Recap

Wow, it has certainly been a while. Definitely no reason why it had to be this long, I guess I got lazy, but now I have several topics to blog about so hopefully they will pop out like a Hasidic mother and her Hasidlings.

So to start this blog comeback, it is fitting I fill you all in on the remainder of the Yeshiva season. That is why the title is called: Recap.

To start, the year was a tremendous disappointment. For one thing, we finished the year 1-28. Now, we aren't a team expected or expecting to finish with a winning season. We need to keep it one game at a time and finish with seven, eight, and that's an extreme success. I think the team's failure can be credited to two things, which, when combined, led to a disaster: terrible weather allowing for one outdoor practice before the season, and having all the "winnable" games at the beginning of the season.

I'm sure you can already see where this is headed. A team like Yeshiva, where we are already suffering from terrible lack of experience, not getting our reps in on a field is huge. We were cooped up in a tiny gym, where Bengie Molina can go home to first in 2.5. The reason for being indoors can be credited to two really annoying snow storms. To add onto that, our only baseball exclusive facility in school, our outdoor batting cage, was knocked over during the second storm.

So there we were, a team who hadn't been able to take BP since the fall, beginning our season after seeing the outdoors just once since the leaves were brown. We were determined to come out strong and not be bothered by our poor circumstances. And we actually played good baseball. Five out of our first eight games were decided by three runs or less. Problem was, we were always on the losing side. Two of the teams we had faced during that time we had beaten last year.

We went on to the tougher teams and didn't fare well at all. Our hitting was non existent. At this point, we were playing too many games to practice in between (remember that school comes before baseball) and we still had no cage. No way to really work on the issues we had. What was really bad was that our pitching, for the most part, kept us in the games, and our fielding was also a big improvement since last year. I really think a cage could have helped us find our stroke.

By the year's end we squeezed a win against Baruch on senior day, which was definitely huge for the team. Going through a season winless, with games getting tougher and tougher can really be taxing. We went through it during my freshman year, and it really creates a bad energy in terms of the chemistry. It is understandable; nobody wants to lose.

For me personally, the year was also a big letdown. I came into the season ready to mash and I wanted to make a push for all conference, but I came nowhere close. For the beginning of the year, I started off a little slow, but I had productive at bats, driving in six runs in seven games. I started to square up the ball pretty well for the rest of the first half, but I was unlucky several times. I remember several times lining out to infielders and outfielders alike. It was frustrating, but I knew I was good as long as I was making hard contact.

After the Passover break, I came back very determined to hit. I had gotten to take a nice amount of BP and actually hit four over the wall in one session. I was ready to go. Not quite. The first game back I went 1-3, and actually broke up a no hitter, but it ended up being a one hitter for the guy, so I don't feel too bad. After that, I went on to experience the worst slump of my career. I hit 1-23, with just two walks and a stolen base. I wasn't striking out, which is something I can say lasted the entire season (16% K rate over the year and 17% over the slump period). With that info, I have to imagine I wasn't being very selective at the plate. I mean, being really selective. Like, if it's not two strikes, to really sit on something I like. I wasn't doing it and I learned my lesson.

At the time I wasn't too hooked on the pitch selection part. Maybe I was too stubborn to believe it, who knows. But I did just try to simplify my swing as much as possible. And I came out of my slump in style. After going 1-3 in the opening game of a DH, we found ourselves down 2-1 early. The rain was coming down hard and we figured we knew the game would be called after five innings. In the bottom of the third, their pitcher had trouble throwing strikes. After getting one quick out, he walked the next two on eight pitches. I came up, with a self-made red light, but once he throws any sort of strike, I'm hacking at the next good one. After one ball, and one strike, I was ready. He threw a fastball slightly above the waist and put my best swing on it, and sprinted around the bases as it sailed over the CF wall.

I really started hitting for the remainder of the season. Going into the last game of the year I was 9-20 (.450) with five doubles and a home run. That's what I expect to be doing! Nothing wrong with an .850 slugging percentage. The reason why I bring up the last game is because we were facing Pat Gale, CUNY's best pitcher. Scouts came to watch him. Needless to say, I got really geared up to hit, chased three straight pitches and went right back to the dugout. I got way too amped up and got myself out. That got me furious for the remainder of the day. I struck out once more against the relief but relaxed myself at the end and put together a good at bat.

So, at year's end, I finished .226, 7 walks, 8 doubles, 1 HR, 3 HBP and I was 9-9 in stolen bases. I With 93 at bats, that left me with a .301 OBP, and .341 SLG. Not what I'd like to be doing, but because of the obvious positives, I will go at it, and I am confident next year will be better.

Defensively, I thought I had a great season. As a catcher, that is the most important as well. I thought my receiving was good, my blocking was excellent, and the throws also were much better than years before. I don't think that I get a good shot at all bases attempted against me, but I'm a big critic of myself, so I need to make sure my throws are there anyway. And they were. Coaches assured me, I was executing my half of the play. But towards the end of the first half I was coming down with a dead arm. Nothing on it. My long toss distance dropped, my throws had no carry. Over the break I got on the Jaeger throwing program, designed to improve arm strength and durability. I was most excited about not losing velocity after consecutive days of throwing. It paid off tremendously. Teammates noticed the pop in my throws and the numbers show it as well.

Here is an estimation of the breakdown of numbers before and after break. I can't find the info, but I'm 90% it is very accurate. I am pretty sure I had thrown out 3 runners before the break, which came out to 5%. The math would indicate that 60 bases were stolen against. At years end, they had stolen 109, and I had thrown out 6 since then. Taking away the 60 from before the break (and 3 SB), I threw out 12% during the second half. That's over twice the amount in the first half. Lesson learned: Jaeger Throwing Program = Excellent. I'm really proud of that 12%, and I hope to see it get bigger next year.

That basically covers it. So, going into the summer, this is what I'm doing: For offense, just being really patient and sticking to it. I already see the results in the few games we played so far (lots of walks and more power hitting). Defensively, I plan on sticking to that long toss program, getting a stronger arm, and working on consistency and accuracy.

Stay tuned, more posts on the way.