Over

So last Thursday I graduated. So much has happened since my last post. Most readers probably know I played about half a senior season after sliding into a third baseman's foot - broken and displaced sesamoid bone with two ruptured tendons. I can go on and complain and say what a good season I was having, but I've done so much of that with my mouth, I'm too lazy to type it.

As for right now, I've resumed playing, thanks to a carbon foot plate and some nice turf-toe taping. I feel good playing, but it's not 100% and I'm being very careful to not over-do it off the field. The fear of re-injury is very very strong, although when I'm playing, it's really shoved very much in the back of my mind.

Having graduated, I pretty much accept that Baseball is slowly being squeezed out of my life. Assuming I even continue to play in years to come, I'll definitely only get worse - I won't be practicing during the year, maybe a few summer ball practices. So I'm definitely at my peak, and accept that all the work I've put in, this is what has come out - for better or for worse. I'm definitely proud of what has come out; there are parts of my game that were once blaring weaknesses and with hard work and coaching have transformed into strengths. (Props to you, Jaeger throwing program.)

Obviously the next huge goal for me is to tryout at some Independent League tryout and see how far off I am, or how little I can make a fool of myself. And I know that even despite my success in perhaps the worst NCAA conference and NY amateur Baseball leagues, I shouldn't be expecting to compete at any professional level. But at what point in my Baseball journey was I ever not getting in way over my head? Having never played baseball, I signed up for a camp designed for the college-bound player. I mean, I wish I could see myself back in those days (somewhere I have a VHS of the evaluation, but it's all messed up and can only be watched in fast forward). I'm sure it'll help show how the work I put in paid off. And as to whether it was worth the GPA that wasn't close to hitting four bases - I never blame Baseball, that was simply me not putting effort into something I wasn't genuinely interested in.

Long story short, it's nice to look back at anything in life, be proud of what you did, and move on to the next chapter. Looking back, I'd probably put more effort into something like school - even if I don't enjoy it, the success one enjoys will be worth the hard work. So if I can say one thing, just do what you do with all you got, because that's the only way it's ever worth it.