Power Pros Forum

I sat in my stuffy Midland apartment, my standard-definition TV showing me a live feed of MLB Network’s draft coverage.

I was absentmindedly trying to pass the time by working on some finite homework — I didn’t expect to hear my name for a while, especially after being a 22nd-round pick the year before. There’s only so much you can do to raise your stock in one year, and as a hulking first baseman, my options were pretty much either to hit the cover off the ball or become versatile by learning another position. The Midland College coaches weren’t letting me pitch, even though I’d been a pretty solid closer in high school, so that was out the window, and I highly doubted anyone wanted to see a chunky, 6’7” kid with a history of knee problems roaming around the outfield. I couldn’t even bother anywhere else — lefties can’t play second, short, third, or catcher, for whatever reason. I wouldn’t have been very good anyways.

“With the twenty-eighth pick…”

I wondered what x could possibly stand for.

“…the Cleveland Indians select Pete Grossman, first baseman from Midland College.”

Wait, what?

Colt had just gotten his first cell phone. He was obsessed with it, taking it everywhere he went and almost constantly doing something on it — texting, playing games, checking social media — or at least that’s what Dad had told me.

It wasn’t surprising, then, that my kid brother picked up within seconds of me dialing his number. “Hey!” he seemed to yell into the phone.

“Hey,” I said. “I have something to tell you. I just got drafted in the first round.”

There was silence on the other end. Then I heard a loud thud.

“Colt!!” I screamed. “Holy crap, are you okay?”

“Gotcha!” he yelled back. “You just got punked!”

“Dude, you weren’t even alive when that show was on,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Whatever,” he said. “Anyway, congrats on getting drafted! You’re setting the bar super high for me!”

Colt was only in seventh grade, but he was already playing for the Lowell High baseball team. We were exact opposites on the diamond — while I was big and strong and slow, he was tiny yet quick, and was just an injury or two away from starting somewhere in the outfield. As an eleven-year-old.

“It’s only gonna get higher,” I said, hanging up.

After signing my rookie contract, I was assigned to the Akron RubberDucks of the Double-A Eastern League — no doubt an aggressive assignment for a 19-year-old, but one I was certainly ready to handle. Scouts had slapped 80-grades on my power coming up, and I was eager to prove them right.

Twenty-five of us sat in the clubhouse, poring over which jersey numbers we would wear the following season. I came in a bit late, having gone to the trainer’s room to get my knee checked before practice, but I figured my favorite number, 62, would still be on the board.

All eyes turned to me as I stepped through the door. “I’ll take 62,” I said.

A right-hander by the name of Adam Plutko, who had gotten a cup of coffee in the big leagues last year, stepped up. “Good luck with that,” he said. “That’s my number.”

I blushed. “Oh, my bad. I guess… 63?”

63 was available.

First base was not.

A kid by the name of Bobby Bradley, who had all of a year on me, was all but entrenched as the starter at first after blasting 29 homers a year before in High-A. I still took grounders in practice, but it was clear that I had a lot of work to do if I wanted to ever see the field at first base.

“And that’s why the DH rule exists,” I told Colt later that evening.

“You mean…”

“I’m in the starting lineup!”

On opening day, the manager sat us down in the dugout and gave us an inspiring pep talk. Something about the fans, or our family, maybe? I was too amped up to hear half of what he was saying.

My dad and my two younger brothers had made the ten-hour road trip from Boston to Akron to see me play. I could see them sitting a few rows behind home plate, surrounded by big-league scouts with legal pads and radar guns. Colt was chowing down on a hot dog, 15-year-old Frank had his earbuds in, and my dad was staring out toward the field with that steely gaze of his. A red hat sat on his head; I didn’t need to stare to figure out what four words were printed in white.

The opposing pitcher was a righty by the name of Hunter Harvey, a significant prospect in the Baltimore organization. A first-rounder back in 2013, he had battled arm issues to start the year with the Bowie Baysox, our Opening Day opponent.

“Batting fifth, the designated hitter, number 63, Pete Grossman!”

I stepped into the box batting left-handed in the bottom of the second, the game already wide-open with our team facing a 5-0 deficit. Harvey had walked the leadoff man in the first but gotten the next three out, so I was coming up with none on and none out.

I took his first pitch, a fastball high that hit 94 on the stadium gun. His second offering was a changeup, also high (but this time in the zone), which I roped to center field. The crowd oohed as the center fielder made an impressive diving grab. I was out.

My second at-bat came in the fourth inning, the score now a bit closer at 5-2 and this time with none on and one out. I swung and missed at a changeup for strike one, then fouled off a fastball to bring the count to 0-2. On the next pitch, I again hit one up the middle, but this one took a wacky hop off the mound and rolled into center field. This time, I actually had reached base.

I advanced to second on the next batter’s single, then again to third on a four-pitch walk that followed. Time was called for a mound visit, but Harvey walked the next batter, allowing me to trot in for a run — our last of the inning, as a reliever entered and struck out the next two hitters.

I came up again in the fifth, another reliever named Chris Lee in the game now. There were runners on first and second with one out, and I stepped in batting righty against the left-handed reliever.

His first pitch was in the dirt, and both runners took the extra base. I was now under significant pressure to drive in at least one, if not both runs. Lee jammed me inside with a fastball, and I swung and missed, but I took his next pitch up the middle (again!), driving a liner off his right shin. He recovered in time to throw me out at first, but the runner scored from third, giving me my first RBI as a professional.

I batted once more in the seventh inning, the lefty Lee still on the mound and pitching with none on and one out. The score was now 7-6, Bowie having scored to take the lead again in the top half. I liked what I saw on his first pitch — a fastball down the middle — but failed to capitalize, getting way under the ball and popping out to right field.

My fifth AB was the highest-pressure of them all. I came up with two out in the bottom of the ninth. The tying run stood on first base, and righty Miguel Castro (who had been the Blue Jays’ closer briefly in 2015, but was still just 22) peered in from the mound for the sign.

His first pitch was a fastball just off the plate. I took for ball one.

His second pitch was also a fastball. I swung and connected, driving the ball to fairly deep center field, but as I neared the base, I knew that the ball was going to be caught for out number three.

And with that, we took an Opening Day loss, 7-6.

“1 for 5. Lame.” Frank had changed a lot since I had left the house. He seemed very detached, and most notably, his hair had changed from short, neat, and brown to long, messy, and dyed jet-black. I shrugged. At least he was interacting with me.

Colt was begging for me to take him into the clubhouse. “Please please please please please!!!” he desperately whined. I called my manager over to ask if it was okay for him to come in and maybe meet some of the guys.

“I guess he can come in for a bit. I don’t want to make this a regular thing, though, but since it’s Opening Day…”

I didn’t think Colt would be making any more visits to the clubhouse anytime soon, given how much it cost (gas money, hotel rooms, food, and such) to make the trip down for a game.

“Yes sir,” I told him. I turned back to my brother, who was staring a hole through his pocket. “You’re in,” I said.

“Yes!!!” Colt yelled in his pre-pubescent voice.

My kid brother bouncing around the clubhouse in a RubberDucks T-shirt (bought from the gift shop, price tag still attached) and cargo shorts, trying to get as many signatures as possible on his RubberDucks baseball cards, was quite a sight to behold. A few of the guys wanted nothing to do with him, and simply shooed him off or ignored him, but he generally made a very good impression. After I showered and changed into my street clothes, I came back out to the locker room, and sure enough, Colt was chilling on one of the couches, chatting it up with several players: Ryan Merritt and Adam Moore, who both had big-league experience, as well as prospects Luke Wakamatsu, Logan Ice, and even my “rival” Bobby Bradley. I joined the discussion, which appeared to be a lively debate over the rapidly approaching NBA playoffs. Colt was defending his hometown Celtics to the death, with the diverse backgrounds of the others giving each of them a different team to root for (or, in some cases, no team to root for). Finally, the other players started to clear out of the clubhouse, and Colt and I walked out together. Frank and Dad were waiting out in the parking lot, the old Buick sedan already started up.

“So, what’s for dinner?” Dad asked.

“I know just the place,” I replied.

Twenty minutes later, the four of us sat at a booth at Luigi’s, an Italian place in town that I’d fallen in love with.

I had ordered the antipasto, my favorite thing on the menu. I came here, usually with a teammate, at least once a week just to get it.

My dad had ordered spaghetti and a beer. I worried about him trying to drive. “I do this all the time,” he said, which actually made me even more worried. Was he risking his life (and those of my two brothers) on that regular of a basis? I told him I could just drive them back to their hotel, no worries. He shrugged and slid the keys across the table.

Frank had settled for soup. He seemed to be an unusually picky eater these days. He also ordered Coke, and downed two full glasses within ten minutes before putting his earbuds back in.

Colt was the most adventurous eater of the whole family, and he took my recommendation and went with the antipasto as well. He also split Frank’s garlic bread with me, since apparently he didn’t want that either.

We all ate pretty quickly. My dad insisted on getting the bill (despite my seven-figure signing bonus), which I was fine with.

I drove them back to the hotel they were staying at, but I could only stay for a little while, as I had to go grocery shopping before the stores closed. After my dad had tried to bring up politics at dinner, though, none of us were really that interested in talking, so I just left after dropping them off. I drove down to the nearest Kroger, and picked up some food so me and my roommate (Luke Wakamatsu, the team’s backup infielder) would have something to eat the next day.

The second game of our opening homestand was also against Bowie, with another right-hander, Branden Kline, on the mound for the visiting Baysox. I was again in the five-hole at DH, which wasn’t surprising.

I came up with a man on first, two outs, and a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the first. I connected on a first-pitch fastball, but timed my swing a bit late, and the pitch flew into the stands. I chased a slider outside the zone for strike two. I hammered Kline’s third pitch to shortstop, but they got the force out at second to end the inning. My second at-bat lasted one pitch, as I grounded out again, this time to second base.

My third at-bat was in the sixth inning, Bowie now up 2-1 and with a lefty on the mound. I took a slider for ball one before lacing one to the wall in right-center. It should have been extra bases, but with my speed and the center fielder hurrying to get the ball in, I decided to hold at first. The next batter struck out, and I was retired on a 6-4-3 double play to retire the side.

I came up once more in the eighth inning, a man on third with two outs and a righty reliever in now. I worked the count to 3-1, but my desire to attack got the best of me, as I popped up a fastball for the third out of the inning. We ended up losing 4-1.

My family was again in attendance Saturday afternoon. They would be leaving right after the game, my dad insisting that they all went to church even if they didn’t get back to Boston until four or five A.M.

Before the game, I spent some extra time in the batting cages working on my swing, and also took some extra ground balls at first base. The coaches appeared to notice me working hard, and bumped me up to the cleanup spot for that afternoon’s game. I was once again in the DH role against left-hander Tanner Scott, who threw quite hard but was known to walk a ton of batters.

My first at-bat came with a runner on second and two away in the first inning. Scott’s first pitch was spotted nicely on the inside corner for a strike, but his next pitch was wild, and the runner moved up to third. I roped his third offering down the right-field line, and it dropped in fair for a base hit, giving me another RBI.

I advanced to second on a walk, but was stranded there. My next at-bat came in the third inning, our team down 3-1 with a runner on first base and one out. I again got way too aggressive and smacked an 0-1 fastball to the right of the first baseman. He got the out at second, but the baserunner took out the shortstop with a slide and I was safe. The next two batters reached base (via a walk and a single), loading the bases for right fielder Taylor Murphy with two away. Murphy singled to left-center, scoring two runs, but Logan Ice was thrown out at home for the final out.

My third at-bat was less productive, as I grounded out to the pitcher, but I did advance the runner from first to second. In my fourth at-bat, I singled to center field, and was stranded at second after moving up on a groundout.

In the series finale, I was moved up again, this time batting third and DHing against a righty, Bobby Hess. I drew the count to 3-0, but he battled back to bring it full. With the sixth pitch, he came down-and-in with a fastball, and I crushed the ball to dead center for my first home run of the season, driving in a runner from first as well.

In my second at-bat, I was given the same down-and-in fastball, but this time smacked a broken-bat grounder to shortstop for an out. A lefty reliever entered after that, and I came up against him in the fifth inning, the score at 3-0, with two outs and nobody on. I fouled off two pitches before going the other way on 0-2 for a base hit. My fourth at-bat resulted in a flyout to shallow right field, and I finished the day a productive 2 for 4. We finished the game with a 6-1 win and a 2-2 record.

SEASON STATS:

Akron (AA): 4 G (4 GS), 6-17 (.353), 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 0 BB/0 K, .353 OBP, .529 SLG
Games by position: DH (4)

I started my fifth game in a row against Trenton, the Yankees’ AA affiliate, on Monday night. I was again batting third and DHing, this time facing a lefty starter, Miguel Sulbaran.

In the first inning, I hit a solid fly ball to center, but it was caught for the third out. In the fourth, I hit a much weaker fly to right, and was again caught out. In the sixth, I struck out swinging on a changeup. In the eighth, I hit a weak grounder to second, but the second baseman bobbled the ball, and it was ruled a hit somehow, though I was out on a double play the next at-bat. I finished the game 1 for 4, extending my hitting streak to five games in the process.

The second game saw a right-hander, Luis Lorenz, on the mound for Trenton, and with Bobby returning to the lineup (he had missed the previous two games), I was bumped back down to the five-spot, still in the DH position. I came up to bat in the first inning with runners on first and second, one out, and a 3-1 deficit on the scoreboard. I hit a line drive down the left-field line on the first pitch, scoring one run, but I was thrown out at second after hesitating around first. In the third, I singled again, this time up the middle. I advanced to second on the following batter’s single, but was stranded there two outs later. I struck out in both of my next two at-bats, though not without some positives — I took the count to five pitches both times, and hit a ball down the line that nearly stayed fair for a home run. “Damn,” I mumbled as I stepped back in. I again took the pitcher deep in the count in the ninth inning, but could only manage a flyout to left in my fifth and final AB of the night.

With our team down 2-0 in the series, we could only hope to avoid a sweep in game three. Facing right-hander James Kaprielian, a prospect of some note who had only pitched 3 games due to elbow injuries the year before. With Mike Papi, our regular left fielder, out of the lineup, I was moved up to the three-hole, still in the DH role. I came up with a run in, a man on second, and no outs in the first inning, and managed only a harmless fly to left field.

Kaprielian was still pitching in the second when I came up with a man on first, one out, and the score now at 4-2 in our favor. I again flew out to left, though this time I struck the ball hard enough to elicit some noise from the crowd.

I batted again in the fourth inning, with one out, runners on first and second, and reliever Dillon Tate in the game. It was no surprise that I hit a weak fly ball to left field. I tried to remain level-headed, but something in me just boiled over, and I slammed my batting helmet down as I entered the dugout, a loud “*(censored)*!” booming through the dugout.

In the sixth, I came up with the score now at 8-5, and decided to try for a more level swing. I got what I wanted, hitting the ball on the ground, although I hit it fairly weak and right to the third baseman. 0 for 4.

My fifth at-bat came in the eighth inning, with a man on second, two outs, and a lefty on the mound. Maybe all I needed was a southpaw to swing against. I took the count to 2-2, but on the sixth pitch, all I could do was ground the ball to third. I finished the game 0 for 5, though at least we came away with the 8-7 victory and avoided the sweep.

After the game, the hitting coach came up to me and told me something about needing to be more selective at the plate. I tried to stay respectful, but I couldn’t help but roll my eyes as he walked away.

SEASON STATS:

Akron (AA): 7 G (7 GS), 9-31 (.290), 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, 0 BB/3 K, .290 OBP, .452 SLG
Games by position: DH (7)

I texted Colt before our next game, a Thursday night matchup with the Altoona Curve. I had just taken my first minor-league bus ride to Altoona, Pennsylvania for the three-game series.

PETE: I’m in a slump. Got any advice?
COLT: Oh, how the turntables have turned…
PETE: Shut up.
COLT: Anyway, you know how Dad always says “be aggressive”, “if you see a pitch you like, hit it”, all of that?
PETE: Yeah?
COLT: Exactly. Just keep swinging! Something good’s gotta happen.
PETE: The coaches told me to be more patient, though.
COLT: Come on, bro. Trust me on this one.
PETE: I got you.
COLT: Dad hooked me up with the MiLB.TV subscription, btw. I’ll be watching tonight’s game!
PETE: Awesome! Feel free to text me if you see anything you like (or don’t).
COLT: Gotcha!

After some extra work in the cages, and two rounds of fielding practice, I felt much more confident. I was in the lineup for the eighth game in a row, again batting third and DHing with Bobby back out of the lineup, against righty Yeudy Garcia.

My first at-bat was a three-pitch groundout to second. I was way late on a fastball, which alarmed me much more than the result of the at-bat itself. I tried to work on timing Garcia’s pitches better as I sat on deck in the fourth, but I was still swinging late, and I hit another flyout to left field. I did make solid contact, though, but my timing was still significantly off.

Back in the clubhouse, my phone buzzed: “Timing!”

We were still being no-hit when I stepped in with two away in the sixth inning. I didn’t do anything to change matters, whiffing on a 1-2 curveball, but we clawed back in the eighth to tie the game at 1. I came up to the plate with one out, runners on second and third, and a new pitcher in the game (another righty). Apparently my bat still struck some fear into them, as they decided to intentionally walk me and load the bases for Mike Papi, our cleanup hitter. Of course, putting a slow runner like me on base increased the possibility of a double play, and that’s exactly the result they got, as Papi hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

We went into extra innings, and I came up in the top of the tenth inning with the score still knotted at 1, runners on first and second, two away, and the same pitcher on the mound. I took a breaking ball just off the plate for ball one before stepping into a fastball and creaming it to left-center for my second home run of the year, one that would turn out to be the game-winner.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” read Colt’s next text.

In the next game, I was kept in the three-spot, even with both Bobby and Mike in the lineup. I again served as the DH against a righty named Tanner Anderson. I took him to 2-2 in the first inning before hitting a noisy flyout to center field. In the third inning, I came up again with a man on first and one out, our team now with a 1-0 lead. I took a fastball away before swinging through a high fastball — mostly to give the stealing runner a little help, though he made it in safe easily. I grounded to first base, advancing him to third, but he was stranded there. In the fifth, I came up again, the lead now extended to 3-0, and weakly grounded out to the pitcher, putting me at 0 for 3 on the evening. In the sixth, I batted with the bases loaded, but hit into a force-out to retire the side. In the eighth, I finally got a base hit, hitting a line drive to right field, though I was taken out with a double play on the next AB.

On Saturday night, I was once again in the same spot against righty Alex McRae — batting third, DHing — though one thing was different about this game: it was raining, and hard. From my days as a high-school pitcher, I knew that this would make it harder to grip the ball, and when I came up in the first inning with one out and a man on third, I vowed to stay patient at the plate. Colt’s advice be darned.

I got a good pitch to hit right away, though, and hit a nice single to left field, scoring the runner from third. I moved up a base on a walk and again on a base hit, loading the bases for veteran catcher Adam Moore with one away. Moore delivered with an RBI single to right, scoring me, and in total, we scored three runs in the inning. We were therefore up 3-1 when I came up to bat in the second inning. I grounded out to shortstop, and struck out in my next two at-bats, the latter time after a nine-pitch battle. In the ninth inning, I came up with two runners on and one out, with an 11-5 deficit. I lined a single to left field to score one run, but was stranded at first, and we lost the game 11-6.

After the game, the hitting coach came to talk to me, saying that he liked my potential and to keep working hard.

SEASON STATS:

Akron (AA): 10 G (10 GS), 13-45 (.289), 2 HR, 10 RBI, 5 R, 1 BB/6 K, .304 OBP, .467 SLG
Games by position: DH (10)

We had the day off Sunday, and I went to the field to get some work in early before heading back to my apartment to get some much-needed rest. My knee had started bothering me after Saturday’s game, and I had the trainer look at it, but he only said that I should take it easy the rest of the day.

I felt fine when I woke up on Monday, so I was kept in the lineup for our series opener in Reading. Facing right-hander Thomas Eshelman, I was in the three-hole and DHing once again.

In my first at-bat, I fouled off two good pitches before managing to connect on a slider that jammed me up and in. The ball dropped in for a base hit, advancing the runner from first to third with one away. I was stranded at first, though, after a strikeout and a flyout.

In the third inning, I came up with two outs and a runner on first, the score now 2-0 in our opponents’ favor. I hit a line drive on the first pitch, but unfortunately right at the center fielder, who put it away for the third out.

I batted again in the sixth, Reading’s lead now at 4-0, though we had a man on first and no outs. I swung again at the first pitch, Colt’s advice from the other day bouncing around my brain, and connected hard, but hit it right to shortstop for a routine double play.

My fourth at-bat came in the eighth inning. Our team had narrowed the gap to 4-2, and a left-handed reliever was now pitching. I took his first pitch down the line for a ground-ball single. Bobby followed with a double, advancing me to third with still zero outs in the inning. Mike Papi grounded out, but Logan Ice hit a three-run homer to left field, scoring three runs and putting us ahead by one.

We were up 6-4 when I led off the ninth inning, a righty now in the game for Reading. I took a ball outside before skying a fly ball to center field that was put away easily. We did score one run in the inning, though, and our bullpen held on to close out the 7-4 victory.

In game two of the series, I was shifted into the cleanup spot against righty Tyler Viza. I came up with two outs and a runner on first in the first inning, batting lefty. I quickly got in the hole 0-2, but worked the count full, though on the eighth pitch I could only manage a popout to the third baseman in foul territory.

In my next at-bat, I came up with a man on first and one out, and drove a first-pitch fastball to right-center for an RBI double. I advanced to third on a subsequent single, and came in to score on a sacrifice fly.

I lined a single to center field on my next at-bat. The score was now 3-0, and a lefty had entered the game in relief. The reliever walked the next two batters to load the bases with no outs in the inning, and Taylor Murphy hit a bomb to right field, a grand slam that gave us a 7-0 lead. I finished the game by striking out on 5 pitches in the seventh inning, but the game was all but over by then, and we came away with a 7-5 win after a late rally.

I could hear my phone buzzing as I entered the clubhouse after the game, and I picked up to see a missed call from Colt. I immediately called him back, and he picked up right away.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked. “Our game just finished.”

“It’s Dad,” Colt said, an unusual urgency to his voice. “He… he got in a crash.”

“Oh my God,” I replied. “What happened?”

“I dunno. I’m at the hospital right now, but they won’t tell me anything or let me in. I think he’s okay, but… Bro, I’m really scared.”

I racked my brain trying to come up with a solution. “I got it!” I said, maybe a little too energetically. “We have another off day after tomorrow’s game. I’ll drive down to the hospital. I promise everything will be okay.”

“O-okay,” he stuttered. I had never heard Colt so afraid.

“Text me if anything else happens. Love ya!”

I thought about asking for the day off, as my head was spinning all day thinking about Dad lying in that hospital bed. I didn’t know much about the accident, but I figured whatever had happened had to be pretty bad, if they weren’t letting Colt know any of the details. I ended up falling asleep on the clubhouse sofa after BP, and Adam Moore came in to make sure I was okay. I vented for a little while, and after that I felt a lot better, though I was still worried about Dad and Colt. I told him I was good to go, and I was once again in the lineup, DHing and batting third, against righty Shane Watson.

I didn’t have a very good day at the plate, going 0 for 4 including a strikeout, but my mind was clearly elsewhere, and after quickly showering and dressing, I got my car out of the stadium parking lot and took off for Boston.

It was a six-hour drive, so I didn’t get in until about three in the morning. I was able to get into the house using my old key, and I simply flopped onto one of the couches in our living room and fell asleep there.

SEASON STATS:

Akron (AA): 13 G (13 GS), 17-58 (.293), 1 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R, 1 BB/8 K, .305 OBP, .414 SLG
Games by position: DH (13)

I got about four hours of sleep before my phone’s ringtone woke me up. Colt was calling, asking me to come to the hospital as soon as possible.

I rose quickly, and drove out to the hospital as quickly as I could. I was quickly directed to the room my father was staying in, and a nurse took me aside and explained what was going on. “Your father suffered some minor injuries in the crash,” she said. “He’s going to be okay. But from what we know, this accident was the result of drunk driving, and we think it might be a good idea to scare him a bit more than that, in order to dissuade him from continuing to do this.”

“What kind of scare are we talking?” I asked. It sounded like a good plan, though I wasn’t sure how legal it was.

“Oh, nothing much. Just telling him he’s lucky to be alive, maybe asking him to come back for a follow-up in case his injuries get worse, something along those lines.”

“Count me in.”

My dad woke up about an hour later, a bit confused at his surroundings. The doctors told him that he was lucky to have survived the crash, and that while they thought his injuries were minor, there was a chance for worsening, and they would need to follow up with him at a later date. They also expressed the need to keep him in the hospital another day or two, just to make sure he was fully rested and recovered.

With Dad resting up in the hospital bed, I figured it was best for me to just head back to Akron and try to clear my mind. I gave Colt and Frank each a goodbye hug, and told them to keep me posted if any new developments occurred. Then I hopped back in my car and drove back to my apartment, where Luke was waiting for me with a confused look on his face.

“I thought you said we were gonna go hit the town today? Where have you been?”

“Sorry, dude. Had a family emergency, but it’s all good. We can still go grab some food, if you want.”

Luke and I went downtown for dinner, but I still couldn’t get my mind off of Dad, and I ended up going to bed super early in an attempt to get my mind right.

With my dad’s health still taking a toll on my mind, I tried my best to get ready for our upcoming weekend series against Altoona (this time at home).

I took my usual spot in the three-hole, DHing once again, for the series opener. The pitcher was Tanner Anderson, the righty who I had gone 0 for 2 against in our previous matchup. I was horrible again, going 0 for 4 and hitting into a double play, though I did reach on a fielder’s choice in my second at-bat.

Late Friday night, I got a rare text from Frank.

FRANK: dads ok. just got out
PETE: awesome!! thanks for the update!
FRANK: yeah no prob. btw…
FRANK: nah, nevermind
PETE: you sure? you know you can talk to me anytime if there’s something you need to say
FRANK: nah, it’s nothing
PETE: alright kiddo. love ya

I felt a lot better going into Saturday’s game, and it showed, as in my first at-bat, I hit a fly ball to right-center for my second double of the season. In my second at-bat, I came up with runners on first and second, and singled to load the bases. We scored two runs in the inning, but I was stranded at second base. My next two at-bats resulted in a double play and a six-pitch groundout, but I came up for a fifth time in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to spark a rally. There was one out in the inning and a runner on first base, Altoona carrying an 8-5 lead still. I struck out on three pitches, but we somehow managed to come back and tie the game. I got a sixth at-bat in the bottom of the tenth inning. The game was still tied at 8, and the bases were loaded with two outs. I fouled off two pitches before popping out to center field. Altoona scored in the eleventh inning, and we went home with a 9-8 loss.

On Sunday, I started off slow, grounding out and striking out in my first two at-bats. But in the fifth inning, I came up with a man on first and destroyed a slider over the plate, sending it out to center field for a 448-foot home run. And in the seventh inning, I hit an RBI single to seal the game, as we finished it off for a 5-1 win, winning the series in the process.

SEASON STATS:

Akron (AA): 16 G (16 GS), 21-72 (.292), 2 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 9 R, 1 BB/10 K, .301 OBP, .444 SLG
Games by position: DH (16)

I spent a ton of extra time working on my defense before our next series. You never know when they’re going to need you to play a little first base, after all.

Until that day came, I was still stuck in the DH role, and I was there once again, batting third, in our first game against Binghamton. I struck out swinging in my first at-bat, but rebounded in a big way, hitting my fourth home run of the year to right field to tie the game at one. I came up again in the fifth inning with our team now up 3-1, but popped out to right for the last out of the inning. I lined out to right in my last at-bat, finishing the day a big 1 for 4, but we held on for the 3-2 win.

It was more of the same in our second game — same position, same three-hole, even the same starting pitcher for some reason. I took him to seven pitches and a 2-2 count in my first at-bat, but struck out swinging at a changeup. I hit a hard fly ball the other way my next time up, but the left fielder managed to make the catch. In my third at-bat, I hit a liner to right field for a base hit, but the next batter hit into a double play. I again hit a liner to right field in my last AB, but the right fielder was in position to make the catch this time, and I finished 1 for 4 again. We took away a 4-2 win, meaning we had a chance to sweep the Rumble Ponies with another win Wednesday.

I was yet again hitting third and DHing on Wednesday. I reached on a fielder’s choice my first time up, as I hit into what I thought would be a sure double-play ball, but the shortstop’s relay throw got away from the first baseman (who wasn’t even covering the bag), allowing me to plod in safely. I finished the day a pathetic 0 for 5, including three strikeouts — one coming in the ninth inning with a chance to tie the game. Instead, we lost 5-2, Binghamton avoiding the sweep in the process.

The hitting coach came to talk to me after the game, telling me that working on my timing was key to avoiding strikeouts. I was frustrated after my weak performance, but told him I would work on staying more patient at the plate.

SEASON STATS:

Akron (AA): 19 G (19 GS), 23-85 (.271), 2 2B, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 10 R, 1 BB/15 K, .279 OBP, .447 SLG
Games by position: DH (19)

We had a travel day on Thursday, as we rode into Bowie that afternoon, and had the evening free to hang out. Luke and I went downtown with some teammates and got a bite to eat. A few of the older guys suggested going to some bar they’d heard about, but I was left out, as I was still just 19 years old.

Friday was our series opener, and I was in the cleanup spot, DHing against righty Hunter Harvey, who I remembered facing on Opening Day. I had gone 1 for 2 against Harvey in our first matchup. I struck out my first two times up and hit a hard grounder to short in the seventh. In the ninth, I singled to right field, but I was stranded at second as we lost, 10-1.

On Saturday, I was again the DH, hitting cleanup against left-hander Chris Lee, easily the worst pitcher on the Baysox. Nonetheless, I couldn’t get a hit against him, but in the ninth inning, I finally got us on the board with a solo homer to right-center. We still lost 5-1, though, meaning we were on the cusp of being swept.

On Sunday, I was moved back into the three-hole, still DHing against the lefty Tanner Scott. I struck out in my first at-bat, but singled down the left-field line in my second, leading to a bases-loaded, no-out situation that I surely thought would lead to a run (it didn’t). In my third at-bat, I took Scott to six pitches before hitting a hot shot to third, but the third baseman snagged it on a line for an unlucky out. I followed that with another strikeout and a popout to left, but we managed to win 2-0, avoiding the sweep.

SEASON STATS:

Akron (AA): 22 G (22 GS), 26-98 (.265), 2 2B, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 11 R, 1 BB/19 K, .273 OBP, .449 SLG
Games by position: DH (22)

I got in some extra work in the cages before our next game, a road contest with Binghamton. I started all three games at DH that series, but I just couldn’t seem to buy a hit. I went 0 for 13 that series, leading to a talk with the manager about my mental toughness. My batting average had dropped all the way to .234 on the year.

I got a text from Colt that night telling me to keep my head up as we headed into another series against Altoona. I figured maybe being back at home would help clear my mind and get me refocused for the upcoming series.

I started yet again at DH in our series opener against the Curve, batting cleanup. I hit a flyout to the warning track in my first at-bat, then dropped down a nice bunt in the fourth to move up a runner. After a strikeout in the sixth, I was worried that I was headed for another hitless game, but in the seventh inning, I finally broke out of my hitless streak with a clean hit to right field.

I was moved back into my usual three-hole for the second game of the series. I got a base hit in my first at-bat, as the ball deflected off the pitcher’s leg and I was able to reach safely. I singled again in the third inning, hitting a hard grounder up the middle. In the fifth, I popped out foul to right field, and in the seventh, I drew just my second walk of the year, coming in to score on a homer by Bobby.

In the third game, I stayed in the three-hole. In the first inning, I grounded out weakly, but in the fourth, I lined a base hit up the middle with one out. I finished the game 1 for 5 in a losing effort.

I again hit third in the series finale. In the first inning, I came up with no outs and runners on first and second, but hit into a double play. In the third, I came up in the same situation, but this time got a much better result, blasting a belt-high fastball to the opposite field for a three-run homer. I led off the fifth inning with a double down the right-field line, and later scored, as Luke hit in two runs with a single to center field. I drew a four-pitch walk in the sixth, but was stranded at second. I grounded out to third base in the eighth, but we won 6-2, and I was even named player of the game for my efforts at the plate!

SEASON STATS:

Akron (AA): 29 G (29 GS), 32-126 (.254), 3 2B, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 14 R, 3 BB/24 K, .271 OBP, .421 SLG
Games by position: DH (29)

In our next series against Trenton, I started all three games at designated hitter, getting a hit in each one. I went 1 for 4 with a solo home run in the opener, then 1 for 4 with an RBI double, and finished out the series with a 1 for 3 showing, also being credited with my first stolen base of the year in the process.

After the game, the manager told me the team wanted to look at me in right field — a position I had never played before — and while I was admittedly confused, I agreed to do whatever would help the team. I made sure to spend extra time in the field working on fly balls before our next series.

Our next series was in Binghamton, and I started the season opener in, you guessed it, right field. Somehow, I managed to handle every chance I got, including two catches at the warning track. I also went 2 for 5 with a double, two RBI, and a run scored, extending my hitting streak to eight games.

In my next game, I again had a clean fielding performance, but snapped my hit streak, going 0 for 4 with one RBI (on a sacrifice fly). I got back on track in our next game by going 2 for 4, scoring a run in the ninth inning. I went 0 for 4 again in the series finale, and also made a bad read on a ball hit to the wall, allowing it to fall over my head for an inside-the-park grand slam.

After the game, the manager again brought me into his office, this time to preach to me about the importance of defense. He kept quoting Willie Mays, saying “Defense, to me, is the key to playing baseball” at least twice during our meeting. I responded by hitting the field for some extra outfield work the next day.

SEASON STATS:

Akron (AA): 36 G (36 GS), 39-154 (.253), 5 2B, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 18 R, 1 SB, 3 BB/28 K, .266 OBP, .435 SLG, 1.000 FLD%
Games by position: DH (32), RF (4)