I had a brief break in the world of cheer website development to focus on building content for BASEBALL …which meant that I got to spend a couple of days with a minor league team! The Durham Bulls, the AAA team for the Tampa Bay Rays, graciously hosted me and my camera crew for four days as we documented the life of one of the Rays’ top prospects, Chris Mason! 
Chris, known best for his pitching arm and various colors of hair, agreed to let SportsGist follow him around to let the viewers see what exactly goes on during the five-day rotation cycle of a pitcher! I have to admit that although I’ve heard players complain about road trips, little pay in the minors and the heat, the life of a baseball player is not a bad gig! Although… being the only girl at a ball field can have its ups and downs too. There were certainly some odd looks and comments when I first got to the field and an occasional ball would get thrown my way during fielding practice. I definitely felt a little out of place at first, especially when the grounds crew checked out my shoes each day to ensure that I wasn’t wearing heels. By day four and rain delay #2, I just switched to tennis shoes and a baseball hat and gave up on looking cute!
Pitchers throw every five days and on the day he pitched, Chris strolled up at field at 5:30 for a 7:05 pm game – rough! The game didn’t go as well as he would have hoped as he earned the loss off a 3-run homer! On Friday, Chris made an appearance at an elementary school where he fit right in discussing Wii Sports! He fielded very difficult questions like, “Umm when you play the Wii, what guy do you like to be” and “How hard do you serve in Wii tennis?” I think the kids totally lost interest in anything baseball when they discovered that Chris played video games…and by play, I mean compulsively compete until 5 am with his roommates. Interesting fact however, Chris Mason NEVER missed one day of school in his 13 years of schooling! His dad was a strong believer in the theory, “If you’re breathing, you’re going to school.” To me, this is much more impressive that winning Southern League Pitcher of the Year. Thirteen years and not a day absent? Remarkable.
The following two days, Chris arrived about two and half hours prior to game time to work out on the field and throw a bull pen. I also played a little catch with Chris and to many players’ surprise, did very well! Little did they know that the girl on the field was also quite the athlete in high school! During field time, different coaches and trainers worked with Chris on his mechanics, endurance and body strength. I got out there with Chris and had the trainer show me a couple of exercises. (Thank goodness the power went out in my hotel for two hours which left me without a hair dryer or straightening iron so I was already appropriately dressed in a baseball hat and workout clothes!) My favorites were the Crazy Eight torso twist with the medicine ball and the “woodchopper,” although I didn’t do this one for vanity’s sake. By the time Chris was being filmed doing these exercises, a small crowd had already developed making us seem far more important than we actually were.
Finally, game four of the week was delayed over two hours for a torrential down pour that blanketed the field! This left me sitting criss-cross applesauce in a corner, sharing pizza and funnel cakes with the team announcer and camera crew. I also spent a lot of time texting my friend on the opposing team. Apparently there was talk of some “tarp sliding” by the Charlotte Knights but apparently the GM did not think highly of that idea!
In my next life, I’m coming back as a baseball player…and I’d like to think that I’d be a first or second rounder due to my highly enhanced athletic prowess! After spending several days with a pitcher, I think I’d like to be an infielder so I could see a little more action and most importantly, so I could hit! I DEFINITELY could hit it over “The Blue Monster” in Durham so if there are any scouts reading this, keep me on your radar, I’m sure to be a “draft and follow” player!
