Archive for the ‘Persistence’ Category
Finished and Sent Off a Short Story
While I remain more under the weather than not — and boy, am I tired of having to write those words — I was able to complete a short story and send it off to an anthology over the weekend. (For those of you also on Facebook who’ve seen my recent status updates, this is the same story I discussed on Friday evening.)
Mind you, this is the first short story I’ve written in at least four months. And as such, I’m pleased with it.
Of course, as with just about all of my shorter efforts, my story has a plot that would probably better befit a novel. And I’ve already had one offer from a friend to help me turn it into just that down the line, so I guess there must be some promise in it.
Let us hope the anthology editor thinks so as well, whether she is able to buy it or not. (I take all the reassurance I can get.)
As far as everything else . . . you might be wondering why I checked both “remembrance” and “persistence” with regards to this post as far as categories go. It’s simple: the reason I came up with this particular short story has a great deal to do with my (deceased) good friend Jeff Wilson. In this newest of my short stories, I showed an unlikely friendship between a human and an alien and how many things were left unspoken between the pair that seemed to be in complete accord.
Then something happens where the alien is no longer able to speak for himself. (I know aliens don’t have to be male or female, but in this case this particular alien is male. So let’s go with it, shall we?)
The human friend does her best to figure out what’s going on even though her alien friend is no longer available to discuss all the options with her. And she solves a mystery — or perhaps comes up with a new one — while vowing all the while to never, ever forget her friend.
As I said, this story was prompted because of how much I miss my friend Jeff. It’s not a story that I would’ve come up with otherwise, though I have had a few stories since my late husband Michael’s death that, to one extent or another, were greatly impacted by his passing. (Most of them, to be honest. Save this one.)
I’d like to think that my friend would be honored by the fact that I’ve written this story, even though it’s far from perfect. (I know I shouldn’t say that, as the story hasn’t even been read by the anthology’s editor as of yet. But I tend to think none of my stories are perfect — not even ELFY, though that one comes the closest by miles to what I’d dreamed it should be — which perhaps means I’m being overly perfectionistic again.) I also think he’d be pleased that I’d written a science fiction story — when he had to know I’m more conversant with fantasy — because it means I’m better able to let the story tell me where it wants to go, rather than go where I think it should.
(This last may make no sense to non-writers. But it is still the truth.)
I would like to think that our loved ones — friends, husbands, makes no nevermind — will live on as long as we remember them.
All I know is, I will never forget Jeff Wilson. Not ever.
I just hope he knew that.
And I hope, someday, in some faraway place, that I’ll be able to ask him what he thinks of this story. Because when I wrote it, I thought a great deal about him.
And smiled.
Vinny Rottino Signs with Orix Buffaloes, Will Play in Japan in 2013
Vinny Rottino has found a new baseball home — in Japan.
According to this article written by Peter Jackel of the Racine Journal-Times, Rottino signed a contract with the Orix Buffaloes, a Japanese baseball team based in Osaka and Kobe, Japan, this past Friday. He’s scheduled to meet with a representative of the Buffaloes on Wednesday, and will report to Spring Training on January 21, 2013, in Osaka.
Here’s a quote from the article:
Vinny Rottino’s ultimate reward for grinding out a professional baseball career the last 10 years just might be more than 6,000 miles away.
The latest — and most lucrative — in a long list of baseball destinations for the 1998 St. Catherine’s High School graduate is Japan. The 32-year-old Rottino signed a one-year contract Friday with the Orix Buffaloes, a Nippon Professional team in the Pacific League. The contract guarantees him $350,000 with the potential of another $100,000 in incentives.
Now what’s the most interesting thing to me in all of this was this following quote:
Rottino said he received offers from the Brewers, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs after the season, but his decision to head overseas was easy.
“I heard it’s awesome in Japan,” Rottino said. “Everyone’s so polite and it’s got a lot to offer, from what I hear.”
Now, the fascination with Japanese baseball makes some sense here, especially from Rottino’s perspective. Rottino steals bases, can gain an infield hit from time to time, plays good and steady defense, and can be relied upon to be professional at all times while still having fun. These are qualities the Japanese league should appreciate.
And the parks, I’ve heard, are a bit smaller, too, so Rottino’s home run and doubles totals should go up (much less his RBI total).
So here I was, worried about where Rottino would go after the Indians DFA’d him, mostly because I was afraid no one would want him in MLB-land due to his age (32). Yet he got four offers.
Including one from the Brewers (yay!).
Of course, as Greg Giesen of the Journal-Times just confirmed at Twitter right now (in answer to my question, “Was this about the money?”), there was a potential problem with these four offers:
@barbcaffrey Yes. His contract is for $350,000. The MLB offers were minor league deals with an chance to make the majors out of spring.
I told Giesen in reply:
@GregGiesenJT Then it makes perfect sense, Greg. I’d have taken the guaranteed money, too. Plus, his style of play may really fit in there.
At any rate, it’s great that Rottino has signed a guaranteed contract worth $350,000 (with another $100,000 in incentives, no less). I wish him much success in Japan . . . and I hope that I’ll be able to figure out how to start translating Japanese baseball’s stat-lines, stat.
Baseball’s Winter Meetings, or, Why Your GM Should Sign Vinny Rottino
On December 3, 2012, the baseball Winter Meetings will be held in Nashville, TN. All thirty major league clubs, plus many minor league teams as well, will be at the Winter Meetings; much will be said, much will be hinted at, and maybe a few deals will be made to the benefit of all and sundry.
My take? I’d like to see one of these MLB GMs actually pick up a player who will help their team in every aspect of the game — Vinny Rottino.
Rottino, you see, is now a free agent. (Again.) Yet he plays many positions, has a winning attitude, and has worked incredibly hard at improving himself and his abilities over the years. And he’s been so good at keeping his body free from injury that even though he’s now chronologically thirty-two years of age, he probably can keep playing at the same level or higher for six or seven more years yet.
Ah, but you’re probably thinking, “Why do you care so much about a guy who has a lifetime major league batting average of .165, Barb?”
I care because Rottino has hit at every level, providing he’s been given a good chance to play every day. And when someone has worked this hard for this long and does have the skills, yet never gets the chance to prove himself, that just doesn’t seem right.
So to all you MLB GMs out there, listen up. Rottino is smart, hard-working, has never taken a performance-enhancing drug of any sort, plays multiple positions and plays them well, and when given a chance has hit at every level. His lifetime minor league stats of .294 with 598 RBI, 82 HR and 116 SBs over ten seasons proves that.
Rather than throwing Rottino out because he’s going to be thirty-three in April of ’13, why not sign him and give him a chance to be in your lineup every day or every other day (as Rottino hits lefthanders particularly well)? Or at least put him on your bench, as Rottino is a capable and versatile defender who can play many, many positions.
As there are some terrible teams out there (such as the Houston Astros, about to go to the American League, or the Miami Marlins after their recent fire sale), it would seem to me that Rottino has more than enough skills to be given a flyer. And once he’s there, it’s quite possible that Rottino will do more than enough to start the season in the major leagues — that is, unless the GMs wish to be ageist and insist that since Rottino’s never done all that well, he never will do all that well, either, because he’s about to turn thirty-three and only the rarest of the rare improve after that age.
That sort of argument is impossible to disprove unless Rottino gets another chance to play somewhere. And since he’s done very, very well at the AAA level (seven years and counting of AAA service), it seems likely that he’ll be offered a minor-league deal with an invitation to Spring Training by some team.
So once again, GMs, I urge you not to be stupid. Sign Vinny Rottino. Know that the minor league players in your system will look up to him. And maybe, just maybe, your other players will learn so much from him that he’ll be like another coach — which to my mind seems like his most likely career option once his playing days are done.
Several years in the future.
Ill Here . . . but Getting Better
Folks, the last week has been quite interesting — at least in the Chinese curse sense of, “May you live in interesting times” — which is why I haven’t blogged in several days.
To be blunt, I’ve been quite ill with the flu and a sinus infection and a number of other things that got kicked up because of that. No new writing has gotten done, and my edits are behind (now three edits are in progress, the two longer-term ones plus a short-term job). And I had to take three days away from my editorial internship, too, which of course doesn’t help anything.
Some days, the minuses definitely seem like more than the pluses, but I have to keep getting up and get whatever done that I possibly can. And if the best I can do is rest? Well, then, I guess I’ll rest with the best of ’em.
At least, as much as I can.
There are some positives to report in the past week, though not a whole lot. I edited a few more chapters of AN ELFY ABROAD (the direct sequel to ELFY). I was able to do my three-hour shift for my internship tonight. I attended the most recent Racine Concert Band rehearsal (for our December 13, 2012 concert at Park High School), and while I didn’t play really well, I also didn’t perform horribly. And I’ve sketched out a few possible scenes for another of my works-in-progress (WIPs for short), while reading at least fifteen books in the past week. (If I had a Kindle or something akin to it, I’d probably have read even more.)
The other things that I’ve noted in the past week or two that I haven’t blogged about:
The Milwaukee Brewers have parted with pitchers Kameron Loe and José Veras, who weren’t the worst relievers on the roster by a mile. I’m waiting to see if the Brewers re-sign either of these pitchers at lower salaries.
Politics is in a holding pattern; everyone’s wondering if the United States Congress will ever learn the meaning of the word “compromise” (much less the words “fiscal restraint”), while the term “fiscal cliff” has dominated the headlines along with the stalwart refusal of Congress to do any work whatsoever.
Wisconsin politics is also in a holding pattern. State Senator Jessica King (D-Oshkosh) has conceded to Republican Rick Gudex of Fond du Lac, and is now an outgoing Senator after losing by only 590 votes. The Republicans regained control of the state Senate; currently, with one seat vacant, the state Senate stands at 17-15.
And there’s no news regarding the “John Doe” probe of Gov. Scott Walker (R) and his aides, except the fact that the probe is continuing. (This wouldn’t even be news except that Walker himself believed that the probe was in its final days.)
Anyway, as I start to feel better, I should be able to do more writing, on this blog and for Shiny Book Review and of course for my works-in-progress. The hope now is to get a book review done for tomorrow night for John Amen and Daniel Y. Harris’s poetry extravaganza THE NEW ARCANA, and another review on Saturday (possibly one of the three-book set by K.E. Kimbriel, as all of them are good, enjoyable novels; if I wait, though, it’s only to do a “two-for-one SBR special”).
So my intentions are to get better, keep writing and editing, and keep posting updates as I have ’em.
Business as usual, no matter how long it takes. (Right?)
Started an Editorial Internship
A few weeks ago, I applied for an editorial internship at a the large sports Web site. The internship is unpaid, but it’s good experience — and I got it. (It started as of Friday evening.)
Note that working for a sports Web site, paid or unpaid, is a distinct challenge. I haven’t ever been called upon to edit so quickly before, much less while learning a new “house style” and all the various rules and regs in the process.
But what is life without a challenge?
However, as there’s only so much time in a day — and I’m already working on two major book edits, one of which is to be completed by November 10 if at all possible — this week my blog definitely suffered the consequences, as aside from this mini-blog right here I’ve only managed to sit down and write one other blog.
Next week, I should be able to do at least a bit more writing. But getting the hang of the new editing internship is the priority right now, right along with the in-process book edits.
But for now, I thought I’d reinforce a few of the well-thumbed messages I’ve received over the years, to wit:
- Follow your dreams wherever they may lead you. Even if your dreams take unwieldy detours. Even if they doesn’t seem to make sense to anyone but you.
- Don’t let anything stop you from the pursuit of your dreams if you know you’re right.
- Don’t be afraid to admit when you’re wrong, as that’s the only way to learn.
- Stay humble, if possible; avoid annoying people unnecessarily, if not.
- Most importantly, hold fast to your dreams no matter what.
All I know is, without dreams, why should we keep trying? And without goals, what would be our motivation?
Our dreams give us purpose. Our dreams give us meaning. And best of all, our dreams can give us hope, which is why if you know you’re right — if you know you have the talent, drive, and ability to learn — you shouldn’t let anyone set your dreams aside for anything.
This is why I tell you to persist. And keep on persisting. Because persistence plus effort plus willingness to learn is the winning strategy no matter what your dream is — and the only way you can access that strategy is to “keep on keepin’ on” in good times, bad times, and just-plain-mediocre times.
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Note: look for my book review of Patricia C. Wrede’s THE FAR WEST over at SBR in the coming days. (If I’m fortunate, it’ll go up sometime Saturday night/Sunday morning. If I’m not — if I’m bogged down with the book edits — then it’ll have to be put back to next Thursday or so.)
Musing about Three Former SYTYCD Champions
I thought tonight, especially as I’m under the weather (see previous blog post), I’d look up a few former “So You Think You Can Dance” champions and see what’s going on with them.
First, I looked up season seven winner Lauren Froderman. She’s been extremely active in the dance world with convention appearances (she dances and teaches), is a student at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, and was an All-Star dancer during season eight of SYTYCD.
If you put Lauren Froderman’s name into any search engine, you’ll find all sorts of notes about her, from YouTube videos to convention appearances. One thing’s for certain — she’s energetic, she loves to dance, and she is a great ambassador for the sport.
As for season two winner Benji Schwimmer, I’ve seen him pop up from time to time on television, mostly due to guest appearances on “Dancing with the Stars” (with his sister and DWTS pro, Lacey). But he, too, has remained active; one of his most high-profile performances was in Washington, D.C., in 2011 with the United States Air Force Band, along with season three winner Sabra Johnson and season one finalist Jamile McGee. And like Ms. Froderman, it’s very easy to see Mr. Schwimmer in action; just put his name into any search engine, and all sorts of videos of his dancing will show up.**
Season three winner Sabra Johnson is a bit harder for a non-dancer like myself to find out information about, but she also appears to have remained active in the sport and continues to dance and teach.
More about these champions is available at this link . . . that should give you some idea as to what these dancers have been up to lately.
———–
Now to the personal observations. I enjoyed watching season two of SYTYCD mostly because Benji Schwimmer’s story was extremely compelling; here’s this guy who came back from a two-year Mormon mission, nearly didn’t make the show, then wins the whole, frickin’ thing because of his excellent ballroom dancing skills and his obvious joy whenever he danced. Astonishing. (And his sweet friendship with fellow contestant Donyelle Jones certainly didn’t hurt, either.)
Season three was interesting to me mostly because I enjoyed watching Lacey Schwimmer and Danny Tidwell (both finalists; Danny T. came in second), but I also enjoyed Sabra Johnson’s dancing and personal story. Sabra didn’t start dancing until age sixteen; she took to it like a house on fire, and her joy and expressive movement was contagious.
As for season eight, I really liked Alex Wong, but he got injured. Lauren Froderman was the last female contestant standing, and she outlasted all of the men to win; she’s enthusiastic, bubbly, and mastered all the dance styles she was assigned.
Of course, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I wrote a blog about how I disliked the way the judges framed her win. (One of my most popular blogs I’ve ever written for a strange reason; most of the commentators, especially the recent ones, think I was way too harsh when it came to Lauren Froderman.) It’s important to note that I never disliked her or her dancing. (How could I? I’m astonished by what all of these dancers can do, as dance is decidedly not my talent.) But I definitely disliked the judges.
Mostly, I follow dance because it’s a creative art, it’s a good way for extremely athletic, talented sorts to express themselves, and as a musician, I enjoy seeing what visual artists like dancers can do to bring out the music. I think all three of these winners are creative, talented, and worked very hard for their respective wins.
It’s good to know that they’ve all continued in the sport — granted, it’s been longer since Benji Schwimmer won (six years), or Sabra Johnson won (five years), than Lauren Froderman (two years). But to see all the different references to the conventions Lauren F. has danced/taught at, or all of the videos available on YouTube that feature her, it’s obvious that she deeply enjoys dance and is very, very good at it; she appears to have the energy of any three other dancers, and seems like the type of person who is likely to succeed at anything she tries.
It’s far easier for me to empathize with someone like Benji Schwimmer, who had some ups and downs before he finally hit it big, or Sabra Johnson, due to her late start and compelling personal story, than it is with Lauren Froderman — I’ll readily admit that. But every dancer has to audition; that means every dancer must face rejection no matter how good he or she is or how well he or she knows the choreography.
And that part I can empathize with Lauren F. about, because as a musician, I’ve been there. (Many times.) While musicians don’t have to worry about choreography, we do have to worry about interpretation, how well we sight-read new music, and how quickly we can pick up parts, so there’s at least some cognates there to how quickly any given dancer can pick up the choreography for any given piece.
See, that’s what every SYTYCD winner or finalist has shown he or she can do — these people have the ability to pick up choreography fast, then learn the pieces so well that it seems like they’ve been dancing them all their lives. That’s a rare and special talent, one that very few people have, and it should be embraced.
That’s why it’s good to know that all three of these former champions have continued on with their dancing. They’re doing what they can to give others some of the infectious joy they have when they dance by teaching, choreographing other dance routines, or performing. And that’s great.
In other words — they know they’re talented. They’re using their talents accordingly. And they’re still in demand.
To quote Lawrence Welk: “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!” (Though of course it sounded like “wunnerful, wunnerful, wunnerful.”)
**And yes, before anyone asks, I know that Benji Schwimmer came out as gay earlier this year. (So what? This impacts his dancing how, again? But I do feel for him and his struggles as a gay man who was raised as a Mormon. He’s since left that faith.)
Changes Coming to the Elfyverse
Folks, changes are coming to the Elfyverse. The first is a very positive one: I now have a publisher for my novel, Elfy. However, as the publisher has not yet made this information public, I am going to hold off on announcing exactly where Elfy is going, for now . . . I promise that as soon as I am able to discuss where Elfy has been placed, I will do so.
Second, as long-time readers of this blog will undoubtedly note, I’ve taken down my links to e-Quill Publishing. There’s a reason for that; as of yesterday, I asked that my stories — and my late husband Michael’s stories, also — be removed from e-Quill Publishing’s offerings. I did this not from any feelings of ill will toward e-Quill Publishing or its publisher, Lawrence T., but because I now have a publisher for Elfy. The new publisher is willing to look at my late husband’s writing, and if this publisher indeed is interested in the two “Maverick” novellas (set in Michael’s Atlantean Union universe) or the three “Columba” stories (romantic fantasies, which I hope to show the new publisher down the line, too), it would be a big step up for me to place them with the new publisher.
That’s why, for the moment, I don’t have a Gravatar listing here at my blog, and it’s also why I no longer have stories offered at e-Quill Publishing.
Lawrence T. and I remain on good terms, which I think is a very good thing; he’s the first person in a long time who enjoyed my writing, and Michael’s writing, and wanted to showcase it at his small publishing company in Australia. Lawrence T., being a classy gentleman of the old school, wished me well in my new publishing endeavors, too — and told me that if the new publisher wasn’t interested in Michael’s work, or in anything else of mine save Elfy, he’d be glad to publish my work (and Michael’s work, too) any time, any place, anywhere.
At any rate, the projected publication date for Elfy is late in 2013 — that much I can share with you, thus far — and aside from that, I continue to work on An Elfy Abroad (the sequel to Elfy) and Keisha’s Vow (the prequel to Elfy, set in 1954) along with my non-Elfyverse urban fantasy/spiritual transgendered romance, Changing Faces.
Everything else remains on course, which just goes to show you that regardless of how it may seem sometimes, persistence does pay off. (And maybe the good woman wins in the end, too. Here’s hoping.)
Update on Oak Creek Shooting; Other Updates
This is yet another day where I don’t really have time to write a full blog post, but do have a number of things to say. So let’s get to it.
First, the latest update regarding the Oak Creek, WI, shooting that left six innocents dead and three innocents wounded is as follows: the Federal Bureau of Investigation has revealed that the gunman, Wade Michael Page, actually took his own life after being shot by the police. Funeral arrangements are being made for the six dead; of the three who were severely wounded, two are still in critical condition, while the third, a local policeman, is recovering with amazing speed.
Second, the Racine Concert Band will have another concert this Sunday at the Racine Zoo. (Showtime is 7 p.m.) I’m to play alto saxophone this week, after playing clarinet last week . . . I view myself as the Vinny Rottino of the Racine Concert Band (with tongue planted firmly in cheek).
Speaking of Rottino, here’s a nice write-up about him that I somehow missed last week from the Let’s Go Tribe blog. This blog discusses Rottino’s career and how he’s always hit, but how his defense isn’t quite major-league ready except at first base and left field — but because Rottino’s not a prototypical power hitter, and those positions usually are played by people who are, that’s why Rottino rarely gets a chance to bat in the major leagues.
I’ve not seen Rottino play third base or right field, but I know that Rottino has a good arm and is an extremely smart player. He’s made himself into a decent catcher despite learning to play the position late (he took it up when he was 24 or 25); he rarely makes baserunning mistakes or fielding miscues. And as I’ve said many times, I believe Rottino will hit if he’s given a chance at the major league level, especially considering the fact that he’s hit everywhere else.
Also regarding Rottino, here’s a link to an article from November of 2006 from the Baseball Prospectus, written by Kevin Goldstein that I somehow missed previously. Goldstein says bluntly:
If you aren’t rooting for Vinny Rottino, there’s something very, very wrong with you. Undrafted out of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, the Brewers signed Rottino in 2003 as a local product who could fill some organizational holes, yet all he’s done is hit at every level, including a .314/.379/.440 mark at Triple-A Nashville this year, good enough to earn him his major-league debut.
Note Goldstein’s first line: “If you aren’t rooting for Vinny Rottino, there’s something very, very wrong with you.” (I couldn’t have said it better myself.)
Mind, Goldstein also pointed out (later in the blurb) that Rottino’s glove is not major-league ready (or that it wasn’t in ’06, at any rate), particularly at the catching position. But it’s been six years, and there has been massive improvement in that area; in addition, Rottino’s overall defense has improved, something that few other baseball players can say.
I keep wondering if Vinny Rottino has read Malcolm Gladwell’s book OUTLIERS. This is relevant because Toronto Blue Jays OF José Bautista, adjudged a late bloomer by many, found Gladwell’s book extremely helpful.
I reviewed OUTLIERS over at Shiny Book Review a while back. What I appreciated most about this book was how Gladwell pointed out that the best way to position yourself for victory in anything is to persist. Providing you have the talent, the skills and the smarts to begin with, persistence is the only thing that will set you apart from the crowd, regardless of your chosen field. Add to that the fact is that sometimes people give up on themselves too early due to forces beyond their control, and it’s obvious what a gifted player needs to do if he or she hasn’t yet made it: just keep trying.
Rottino has shown the value of persistence in his ten-year-long minor league career. He’s improved his skills throughout, and has continued to hit at every level. And by doing this — working on his craft, and refusing to give up — Rottino has put himself in a position to win. Which is all he, or anyone else, can do.
I have a lot of sympathy for Rottino, because my journey with regards to publishing has been slow. Yet all I can do is show that I do have the talent and just keep trying; this means I have to keep writing and editing, keep networking with other writers and editors, etc. And of course continue to review books, as half the time this is how I end up getting to know a new and interesting writer.
Rest assured that I will do, in my fashion, what Rottino has done in his — keep getting better, and keep putting myself in a position to win.
My beloved husband Michael would expect no less.
Vinny Rottino Called Up by Cleveland Indians
Folks, if you’re a regular reader of my blog, you should know by now that I appreciate two main things when it comes to people: hard work, and persistence. Yes, you must have talent, but you also must work to apply your talent . . . at any rate, the application of hard work and effort to maximize talent is what I celebrate most when it comes to baseball player Vinny Rottino, 32, of Racine.
Rottino’s been working for the past ten years, all to get a legitimate shot at playing in the major leagues. He is a utility infielder and outfielder who also catches; he’s a good baserunner, knows how to advance the runner, is an unselfish player, and can steal a base or two for you as he has deceptive speed — and due to his knowledge of pitchers and pitching from catching them so often in the minors, he rarely gets caught stealing.
I’ve been a strong proponent of Rottino getting his shot at the major league level. I believe he can hit major league pitching, if only given a week or so to adjust to it; I also believe that if a team gives him a legitimate chance to show what he can do, Rottino will thrive.
And even though he is now 32, he takes good care of his body; maybe Rottino could be another guy like Julio Franco who plays well into his forties due to how well-conditioned and smart Rottino has been throughout his playing career.
Age is just a number, folks. (I really wish major league baseball executives would learn to keep this in mind.) What matters is the size of a person’s heart, first; then, it’s down to two things (providing you have the talent to play minor league baseball at any level to begin with): how hard you’re willing to work, and how long you’re willing to keep trying.
Rottino works hard. And he’s extremely persistent. Which is why I’m thrilled that Rottino got called up by the Cleveland Indians.
Here’s the straight scoop: on Wednesday evening (August 1, 2012, to be exact), Rottino got the call from Cleveland. His manager, Manny Acta, immediately inserted Rottino into the lineup for Thursday night’s game; Rottino played left field, taking an 0-for-4 at the plate with one RBI.
Here are some words from Rottino, courtesy of last night’s blog at the Cleveland Plain Dealer, written by Paul Hoynes:
“I’m glad they’re throwing me right in there,” said Rottino, 32. “I don’t want to sit around and wait.”
The Indians claimed Rottino on waivers from the Mets on June 27. He was optioned to Class AAA Columbus where he hit .299 (35-for-117) with nine doubles, four homers and 32 RBI in 30 games. This is his third trip to the big league this year, the first two coming with the Mets.
“My swing feels good,” said Rottino. “My approach feels good. I got limited playing time with New York. So I was excited to just start playing again. I got off to a nice start.”
Another reason I like Rottino so much, as a player, is because he doesn’t point fingers at anyone. He simply states the truth. I think that’s wonderful.
Going back to Hoynes’s blog, it was obvious that Hoynes was surprised by how many gloves Rottino brought with him — eight — and how many positions Rottino plays (everything except second base, shortstop, and pitcher). Here are a few more words from Rottino regarding that:
“I’ve got four gloves and four backup gloves,” said Rottino. “I can catch, play third, first and all three outfield spots.
“I love catching the most of all the positions, but I’ve played mostly outfield the last two years.”
This blog also pointed out that as Rottino is taking the place of Travis Hafner (currently on paternity leave), Rottino’s stay in the majors may be short — and if it is, Rottino could end up designated for assignment (DFA’d) again. But Rottino is thinking positively, and apparently, so is writer Hoynes, who ends his blog with:
There could be some roster changes coming with the Indians seven games out of first place. They designated Derek Lowe, 39, for assignment Wednesday. If changes are made, Rottino might be able to stick around a little longer than Saturday.
Let us all sincerely hope so. (And as always — good luck, Vinny. ‘Cause I know you have the talent.)
Barb Caffrey's Blog 