NABA Spring Training Experience - Day 1

My debut in men's baseball was a blast! I was a little nervous about how my teammates would react to having a girl on the team, but they were so cool. I played the entire game at second base (only the second time in my life that I've played there) and was able to make some key plays. I went 2 for 2 with two singles, two walks, and a couple of stolen bases. We wound up beating the Yankees 19-6.

My team is phenomenal! They're all pretty young and can crush the ball! These are 4 guys from my team:

I think we have a great chance to take the tournament. The ball is definitely hit a lot harder in men's baseball than in women's, so playing defense is a lot more fun and challenging.

There was a banquet dinner tonight - prime rib, mmmmmmm. I sat with my team and they told me they were bragging about me to the other teams and wanted to see me take the mound. That was a pleasant surprise.

I got to meet a lot of cool people tonight. Rollie Fingers was the surprise guest speaker, he had great stories to tell and was super nice. He signed my ball and took a picture with me.

Before the night was over, my manager came over and told me I'd be the starting pitcher tomorrow! Wow, I wasn't expecting that! After seeing the guys on our team pitch, I didn't think I'd take the mound at all this tournament. Our pitchers were awesome today, and I just hope I'm able to hold my own. I'll have great defense behind me, so as long as I keep the hitters off-balance and pitch the corners, I should be fine. An exciting day lies ahead!

Men's Baseball!

On Thursday, I'll be playing in my first men's baseball tournament - the NABA Spring Training Experience - in Mesa, AZ. I'm stoked! Growing up, I played exclusively with guys, and I really miss it. Playing with women can be . . . challenging. Insecurities and drama tend to get in the way of good, old-fashioned baseball. I'll be on the Indians in the 18+ open division and will post game results daily.

In April, I start my first season with the 45+ River Bandits in the Chicago North MSBL (Men's Senior Baseball League). I'm not 45, but the league president recommended that women play in that division. Believe it or not, there are 2 other women on my team and 3 other women in the division! We were all first round draft picks and have been treated great by fellow league players. I think it'll be an awesome season!

2009 Hong Kong International Phoenix Cup A Detailed Recap as Promised

Find more photos like this on CheckSwing.net




Hong Kong ROCKS! I tip my hat to the Hong Kong Baseball Association and Kitty Au for putting together a spectacular tournament. I was impressed by how well organized it was. The player fee was extremely low by American baseball standards and included a 5-night hotel stay, two uniforms (which looked awesome), daily breakfast, boxed lunches (blech!), a banquet dinner, and shuttle service to/from the ballpark/hotel. The umpires came from all over the world, including two cutups from Australia (Aussies are insane, but in a good way!)


Day 1 started off with Japan beating Taiwan 11-0, followed by an opening ceremony, which included a dragon dance and a tai-chi demonstration. The big shots from the Hong Kong Baseball Association and the embassy were all there and many of them gave welcome speeches. All the teams (North America, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, and Taiwan) were introduced and a catcher from each team caught a ball from a suit-wearing representative.

After that, about a million pictures were taken with all the different teams. It was a friendly and inviting atmosphere. It was surreal to see so many Asian faces on the ball field. Usually mine is the only one! I expected them all to speak perfect English, since the only Asians I encounter are the 2nd generation American ones. Turns out there was one other Asian American there. Her name is Hanna and she plays for South Korea. She's the one in the picture above.

I'm really glad we didn't have to play a game that first day. All that picture taking was distracting and kind of exhausting! Now I know what Angelina Jolie feels like!

We stuck around to watch South Korea defeat Hong Kong. The game was real close until the 4th inning when South Korea's bats came alive. The final score had South Korea ahead 14-4. We went back to the hotel to change, then went to get some eats while Japan won their second game, defeating Australia 11-1.


Day 2 was an exciting one. We had a double header against South Korea and Hong Kong. These were our only two pool games, so we had to win both to clinch our division. I was starting the first game against South Korea and was way too excited. We ate an early breakfast at the hotel, then the shuttle brought us to the field an hour-and-a-half early to meet up with our coach. We took some batting practice and loosened up our arms to prepare for the game.

Overall I pitched okay, but it wasn't my best outing. I let the umpire's tough calls shake me a bit and got a little tense. I couldn't figure out where her strike zone was - I tried the inside corner and it was called a ball, then the outside corner and it was also called a ball, so for an inning I found myself aiming it down the middle, which is never a good thing. After that inning, I loosened up and finished strong. I ended up giving up 2 or 3 hits the whole game, but I hit two batters and gave up a few walks, which is not typical for me.

We ended up winning 10-5. It felt good to get the W and record our first win of the day. Both teams lined up and bowed to each other. The other team were all smiles, despite their loss. We then bowed to the fans, then bowed to the field. In Asia, it's important to show respect for each other and for the game. I really like that about the culture.

Before our second game, Coach Philipe took us through a dynamic warm-up which consisted of running drills, explosive movements, and moving stretches. Then we did some throwing warm-ups and took infield practice. I was the starting shortstop, backing up our pitcher, Sam. I had a good day at short, committing 0 errors and forcing a lot of outs. I was the leadoff hitter and went 1 for 3 with a single, a walk, and two stolen bases. We ended up with our second W, beating Hong Kong 18-5 and clinching our division. Taiwan ended up beating Australia 7-5 in an upset, which meant we'd be playing Taiwan in the semi-finals.

We went out as a team to Temple Street Market to celebrate our wins. There were tables set out on the street. We ate crab, mussels, and other delicacies, and then shopped the open market. We ran into my friends, Jenn and Rob, some of Jill's friends, and the Aussie umpires. Hong Kong is not a small city, so running into all those folks was kind of crazy! One of the Aussie umps totally admitted to blowing a call on a play I had made at 3rd base. She was so funny that I had to forgive her.

We took a cab back to the hotel and crashed till morning.


Day 3 - Our semi-final game against Taiwan wasn't slated till the afternoon so we got to sleep in. I woke up with the worst MSG headache from dinner the night before. Ugh. After breakfast, Kelly, Ryan, and I ventured out for some shopping. Before we knew it, it was time for shuttle pick-up. We hustled back to the hotel where we found the rest of the Liberty Belles in full uniform in the lobby. Yipes! We ran upstairs, changed as fast as we could, gathered our gear, and hoped we didn't miss the bus. Made it just in time, phew!

At the field, we did our dynamic warm-ups, and prepared mentally for the big game. I was starting at shortstop again. The first inning went great for us with solid defensive plays and three easy outs. There were some questionable calls by the home plate ump, which their first base coach verbally questioned. He continued to question the ump as Hong Kong was taking the field, and the ump threw him out of the game.

The head coach then called his players off the field and officially forfeited the game. It was bizarre. He said, "lets just play a friendly game with the catchers calling balls and strikes". We decided to just have fun with it. To my surprise, the Taiwan players weren’t upset at all. I would have been irate if my coach gave up my semi-final game, but they were all laughing and having fun, so we did the same.

Either way, we had made it to the finals. Japan defeated Korea 18-0 in their semi-final match, so they would be our competition in the championship game. I had heard so much about the Japanese team, that it felt like an honor to have a chance to play them.


Day 4 - I woke up super early. I was so excited about playing Japan that I was ready to go 2 hours ahead of schedule. When I met up with my team, they did not appear to share my excitement. I sensed butterflies. We met up with our coach who took us through our warm-up. He then gave us a speech which was meant to motivate, but I think ended up scaring the bejeezus out of everybody. Were these Japanese players even human, or biological freaks of nature with superhuman athletic prowesses?

I was starting at shortstop again and Sam was to take the mound. We started doing relay drills which went pretty horribly. Throws were wild, balls were being dropped, and worst of all, a stray ball managed to hit our starting pitcher right on her throwing arm. She was in pain and in tears. This was not good. I saw the coach talking to her and I wondered if he was still going to have her start. She did not appear to be in any condition to take the mound. I wondered what was going to happen. I felt great physically, and could probably switch gears in time to start the game. I prepped myself mentally just in case he decided to make a pitching change, but he went ahead as planned.

The first inning wasn't too bad, though we blew an easy rundown situation which allowed a run or two to score. Tiff had a big hit but we were unable to capitalize on it. We left runners on and had a hard time finding the gaps the entire game. As the innings progressed, Sam's arm started hurting her more. A few walks and wild pitches brought in a bunch of runs. Her relievers struggled with control as well, and eventually our game ended in the fifth due to mercy rule. We lost 10-0.

I was disappointed with my hitting, or lack thereof. I went 0 for 4 with 2 ground outs and 2 foul ball pop-outs. I'd been working so much on defense the past few months, that I hadn't devoted enough time to my offensive game.

On the other hand, my defensive game was solid. I had a blast playing shortstop, something I don't often do in the CWBL, where I'm only known for my pitching. There was a ton of action out there with the Japanese at bat. I had another errorless game and was able to make some key plays.

We didn't take the loss too hard. Overall, we had a great tournament. The banquet was the same night, so we had to hustle back to the hotel and get ready. We met in the lobby and Tiff gave us all song sheets. All the teams had to participate in a talent show, so we decided to sing our own version of the AAGPBL song, from the movie "A League of Their Own". We rehearsed on the bus and sounded pretty awful. The banquet was a blast. We all brought baseball wearables to trade with the other teams. I scored a Hong Kong warm-up jacket, a Hong Kong polo shirt, and a Taiwan windbreaker. The mood was festive. All the teams did their talent show routine and we did ours. You can see it here on YouTube.

Don't worry, none of us will be quitting our day jobs.


Siteseeing - I stayed an extra 3 days after the tournament to enjoy Hong Kong. What a great city! The subway system is the best in the world in my opinion. You can go anywhere in Hong Kong and it's super cheap. The stations are immaculate and have nice shops and restaurants in them. All the signs and announcements are in English (with a British accent) and you always know how long it will be before the next train arrives (it's always 3-minutes).

I went to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha. The ski lift contraption that takes you up was broken, so we took the bus instead. The Big Buddha was cool. Some of the players who saw it said it made them feel peaceful and calm, but we were too busy acting silly to notice. I talked my travel buddies into doing a hike with me in the mountains. We made it about a quarter of the way up before petering out. Just as we were heading down, 4 locals, who were at least 50 years old, passed us by, carrying 50-pound bags of sand, and heavy buckets balanced on sticks. Wow, did we feel wussy.

Just like Hollywood's Walk of Fame, Hong Kong has the Avenue of Stars. I got my picture taken next to Jackie Chan and Jet Li's stars. The food in Hong Kong is fantastic, if you go to the right places. The hotel breakfast wasn't so good, but just down the street, a lady steams fresh dim sum dishes on the sidewalk - super good and super cheap. A few of us became regulars at a restaurant called "Under Bridge Spicy Crab". The best crab and clams we've ever had - super good and super expensive, but totally worth the money.

The street markets are a lot of fun. My final day there, I hung out with my friends Rob and Jenn, who happened to be working in Hong Kong the same week I was there. We walked the markets and visited Hong Kong Park which has an amazing aviary. Jenn and I took a tram up to Victoria's Peak and got the most amazing views of the city. I lost track of time and had to rush back to the hotel to get my bags. Thank goodness the subway is fast. I was afraid I'd miss my flight! I made it in time to catch my flight back to San Francisco where I spent a few days with family members and caught up with Jim N.

What a great time. The Liberty Belles have been invited back next year and I'm looking forward to it already!

Bringing Home the Silver . . . this year . . .

Well, the Japanese lived up to their reputation, and crushed the North American Liberty Belles 10-0. A disappointing end to an amazingly awesome tournament. The Far East Bloomers are a great team and they played a better game than we did.

There was a lot of nervous energy amongst the Belles before the game began. For many of us, this was the most important game of our baseball careers. I was pumped. I played shortstop all day. Defensively, I had a great game, but I wasn't able to deliver on offense. I went 0 for 4 with 2 ground outs and 2 pop outs. I was a little disappointed I didn't get to pitch against Japan, but in the end it wouldn't have mattered since we never scored any runs. Overall, our team only managed 3 or 4 hits all day.

Japan didn't get a ton of hits either, but they walked a lot, and scored many of their runs on passed balls/wild pitches. Each team had a couple of defensive errors but we were never able to capitalize on theirs.

Even though we lost, I am still proud of my team and I feel good about bringing home the silver medal. Considering the fact that the North American Liberty Belles had never played together before, we did darn good. Most of us had never met one another until we got to Hong Kong, whereas the Far East Bloomers have been playing together for years.

I love my new teammates and my new coach, and I know we have the potential to bring home the gold next year. We're going to play as a team in a few tournaments this year to prepare for the 2010 Phoenix Cup. By then, we should be polished and primed enough to bring home the gold!

Now that the tourney's over, I have a couple days to site-see. I'm looking forward to a fun, adventurous time in Hong Kong! When I get back to Chicago, I'll post more about my incredible tourney experience. Bye for now!

Championship Bound!

The North American Liberty Belles are headed to the Championships!!!

We kind of played Taiwan today . . . We started the game with a great first inning on defense, then the Taiwanese first base coach questioned the ump's call and got thrown out of the game. I guess their honor was marred, so they chose to forfeit the game. Heavy politics.

Oh well, we get to play Japan tomorrow! I'm so psyched, the Japanese have consistently been ranked the best team in the world, and tomorrow we get to show them what we're made of! Win or lose, this has definitely been an amazing experience. We're gonna go out there tomorrow and play our asses off!

Phoenix Cup - Pool Game Results

I am thrilled to report that The North American Liberty Belles won both games today and have clinched the first place spot in our division!

We beat South Korea 10-5 and Hong Kong 18-5. I pitched the entire first game and Sam pitched the entire second game. Pitching here takes some getting used to because the umps zone is about the size of a peanut! They weren't calling any inside corner strikes or anything hip level or above. Nevertheless, Sam and I managed to give up only about 4 hits each. The bats were on fire today. I think every Liberty Belle got at least one hit, and we played aggressive on the base paths. There were a few errors, but once everyone got settled in, defense was tight.

In our division, we are the first place seed, South Korea is second, and Hong Kong is third. In the other division, Taiwan beat Australia today, and Japan had a buy. So Japan is in first, Taiwan is in second, and Australia is in third.

Tomorrow are the playoffs. We're playing against Taiwan and Japan is playing South Korea. If we win tomorrow, we'll be fighting for the Championships. I'll keep you posted!

Phoenix Cup - Day 1

Whew! It's been a busy couple days, sorry for the late updates. The Liberty Belles had a buy today so we watched South Korea defeat Hong Kong 14-4. Japan beat Australia 11-1 and Japan also beat Taiwan 11-0. We got some solid practices in today and yesterday and I must say, our team looks really solid! We inherited a great coach from Hong Kong . . . actually he's from Alaska, he spent time in Washington state, and now he coaches baseball in Hong Kong. He really knows his stuff and has done a fantastic job leading our practices. I took some great pics of opening ceremonies, and am contemplating the best way to post them. I will share them with you soon!

We have our first game tomorrow at 9:30am against South Korea. I'll be the Liberty Belles' starting pitcher. We'll have a 3-hour break, then we'll face Hong Kong. These are our only pool games heading into the playoffs, so we have to win both to earn the first seed in our division. I'll try to post results and highlights tomorrow night, but if you can't wait, you can visit the Phoenix Cup website for score results. Wish us luck!

Goodbye San Francisco, Hello Hong Kong!

I had two more great training days in San Francisco and was having so much fun I almost didn't want to leave, but the tournament was calling, so I said goodbye to SF and hopped a plane to HK with my teammate Kelly. It was a long 14.5 hour flight. The plane wasn't terribly comfortable, but it did have good movies. We finally landed and took a cab to the Newton Hotel.

I met three more of my teammates there - Tiff, Amy, and Sam - and we went downstairs to breakfast. The Aussie Hearts were there so we exchanged some hellos then scoped out the area. As luck would have it, there was a huge park right across the street from us, so we gathered our gear and headed over for our first semi-team practice. There were a lot of gawkers who couldn't believe there were American women playing baseball in their park.

Things were going pretty good until the park authorities came and told us we had to move to the other side of the park. We graciously obliged. This happened about 4 more times so it was starting to get annoying. A woman spoke to Tiff and almost had a breakdown, saying we were too dangerous and might hit a jogger. It was pretty funny.

We wrapped up our practice and went back to the hotel. Tiff, Kelly, and I went to a restaurant for dinner. We were trying to stay awake to overcome jet lag. I finally couldn't hang and retired around 10pm Hong Kong time. My roommate Robin arrived around 11pm. I groggily said "hi" and was out like a light. I slept pretty well but I'm pretty certain jet leg will hit me big tonight. We're hoping to get an uninterrupted practice in today. The rest of the team has arrived, so we'll get to see how we play together. Should be fun!

New NCAA ruling

I want to share a new ruling by the NCAA which is a huge step forward in the acceptance of girls playing baseball. With a formal recognition that baseball and softball are not the same sport, perhaps more doors will open for women to play baseball at a higher level.

NCAA Baseball and Softball
Talking Points
February 2009

NCAA legislation governs NCAA amateurism regulations, allows student‐athletes
to use four seasons of competition in any one sport and limits outside athletic
activities in the student‐athlete’s sport (amateur team participation, etc.).

Previous interpretations of NCAA legislation stated baseball and softball were the
same sport for NCAA amateurism and outside competition regulations. Therefore, a
softball student‐athlete could not participate on an organized baseball team during
the academic year, for example, without jeopardizing her eligibility in softball.

The Women’s Sports Foundation asked the NCAA Committee on Women’s
Athletics (CWA) to review the issue of softball and baseball being considered the
same sport. The CWA asked the divisional interpretive bodies to reconsider the
interpretations.

Based on the information gathered, including a West Virginia court case that
treats the sports as different, NCAA Divisions I, II and III voted to reverse the
interpretations.

The reversal now allows a softball student‐athlete, for example, to participate on a
baseball league and vice versa, within other NCAA rules and bylaws.

San Francisco - Day 1

I arrived in San Francisco yesterday and had an awesome day. My flight got in at 10:30am. Jim Nemerovski of girlsplaybaseball.com picked me up from the airport and took me to a baseball facility about 5-minutes away called Futurepro Baseball. They have state-of-the-art pitching machines with simulated pitchers. The ball comes out on the pitcher's release, so you can time your swing the same way you would in a game! I met Ed Sickinger of the CWBL Fillies there and he gave me some valuable hitting tips. I talked baseball for awhile with Ed and the owner of the place, and when the time came to pay, he wouldn't even charge me! Talk about nice! Futurepro Baseball was a really cool place with the best pitching machines I've ever seen. If you're ever by the San Francisco airport, check it out!

After our session, Jim picked up his son, Jason, and the three of us headed over to Treasure Island. I met my Liberty Belles teammate, Kelly Bay and her dad at the cages and got some more hitting in. Then the five of us went to a baseball field, where we took some grounders, pop-ups, and live BP. It was cool to get to meet and practice with one of my teammates. Kelly and I hit it off right away and we plan on getting together for another practice today.

After we said our goodbyes, Jim showed me around town (he's the best tour guide!) I looooooooove San Francisco and it just so happens that his house is walking distance to just about everthing! After all that practicing we were pretty hungry, so we picked up one of my favorite foods - tacos! and headed back to the house, I met Jim's lovely wife, Maxine and his daughter (a fellow baseball player), Jessica. We chowed down and had some good laughs. Then Jim said, "you are welcome to stay with us, but I may have another option that you may prefer, let me show you." We hopped in the van and he drove me to the secret location. I was kind of apprehensive, "what is this place he has in mind? A hostel? Someone's garage? An old abandoned building?" We finally pulled up to a gorgeous house, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Wow! It is immaculate and also walking distance to everything! So I dropped my bags off and settled in.

But the day didn't end there. We went back to Jim's house, watched the MLB network (which I don't get back in Chicago. Curse you Dish Network!) and Jim prepared fresh Dungeness Crab . . . free baseball, awesome digs, MLB Network, dungeness crab! . . . am I in heaven? (Kevin Costner: No, you're in San Francisco). Jim brought me back to my new home and unloaded a bag full of gluten-free foods he bought for me. Wow, I couldn't have asked for a better welcome to San Francisco. Thanks Jim and Ed! I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Comment Me

I fixed the comment section on my page. Previously, you had to sign up for Blogger to leave comments, now you don't, so hit me up!

The Time Has Finally Come

I can hardy believe it, but in 3 days I will be leaving Chicago and heading to Hong Kong for the biggest tournament of my baseball career . . . the 2009 Phoenix Cup! After training 6-days a week indoors for the past 4-months straight, I NEED to get outdoors and play a real game!

I'll spend 3 days in San Francisco, where the weather is similar to Hong Kong, for one last training bout, then meet my team, The North American Liberty Belles, in Hong Kong. I'm really excited to meet many of these gals for the first time, and sharing time with them on the diamond.

I want to thank all my supporters and sponsors for helping make this dream a reality. My goal was to raise $3,000, and I came awfully close. I raised a total of $2,200 which means I won't have to take out that loan!

Thanks to Line Drive Baseball Academy I feel more prepared for this tournament than I have for any other. I've been working hard to fix some flaws in my pitching mechanics. It was frustrating at times, with a lot of ups and downs, but I finally feel confident with where I'm at and better than ever!

I'll be posting game results and cool pics on this blog while I'm in Hong Kong, so stay tuned!

Jimmy Scott's High and Tight

I discovered this blogsite called Jimmy Scott's High and Tight. It's funny stuff and all baseball related, so of course, I loved it! I started reading, and before I knew it, it was 3:30am! Two days later, I found that I was the subject of his latest blog! Read this blog about me and I'm sure you'll have a few laughs. Or better yet, subscribe like I did and get your laugh on everyday!

Another Sponsor!

I am pleased to announce Flat Top Grill at 1000 W. Washington in Chicago as one of my latest sponsors! If you haven't tried the food there, run out your door and go! But be careful, it's icy out there!

Flat Top Grill was inspired by a restaurant in Hong Kong called Happy Valley. I may check it out while I'm there. At Flat Top Grill you can create your own stir-fry and soups with fresh vegetables, meats, noodles, rice, sauces . . . hungry yet? Run . . . don't slip . . . get your eat on!

New Sponsor!

Many thanks to my newest sponsor, Lily's Talent Agency, Inc. They represent me as an actor, and were so kind and supportive to donate $250 to my cause. To view other supporters, click the Sponsor link on the right side of the page.