PORTLAND, Maine — Myler Makes the Sea Dogs...or attempts to.
Yes, I am venturing out of the kitchen and onto the diamond, to attempt what is impossible. I went to Hadlock Field in Portland for hitting practice with Portland Sea Dogs AA hitting coach Chris Hess.
I started off with what I knew—the snacks—good ol' sunflower seeds and Big League Chew. That gum is sugary.
Then it was time to grab a Louisville Slugger and get started like any child would, with a tee.
After a few swings and misses, I finally made contact with the ball. Then we upgraded to an overhand ball close up, then farther away, then a few curve balls, fastballs, and so on. I can't really describe this with words, so it's easier to watch the video to see the attempt.
Shocking to everyone—and most of all me—I actually hit a few of the balls pretty far! I see why Chris has his job as a professional AA hitting coach: he knows exactly how to instruct players or meteorologists. For me, we realized that it takes a little bit of choreography between the pitcher and the hitter.
Disclaimer: I ran this by Todd who clarified that in real baseball, the pitcher and hitter are not friendly and are in fact competing against one another.
Next, I tried some pitching skills. Getting a fastball proved to be a lot harder than anticipated. I tried my right arm, tried my left arm. The right was the winner. Chris was able to throw the ball over 60 mph! Alas, I was only able to get to the mid-20s. Oh well.
The moment of truth...did I make the team? I told Chris he needed to be honest, not to sugarcoat it. Alas, I did not make the team, but after a few hits to the tee and countless missed balls, that makes sense.
Thank you so much to Chris Hess and everyone at the Portland Sea Dogs for having me out to Hadlock Field! It was so much fun. Who knew, I actually could enjoy sports!
The Sea Dogs are beginning their last stretch of regular season games today so maybe I'll have to sit this one out and enjoy the game in the stands instead.