I Was Invited To Dodgers Spring Training
Summary
TLDRThe speaker shares his exhilarating experience of pitching at Dodger spring training camp as part of Team Asian Breeze. Despite initial restrictions, he captures the day's events, including signing for fans, warming up under the gaze of a supportive crowd, and the strategic gameplay. He details his interactions with fellow players and the excitement of facing a player he previously encountered. The narrative is filled with the thrill of the game, the camaraderie of the sport, and the joy of engaging with fans and friends alike.
Takeaways
- ๐ The speaker was invited to pitch at Dodger spring training camp as part of Team Asian Breeze against minor leaguers.
- ๐ฅ Initially, video recording was not allowed, but the speaker found that many were recording on their phones and some TV cameras were present.
- ๐ธ The speaker signed autographs for 20-30 minutes for fans before the game, including Dodger and Yokohama jerseys, bobbleheads, and cards.
- ๐ Hundreds of Dodger fans attended the backfield game to support the speaker, which is unusually high for a spring training game.
- ๐ค The speaker interacted with several minor leaguers and familiar Dodger players before the game, including Alex Vesia and Ronan Cop.
- โพ The speaker faced a player he had previously played against in the Cape Cod League, who now plays for the Dodgers.
- ๐ฅ During the game, the speaker utilized various pitches and strategies, including four new slide steps and a quick pitch to disrupt hitters' timing.
- ๐ฏ The speaker's goal was to throw strikes and make the hitters swing, as it was his first actual game action this spring.
- ๐ The speaker's fastball velocity ranged from 97-99 mph, with the slowest pitch being 96 mph.
- ๐ฎ The speaker mentioned that he throws slower when making content on YouTube compared to when he's pitching in a game.
- ๐ฃ๏ธ Fans were involved in the game by calling pitches during the third inning, and the speaker interacted with them and the media after the game.
Q & A
What was the original instruction regarding video recording during the game?
-The original instruction was that there was no video allowed during the game.
How did the speaker feel about the number of Dodger fans present at the backfield game?
-The speaker was impressed and appreciative to see hundreds of Dodger fans at the backfield game, which is usually attended by only a handful of people.
What was the speaker's goal for the game?
-The speaker's goal was to throw strikes, throw their best stuff over the plate, and force the players to swing.
What was the outcome of the first pitch the speaker threw?
-The first pitch was a cutter called by the catcher, which the speaker appreciated, but it was thrown slightly high, resulting in a 1-0 count.
How did the speaker handle the situation with the runner on second base who was trying to steal signs?
-The speaker humorously acknowledged the runner's attempts and even gave him a little head tilt, indicating that they knew what was happening, but ultimately didn't take the bait.
What was the speaker's strategy for the third hitter in the first inning?
-The speaker's strategy was to use their normal righty setup with fastballs away, cutters away, and sliders off the plate.
How did the speaker's interaction with Eric Sim during the game affect their performance?
-The interaction with Eric Sim seemed to motivate the speaker, as they discussed the speed of the pitches and the speaker's desire to hit 100 mph during the game.
What was the speaker's approach to the game after getting into a jam in the first inning?
-After getting into a jam, the speaker felt more locked in and ready to have fun, even considering letting the fans call the pitches as a way to increase the game's entertainment value.
What did the speaker do after their three innings were over?
-After their three innings, the speaker signed autographs for fans, including a fan wearing a Trevor Bower sword shirt, and interacted with the media members who had come to cover the event.
How did the speaker feel about their overall performance and the day's events?
-The speaker felt positive about their performance and was appreciative of the support from fans and media. They enjoyed the day and considered it a good experience.
Outlines
๐ Pitching at Dodger Spring Training Camp
The speaker describes his experience of being invited to pitch at the Dodger spring training camp. Initially, he was told no video recording was allowed, but upon arrival, he noticed many people recording with their phones and TV cameras. He gathered footage from the day to share his perspective. The speaker walked through the same path as fans, signing autographs for about 20-30 minutes for fans in Dodger and Yokohama jerseys, bobbleheads, and cards. He was pleasantly surprised by the large turnout of fans, which made the event more enjoyable. He also interacted with other players and shared his preparation and warm-up routine, highlighting the excitement of pitching in front of a supportive crowd.
๐ฅณ Facing the Batters: Strategy and Execution
The speaker narrates his strategic approach to facing batters during the game. He discusses his initial goal of throwing strikes and not walking people, considering it his first actual game action of the spring. He details the pitches he threw, including a cutter on the first pitch and a quick pitch that missed below the zone. He shares his thought process during each pitch, his satisfaction with his fastball velocity, and his interaction with a player from his past encounters. The speaker also talks about his intention to disrupt the batters' timing with various leg kicks and pitches, leading to a strikeout sequence.
๐คฃ The Game's Funny Moments and Fan Interaction
The speaker recounts humorous moments from the game, such as a runner trying to distract him from stealing third base, which he playfully encouraged. He also shares his strategy of revealing his pitch intentions to the batters, turning the game into a fun challenge. Despite a few mishaps, like a bounced slider and a catcher getting hit, the speaker remains focused on striking out batters. He describes a particularly effective splitter that led to a strikeout and his decision to have fun by letting a fan call pitches, which resulted in a successful play on the mound.
๐ Post-Game Highlights and Fan Engagement
After the game, the speaker spends time signing autographs and interacting with fans, including a memorable encounter with a fan wearing his merchandise. He also talks about a mid-game interview with Eric, where he discusses his game plan and desire to reach 100 mph. The speaker expresses his enthusiasm for the unique aspects of the game, such as signaling every pitch to the hitters and allowing fans to call pitches. He reflects on the excitement of the day, his successful pitches, and the support from the fans, media, and other players.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กDodger spring training camp
๐กTeam Asian Breeze
๐กVlog camera
๐กBullpen
๐กLeg kicks
๐กCutter
๐กSplitter
๐กSlider
๐กStrikeout
๐กFan interaction
๐กMedia coverage
Highlights
The speaker was invited to pitch at Dodger spring training camp as part of Team Asian Breeze.
Initially, video recording was not allowed, but many people were filming with their phones and TV cameras.
The speaker signed autographs for fans before the game, including Dodger Bower jerseys, Yokohama jerseys, and bobbleheads.
Hundreds of Dodger fans attended the backfield game, which is unusual for a spring training game.
The speaker warmed up in the bullpen next to the fan walkway, reminiscent of pitching in Seattle.
Many young Dodger minor leaguers came to watch the game, which is not typical for backfield games.
The speaker faced a player he had previously played against in the Cape Cod League.
The speaker used different leg kicks and pitches, including a quick pitch, mid-leg kick, full leg kick, and pause leg kick.
The first pitch of the game was a cutter, which the speaker appreciated as it showed the catcher's confidence.
The speaker's goal was to throw strikes and not walk people, as it was his first actual game action this spring.
The speaker threw a variety of pitches, including fastballs, cutters, sliders, and splitters, throughout the game.
The speaker had a sequence where he threw a splitter that the hitter swung at and missed, leading to a strikeout.
The speaker interacted with a runner on second base, playfully encouraging him to steal third.
The speaker had a perfect pitch called a strike, but the umpire did not call it, leading to a laugh and a comment from the crowd.
The speaker's friend, Eric Sim, was in the crowd and provided commentary and support.
The speaker discussed his pitching strategy and how it differs between making content on YouTube and pitching in a game.
The speaker's plan for the third inning was to possibly let the fans call the pitches and try to hit 100 mph.
The speaker ended his outing by signing autographs and interacting with fans, including a fan wearing a Trevor Bower shirt.
Transcripts
I was recently invited to pitch at
Dodger spring training camp but not for
the Dodgers against the Dodgers I was
part of Team Asian Breeze and the game
was on a backfield against some minor
Leaguers now I was originally told that
there was no video allowed during the
game so I didn't bring my Vlog camera or
any cameras but when I got there there's
a ton of people videoing with their
phones and some TV cameras out there so
what I've done is I've gathered all the
footage that I can from the day and I'm
going to walk you through what I was
thinking and how I saw the day through
my eyes so let's get into it now when I
first got to the complex I walked
through the same roads that the fans
walk through to get to the field so I
got to see a lot of Dodger fans on the
way there which is really cool so before
I even got to the field I stopped and
sign for 20 or 30 minutes for a lot of
the fans that were there there was
Dodger Bower jerseys there there was
Yokohama jerseys there there were Dodger
bobbleheads and Trevor Bower cards and
Trevor Bower bobbleheads and all sorts
of cool stuff so it was really cool to
see that from the fans and there's
hundreds of people out there normally
for a backfield game in spring training
there's like 10 people maybe 15 people
most of those being family of people
that are playing or maybe a couple
Scouts for the organization but there
were hundreds of Dodger fans out there
so it was cool to see everyone come out
to support me and to watch me Pitch I
appreciate each and every one of you
thank you for the support made the day a
lot of fun so after signing for 20 or 30
minutes I went to warm up for the game
eventually got over to the bullpen and
this was right next to the walkway for
the fans so there's a bunch of people
lined up watching my Bullpen felt pretty
cool it actually reminded me of pitching
in Seattle where the bullpen is right
next to the stands and the fans can just
look straight at you and you're on the
same eye level with them pretty cool
feeling I always like warming up in
Seattle because of that so it made the
uh warm-up process a little bit more fun
also it's was really cool to see so many
of the young Dodger minor Leaguers come
out to watch the game normally in spring
training for a backfield game if you're
not playing you don't go to it you go
you get your warm-ups done you get your
throwing done for the day you get your
recovery done and you go home only the
people that are playing in the game
would show up but there is definitely
more people there at the game than we're
playing they just came out to watch I
got to see my friend Alex vessia I got
to give him a hug and talk to him a
little bit he actually ended up pitching
in the game which is pretty cool I I got
to see Ronan cop who trains with me in
the offseason got to see some of the
Dodger players that I know and actually
a cool thing happened on my way from the
bullpen on the first base side to the
third base Dugout before the game I
actually saw one of the players I faced
in the cape a couple years back I was
pitching there in the summer he was
playing for Brewster at the time uh now
he's playing for the Dodgers which is
pretty cool to see and I asked him what
pitches do you want to face today what
pitch you want to strike out oner fair
play and he said fast balls but none of
that slid step BS so I made sure to look
at his number he's number 35 and I put
in my head okay number 35 wants all the
slide steps actually have four new slide
steps I have a quick pitch I have a mid
leg kick a full leg kick and a pause leg
kick so I made sure to whip all those
out against him and I actually faced him
in the first inning so we'll get to that
about in a second but let's see how the
first inning went I'll walk you through
what pitches I threw and what I was
thinking in the moment first pitch of
the game My catcher calls cutter which
is awesome I'm not just going to give
you a first pitch lazy fast ball down
the middle to hit fact that a brand new
catcher called cutter first pitch I was
like right on board with
him but I did miss a little bit High
which makes it at 1 and0 so going into
the game I really just didn't want to
walk people I wanted to make sure I was
throwing strikes this is my first actual
game action this spring now most of
these guys have already been throwing
live BP and they've been throwing on
mounds and cleats and had some game
action a lot of the hitters have already
faced live pitching and been playing
games I've just been throwing in my gym
in shoes against Eric so I wasn't sure
exactly how I was going to go so that's
why my goal was just make sure to throw
strikes throw my best stuff over the
plate and force the guys to swing so I'm
behind one and0 in the count so I'm
going to throw a fast ball make sure I
get back into the count but I mixed in
one of my new leg kicks this is the
Quick Pitch and before I take a step
back like I normally would I slide my
left foot forward and just go straight
into my delivery so this is intended to
mess with the hitter's timing a little
bit it's 1 I think he's probably looking
for a fast ball so I decided to mix in a
little wrinkle on the timing and
unfortunately I missed below the zone so
now we're two and0 which means I need to
throw a strike oh fall tanks so I go
back to my normal leg kick I throw a
fast ball middle of the plate and he
pulls it way foul luckily for me not a
homer so we're back to two in one now I
didn't know this at the time but the
slowest fast ball I threw on the day was
96 I was sitting 97 998 I touched 99
three times if I would have known that I
probably would have thrown more fast
balls I figured in the moment I was
probably throwing like 95 96 I felt
pretty good but I didn't think I was
throwing quite that hard the fact that
he got the head out on 97 and pulled 97
foul is a good indication of where he's
at timing wise so when I saw that I
decided to throw a cutter to one and I
didn't really think I had to be too fine
with it I just needed to throw it for a
strike and I figured it' be a rollover
or a ground ball Maybe a swing and miss
something along those
lines now that pitch was middle but to
his credit he took a 2-1 cutter and got
a solid line drive hit just a single but
not the best start to the day I'm not
worried about it though at this point
just figured I'd get the next guy maybe
roll a double play I did have a lefty
coming up which means my splitter is in
play really good ground ball pitch so
maybe I can roll a double play here
first pitch fast ball up and in get a
swing Miss which means this fat is off
to a good start now pitching in Japan I
did pick up a slide step which makes it
a lot harder to steal off me in the
middle it's a bad actually looked over
at the runner on first base and said hey
are you fast and he's like no I'm not
which I think he was lying to me because
he is leading off so he's got to be
somewhat quick second Pitch 01 I tried
to land a curveball but I ended up
bouncing it a little bit so we're 1-1 it
was a good pitch just not at the right
time maybe if I throw it 02 he swings
but not 01 so we're 1-1 now I need to
get ahead I got to get to one two give
myself a chance of a strikeout here so I
decided to throw a split I threw it
middle middle probably a pitch that
could get hit but he was out in front of
it swung over the top of it so we get to
one two and it gave me a good idea
throw that pitch again so I did but I
threw it a little bit too low and he
didn't swing at it but that's okay that
sets up the next pitch perfectly so if I
think about the sequence I've just gone
fast ball up and in he swung and missed
a splitter up and in that he swung at
thinking it was a fast ball and then it
died to go middle middle he was over the
top of it and out in front of it I then
threw a splitter that started at the
bottom of the zone and broke below the
zone that he didn't swing at so now it's
time for a fast ball at the bottom of
the zone that he thinks is the splitter
but it doesn't break and it catches the
bottom of the zone for strike three wo
now as soon as I let go of that pitch I
said yep because I knew I had executed
it before the ball even got to the plate
I knew as a strike the Umpire rang him
up so we're in a good spot here get our
first out of the inning double play
right now ends the inning but I'm not
going for double plays I'm here to
strike people out and I'm here to
entertain the fans so third hitter we
got a righty at the plate which means
I'm going to go with my normal righty
setup fast balls away Cutters away
sliders off the plate start with the
first pitch fast ball away strike come
back with a second Pitch cutter strike
so get to O2 real quick now it's time
for the nasty wipe out slider now I had
really good feel for all my pitches on
this day except for my slider and as you
can see I bounced that nowhere close to
the plate hitter doesn't even budge just
a really bad pitch also really hard
pitch for my catcher to block he did a
great job of keeping in front of him but
can't expect much more than that and the
runner advances to second base this is
where it got kind of interesting now
normally with a man on second base you'd
go through multiple signs with the
catcher but this is just an exhibition
game and I'm just here to have some fun
so I told my catcher to give only one
sign so the guy at second base probably
could have been relaying to The Hitter
exactly what pitch was coming which I
didn't care about cuz I was already
planning on telling the hitters
everything that I was throwing in future
Innings now this is a funny moment of
the game something that most of the fans
probably missed a couple picked up on it
cuz I could hear him saying oo when I
did it the runner's bouncing off a
second base trying to get me to pay
attention to him trying to fake like
he's going to steal the third so I just
looked at him and I gave him a little
head tilt like yeah go ahead go to third
do it what do you think go try he didn't
try to steal third at least until later
in the inning but that was just a little
bit of fun I was having with the runner
I honestly would have liked him to steal
third then he can't relay signs from
second and also puts a little bit more
pressure on me cuz now I can't even give
up a ball in play and I like that type
of situation it would have been one out
man on Third and I would have had to
strike two people out to get out of the
inning unfortunately though he didn't
take the bait so back to focusing on the
hitter we're in a one-w count I decided
to go with a slider I wanted to throw a
better one just get it slightly out of
the Zone maybe get a swing in a onew
count I have another pitch to waste and
if I miss with the slider I know I have
the comeback two scene that he'll freeze
on because just like the splitter he
sees the sliders break out of the Zone
if you see something that looks like
those he's going to read ball and the
ball's going to break back into the zone
so this is really a free pitch and if I
don't get him on this pitch I'll get him
on the next pitch I just can't throw
this one for a strike because he might
have a chance of hitting it so I didn't
get the slider close enough to the plate
to get a swing which means time for The
Comeback two seam and I absolutely
dotted this pitch this is a strike I
don't know what the empire was looking
at maybe I froze him too I mean just
look at the catcher GL it literally
doesn't move I just dot it and he set it
up as a strike right on the black
Perfect Pitch but we don't get the call
I kind of threw my head back and laughed
I heard someone say welcome to the real
world and I thought at the time that it
was someone from the Dodgers Dugout what
I found out later is it was actually
Eric Sim chirping me from the crowd real
life son it's different ball game either
way we don't get the call so now it's 3
and two and now I have to throw a strike
so we go fast ball in got a foul ball
off his foot now it's time for an off
speed pitch I decided to go with the
splitter and that was a nasty splitter I
didn't get it quite low enough for a
swinging Miss but but I had to throw it
for a strike and my poor catcher got hit
which not good I felt bad that stings
right on the inner thigh GH not
comfortable so now it's 3-2 the runner
tried to steal third on that foul ball
so now he's jumping off of the base
again so I give him another one a little
head tilt like hey go for it I actually
said to him go for it take third and
he's like nah and then I turned and
threw the pitch come back two seam right
at the bottom of the Zone this one
though I will say was about a ball width
below the Zone this one was definitely
lower than the two two pitch I thought
the two two was a strike but this one
was definitely a ball so good call by
the Umpire unfortunately we get a walk I
think if this was in the zone he
probably takes it I could have thrown a
little bit higher but now we're in a
little bit of trouble first and second
one out double play still gets me out of
it but not ideal so
far so we got the four hitter at the
plate he's a righty normally I'm going
Cutters away sliders away in this
situation but the catcher called
splitter and I was like you know what
it's pretty good today let me try it
let's see if we can get a little roll
over ball breaks in on him he's not
expecting it roll over to third double
play that was my thought ran a little
bit off the inside part of the plate for
ball one but still a pretty good pitch
and now it sets up all the stuff
breaking away from him so I can
definitely use that Miss so 1 I decided
to throw a for seamer at the top of the
Zone he actually gets the barrel to it
pretty well but pops it up so definitely
an
out or maybe not uh
okay Bases Loaded one out um how are we
going to wiggle out of this one that's
what I thought as soon as that ball
dropped and then I turned to see my
friend number 35 stepping into the box
and this is actually perfect if there's
guys on first and second with two two
outs I couldn't have given him slide
steps but with Bases Loaded I can go out
of the windup which means all four of my
leg kicks are in play and he already
told me that he doesn't like him so
guess what he's getting all the slide
steps first pitch we go with regular leg
kick let him get his timing that I'm
going to disrupt later cutter down and
in borderline pitch I think he caught
the black get the call from the Umpire
01 so now these guys timing with my
normal leg kick I decided to go with the
slide step fast ball but I pulled it
down so we're one in one I did see it
reaction afterwards and kind of gave a
little head tilt and was like shaking
his head at me so I know I have him
right where I want him one one I know he
didn't react well to the first pitch
cutter down and in so I decided to go
with the Quick Pitch cut her in and we
get the strike call maybe the timing's
throwing him off a little bit cuz he
didn't swing at this he hasn't swung at
any of them but we got him right where
we want him it's one and two timing's
messed up he's thinking about it easy
strike out from here so I go back to my
normal leg kick I throw a splitter it's
nasty he swings right over the top of it
out in front of it and we get the much
needed strikeout perfect sequence two
Cutters running in on him he sees the
exact same trajectory and thinks the
ball's going to run in but it Dives the
other way and we get the strike out
flawlessly executed now I'm almost out
of this Jam base is loaded we got a
righty at the
plate I decided to have a little bit of
fun definitely wouldn't want the hitter
to know in this situation what pitch is
coming because it could cost me a lot of
runs right wrong just tell the hitter