Where to start? Well, it seems like a lot has happened since I arrived in Belgium on Tuesday afternoon, and looking into my brain at the list of things I want to talk about, I guess a lot has. I'll start with the most important...
If you have been following along with me from the beginning, you may have noticed a new feature on the right hand side of my blod, the "Fun-O-meter" (for lack of creativity and a better name). Here I will keep a running tally of the two best things about being in Belgium, the beer and baseball. For each time that I go to the field, I will add a tally to practice. I will also tally the number of beers (for as long as I can remember) that I drink in the post-practice get together in the clubhouse/bar adjacent to the field. Let's just say that "pintjes" (beers) are a plenty post practice. Other than being delicious, it is also a nice way to get to know the teammates and relax. It makes it feel like more of a team atmosphere, something I really missed about playing in Arizona last summer. Anyways, keep an eye on the tally and before long I may have to put a tally for the pounds I gain from the good beer, french fries, chocolate and more. Today after the workout at the field with Bram, Ruud, Kleinner and Reid my beers/practice (which will probably be higher than my batting average) took a hit as I opted for water, but stay posted as it goes up and down like the stock market.
In other big news, I found out yesterday (I don't know how I missed this piece of information) that Reid and I can only combine to throw 9 innings a week (1 of the 2 games). That definitely changes things from a preparation standpoint and logistical standpoint. I am not sure if I will be starting, relieving or a combination of both, but I will welcome any role with open arms. Either way the mentality is the same: get outs and win games.
The weather here hasn't quite turned towards summer yet, so there have been some interesting moments at practice. It has been mainly in the 40's with wind and rain of and on, but we have powered through it. It is sometimes difficult to see the potatoes that we use for taking ground balls and hitting BP, because their brown skin blends in with the dirt and background. Not real potatoes of course, but they might as well be, since the hide of the ball has gone from white to dark brown or even lighter shades of black due to the mud. For me, this has made reading hops on ground balls particularly difficult, especially as I try to shake off the rust from my long layover, also known as winter in Alaska. Another thing that I have noticed about practice is that there are very little times between reps. For me, this is both good and bad. While it definitely helps with efficient use of time, I sometimes find myself taking bad swings because I am rushed or not fully set up before the next pitch is on the way. It will take some getting used to and maybe when I get accustomed to the way things are run I can find a way to get that extra few seconds in between reps so that I am getting quality reps every time. While I'm all for maximizing efficiency and cutting out downtime at practice, I am not in favor of substituting quantity for quality. This is not a big deal, but rather something I noticed from the first few practices and shouldn't effect the quality of reps I take once I get accustomed to practice and the way things are done over here.
One thing that won't get any easier to adjust to is the time difference. This is not for normal reasons, but rather because I woke up today at 5:30 to once again dominate my BDPFL '10 Fantasy Baseball Draft. I have no doubt that after my solid performance on the board today that I will 3-peat as league champ. Its nice to have Reza back in the league, not from a competition standpoint (lets be honest, he can't compete either) but because the league banter has been great. Following the draft, Bram and I went down to the town hall and I became registered as a legal 3 month resident. Bram has been super chill and helpful about everything, despite having a lot on his plate with work, us hooligans, baseball, etc. I finished out the day with a good workout at the field (as mentioned above) with a good bullpen session, ground balls, and plenty of BP in the cage. After practice, we came home for a delicious spaghetti dinner that Maaike had prepared (she is a great cook and i'm loving the subtle differences between even similar dishes to back home). After dinner, Reid and I crashed Bram and Maaike's date to the movies and the four of us saw Ghost Writer. The movie theaters in Belgium have much more comfortable seats that many of those that I have been to in the States and also have much more efficient and better concessions. Everything is self serve, and you just pay when you leave the snack area. Simple, but genius... take notes Regal Cinema. We topped off the night by grabbing a few drinks at a bar in Merchtem, where we chatted it up and listened to an eclectic mix of everything from alanis morsette to 50 cent. That finished off another great day in Belgium.
Since I have arrived, everyone here has been super friendly and accommodating. Here at the house, Bram and Maaike have been awesome in making us Americans feel right at home and welcome, and teammates and other coaches have done the same away from the house. I know I already mentioned it above, but Maaike's cooking has definitely helped ease the withdrawals from the great seafood that Sitka had to offer. We are taking a weekend trip to the coast in the Netherlands this weekend, so maybe I can have a reunion with my good friends salmon and cod.
I think that about covers everything I had on my mind. Again I have been lucky to be placed with a chill roommate and it has been cool to bounce ideas about baseball, europe, and plenty of other things off of Reid. I'll keep you posted as we try to figure out all this country has to offer and debate which beer is best.
Stay tuned for more pictures and stories to come and much peace and love
PS: also find at right a link to my roommate Reid's blog for a different perspective on the Belgian baseball experience
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment