. Because, hey, wait a minute, are we saying she deserves everything she gets based on how she dresses? Athletes will be grateful for that free pass. Funny thing is, I know women who wear business suits or jeans and have dealt with some pretty rough stuff from players. I get it, though. Sainz wears it low-cut and tight and she doesn't apologize. You can respect it or find it concerning. Or maybe you can feel a little bit of both.

But none of this is the point of why I wrote this. I started to wonder about what the differences are between the top tier of the sports pyramid, and covering the places where athletes are made. I've never covered the NFL or the NHL or NBA, and my experience at the MLB level consists of a few stories a year. This year it's a count of one. And I hear myself saying to someone that I love it that way. I don't want to cover the big leagues. Someone might say that at that level of sports, women are more protected and respected in the clubhouses and locker rooms. Sure about that? I've got stories I could share. And not from yesteryear.

Covering the minor leagues, and to be specific I've mostly covered the Eastern League, you learn quickly you will likely be the only woman in the clubhouse. A lot of those guys are young. Some are really, really young. If they've been in a strip club it was illegally. I thought today about all the players I've met and the experiences I've had with them. There has been far more good than bad, but it's all in how you look at it, isn't it? When NFL players think what they're doing is funny and harmless, maybe we're allowing them to think so. I wondered today if I'd gone a bit numb or if I'd just learned to handle it and ignore. Learning how to focus on doing your job and not be affected by the reactions of players is essential to survival.

Minor League Baseball is in many ways the same experience for writers as it is for players: it's scrappy, and without much promise of being Nationally recognized, and there aren't many perks. The money isn't the best. A lot of young writers start there and, like players, are working hard to move up. To be a woman in the minors is even scrappier. It's dirtier and uglier. If you're a priss, you won't make it, babe.

Ok, let's address that darling elephant. That giant thing is just asking to be noticed. How we look. Yeah, I know, you notice and make judgments based on that. With the newest controversy of women in the locker room, the appearance issue sticks her fat elephant butt in the equation again. This one is breaking my back.

And the reason is that I don't believe it's just about whether a woman looks professional in the the sports reporting industry. It's more than that. Because if I wore jeans you definitely wouldn't have a problem with that. And it's the fact that we're talking about it at all that drives me insane. As if THAT'S  the reason men don't take women in the sports industry seriously. Sure, that might enter into it. But that's a good excuse. There's also a nice dose of boy's club sexism. Because if you were so worried about professional attire, you would tell off the guys who wear birkenstocks and t-shirts and jeans. Last I heard, offices don't allow jeans or sandals.

It's whether you find the sports reporter sexy or pretty. In the male dominated industry of sports you have to fit a mold. We all know it. Be safe. Dress a certain way and you can stamp your ticket to being taken seriously in Serious Sports Writer Land by the athletes you cover! Get on board! If you fit the mold, honey, players will all take you completely serious and they'll never, ever sexually harass you or question your knowledge. Sure.

In the minors, no one is dressing too spiffy in the press box. And for all the looks and some criticism I've gotten, let me tell you what matters to me. I would never cover a baseball game in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I overdress by Minor League standards. Do you know why? Because I am representing the great game of baseball. Putting on a pair of nice high heels and an impeccably cared for dress or skirt makes me feel I'm respecting how important the job is. I won't dress like I'm going to a game. I'm not a spectator. For the past two years I've covered the Trenton Thunder regularly. There is something meaningful to me about representing the Yankees. I take that seriously. Maybe the attire seems cutesy or too sexy at times, but I'm a woman and I like to be feminine. I respect this job enough not to show up wearing just anything. I stand out, sure. But that's ok. I like nice shoes and I hate jeans. Why are you more serious because you're dressing that way? I don't judge or doubt those who do.

My life in the minors can be lonely and weird. For any woman at that level, it's different from going higher up. You can feel the difference.

But my love for the minors is so deep that the challenges pale beside the difficulties. There's plenty of sexism. I don't take it too personally. You can't. It's the culture. I'm not going to change and neither are they. But in the minors, you're seeing the early morning of their long journey. You like to hope their maturity is a guarantee.

The issue of respect at the highest professional level is before us again and while I'm down here in the bus leagues, maybe you can all figure that out. Ines Sainz could be a good girl and change her personality and way of dressing, but it won't extinguish the male/female dynamic. Men will always see us as girls in the locker room or clubhouse. If being at the highest level of pro sports suggest to you a place where men change their thinking about women, let me be the first to tell you about all the young players I've had the pleasure of knowing in the minors. They've decided that no matter what a woman is wearing, they'll view her and treat her as a professional.

I don't know if all players get more mature as they go onto the big time, some definitely don't. That face that I had to look into that humiliated me? He went onto the big leagues. He caused more trouble there, too. Maturity isn't a definite.

If I'm in the minors forever, I'll have lived my dream. And I'm sure, even at the end, I'll have the high-as-heaven heels on. Elephants, well, I think they're kind of wonderful. They let you know they're there the minute they enter the room. I love those sorts of creatures.

To all you girls making your way to your internships, you'll likely get your test at the Minor League level and you'll more than likely want to move up the ranks. Or maybe you'll be like me and fall in love with it. The scrappiness, yes. The early hope of a young player. Watching them learn and grow and feel their confidence rise and fall, but all the time keeping their eyes on a larger prize. Maybe you'll relate to them in that way. You'll walk in and, let me warn you, you might hear laughter or have to interview a wet-behind-the-ears smart guy who thinks he's the next big thing in baseball. Focus. Smile.

Know that the Welcome mat was laid out for you.

Eastern League Playoffs Spotlight: Trenton Thunder Pitcher Josh Schmidt

The Trenton Thunder could not have accomplished all they have without reliever Josh Schmidt. While the team was blessed with good starting pitching from Hector Noesi and David Phelps, and productive offense from Brandon Laird and Justin Christian, the Double-A Yankees were bolstered by an effective bullpen.Schmidt has, as always,  been the quiet workman, finishing the regular season with a 2.67 ERA in 60 innings of work.

On flying under the radar: I'm fine with that. I mean, the people in the organization know who I am and they're the ones that make the decisions about who moves up. As long as they know, I'm fine with it.

On 2010 frustrations: The whole year felt kind of inconsistent to me. Mechanically, I just haven't controlled the baseball as much as I'd have liked all year. It's kind of been on and off. At times I controlled it really well for three or four weeks and then get it back for a week.

Zoning in on the issues: Honestly, it's just mechanics. And it sucks because it's been a lot of different things. So it's like, I'm doing something with my front side or my arm angle, it feels like it's been something different each time, so it's not something I can just key in on out in the middle of a game. It's not the same problem that I can fix.

On his work with pitching coach Tommy Phelps: Arm angle was one of them. I tend to fly open on the front side, so that's always something...staying back, working on my balance. It's been an array of things this year.

On off-season plans: I think I'm going to do a lot more mechanical work before I go into spring training this year. I normally do more, but then I went to Venezuela.

On Going Back To The Winter League: It's very competitive. When you start the year, you'll see some big leaguers there. Come December, a lot of teams have five, six, seven guys there so the teams are pretty good. And it's very competitive because, you don't win, you go home. If you don't play healthy, they send you home. And rightly so, they're paying you to play well.

On Playoffs Roles: Yes and no [there are roles]. I mean, Pope's our closer, other than it's just whoever goes in before him...and just go get outs. Especially when it comes to playoffs, roles don't mean anything, because you have to get outs and you have to do it without giving up any runs. To me, roles get thrown out the window.

The Thunder will now face the Altoona Curve in the final round starting Tuesday at Altoona.

Eastern League Playoffs, Fisher Cats @ Thunder Game 2 Post Game With Rivera and Warren

DH Rene Rivera did exactly what his role requires Thursday night. In Game 2 of the Eastern Division playoffs between his Trenton Thunder and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Rivera hit the walk-off home run that gave the Thunder a 2-0 series lead going into New Hampshire. It was the only run of the game. Here's what he had to say.

"I'm looking for a pitch that I can drive and I got lucky."

When asked what the pitch was he said. "Fastball," to which a fellow reporter asked, "Again?" and Rivera replied with a grin, "Well, I always wait for the fastball no matter what the situation is. It's the best pitch to hit. I never look for anything else."

Adam Warren relieved Andy Pettitte and had the awestruck look that any pitcher growing up watching in the Pettitte era would have. His respect for Pettitte was obvious, as was his respect for the position he was put in.

Coming out of the bullpen: I had to kind of lock in mentally and try to keep everything the same. In the bullpen I didn't feel as loose as I usually do, because I didn't have a chance to run around as much. Once I got in the game, I got a little bit of adrenaline going. 

Warren's line: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K

Eastern League Playoffs Spotlight: New Hampshire Fisher Cats Kyle Drabek

There are no certainties in baseball, but sometimes one can't help be sure that a win is in the books before the game begins. When Eastern League Pitcher of the Year Kyle Drabek took the ball for the Fisher Cats in Game 1 of the ELDS against the Trenton Thunder, he had a perfect 5-0 record against them. The Fisher Cats were confident and the Thunder recognized Drabek's success when facing them.

But all certainty was erased when the Thunder offense managed two runs off the Cats to win Game 1. 

Here are the highlights of my interview with Drabek before Game 2 Thursday.

Of the Game 1 loss: "We had our game and I think we executed it pretty well. We've faced them so much this year that we know their hitters. [Trystan] Magnuson came in and threw one mistake. After that he was flawless, then [Danny] Farquhar came in and did great. As for the hitters I thought they did well. It's really hard to shut this team out. We have so many weapons that their pitchers had to do something special.

On whether fatigued had set in for him: No. We have a really great strength and conditioning coach that have helped me stay healthy. (Drabek pitched a career high 162 innings in 2010. He finished 14-9 with a 2.94 ERA and 132 strikeouts]

Looking ahead to the off-season: This past off-season I worked a lot with my dad [former Major League pitcher Doug]. He helped me get ready for this season and I'm probably going to do that again.

On Dad's advice: It's pretty much just like a pitching coach. He talks about what he used to do. When he'd start to throw, when he'd start to long toss, when he'd start off the mound, and I was able to throw with him everyday. He'd catch my bullpen which was great, because he'd be able to see what I was doing from a hitter's perspective. That got my prepared in a lot of ways for spring training.