Dennis Bennett: The Quintessential Left-Handed Pitcher

Over time, left-handed pitchers have acquired the stereotype of being an eccentric bunch. From quirky exploits on the field to adventures off the field, southpaws are a breed unto themselves. One of the best was Dennis Bennett, who sadly passed away last year.

Bennett signed with the Philadelphia Phillies out of Shasta Junior College (California) in 1958. He pitched well in the minors, but saw his 1961 season cut short because of an ill-conceived somersault race. Fortunately, he was able to recover and made his MLB debut with the Phillies the following year, winning nine games for the seventh place team.

A tragic car accident in the winter of 1963 in Puerto Rico nearly ended Bennett’s career and his life. Remarkably, he recovered in time to assume his place in the Phillies’ rotation by late June of that year, and finished 9-5 with a 2.64 ERA.

Bennett pitched in seven major league seasons, always displaying his free-spirited ways. He became known for bringing a small arsenal of guns with him on road trips, thus cementing his legacy as the quintessential lefty. He finished his career with a 43-47 record and 3.69 ERA. In addition to the Phillies, he also pitched for the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and California Angels. More information about his career statistics is available here.

This past January, I had a chance to speak with Bennett. Even though he had just received a diagnosis of cancer, he enthusiastically chatted with me for nearly 45 minutes and was optimistic in his outlook. Unfortunately, he lost his fight on March 24 at the age of 72. Baseball lost one of its great characters and pitchers, and he will be sorely missed.

Dennis Bennett Interview:

How did you first become interested in baseball?: I started playing Little League, and my dad, he played in the Coast League. When he was young he was a knuckleballer. He played for the Los Angeles Stars and I think, the Oakland Oaks. When we moved towns we didn’t have any baseball for kids at all, so he started a Little League. Then when I outgrew Little League he started Babe Ruth. When I outgrew Babe Ruth at 15 there was no other baseball because we didn’t have enough kids for an American Legion team and they didn’t have senior Babe Ruth at that time…

Once I got out of Babe Ruth I was only 16 and I had no place to play, so I started playing semi-pro for a team from Scott Mountain. Our own town team, they had a pitcher by the name of Butch Darymple. They were giving him $100 every Sunday, so I had to go to Scott Valley to pitch. But I started every Sunday.

Did you have a favorite team or player when you were growing up?: No, because I was growing up in the ‘50’s. The 40’s and the 50’s on the west coast, we didn’t have any baseball. That was something they played back east. The only time we would do anything was when we listened to the World Series, and I didn’t even really do that because I was usually busy doing something else; you know, spending a lot of time outside. So I didn’t have a favorite team and I didn’t have a favorite player.

Can you talk a little bit about your experience in getting signed by the Phillies in 1958?: Well, I could have signed with St. Louis in 1957 when I graduated from high school. My buddies, they wanted to go to school, so I tried to go with them. I had a free ride, but my buddies were going to a JC, so I went with them. We didn’t want to split up. There were three of us. We were all like brothers and still are. So I went down there and played baseball, and all of a sudden I came home one day and they were packing. I said, ‘what’s going on’ and they said, “we’re going in the Army; you want to go?” I said, ‘No, that’s the last place I want to go.’

In between there a scout called. He was a scout with the Phillies. He said, “Hey Dennis, you ready to go play?” I go, ‘Well yeah.’ He said, “Okay, we’ll meet you at your dad’s house tomorrow.” So I went back home and he came up and I signed. I didn’t even know anything about the minor leagues. Like I told him, ‘I don’t want to go too far from home.’ He said, “Of course. We’ll send you to Bakersfield.” I was in Bakersfield for three days and then they shipped me to Johnson City, Tennessee. I ended up quite a ways from home.

I didn’t really think about the big leagues for the first couple of years I played. I was just getting paid to do something I loved. I wasn’t much; I made a whole $250 a month when I first signed. I made $7,500 my first year in the big leagues. We made big bucks. You talked to players who played in the ‘40’s and ‘50s and they’d say, “God, you guys make a lot of money now-a-days.” They were making three or four hundred a month. The game has changed a lot, but that’s how I got started.

What type of pitches did you throw?: I guess it was just a fastball, a curveball, and a changeup. Back when I first signed I only had the fastball or the curveball. When I went to Johnson City there was an old boy there by the name of Ben Tincup, a pitching coach, and he taught me a changeup, or actually a palm ball. I didn’t throw the circle change; I threw a straight palm ball. So, when I got to the big leagues, those were the only three pitches I had.

In 1963, my second year, my pitching coach, Al Widmar taught me a slider, and I started throwing the slider, but I didn’t really use it that much.

What is your favorite moment from your playing career?: Probably it was one of my first big league starts. I shut out the Dodgers and struck out 11 (This was his first major league win and came on June 22, 1962. He beat the Dodgers 7-0). That’s kind of a highlight; my first win, and you know, almost winning the pennant in ’64. We had a 6.5 game lead with 12 left to play and lost 10 in a row. That was a high moment and a low moment. We had finished dead last in ’62 and ’63, and then we led the National League from opening day to the last day. We finished second by a game.

Getting traded to the American League to Boston, and I loved Fenway Park. I got my first win at Yankee Stadium. I mean, I think every ball player secretly wants to be a Yankee. It was great to walk into Yankee Stadium and look at all of the tradition, and the same way with Fenway and Wrigley.

What was your impression of Boston owner, Tom Yawkey?: He was great. I got in a car wreck in 1962 in Puerto Rico, after my first year. I got really banged up and spent three months in the hospital. I had cracked my shoulder blade, but nobody knew.

My arm started bothering after my last start in ’64. And so in ’65 it bothered me the whole year and I was like 5-7 for Boston, and I had got traded to Boston for Dick Stuart, so I had been traded for a pretty good player. In ’66 I went to spring training and my arm was so bad I couldn’t even throw. Billy Herman was our manager and said, “We’re going to send you down to Toronto, so you can go down to Triple-A and see if you can work out your problems.” I knew if I went to Toronto I was done, so I said, ‘I’m going to fly back to Boston and get another opinion.’ So I flew back and Dr. McGillicuddy in Boston finally found that in that wreck I had cracked my shoulder blade and calcium had built up on it. I went back to the ball club and talked to Herman and he said, “we we don’t allow players to have operations.” The doctor had said I had about a 50-50 chance of pitching again with the operation. I had no chance without it. So, I was arguing with him, and he’d say “no,” especially since they would be cutting on the back of the shoulder. We were talking about it and Mr. Yawkey walks in and he looks over and said, ‘Dennis, what are you doing here’ and I explained everything to him. He just looked at the doctor and said, ‘If the kid wants an operation, give him an operation.’ At that point I had an operation and went on to pitch for another six years. That was the type of person Mr. Yawkey was. He was a fantastic owner and a fantastic person.

If you could do anything about your career differently, what would that be?: Sure! I wouldn’t have gotten in that wreck. That set the tone for my whole career. When I first came up in ’62 they were comparing me to Koufax; I was one of the up and comers. I was 9-9 on a last place ball club and then got in that wreck. We were going to the ballpark for the game that night, the only ball club to drive in. I was sitting in the front seat and my pitching coach (Art Widmar) was sitting in the back seat, and another player (Joel Gibson) and his wife were in the back seat. The driver had a heart attack and died at 40 mile per hour. We hit a bridge and I went flying through the windshield and I ended up in the hospital for three months. They told me I might have trouble walking, let alone pitching, but I overcame all of that though I couldn’t overcome the shoulder. If I had it to do all over again I wouldn’t have gone to Puerto Rico!

As it was I loved every minute of it. My last four years I was a player/coach for Triple-A for the Angels. I spent three years with Hawaii and two years with Salt Lake. I really enjoyed that. They wanted me to travel because they wanted me to go to winter ball. I wouldn’t do it, so they released me. I was married and had four kids and had to wait for them all season long and I wasn’t about to be without them all winter too. I told them (Angels) I would go to Florida or to Arizona, but they wanted me to go to the Dominican.

Playing for the Red Sox during the 1960’s, what was your perception of the city and the team when it came to issues of race?: Well they were really one of the last teams to get colored players. When I was there we had Earl Wilson and Pumpsie Green. Then they traded Pumpsie.

I had never seen segregation until I signed and ended up in Tennessee. Every time the players went to a hotel, the colored players would have to go to a different section of town. 14. We didn’t have it (segregation) out here in California.

In spring training, the first year we went to Winter Haven, Florida, and Earl Wilson, and I, and Dave Morehead went to Lakeland to do something with the Detroit players or something. We stopped at this bar for a drink. We walked in and sat down. The bartender says, ‘I’ll serve you two, but I ain’t serving no niggers.’ I thought Earl was going to kill him, which is why we got him the hell out of there. Of course it got in all the papers.

I never had any problems. Richie Allen was one of my best friends. Like I said, when I was growing up we didn’t have any colored guys in town, let alone school. Even when I was in college none of them played sports.

From your perspective, were the Red Sox supportive of Wilson after the incident in the Lakeland bar?: I really can’t talk for Earl but I thought they were supportive. Boston was [known] for its cutthroat writers… Those guys were after all the scandal and dirt they could get. They really cut up the ballplayers. Of course, we had such a horses&%$# team, you know? In ’65 and ’66 we finished dead last. Then in ’67 we won the pennant. But I don’t think the Red Sox did anything wrong about Earl. I guess they decided to trade him; I forget who we got for him. I know they traded him in either ’65 or ’66…

Who is someone you played with or against who you believe was underrated and didn’t get the recognition they deserved?: Richie Allen was a hell of a player and he probably got recognized. Johnny Callison of the Phillies… I’m trying to think, but most of them got recognized. There was Yaz and Lonborg. He got recognized and was a hell of a pitcher when he came around. I can’t really think of anybody except for maybe Johnny Callison. He only had that one good year and he got traded around. In Boston I can’t think of anybody except for Reggie Smith. He went on and had a pretty good career for himself, but Boston had him underrated.

What have you been up to since you stopped playing baseball?: The only thing I knew was the bar business, so I moved here to Klamath Falls, Oregon and built a bar/cocktail lounge/steakhouse. I had it for about seven or eight years and then I sold it and opened up a boutique shop for my wife and a music store for me. I found out that wasn’t my gig. Then I really didn’t do anything for six or seven years.

I opened up another bar in ’94, and kept that until ’98. I then bought a four story building for my wife, so in ’98 I sold my interest in the bar and went to develop the building. On the first floor she had the boutique shop, and she also had a home interior store, where she sold linoleum, carpet, wood, and tile. On the next floor I have a bar and a back room that holds about 100 and has a dance floor. On the third floor I have a poker room, a pool room, another bar, and a big banquet room that holds about 400. Then I have a separate supper club type thing. I haven’t developed the top or the bottom; the top floor or the basement.

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Willie Mays Aikens: Hard Living, Hard Times and Hard-Cover Books

Willie Mays Aikens once had a promising major league baseball career that came to a premature end in 1985 because of his personal demons. Although his problems robbed him of his career and led to serving a 14-year prison sentence, he pushed through and is finally back on track after a detour that lasted more than two decades.

Aikens grew up in difficult circumstances in South Carolina. He attended South Carolina State University, but when the school dropped its baseball program after his freshman year, he wound up playing semi-pro ball. His talent saw him through, and in 1975 the California Angels made him the second overall selection in that year’s draft.

A left-handed hitting and right-handed throwing first baseman, Aikens made his MLB debut in 1977 and went on to have an eight-year major league career with the Angels, Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays. He hit a combined .271 in 774 career games with 110 home runs and 415 RBI. His best season came in 1983, when he hit .302 with 23 home runs and 72 RBI for the Royals.

Aikens was also the star of the 1980 World Series, hitting .400 with four home runs in a six-game loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Despite the great numbers, 1983 ended horribly for Aikens. Following the season, he and teammates Jerry Martin and Willie Wilson pled guilty to attempting to buy cocaine, and were sentenced to three months in prison.

Aikens never played for the Royals again. Following his incarceration, he was traded to the Blue Jays and spent parts of two seasons there before finishing his playing career with six excellent seasons in the Mexican League.

In addition to his legal problems, Aikens developed a self-confessed daily cocaine addiction and was an unrepentant womanizer. By 1994, his life was out of control and he wound up being arrested for selling 2.2 ounces of crack cocaine to an undercover police officer in his home in Kansas City, Missouri.

Because of the tougher federal sentencing guidelines for crack at the time, Aikens was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted on four charges related to distribution. He received just over 15 years on the drug charges and had an additional five years tacked on to his sentence because of having a loaded gun in the room where the drugs were sold to the officer.

Many lesser men would have spiraled even further down following such a blow, but Aikens saw a chance to change his life. He got himself clean for the first time in years and was able to reflect on the wrong turns that had landed him in a federal penitentiary.

In 2008, after serving 14 years of his sentence, Aikens was released from prison. Hal McRae, a former teammate, helped him find a construction job, but before long bigger and better opportunities presented themselves.

In recent years, Aikens has become an inspirational speaker, telling crowds of his travails. He was also hired as a minor league instructor by his former team, the Royals.

And of course, there is the book.

Last year, Gregory Jordan wrote Willie Mays Aikens: Safe at Home. It has been described as a starkly honest account of Aikens’ life, including openly discussing his most painful experiences.

Recently, Aikens and Jordan were guests of Williams College to discuss their book and take questions. Aikens’ journey is truly remarkable and one that any fan of baseball or a comeback story should explore.

For more information on obtaining an autographed copy of the book you can contact Aikens via Twitter or email him at aikenswillie24@yahoo.com.

Aikens stands out as a memorable figure in a sport that is littered with captivating storylines. It’s great to see the success he has achieved and hopefully his book will be a springboard to even bigger and better things.

Willie Aikens Interview:

As you neared your release from incarceration, what plans did you have in place about what you were going to do with your life on the outside?: My original release date was May of 2012, so when I was released in June of 2008, it came as a total shock to me. I had already started to communicate with Gregory Jordan, who is the author of my book. I had plans to finish my book with Gregory and hopefully find a publisher. I had made plans to marry Sara, who was the mother of my second-oldest daughter. I truly wanted to get back into baseball in some kind of way. I wanted a better relationship with my daughters. I wanted to experience a spiritual life away from prison, where more temptations were at. I wanted to do speaking engagements and share my testimony to help other. By the grace of God, all these plans I had before I left prison are realities now. Praise God.

How difficult was it for you to have your whole life laid out in a book- warts and all?: It was very difficult at first. I had to be honest about things that happened in my life. I had to be honest talking about my family. Some of the things I said about my mother were truly painful. My daughters didn't want me to write about them in my book. Neither one has read my book to date. They didn't want to read about how they treated their father. I had to be honest about things I did, being a dead-beat dad. Making bad decisions that made me lose years being separated from my daughters. Going back over my baseball career and seeing how my baseball career was cut short because of stupid choices I made. As time has passed, things have gotten better.

What has the response to your book been like so far?: Most people that have read my book have enjoyed it. I get comments all the time from people that have read my book and have gone through problems like mine. Some are still facing those problems and my book has given them the confidence that they can overcome those problems. Hopefully a movie will be made one day. The responses have been positive and uplifting.

What do you miss the most from playing professional baseball?: Being in the spotlight and having plenty of money. I really don't miss all the female companions and all the drinking and drugging I used to do. I know these are material things, but that is what I enjoyed most about being a professional baseball player. Also, my relationship with all my teammates, and just being with a great bunch of guys on a daily basis. That lifestyle would have been better with a spiritual life, but it didn't happen that way. I do miss those things, but as time goes by, we adjust to getting older. Just being back in baseball now and coaching the young players is a tremendous blessing for me. Being a part of baseball and doing something I enjoy is the place where I want to be.

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Baseball Notes for January 7, 2013

It’s now less than two months until pitchers and catchers report for spring training. We’ve finally gotten to the point of the offseason where teams are starting to scramble to fill the final holes on their rosters. Because the majority of the big-name free agents have already signed, the depths of the available player pool are starting to be plumbed. This makes the weeks leading up to spring training some of the most interesting to watch for diehard baseball fans.

***The Texas Rangers added another bat to their lineup by agreeing to a one-year contract with free-agent first baseman Lance Berkman. The switch-hitter will be 37 before the start of the season and played in only 32 games last year with the St. Louis Cardinals because of injuries.

Berkman will be paid $10 million, with a chance to earn an additional $1 million in incentives. If he can stay healthy, it will probably end up being a good deal for the Rangers. Berkman is the definition of a professional hitter. He takes a lot of walks and his .953 career OPS is 21^st all-time in major league history. Having spent the majority of his career playing for the Houston Astros, he is used to playing in the summer heat of Texas and could thrive in the hitter-friendly confines of Arlington.

Berkman is slow and lumbering on defense, but Texas can hide and preserve him physically by giving him the majority of his at-bats as a DH. He can occasionally spell Mitch Moreland at first, but will be most effective if the Rangers take and hide his glove.

***Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer in the history of baseball, announced he is 95 percent back in his recovery from a knee injury that robbed him of most of the 2012 season. Although he is 43, there is little reason to bet against him making a full recovery and having a fantastic farewell season in 2013. Instead of declining, he has aged like fine wine, posting a combined 1.72 ERA since the start of the 2008 season. You don’t have to be a Yankees fan to root for Rivera; just a fan of baseball and good people.

***Proving that left-handed pitchers have nine lives (at least), the Chicago Cubs agreed to a minor league contract with Dontrelle Willis. Since going 22-10 with a 2.63 ERA in 2005 with the Florida Marlins, it’s all been downhill for Willis. Suffering from control problems and an anxiety disorder, he has pitched for five different organizations since the start of the 2010 season. He appeared in just four minor league games in 2012 with the Baltimore Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate, posting an 0-3 record and 8.53 ERA.

Although he has seemingly been around forever, Willis will only be 31 when he has his next birthday later this week. With Chicago being in rebuilding mode, there is little risk in taking a chance on the southpaw and seeing if he has anything left. As another player who is well-liked and respected around baseball, it would be great to see the affable Willis get his career back on track.

***The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to spend like drunken sailors, reeling in left-handed reliever J.P. Howell on a one-year deal for $2.85 million plus incentives. Howell had been with the Tampa Bay Rays since 2006 and alternated between struggling with injuries and being an effective piece in their bullpen. He had a 3.04 ERA and held left-handed hitters to a .200 batting average in 55 appearances last season. Although he has been nearly as effective against righties in his career, it’s likely that he will serve as a lefty specialist with the Dodgers.

Howell’s signing represents another move by Los Angeles that seems driven more by their limitless resources than an actual pursuit of chemistry. Their roster is populated by many highly paid (many would say overpaid) players who have a lot of baggage. Carl Crawford, Kenley Jansen, Hanley Ramirez and Josh Beckett are among those who have previous injury or behavioral issues that have the potential to derail a team.  The 2013 Dodgers’ roster seems more like a Frankenstein creation that one that was put together with deliberation and care. It will be interesting to see if that approach is a winning formula.

***San Francisco Giants reliever Sergio Romo was cited for a recent disturbance at a Las Vegas airport after authorities say he refused to provide TSA agents with a proper id, which developed into an argument. The slight right-hander has been one of the most important bullpen pieces for the Giants in recent seasons, going 20-9 with a 2.20 ERA in 276 games since he began his major league career in 2008.

Romo is no stranger to bucking authority, as the t-shirt he wore in last year’s World Series celebratory parade, decrying recent immigration laws, got a lot of attention. However strange it may sound, it’s refreshing to see an MLB player getting in trouble for exercising their rights instead of being involved in crimes connected to drugs, alcohol or violence. While no distractions are good distractions, Romo is not the kind of person who is going to be a negative influence on a team.

***The Boston Red Sox were recently reported to have worked out two players who many may think are past their primes.

Outfielder Bobby Abreu did some drills in front of team officials in Venezuela, including taking grounders at first base; a position he has never played before professionally. The 17-year major league veteran has been in steady decline for several seasons, culminating in last year’s punchless .242 batting average with the Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers. It’s hard to imagine the Red Sox view Abreu as anything more than depth value to bring into spring training on a minor league contract. So far, there has been no indication that they will attempt to sign him.

Boston has also scouted veteran right-handed starting pitcher Javier Vazquez in the Puerto Rican Winter League. The 36-year-old Vazquez is 165-160 with a 4.22 ERA in a 14-year major league career. He last pitched in the majors in 2011 with the Florida Marlins, going 13-11 with a 3.69 ERA and 162 strikeouts.

Vazquez’s Winter League general manager is former Boston super-sub Alex Cora, who indicated Vazquez is still impressive, hitting the low-90s with his fastball. In the past, Vazquez hasn’t been nearly as good pitching in the AL, if you compare his 4.65 ERA to his NL mark of 3.99. The Red Sox have not been reported to have made any official offer and their scouting at this point is simply doing due diligence on any possible option that could help improve their team.

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Cincinnati Reds' Pitching Prospect Dan Langfield Bursts on to the Scene

The Cincinnati Reds have had success cultivating young pitchers in recent years, with Aroldis Chapman, Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto all making major contributions to the big league team. This bodes well for one of the Reds’ most recent draft picks, right-hander Dan Langfield.

Langfield was a high school star in Somerset, Massachusetts. He was part of the 2006 Somerset High School team that won the 2006 Division II State title. He peaked as a senior, going 5-2 with a 0.85 ERA. He struck out a ridiculous 118 batters in 57.1 innings, earning a scholarship to the University of Memphis.

Langfield improved in each season as a Tiger, culminating in his junior year in 2012, when he went 7-6 with a 2.79 ERA. He also fanned a Conference-USA best 111 batters in 93.2 innings. He finished his career with 252 strikeouts; good for third-place all-time at Memphis.

The Reds took Langfield with the 109^th overall selection (3^rd round) of this past year’s MLB draft. He was sent to short-season Billings to get his first taste of pro ball and didn’t fail to impress during his debut season. He appeared in 15 games (five starts) and went 3-0 with a 2.68 ERA. He also struck out 54 in just 37 innings.

Control is one area that Langfield will need to work on in 2013, as he walked 17 and hit five batters last season. More information on his statistics is available at BaseballReference.com.

I was able to ask Langfield some questions earlier this offseason. Given his draft pedigree and impressive first pro season, expectations should be high for the young pitcher as he prepares for his first spring training. Keep reading to learn a little more about one of the Reds’ up-and-coming prospects.

Dan Langfield Interview:

Who was your favorite player when you were growing up, and why?: My favorite player growing up was actually a position player, Derek Jeter, because I was a Yankees fan even though I grew just 45 minutes south of Boston. He was my favorite player because of all the "Jeter plays" he was making, and they just kept showing them on SportsCenter.

What was it like playing baseball for the University of Memphis?: Playing at the University of Memphis was the best thing I could have done because it helped out my game and prepared me so much for pro ball and life altogether. I appreciate everything Head Coach Schoenrock and Pitching Coach Corral has done for me up to this point. The team was a great group of guys that wanted to get better, play hard and win, and that’s the atmosphere I needed to be around.

Can you describe what your draft day experience was like?: Draft day was such a great day because it is every kids’ dream who plays baseball to be drafted. I had got done with working, and my girlfriend and I were on the way home and I was receiving calls from different teams, with them telling me different things. When I got home we turned on the draft and watched the second round and started to realize it was real and I was about to be drafted! The second round went by and I was a little a disappointed because about five teams had said they were going to take me in the second round, but the third round came and the Cincinnati Reds said they were going to take me at overall pick 109. When that came it was very exciting because it meant I am getting closer to my dream. It was awesome to have my family around but my dad had to be at work unfortunately. He was there throughout my entire career going up to that point. I was real excited to be drafted by the Reds because they're a great organization and they are the team who gave me the opportunity to play professional baseball.

What was the anxiety and anticipation like between the time you were drafted to when you got assigned to a team and played your first game?: There wasn't really much time because of the way the draft is set up now there is not much room for negotiation. So my agent told me the Reds wanted me in Arizona in six days, which didn't give me much time off, but I was ready to begin. Then after being there for four days we went to Billings, Montana to begin our first professional season. I was real anxious to get out there and start pitching, but I knew it was still the same game, just at a new level.  

Which pitches do you throw, and which is your best and which do you believe needs the most work?: Fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. Best pitch is fastball because that is the pitch I throw the most strikes with. The curveball is my second best because that's where a lot of my strikeouts come from; and my changeup needs a little work, just on slowing it down a little.

Your dad was drafted by the Blue Jays in 1980; how much advice has he been able to give you throughout your career?: He has helped out so much with baseball because he was pretty much my pitching coach up until college. He has taught me so much and I am so thankful that I was able to have him around to help me through things and teach me new things.  

What was the most difficult thing to get used to this summer other than the travel?: I would say just having games every single day and being at the field at 2 p.m. every day. I was used to only being at about four games a week in college because that's all we really played in a week. Also the language barrier with some players was tough to get used to because some only knew very little English and it made it pretty difficult.

Transitioning from college to professional ball this year, how noticeable was the difference in talent between the two?: The talent at the Rookie level was not a major difference because you're facing a lot of college kids that were drafted that year and high school kids that were drafted as well, but as you move up that is where you notice to difference because of experience. But at Rookie level it's still very competitive facing the best college players and high school players, so the lineups are a bit better and so is the pitching.

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