Since I last wrote, we had a rainout. We were supposed to have received Internet in our apartment that same day, so I was excited to at least have a full day to be able to communicate with the outside world. The Internet ended up not coming. You never realize how much you use the Internet till you no longer have it whenever you want. So I proceeded to do my emailing, facebooking, twittering and what not in the lobby downstairs. It's nice to live on the 15th floor of the building because it oversees everything. But I hate having to go down every time I want to use the wifi. The elevator is as slow as molasses. So it takes a good three minutes to make it all the way down. That's only if there are no stops.
On the way to Barranquilla the day after our rainout, a tire completely came off our bus. That's the second time we've had bus problems. Do they not check these things before we leave? And when I say "bus," don't think of a big coach bus. Think more like school bus. We are all squeezing into this tiny bus with no leg room. It's no wonder why I can't feel my legs when I get off the bus.
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| My 1B coach played in MLB |
How am I supposed to steal 20 bases here? Ok, ok, speed isn't really in my repertoire of tools, but you get the picture. Anyway, we get a new bus after waiting awhile and finally make it to our destination. After the game was already delayed once due to the tardiness of our team, we come to find out the game was to be delayed another hour because the lights on the whole left side of the field were not working.
At first, I thought we were going to play like that. However, my teammate with the Yankees, Deangelo Mack - who the announcers continue to call Mack Deangelo for some reason - assured me that if a pitch was coming at my head in this darkness I wouldn't get out off the way in time. He's right. (Follow him on Twitter @deangelomack.) And as often as pitches come at your head in this league, it is not a joke. Some of these pitchers throw hard but have zero control.
So we ended up getting the games in and split the series 1-1 with Barranquilla. I saw a familiar face in Donovan Solano who played in the Cardinals organization the past few years. He asked me how I liked it here in Colombia. After thinking long and hard, I responded with, "It's different".
Something interesting here that I need to address is the kids hounding you and attacking you to get your gear after the game. That doesn't happen after games in the States. But here, as soon as the game is over, dozens of kids make their way onto the field as well as into the dugout. They ask for everything - from your glove to a cup of water from the Gatorade jug. They don't stop until you have left the stadium. Now I'm accustomed to it, so every time they ask me now, I tell them that my roommate "Matt has mucho gloves for all the ninos!" That gives me enough time to make a run for it.
We had our first home series this past weekend and our stadium is by far the best of the stadiums we have been to. We get to sleep in a little longer before heading to the field when we are home so that is nice. I can take my time. One thing that really frustrates me though is that you can’t get full from breakfast. Breakfast portions are so small and I'm a big breakfast guy so it frustrates me not being able to get pancakes, waffles, omelets and bacon. It's like you get one egg and a cup of coffee. That's not going to cut it. Protein shakes have become any everyday regimen.
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| Limonada and meal |
Anyway, we took two of three at home and I'm starting to get a good feel for the pitchers in the league as well as being more comfortable with my teammates. Also I'm becoming more comfortable with my surroundings and my Spanish is at an all time high.
I've learned to always drink water out of the bottle and limonada is my drink of choice now. It's like limeade but slushy form! So bomb. I also learned that the gym is the place to be because it's inside the mall. The mall is where the beautiful women are, but that's another story...
Same time, same site next week! Adios!
Follow me on Twitter @Xavier_Scruggs.
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