Last Night, I Checked A Huge Item Off My Bucket List
It's a unique thing being able to do what you love for a living. It's overwhelming in the best way. And of all the insane "pinch me, I must be dreaming" moments that I've had since I started working at Barstool, having the opportunity to sit in a broadcast booth and help call a baseball game was the one that made me the most nervous beforehand, and in turn, it ended up being one of the most rewarding experiences of my life so far.
The word that comes to mind when I think of the West Michigan Whitecaps is "impressed." It's no secret that the Detroit Tigers organization is in the midst of a transition as they are currently looking for a new GM to replace Al Avila, and while they lost last night, I'm impressed by the vibes within the clubhouse. Bryan Peña will be a major league manager at some point in the future. He's an excellent communicator with a really sharp baseball mind. It wouldn't shock me at all to see him ascend through the ranks at some point. I was lucky enough to talk to Jace Jung and Jackson Jobe, the Tigers' last two first-round picks. Again, I was very impressed. I feel like sometimes, we take hype for granted. I'd have a hard not having a massive ego if I was taken in the first round at such a young age, and while I can't predict what either one of these guys who do at the major league level, I can confirm that the mental makeup is that, and that's a big first step.
The most surreal part of the night was when I walked into Bryan Pena's office and saw Alan Trammell sitting there. I think the number of double takes I did probably looked like something out of a cartoon. My head may have actually spun. Not every day do you get to meet a Hall Of Famer, let alone one of the most important and universally loved Detroit athletes of all time. I'm usually pretty good about keeping it cool, but meeting Tram was about as starstruck as I've been since I started working at Barstool. And, of course, he's everything that the fans in Detroit have said he's been for years. He's incredibly cordial and kind, more than deserving of all the praise he's received going back to his playing days.
I want to thank Dan Hasty, who helped carry me through what I thought would be a nerve-wracking experience. Dan is about as professional as they come from a broadcasting perspective, and I can't wait to see where his career goes from here. There is nothing, and I mean truly nothing in the world, that I love more than talking baseball, and I think the very conversational tone he set up last night alleviated a lot of stress that I may have had coming in.
Living in the moment has always been a difficult thing for me. I'm always looking ahead at ways in which I can improve or be better. But over the last year since I've started working with Barstool, I feel I've improved. As I was driving home last night, I couldn't help but crack a smile or two. This crazy, crazy whirlwind is the result of a lot of luck and a whole lot of support. These moments belong to me, and those moments belong to the awesome company I work for and the amazing fans that follows us. It's important to ride the wave, never forget where you came from, and appreciate where you're at.
"Seize the moment, try to freeze it and own it
Squeeze it and hold it, 'cause we consider these minutes golden."
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Just getting started. VIVA!