Extra Innings

Nope, I'm not talking a game that went extra innings, although I dare say that's about all this World Series is missing from being one of the best in recent memory.

Tuesday evening was a night off from me sitting by the fire, busting baseball card packs, and watching baseball.  What did I do instead?  I went to Extra Innings in Bloomington-Normal with my friend, Jim.

Jim has participated in the last two Chicago Cubs fantasy camps and he's planning on going back this January for a third year in a row.  He's in a training mode and it's great!

While he gets himself into game shape I get to tag along and enjoy all the baseball activities.  I couldn't be happier.

It was a forty-five minute commute to the Extra Innings training facility, but well worth it.  We talked baseball the entire way, there and back.  Jim's always up for talking baseball, and for those of you who know me personally, you know that I can turn from a quiet introvert into a chatty stat-head in less time than it takes Kolten Wong to get picked off of first base.

Once at the practice facility we stretched, played catch, and then got down to business. I set up a pitching machine on top of a false mound, cranked it up, and fed over two hundred balls to Jim.  I'm glad he was wearing a pair of batting gloves, because he would have some gnarly blisters this morning otherwise. 

I slipped in twice for a couple dozen hacks, but I mostly was happy just to feed the machine and give Jim feedback on his swing.  I was an above average hitter in high school, but I was strictly a pitcher in college, and I've kind of poo-pooed hitting ever since. To each his own I suppose.

It was wonderful to get out do something baseball related as I "wait 'til next year" and I look forward to making the trip to Bloomington-Normal again later this winter when my basketball coaching schedule allows for it. 
 Thanks, Jim!