Reflections of a pitcher

As I sat on the bench at Trum Field in Somerville Tuesday night I had a chance to reflect back somewhat on last season. The weather was nice on Tuesday night, somewhat windy and partly cloudy. And dry. Ask anyone who was there, they saw the dustbowl-esque clouds of faux infield blowing around making the air cloudy and the view impaired. For whatever reason, after I made my appearance in the game and as I was sitting on the bench, I began to think about last season, how it went, how we have improved our team and why we will be better this season than last.

Baseball is a game of adjustments. As an athlete and baseball player, one has to look upon themselves with a judging eye and ask what am I doing, how can I do it better and how can I improve on my game? Whether it is a pitcher making mechanical adjustments in their delivery, a batter tweaking his stance just the slightest bit to create better bat speed or enable them to see the ball better, or a fielder changing his footwork or working on taking better routes to the ball, the game of baseball means constant change. It’s Darwin’s theory of evolution in a way. Change or perish, it’s as simple as that.

Last season can’t be looked at as a success, that’s for sure. But looking back on last season and looking at what we had constituted on the field Tuesday night against the uber-dynasty known as the Somerville Alibrandis, I came to the realization that we are a much better ball club. Win or lose Tuesday night, that wasn’t important, it was elementary. What Tuesday night did for me, and I’m sure for the rest of our team, was that it gave us a chance to gauge what we had and where we needed to be, going forward.

I saw Sean Sullivan pitch three innings. He has a small rib cage tendon issue, so he’s not 100%. It didn’t matter though because for three innings, he threw very well and I’m sure he impressed everyone on each side of the infield. The mere fact that he only threw five innings for his Bridgewater State College team this season bodes extremely well for us. He is very fresh and I for one can’t wait for the regular season to start because when Rusty, or Big Red, or Sully, or whatever you choose to call him is on his game, not even the Alibrandis can make him flinch.

After Sully threw his three innings, he was followed by Adam Kulis for one inning, Ryan Thomas for two, Geoff Wiech for an inning and then, I’m sorry for this, a new addition to our team threw the last inning of relief. Your name escapes me right now, you can chastise me for it later on. The end result was a 2-0 defeat, but I don’t think it was a defeat at all. What I saw on the field on Tuesday night made he happy, excited, intrigued, and most of all – it made me confident. Confident that the team Dave McKay put together for 2007 will be a contender in the Yawkey League.

Our pitching staff is young and ready to go. Sully is our team ace and we all know that. He knows that. (Don’t let it get to your head too much, ok Sull?) Last season was the first for Sully, Adam, Ryan, and Dan Ciocca, whom arguably was the best and most consistent pitcher for us last season. With one year under our belts, this season looks to be better for all of us because we are more comfortable here and we have some experience against the Yawkey League teams.

The addition to the pitching staff that intrigues me the most is that of Geoff Wiech. Geoff got a chance to pitch in the game on Tuesday and I have to say that he has very good stuff. His fastball has good velocity and good movement, his curve is big and slow like John Ratkauskas (just pokin’ some fun Johnnie) and he has a nice cutter and a change-up. If Geoff can keep consistent he will become another valuable chip in the poker game I like to call baseball.

The problems that reared their ugly heads most often last year were a lack of timely hitting and sloppy defense at times. From what I’ve seen, this season looks like it will be an improvement on both fronts. The additions of Rob Linn and Dana Levensalar will bolster a line up that already includes the likes of Chris Deane, Andy “Deuce” McCallister, Josh McDonnell , Jackie Owens and John Ratkauskas. From what I have seen so far, these additions will give the McKay Club more of a chance to drive in runs on a consistent basis.

Everyone involved in the pitching staff last year will tell you that the defensive play created sleepless nights and headaches for all involved in the game. The McKay Club used a lot of different combinations in the infield last year and I think that was the root of the problem defensively. This season, we have players who are committed to showing up and want to play baseball the way it is supposed to be played. The nicest addition to the defense I have seen has been shortstop Jay Suoto all the way from friggin’ New Bedford. If he’s not dedicated, then I don’t know who is. What I have seen from him in the infield impresses me very much. He has good hands and foot work and his throws to first are accurate. Between him, Josh McDonnell and Dan Ciocca, the McKay Club seems to have a good core of middle infielders.

The outfield defense was good last year and it has become even better with the addition of Dana Levensalar, who will prove to increase the depth of the outfield tremendously. Dana will contribute this season in all facets of the game, including pitching, fielding, and hitting. He will also prove to be a veteran presence on our bench and out on the field. I think I speak for everyone on the team when I say that I welcome the addition of Dana with open arms.

The overall ability of the McKay Club has been heightened over the last year in all facets of the game. Our pitching staff is deeper and more experienced, our offense is now well-balanced, and our defense has been upgraded in key areas. Not only that, but our overall team comradery will improve dramatically with the introduction of our new team sponsor Tom English, owner of the Tom English Pubs in South Boston and Dorchester. This sponsor gives us a chance to spend more time together and become more of family than just a team. I am looking forward to more laughs and more continuity, but most importantly, I am looking forward to more wins for the McKay Club Beacons in 2007.

Our team is poised to take the Yawkey League by storm this season.