My Weird Baseball Day
Was totally focused on catching bullpen sessions this morning. Had my mitt, my gear, coffee in hand – ready to watch some pitchers work. Simple stuff, right? Wrong.
Phone blew up right after the third pitcher threw his last curveball. First, my buddy texting: “Heard they’re talking to Martin Perez again!” Before I could even think about that, another text buzzed: “Old guy from the Angels still available?” Then my assistant coach leans over, “Hey, did ya see that report about McGuire getting shopped?” Like, come on guys! Can’t a guy watch some pitches in peace?
Decided to actually look into the mess. Got back to my little office corner – more like a glorified storage closet near the laundry room, honestly – and fired up the laptop. Started jotting down names everyone kept yelling about:
- Martin Perez (old reliable, maybe?)
- That catcher from the Angels… Tucker, I think?
- Reese McGuire (but they might try to trade him)
- Some young kid in AAA nobody really knows
Felt totally overwhelmed. One minute they want experience, the next they want a kid with a strong arm. Rumor mill just wouldn’t quit. Kept thinking, “How many catchers do they need? Just pick one already! My bullpen guys need someone reliable to throw to!” The constant back-and-forth drives me nuts. You hear “deal close!” then an hour later it’s “talks stalled”. Pure chaos.
Wasted half the afternoon sifting through nonsense rumors while my actual catcher plans gathered dust. Finally just threw my hands up. Closed the laptop. Grabbed my mitt.
Know what happened next? Of course you do. One of the actual catchers called out with a sore finger. Guess who had to suit up behind the plate for the last batting practice? Yeah. Me. The guy trying to figure out who should be doing it. Ended up catching fastballs from guys who clearly weren’t holding back, all while my phone buzzed non-stop in my back pocket about “latest targets”. The whole thing was ridiculous. Sometimes you just gotta laugh – or get bruised trying to catch a 95mph heater.
