Today I was hit with a bout of nerves...
in the first game of the double header against Iowa I had th 7th inning, just after Jeff Grotewold tied the score at 3-3 with a 2 run home run... I hadnot throw since the 28th of Mar and had a little too much of something stored up in me!! I walked the first hitter and then the next guy bunted him over... a single up the middle plated the runner on second and the third hitter bunted the guy on first to second... I then threw a good change to get out of the inning... bbut the damage was done...
I needed to get this inning over with.. I have been nervous about coming down here... even though it is not the majors, I have been out of balll for quite a while and not faced hitters of this caliber for a while... It was a simple case of trying too hard!
and giving the hitters way too much credit... I still have good stuff and saw that today in how they swung at pitches... problem was they didnt swing at enough of them!!!
My arm is strong and I have not quite realized this... It is something that takes time to adjust to and I still don't 'feel' just right... like I have cheated in some way to be back in the game after 3 major arm surgeries... ;)
Jim Pittsley threw a great 6 innings in the first game... and I botched the 7th for our first loss... then Linton threw the 2nd game and tossed 6 shout out innings... with Pat Perry picking up his first save with a scoreless 7th...
we have a team here in Omaha that will compete... we have good pitching and timely hitting... as well as good defense.
gotta go...
mallyman
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