Mike Maroth - Pitcher - Kansas City Royals

Game Time

2008-03-21T00:04:00.002-05:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Well, okay, besides Christmas. I am talking about March Madness! Our brackets are filled out and the games have begun! I missed way too many games in my bracket on the first day because I picked upsets, and just like last year, there really hasn't been any! If you're wondering who I picked to win it I guess I'll go ahead and tell you......UNC. Yes, I said I picked upsets, but as for the National Champ I picked the team that everyone else picked. Anyways, it is a lot of fun to fill out brackets and watch game after game to see how each round unfolds. I love the unpredictability of each tournament and can't wait to see the upsets, usually there are at least a few. We almost got a big one today with Duke...that would have killed Brooke's bracket! She picks them to win or make it to the finals every year...she hasn't won yet though!

My parents headed back to Florida on Tuesday. We had a good time while they were here but most importantly Brooke and I got a couple of nights to have some time out together, some good date nights. We tried to take my parents to Sedona, about 2 hours from here, but ran into some road blocks.... literally. The interstate that we need to take was shut down at one exit and backed up traffic for miles. Needless to say, we turned back and drove around Phoenix for sight-seeing. It wasn't quite the same views as Sedona, but it was still fun.

As of now I have pitched in two games and my third outing is scheduled for Saturday. In my first two appearances I was definitely a little rusty but in between outings I have thrown a couple of times off the mound to work on my mechanics. Being a finesse/control pitcher I must have good mechanics consistently for me to be at top of my game. I continue to work on my landing which is moving in the right direction. We are coming to the end of Spring Training and my plan is to iron out my mechanics and get more innings so that when the camp breaks I am ready to compete.

Family is here!

2008-03-09T18:01:00.002-05:00

I picked up my family from the airport last Thursday night after going a little over three weeks without seeing them. It had been too long. In fact, this might of been the longest I've gone without seeing them in many years. So you can imagine the excitement of watching them walk up to me in the airport. It really makes a difference having them with me.

Tonight I will go back to the airport to pick up my parents who are coming in for a week. My mom has always wanted to visit Arizona and no better time than Spring Training. We plan on going up to Sedona one day while they are here. I've never been there and have heard a lot about it.

And finally, I will pitch in a Spring Training game Thursday. They have really been cautious bringing me back since the day I felt tenderness in my shoulder. There hasn't been any problems since that day and I have continued to work my way back. I pitched in a B game (it is a scrimmage game played in the morning) vs. the Rangers on Sunday, and everything went very well. I threw 27 pitches in 1 1/3 innings. Although I didn't have my best control, it felt great to finally get into a game situation.

No Go

2008-03-01T17:51:00.003-06:00

Today was supposed to be my first outing of the spring. But, due to some minor tenderness in my shoulder I did not pitch. Thankfully, it is just a precaution. The best thing for it was to rest and not push it to get in a game today. I will pitch on my next outing which will be on Thursday. This past Wednesday I threw a bullpen and everything was good. My mechanics were right where I want them to be and I was able to bump up the intensity. I think by doing that it caused my shoulder to be "tender" on Thursday. I really wanted to pitch today, but I have to be smart. I don't want to over do it and risk causing problems in the long term of my career. I am very confident that after a couple of days of taking it easy I will be good to go.

Games are just around the corner

2008-02-25T21:41:00.005-06:00

It has been just over a week of full squad workouts and the rust and kinks are starting to come off. For the first several weeks of spring training the body fights soreness and tightness. It is never a fun process. No matter how much working out and conditioning I do in the off-season, the aches are always around early in the spring. A typical day for us starts around 9:30 in the morning when we stretch and do agility work. We then will break up into groups, loosen up our arms and be ready for drills. For a half hour or so we do some type of fundamental drill or training. I can't stress the important of these enough. They can literally make or break a game. I have seen games won and lost by these fundamental drills that can seem tedious at times. For pitchers it is some sort of PFP (pitchers fielding practice). Then we spend some time doing a team fundamental - this includes bunt plays, run downs, relays, etc. Once those are done its time for batting practice. The first part of the BP is where pitchers that need to throw off the mound throw to hitters on the field. After all the pitchers that are throwing that day are done, the hitters have normal batting practice on the field. Of course there is shagging to do some days, a very un-glorifying job but part of the game! Conditioning and working out are done at the end of the day.

Personally, I am still working on my follow through. I video taped the last time I threw (Sunday) and I was able to see a difference. It will take some time to correct it completely. I think one of the most important parts of being an athlete is being open to criticism. I have to be able to identify weaknesses and let others help me identify them and make adjustments where they are required. As far as I know there hasn't ever been a pitcher to have a perfect season so there is always room for improvement. I have thrown off the mound several times already including a number of BP's. It's hard to believe that games are getting ready to start. After doing day after day of drills, it will be refreshing to get the games going. I will throw in my first game on Saturday and I am looking forward to it.

Arizona Arrival

2008-02-15T17:01:00.006-06:00

It has been a busy week. This time last week, we had just agreed to a contract with the Royals. Then on Monday evening, I was on a plane headed to Surprise, AZ for the start of Spring Training. I had a lot to do in three days to get prepared to leave home for 7 months. We were able to squeeze in one more trip to Disney with the boys and I headed out to fish with my buddies, Tim and Mike. This is a whole new experience for me in Spring. It is the first Spring Training in Arizona for me. I had been very blessed over the past 8 years living at home in Orlando and commuting to Lakeland everyday (about 50 minutes) where the Tigers train. Brooke and the boys will be joining me soon but right now I have the chance to spend some extra time at the park getting to know people and working things out on the mound.

On Tuesday, I threw my first side and it didn't take long for me and Mac (pitching coach Bob McClure) to get acquainted. He stopped me after three pitches and addressed the way I was following through. I was landing on my heel which was causing me to have a stiff front leg. What is wrong with this? Most importantly it is an easy way for me to hurt my arm because of the extra stress it applies to both the shoulder and elbow. Also, it prevents me from getting the extension needed to get to a good release point which allows me to finish my pitches. I immediately felt the difference once I made the adjustment. I could see a difference in the plane of my pitches- before the adjustment my pitches were flat and after they had some depth to them. It was very encouraging to see the difference and I will to continue to work on this everyday whether I am just playing catch or throwing off the mound.

Thursday was the first day of pitchers and catchers workouts. It was time to get working on PFPs (pitchers fielding practice). They are not the best part of being a pitcher, but are very important to do. I take pride in doing them the right way. It could be the difference in winning a game or losing. I also threw another side, and focused on my follow through. I was pleased with the results but I know that I am still off from being ready for games. But, you get closer with every workout.

Even after only being in camp a few days I can see there are a lot of good things happening here and I'm excited to see where it will take us.

If you have any questions about Spring Training, let me know! Cya...

Lessons Learned

2008-02-14T21:54:00.006-06:00

It was a long off-season for me and my family. I was released from the Cards in October and we started into free agency for the first time. We were excited about the possibilities and looked forward to a new beginning. We never expected it to take until the final week before the report date to sign though. During the weeks and months of waiting Brooke and I spent a lot of time praying for patience, direction, and total trust in God through all the uncertainty. Our prayer was that we would continue to be obedient to where God would lead us and not try to take control of the situation out of fear or anxiety. We tried very hard to consistently keep our focus on Him and the plan He had for us.

During this time, God revealed a few things in His word to me. The first was in John 11 when Lazarus was sick, and Mary and Martha begged Jesus to visit him. Lazarus was one of Jesus' best friends. It took 2 more days before Jesus went to see Lazarus, and by that time Jesus saw him he was dead for 4 days. Jesus questioned Martha's faith in Him and after she demonstrated her faith, Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave. I learned that no matter how bad I might need God to answer me and rescue me from my circumstances, it is in His timing. And during the silent period when God doesn't respond, he wants me to show Him my faith in action.

The second was in Matthew 12. Jesus had gone out to pray alone and sent the disciples on their boat. From a distance, Jesus saw a storm on the water and that his disciples were right int he middle of it. Jesus walked out onto the water and called to them. Peter got out of the boat and walked on water towards Jesus. But, once he took his eyes off Jesus' face, he started to sink. He cried out to Christ and Jesus saved him and returned him to the boat. This was so encouraging to me because it strengthened me to keep my eyes on Christ during the storms of my life. When I take my eyes off of Him I am swallowed by my circumstances and I will start to sink. But, when I choose to focus on faith He is able to use me for His purpose and glory. The promise of the storm is that God will bring a calm from it. One of my hobbies is the weather. And one of my favorite times to watch the weather is after a tropical storm or a hurricane. There is a calm and a peace that reassures us that the storm has passed and we are safe. It is the same with the storms in life.

God has revealed a little piece of the next step in our lives by leading to an opportunity with the Kansas City Royals. Even though the waiting is over and I am a Royal, life will continue to bring us many uncertainties. He has revealed little pieces off His plan to us, and our part is to continue trying to focus on Him and trust in Him. Thank you for all who have been praying for me and my family. I am very excited to see what God will do next and where he will take us through baseball. I love this game and I am looking forward to a new season!

Check back in to see what we are up to in camp, I will be trying to keep you updated on what we are doing!

Off-Season Part 1

2007-10-29T21:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

Well, the off season started out with a trip to the ER. I was about an hour from our house, driving home from St. Louis, when I got call from Brooke telling me not to worry but that she and Tate (our youngest) were in the ER. Tate had snuck into our pantry, grabbed a bottle and ran with it when Brooke tried to take it from him. You can guess what happened next...he dropped it on the tile floor, stepped on it while still trying to run from Brooke and cut his foot wide open. He needed six stitches to close it up. Not a relaxing start...But, it is nice to be in my on house, back in our church and seeing all our family. With only 18 scheduled days off during the season, and some of those used as make up games, the off season is a time of rest, relaxation and then preparation. Getting ready for next season. More about that next time...

This was a LONG season for me for many reasons. But mostly because of all the adjustments from the trade off the field and from the struggles I had on the field. We felt we needed to leave this season behind us and a good way to do that was to get away. We sailed on a Disney Cruise last week for our first family vacation. Although we do A LOT of traveling, we had never been any where as a family that didn't involve a baseball game. We went with some good friends from church and needless to say, we had a great time. One of my favorite memories was spending time on Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. It was beautiful. They had the "Flying Dutchman"(the ship from Pirates of the Caribbean) shipwrecked on the island and a great beach. We spent some time snorkeling and had some time alone when the boys were in the ship's kid's club. We had a great vacation...i would highly recommend it!

I got unpacked...again... and got to work on my honey-do list. We are adding onto our house right now so I have been dealing with that nearly every day. Nolan and Tate are in school three days a week. It is nice to reclaim some of the time I lose with Brooke during the off season when they are at school. We have lunch together and hang out just the two of us. We can actually talk to each other without having to yell over the boys!

We just celebrated Nolan's fourth birthday this week. I can't believe he is four already. He is growing so quickly and I love watching him grow into such an awesome kid. He is my football and fishing buddy. He loves to go down to our dock and cast the line over and over. He is very patient and persistent!

Tate is our monkey and is an adrenaline junkie. He will be two in a couple of weeks. If we can get him to not climb on the coffee table and launch himself onto the couch, it has been a good day! :) He keeps us laughing though!

I watched some of the World Series and was hoping Colorado would make a run for it. I am always rooting for the underdog. No one expected them to make it to the series and it was great to see a team come together like they did and push through to get as far as they did. Overall, I think they were victim's of their own success by sweeping the D'backs and having those 8 days off. We saw it last year when I was in Detroit. Having all those days off when you are firing on all cylinders takes you out of your rhythm as a team and as individuals. They were up against an extremely talented team in the Red Sox and playing a seven game series doesn't allow you the time it takes to get back into that rhythm. They should still stand tall for what they accomplished.

So, here I am...a free agent for the first time in my career. It is a strange feeling , not knowing where I will be next season. It is still early but I am curious to see how this will all play out. I was formally released by the Cardinals last week. I enjoyed my time there, getting to know the city and especially my teammates there. St. Louis was a great place to play but in the end it didn't turn out the way they or I wanted it to. I didn't get my job done in the way I know I am capable and I am excited for a fresh start. So, we'll see where God takes our family now. That will be the hardest part, waiting. We have been praying for the wisdom and guidance we will need to navigate through free agency and to choose a team that is where God wants us to be. We are anxious to see him work it out and lead us in a new direction. We trust Him to protect us and provide for us just like he has always been faithful to in the past.

So, I am off to sleep. The boys have school tomorrow...waking up at 6:45 am is killing me. Is there a way we could get schools to start at about 1, like an afternoon game? I miss sleeping in...

Until next time, GOD BLESS!

on the DL and a milestone birthday

2007-08-21T12:17:00.000-05:00

Many of you are probably wondering where I have been in the past month. A lot has happened since I posted last but the long and short of things include going on the DL, rehabbing, getting stong mentally and....turning 30, which, to be honest, has not helped in getting mentally stronger!

I went on the DL about two weeks ago with a mild case of elbow tendonitis. It was a nagging irritation that I would have most likely been able to throw through but the best case scenario was to go on the DL and give it the rest it needed. I took a few days of from throwing and started rehabbing the elbow with ice and heat treatment and some long tossing in between. I will throw off the mound today and I am looking forward to it a lot. I am anxious to get back into a game situation and finish the season strong. Because I was on the DL, I didn't travel with the team on last week's road trip. I missed being a part of the team but maybe some distance between me and the field will be good.

Mentally, I have battled a lot. Baseball is as tough a mental game as it is physical. Often, you have to train yourself to be stronger mentally than physically to persevere through the tough stretches. My struggles in July were not anything I had ever been through before. I had a fresh approach to each game I pitched in and somehow kept getting the same results. I talked to a few veteran pitchers I trust a lot and Jamie Moyer has been a huge influence on me. He helped me stay focused on the positive things that were going right and helped me identify things I could improve on. His most helpful advice was to just be me. Not to try to over pitch but stick with what I know is successful for me. Sounds easy right?!?

Then came my birthday, the big 3-0! Brooke keeps telling me it is no big deal but I am not so sure! She keeps saying that I can't think of myself as old yet, we have two kids under 4 and they are all energy! We spent the day hanging out at the pool and Brooke and I went to dinner at Morton's. My favorite is the Cajun Ribeye. Brooke was supposed to make me my favorite cake (yellow cake with chocolate frosting) but she came down with a stomach virus and then the rest of us got it. I made my own cake and then couldn't have any for two days.

Let me know any questions you have and I will try to answer them ASAP! GOD BLESS YOU!

The Transition

2007-07-23T16:33:00.000-05:00

The past several weeks have been all about making the transition from Detroit to St. Louis. Brooke did an unbelievable job getting our things to St. Louis. She made it easy for me to keep my mind on baseball while she took care of everything. In the meantime, I have been getting to know my new teammates. There is a great group of guys here and I have enjoyed spending time with them and getting to know everyone. Although I still have to do some exploring of the city to really know what it is all about, I am impressed by the fans here already. Coming from Detroit, probably one of the best sports towns in America, I didn't know what to expect as far as crowds and fan support. Detroiters and Michiganders have so many winning traditions to choose from like Michigan football, MSU Basketball, Red Wings, the Pistons and after more than a decade of waiting, now the Tigers. But here, St Louis is all about the Cardinals and I think it is awesome. It is overwhelming to see the stadium in a sea of red and to have the die hard support of these fans. I have been with the Cards now for a month, but have only spent a week in St. Louis. Seeing all the fans on the road coming out to support us is great, when we hear the crowd erupt in cheering in the other team's ballpark it is awesome for us and probably a little embarrassing for the other team!

We went home for the all-star break and spent some time relaxing. Although the three days go by quick, it is refreshing to get away from the game for that time and spend time with Brooke and the boys. The first day was spent at Disney splitting time between Typhoon Lagoon (water park) and the Magic Kingdom. In the off-season we make trips to Disney routinely. So we figured we would take a day and catch up with Mickey and the gang. Nolan and Tate had a great time like always. The second day Brooke and I got some alone time. We took full advantage of this time knowing that this kind of time together was going to be scarce for the rest of the season. And the last day was time just to be at home. Our pool was used daily because of the hot weather that Florida gets in the summertime. That evening I flew back to St. Louis to get ready for the second half.

So far my pitching in the second half has been terrible to say the least. I have to be able to make adjustments in order to get back to pitching the way I'm capable of. It has been a frustrating couple of starts. I haven't shown the Cards fans, coaches and my teammates the pitcher that I am. I want to give them something to cheer for. I plan on turning things around in a hurry. My next start will be against the Brewers, and there's no better time to get back on track than when we are facing a huge division series. I took time this weekend to reevaluate myself and establish some new goals to reach for the rest of the season. I wrote them down and I will remind myself of them all the time. I have talked to a few veteran pitchers in the league and will use their experience to help me get back on track. This is a winning organization and I want to contribute to its tradition. I have to be able to put the past behind me, attack each start and pitch smart. Since I am not an overpowering pitcher who can rely on speed alone, I have to constantly make adjustments in my game. I have clearly not done that well and it is time for change.

Saying Good Bye-A note to Tiger fans

2007-06-23T23:44:00.000-05:00

They say baseball is a business. It is also part of my life. And my life the past six years in Detroit have been something I will never forget. This team gave me my chance in the big leagues and you helped carry me through some very difficult times. So many people doubted me and our team during the hard times a few years back but the Tiger fans never lost hope. You stood by us and cheered for us to go back out on the field and just keep fighting. That's what Tiger fans do, they don't quit. I was strengthened and inspired by your words of encouragement in the letters you sent me over the years and I will never forget your loyalty to Detroit. You embraced me and my family as your own and we came to know this great city as a place we called home. Many peope outside Detroit would always ask me how I liked it in Detroit. I said then and I will always say, it is a baseball town. It has some of the most loyal fans in the game who know and love their players. I will cherish my memories here and look forward to making a visit back to Detroit whenever that may be. Thank you so much for the support, the encouragement, and cheers that my family and I have received over the years. There is no way to express to you how deep our love for this city and Tiger fans everywhere is. We will always have a special place in our hearts for the city and fans of Detroit. We have always looked forward to spending our summers in D-town. Thank you for letting it become our home too. God Bless You.

On the move...

2007-06-23T22:24:00.000-05:00

Its 11:10 am on Friday and Brooke, Nolan, Tate, Brooke's parents, and myself are on our way to the aquarium in Atlanta. We were excited to go because we had heard so many good things about it. But, about ten minutes into the trip I received a call from Mr. Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers GM, asking me to head back to the hotel to meet with him. I immediately knew that this was it. With all the talk of trades and moves that had to be made, I had a pretty good feeling that this was the beginning of the end of my time in Detroit. I met with Dave, Skip (Jim), and Chuck (Pitching Coach). I was nervous not knowing where I was headed. I had different teams running through my head. Then, they told me that I had been traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. We spent the next ten minutes talking about the Cards, sharing a few thoughts about my years with Detroit. I was thankful that they met with me in person. I have a great amount of respect for Dave and his front office and they have always treated me with integrity and honesty. They embraced my family and treated us so well. There were so many emotions going through my head.....leaving a team and city my family and I loved, starting over with a new organization, and everything in between. But, I was excited because I knew STL was a great family oriented organization with a rich tradition in baseball. I knew I was headed to a place where the city and its fans loved this game.

Obviously, we never made it to the aquarium. We spent the next couple of hours calling family and friends to tell them the news and trying to plan the days ahead. The first call I made was to my parents who were driving up from Orlando to spend the weekend with us in Atlanta. I actually called them as soon as I got off the phone with Dave but it was already too late. They were only an hour south of Atlanta. They stopped to eat lunch and waited to hear back from me. Once they found out I was traded, they turned around to head back home. My parents spent the entire day in the car and never got to see us.

The hardest part of the day came after I threw a bullpen at the stadium. It was time to tell my teammates good bye. I had been on the other side many times with guys getting traded or released but this was different. This team is special. I had been through a lot with the Tigers and grown up in the Big Leagues with a lot of these players. Some of the guys I have played with for many years and had been through a lot with them. I played with Brandon Inge the longest starting back in AA in 1999 shortly after I was brought over to the Tigers from the Red Sox. My closest relationship is with Nate Robertson and we spent quite a bit of time talking and encouraging each other to press on. I have been used to spending almost everyday during the season with these guys and now that was going to end. The relationships you build in baseball are special. You spend as much or more time with guys than you do most of your family. Essentially, they become your family. So, to say good bye to them was hard knowing that I was leaving the Tigers as well as the AL so there was a good chance I wouldn't see a lot of them for awhile. But, It is time to start new relationships in a new organization and for that, I am excited. See you in St Louis!!!

Verlander's No-No

2007-06-21T21:52:00.000-05:00

Well it has been a week and a half and alot has happened since. Lets start by talking about a rare feat that I had never witnessed until now. I'm talking about J.V.'s no-hitter. The last Tiger to do it was back in 1984 by Jack Morris. As a pitcher, it doesn't take long to realize there isn't any hits on the scoreboard. By the fith inning, most of the guys knew what was at stake. So what do players do when a pitcher has a no-hitter in line? They don't mention anything.....i mean ANYTHING about it, they usually say very little to the pitcher, and do exactly the same routine every inning. In the ninth inning i was so nervous along with every player wearing a Detroit uniform and every Tiger fan watching. My hands were sweating, and I couldn't sit still. i could not imagine what was going on in Justin's head. I was in the same seat the entire game when he was pitching. Once the final out was made, the celebration began on the field. It continued in the clubhouse. It will be a game that I will never forget.

When this road trip ends we will have spent 21 of 28 days on the road. The seven home games in the middle seemed to fly by. I feel like road trips can be exhaustive when we spend this many days on the road. Living out of a suitcase and being away from Brooke and the boys gets old. For Father's day, Brooke bought me a laptop to take on the road. The best thing about it is the built-in web camera. It allows me to not only talk to my family, but to actually see them live. When I talk to them it feels like we are together even if it's only for a few minutes. I get to see what the boys are up to and hear their voices. This technology has brought me close to them when I'm many miles away. I couldn't imagine playing years ago before computers and cell phones. It is easier to stay close with my family even when we're far apart.

My First Blog

2007-06-06T09:02:00.000-05:00

Since this is my first time blogging anything I am not sure where to start. I wanted to start this blog as a way to interact with baseball fans of all ages, everywhere. It is a chance for me to connect with you about my life as a athlete and what baseball life is really about. Reporters try to write about what it is like to be a player but the majority of them have never spent a day in a professional uniform. This blog will be a first hand experience for you to know what really happens in my life on the road, in the clubhouse and in my head as a pitcher. I will try to answer questions you have and give you as much of a insiders view as I can. I want this to be an opportunity for you, the fans, to be as close to this game as possible. So, here goes...

We have been on the road for over a week now, and will be heading back to Detroit late Thursday night after I make my start against the Rangers. We began this road trip in Tampa after being swept at home by the Indians. (that sucked!) I enjoy going to Tampa because it is only a short distance to our off season home in Orlando. I am able to be with family that I haven't seen since the end of spring training and a chance for me to sleep in my bed for a change. Even though my time at home was only about twelve hours I woke up at 6 am to go fishing with my neighbor, Dave. It was a good morning out on our lake. The fish were not only biting, but jumping out of the water. We caught about 15 largemouth bass in the 2 hours we were out. The fish were up to about 4 pounds averaging about 2 1/2 pounds. Being home with my family and going fishing allowed me to get away from the grind of being on the road for a short time.

The second leg of the road trip took us into Cleveland. It was a vital opportunity for us to gain some ground against the Indians. At the time the series started they had only dropped four games at the Jake all season, so we knew we had our work cut out for us. After dropping our 4th straight against the Tribe on Thursday night, I took the mound for Friday night's game. We jumped out to an early lead and I was cruising, or so I thought. Through the first five innings of action, we had a 3-1 lead and I was throwing strikes and making my pitches work for me. For the first time all year, I was able to throw my curveball for strikes early in the count. I had good command of my fastball and it looked as if the game was going our way. We added 2 more runs in the top of the sixth to increase our lead to 5-1. But, in the bottom of that inning the momentum changed in their favor. Things made a turn for the worse after I got 2 outs and a 0-2 count on Peralta. I only needed to make one more pitch to end the inning. Instead, I walked off the mound after giving up 2 two-run homers and our lead. Only one more pitch to Peralta and I would have been out of the inning giving up no runs! I had him dowm 0-2 and couldn't finish him! After being in control of the game for the first 5 2/3 innings, I ended my night in a 5-5 tie after 6 innings. It is one of the worst feelings a pitcher to not be able to get out of an inning when you are so close. That night ended in a 5th straight win for the Indians over us. It was frustrating to have good stuff and to be only one pitch away from a great outing. One of the highlights of the road trip was a bible study I had with Nate Robertson and Todd Jones. I enjoy meeting with my teammates to talk about what's going on in our lives and taking the time to encourage each other. It was a crazy night Saturday night in Cleveland. The Pistons were playing Game 6 against the Cavaliers next door at the "Q". Unfortunately, it didn't go the Pistons way and their season is over. The city went crazy and fans were up all night honking horns in the streets! But, after dropping the first two games of the series we evened it out by taking the last two.

It was onto Texas for the last stop. The first day in was a day off. I was looking forward to Texas because Brooke made the trip and without our boys. Brooke and I don't get much alone time during the season. It was the first trip this year that only she came on. We spent the day off at the mall in Dallas and caught not one, but two movies. That's a big deal for us seeing how we haven't seen two movies on one weekend in a few years! Just spending time with her with no kiddos is always great. It gives us a chance to be focused on one another and needless to say it was a wonderful day. And here we are ready to take on the Rangers. I'm pitching the last day here looking to get back on track and pitching the way I know I am capable of. That is probably one of the most frustrating things I am going through right now..to know I have it in me, that all the pieces are there, but they just aren't falling into place in the order they should or the way I want them to. So, I'll go back to work and do the best I can to give my team a chance to win.

Oh yeah, don't forget to log onto the web and vote for the Tigers for the All Star game. Maggs is tearing it up right now! Stay Tuned!