For the first of many: Greetings from Burlington, IA!
First of all, I want you to know what an honor it is to be part of the “rotation” now with TTFB. I am greatly looking forward to writing for TTFB and sharing my tour through the minor leagues with all of you. There is no definite outcome to this tour, but there is a final destination in mind. As much as I would like to sit here and tell you all that there will be predetermined stops along the way to the final destination, I cannot. This is going to be a tour where, on any given day, a path can change, turn around, speed up or even stop. Without a doubt, I will share as many details I can with you to make this tour as life-like as possible for everyone.
Everyone is welcomed to read my bio to learn more about me, but for those of you who would rather read the Cliff Notes version, here you go: I was born and raised in Jenison, MI, and at the age of 17, graduated high school with an athletic scholarship to Central Michigan University. I then traveled north to CMU to play for four years (I collected my degree, too), and in the spring of 2009, I was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks. In my third season with the D-Backs, I have played for four of our affiliates; currently, I am in South Bend, IN, playing for the Silverhawks (Midwest League). Beyond the field, and in the off season, I am a very active member in my community, and I play a large role in development of our future players. I run strength and speed clinics for athletes, I run baseball camps and I give baseball lessons to kids ages six to 21 in the Greater Grand Rapids area. It is very easy for me to get caught up in my work because I am a people person, and I find my true enjoyment from sharing with others and seeing them prosper.
This is the first time I am writing for a reason beyond personal growth (outside of school I suppose). I have a personal blog, where I tackle many of life’s little lessons and extrapolate deeper conversations within myself with others, but this is going to be a purely descriptive blog so everyone can take a walk in my shoes. There is no intention of sugar-coating the daily occurrences or exaggerating what this tour has to offer. What I go through is what you are going to go through. If you wouldn’t mind, please feel free to leave comments or concerns about the tour, as I am probably thinking along the same lines as many of you. Plus, it’s always nice to hear thoughts and feelings from others. Like I stated above, this tour is unpredictable and has the potential to take you on a mind-bending trip through the world of baseball. So, let’s batten down the hatches and go for a ride.
Until our next encounter …
