After today’s game I was informed that I am being promoted to the Phillies
Low-A affiliate, the Lakewood BlueClaws for the remainder of their season and
their playoff run. Obviously, I am pretty excited about getting to make a move
like this and join a team that is about to make a run at a getting a ring. And
my family is extremely proud as well. Not surprisingly I could hear my mom’s
voice beginning to tremble towards the end of our short conversation when I told
her the news. Yesterday was her birthday so the timing is nice since I didn’t
get to celebrate with her and the family or give her a present (Happy Birthday
MOM! :-). My brothers were both super stoked as was my Dad. It felt really good
to be able to call all them and hear the smile on their face when I told them
the good news.
I was actually in the ice bath when our manager, “Rolle” de Armas came in
and told me to come to his office after I was done. When that happens there are
only two possibilities of what that meeting will be about; either you’re in
trouble/ getting released or you’re getting a promotion. I have a very clear
conscience about my time here so I was eager to finish up my contrast (switching
back and forth between ice bath and hot bath) session so that I could find out
where I was headed. I had four minutes left in the bath to have my mind race and
think of the possibilities, it was between Lakewood and Williamsport (short
season A). Our trainer, Troy, then walked in after Rolle had left and had a
smirk on his face asking what had happened and I told him I didn’t know yet.
When I got out of the bath and dried off I walked out into the main training
room and “Manzo” our roving infield instructor asked me when I was leaving
and I replied that I hadn’t even been told what was happening yet. He laughed
and said that we’ll almost be on the same plane (referring to a joke I had
made with him a few days ago when I asked him to take me with him when he goes
to AA Reading on Tuesday). I then walked out to go down the hall to Rolle’s
office and was intercepted by Mike Compton (our roving catching instructor) and
he gave me the news prematurely and I shook his hand as well as Joe’s (our
head equipment manager) hand and thanked them for all they had done while I was
there. I finally made it into the coaches’ office where I got the news and
congratulations from Rolle. It was kind of funny because as I went around saying
my “thank yous” and “goodbyes” it seemed as though everyone on the staff
had known for a while and it was all a big secret.
Good news travels fast apparently as my teammates were congratulating me without
me even telling them what had happened. I’m really going to miss my teammates
here; we had built up some great chemistry. They make everyday at the field a
pleasure. I’ll see them again in spring training in March.
To my GCL cronies, Enjoy the rest of the season and thank you for all the great
times on and off the field. It’s a tough schedule down here, but you guys made
it into a great time. Good luck the rest of the way and have a great offseason
enjoying your family and friends and working out hard. Here’s to coming back
next spring training with ten pounds of muscle added on like we all talked
about.