Tigers Minor League Baseball Blog

As spring training winds down, the end means that there is a new season on the horizon. For me and for most, this has felt like a longer than normal spring due to the later start date (because of the world baseball classic) and also because we have a larger than normal amount of players in camp. The latter lends itself to more stress rather than a stoppage in time because in the end not everyone will have a place to go and unless you are a protected player on the 40-man roster, nothing is ever certain. For me I like to tread on the positive side of things and think that I am in the natural progression of the system and will be moving up this year. While I am confident in my abilities, the ever present thought of “maybe” lingers in any ballplayer’s head the last week of spring. This can only be an off the field thought or post game discussion because at this level, there is no room for ifs, ands, buts, and even maybes while you are in competition mode. All you can do is go out everyday and make your best case for a spot based on how hard you work that day. You see, spring training is all about taking everyday one day at a time because for those of us whose futures are uncertain, the need to treat everyday like the last is increased. This is the only way to assure not only yourself, but the organization that you belong somewhere, and that maybe, just maybe, you will be an asset at the major league level. This is the goal we minor leaguers are all striving to achieve day in and day out, and it is also the reason why everyday of spring training counts (and why we don’t get a day off), whether it looks like it or not. On another note, a good friend of mine and of many in the organization, Rudy Darrow was traded today to Atlanta. As many of my teammates are, I am sad to see him go, but at the same time couldn’t be happier for him because he may now get that shot that we are all looking for. Sometimes the grand prize is not always behind the first door we open, but it is what happens after we walk through that door that leads us to what we are looking for.