In Full Swing

Hello again everyone. With baseball season back in full swing, I hope everyone is enjoying their summer, but I know that we aren’t quite there yet. For all of you kids in school, I am sure you have the countdown set.

I was driving to Target Field last week and I passed a baseball field that I grew up playing on, and there were already some little leaguers out there throwing the ball around. Speaking of Target Field, if you are in the state of Minnesota (or even near the state) you owe it to yourself to make a trip to this ballpark. I will admit that I am a bit biased, but there isn’t a better place in the country to play baseball. I am sitting in New York right now, and while I appreciate the energy of the city and the new stadium here, nothing beats our new place back home. We are in NYC for a three game series with the Yankees now. We dropped the first one last night and are headed back to the stadium for another run at them in a few hours.

My foot is feeling a lot better and I am glad to be back on the field with the guys. I hate missing any games, but sometimes you have to listen to your body and when it tells you something isn’t right you can only ignore it for so long. Thankfully we have the best trainers and team doctors in all of professional baseball. So, they got me on a routine and back on the field as quickly as possible. I treat our training staff almost as a second set of coaches. They know way more about the body and how various injuries or ailments can affect your performance than I do, so I defer to them. We have a good relationship and deep down they are true baseball fans, so they know which injuries are harder for me to deal with as a catcher than others. Because my heel changes everything I do both behind the plate and in the batter’s box, they felt it was best that I shut it down for a few games. I am back feeling good now and looking forward to getting after it this afternoon.

Enough about baseball, how are all of you doing? I am sure the Anytime Fitness gyms are getting packed with everyone trying to pump up those beach muscles for the summer. With the weather quickly getting better around the country, now is probably the best time to switch up your workout routine. If you live close to the Anytime Fitness gym that you visit, try walking or riding your bike instead of driving. It will help loosen you up and give you more time to enjoy the sunshine. If you feel like you are starting to hit a wall or plateau in your workout, ask a trainer for advice. Like I rely on the doctors on our team to tell me what is happening to my body, you should rely on trainers to let you know what’s wrong with your routine. The weight is too heavy, not enough reps, not enough cardio, whatever, just ask. My teammates and I have all been playing professional baseball for years, and we still have a strength coach telling us what to do in the weight room. Anyway, I have to get ready to head over to the stadium now so it’s time to pack up. I am feeling really good so this afternoon should be a fun one. If you live in Minnesota or your city has its own team, come on out and catch a game. Thank you to all the Twins fans that have come out to support us. If you are a fan of another team I don’t expect you to cheer for us, just don’t boo me when we come to town.