My Dad

These are some pics of us at the Dodger game. My dad has always been a big Dodger fan. It has probably been the reason why I grew up as Dodger fan because of the love that my father had for them. We were both very much into the game despite the homerun not coming until the 8th inning. Good times. Please pray for my family. That they would come to know Jesus.

Dodger Game

On the last day in LA, I went to the Dodger Game w/ my father and his wife(Cheryl). Awesome! Manny hit a bomb in the bottom of the ninth and "Iron Man" Broxton closed out the Giants 2-1. We had some sweet seats. The weather was perfect. And the Lakers won their first playoff game. It was a good day in LA despite the craziness of the Dodger fans! My good buddy Steven met us after the game in the parking lot for some pictures.

California

I returned to California for about two weeks to spend time with family and friends. I decided to not really play any baseball activities whatsoever just to rest nagging injuries. Yet, my good Christian bro, Andy Hennebelle, invited me down to the Ontario Inland Sports Center to throw a short bullpen and check out his facility. This place was incredible! It was a full workout facility w/ weights, batting cages, bullpen, and turf to work on functional training and speed. There were a few minor league guys who showed up for training and rehab while I was there. Please pray for Andy as he continues to do what he loves in training athlete's to excel to their fullest. I had the privilege of playing high school baseball w/ Andy and in other men's league around California. He has a great mind for the game and understand a lot of how the body works in sports. God bless you Andy! Thanks for the opportunity.

Okiden Tourney Style

Praise the Lord! We were able to play Okiden! Okiden is the Okinawan Electric Company. They are the best company team in Japan as of now. We lost the game 8-1 against their ace pitcher. It was an extra blessing because I got the call the night before that I would be suiting up for this one. God gave me favor in allowing me to be there. I didn't get the chance to pitch, but it was real fun being in the uniform and waiting for the call to warm up.

Start of the Tournament

Today was the start of our first tournament of the year. We were able to take down Ryuku University 8-2 starting w/ a fifth inning 2 run home run to left field. These were just a few of the pictures taken from the game. As you can see, I was in the stands for this one. I didn't get the call to pitch in this tournament just due to some kinks in my mechanics. There were about 15 guys who didn't dress out for the game. Not a problem though! Realizing your mistakes in pitching just makes you a better player. I figured out through lower velocity, a tired arm, and poor control, that my lower body mechanics needed a major adjustment. I believe the Lord is just giving me this time to work on those things. I'm looking forward to a big comeback! Please pray for me that I would keep my focus in bringing the Gospel to the table for these guys! God has a bigger reason for me being on this team. Amen.

The Owner of Enagic's Birthday

Wednesday evening, we were invited to celebrate the Owner of Enagic's birthday. Mr. Oshiro turned 69 years young! I didn't know this, but Mr. Oshiro started the company from Okinawa. He then moved on to mainland Japan and into the United States along w/ shops in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Europe and Germany. I was pretty shocked that he was the sole owner of the chain. The celebration was held at Busena Resort close to Nago where President Clinton stayed during his time here while the G8 Summit was in Okinawa. There were actually many Americans who were invited along w/ employees from Taiwan, China, and Europe. The interesting thing was the fact that only about 20 of the top distributer's from Enagic were invited. Tokito and myself were invited by the manager Hirayama san.

We were able to talk to Hirayama san about starting a team Bible study to reach out to the guys for Christ. He said that it would be great, but, the best part was that Enagic's team dorm apartment will be moved to Ginowan next month. He said we could use the downstairs community rooms to hold the study. We both were blown away! God brought it so close to us here in Ginowan. Please pray as we step out in faith to share the love of Christ to a dying people. Those who don't know Him!

End of Spring

Last Wednesday was our last game of spring before the start of the season. We played against the housing company team Big Kaihatsu. I actually didn't play in this game, but I took a few pics of what the baseball life is like here in Okinawa. I didn't fare too well this spring in my only 2 outings, yet, I learned a few important things for my mechanics. I will not be pitching in the tournament for march. This is ok! There's a few things the Lord wants to teach me about baseball and life. He's under control!