Ehime Mandarin Pirates Coaching Staff

It's not everyday that you get the opportunity to show your stuff to a professional baseball coaching staff. This is a picture of the head coach, Hoshino-san(former player and one of the coaches for the Rakuten Golden Eagles), pitching coach(former Yakult Swallows pitcher), and the head of the players development.

It was cool just meeting these guys and having the opportunity to just be there. This was part of Rika and my trip to visit family in Ehime. We were able to get in contact with them and ask them for a chance to workout with them.

God bless,

rob

First game of the year

We lost the first game of the season 8-3. Okinawa International University is the strongest University in Okinawa. They had a lot of well timely hits. Basically 2 doubles and the rest singles. I pitched 4 innings. 3 scoreless until the 3rd. Two errors cost us 2 runs, yet they capitalized and scored 6 runs in the third. My control was right on, and I only walked one batter. I put too many pitches right in the zone. My max was 139km(86 mph).

This was the first time I'd pitched to live batters in a game in one full year. I was blessed with the ability to throw strikes. That was the key. Next outing, I'll be mixing in more off-speed pitches. Pitching is all about destroying timing. I learn that for my former coach Don Sneddon at Santa Ana College.

God is in control. We have a big double header coming up at Akama Stadium in Onna-Son on September 24th.

Praise the Lord! He is faithful!

rob

Okikoku Practice Game

We have our first game for Aniya on Saturday the 20th at 9 am versus Okinawa International University.

I was blessed to get the nod as the starting pitcher. I haven't pitched against a hitter in a live game since last September.

May the Lord be glorified through baseball!

Pitching in Ehime

When my wife and I were in Ehime, we were able to visit with an independent pro team called the Ehime Mandarin Pirates. I was able to talk to them about a workout before I left just to see what the team was like. I was so blessed. They allowed me to throw a short bullpen. Afterward, we talked with the manager and a few of the coaches. It was a good opportunity to show my pitching and hear how they run the team.

A few of the guys on the team remembered me from my days playing for the Rangers in Wakayama.

God is good. Pray for the players and staff of the Mandarin Pirates. In Jesus' Name!

rob

Aniya Tryout

Nishihara Marine City Aniya is holding a tryout on Saturday May 28th. This was the flyer that the manager gave to us guys to give to local shops for advertisement. Also, there was an ad last week in the Ryuku Shimpo newspaper about the new coaching staff and tryout. I won't be trying out for this one. The team had invited me to join the team, which is a blessing! Prayerfully, the Lord will bring some new guys He wants to minister to. I will be going to the tryout after work to check out what's going on. Looking forward to a great season with a new team!

God bless you!

rob

Nishihara Marine City Aniya

Recently, I received an e-mail from one of my baseball contacts about potentially training together. Justin Krause, a military dependent and semi-pro baseball player here in Okinawa, started working out with me every Thursday and Saturday at 630 in the morning over at Okinawa International University. It's great to see someone with a lot of zeal to play the game of baseball! Justin is only 20 years old. He introduced me back to my old team, Aniya. Aniya baseball now has a new sponsor from a golf company located in the heart of Nishihara. Nishihara is very close to Ginowan, which makes traveling easy for me. So, I started working out with the guys every Tuesday and Thursday night. Here we are at the indoor training facility in Nishihara City.

Please continue to pray for what the Lord wants to do. There are a few American guys on this team, and I believe the Lord wants to speak to their hearts. It's great being with the Japanese ball players again! These guys are always cheerful! I'm praying the Lord will give them true everlasting cheer.

Please pray for Nishihara Marine City Aniya players and coaches!

God bless,

In His timing,

rob

Uncle Rico?

So I have become an Uncle Rico! Well, I've always been an Uncle Rico. If you are familiar with the Napoleon Dynamite movie, you would remember the story of his Uncle Rico throwing footballs by himself, and filming it at the same time. There's a University baseball field near my house. Early in the mornings, a few years back, I would go there a throw off a mound into a back screen. I had nobody to play catch with, and I still don't, so I throw a bucket off balls off a mound. Afterwards, I do plenty of sprints and agility workouts. It's actually a great workout and a wonderful time spending with the Lord! I don't know what the future holds for baseball, but I definitely have the desire to play again. I'm just keeping fresh and staying ready for that call, if the Lord wills!

Here is a little video of my mechanics. Please drop me a message. If you know a lot about pitching, give me some advice and what I might be doing wrong in my delivery. I would be blessed to hear from you!

Thanks for checking out this field of dreams! Hope you had a good laugh at my Uncle Rico impersonation!

God bless,

rob