Archive for the ‘Persistence’ Category
Former Brewer Pitcher Ben Sheets to Make Comeback at age 33
In August of 2010, I wrote a blog about former Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Ben Sheets, who had just had a major surgical procedure on his right arm (called at that time the “most massive surgery in the history of pitching” by the Hardball Talk blog.) At that time, I said that I hoped Sheets would be like former Brewers pitcher Chris Capuano, who has come all the way back after two “Tommy John” procedures and is now pitching extremely effectively for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
About one year ago, I wrote a blog after finding out that Sheets was doing rehabilitation in Arlington, TX. I said at that time that it would make no sense for Sheets to be doing rehabilitation if he wasn’t planning on making a comeback.
Well, my blog posts have been trumped by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors, who wrote that on June 13, 2012, Sheets threw in front of scouts in Monroe, Louisiana. The four teams represented were the Philadelphia Phillies, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Angels, and the Atlanta Braves.**
The team that signs Sheets will have a proven ace who in the past made four All-Star teams (Sheets started the All-Star game for the National League in 2008). Because Sheets is a hard-nosed, tough-minded competitor, he should be able to help just about any team win some ballgames down the stretch if he’s able to pitch effectively.
Sheets’ road to recovery most likely will start in the minor leagues, as that’s the path every pitcher who’s been able to make a comeback (such as Capuano) has taken. But providing Sheets is patient and works his way back into top form, it’s possible for Sheets to become the same, effective pitcher as before (perhaps with a little less heat on the fastball, but he should be able to compensate for that with guile).
Chris Capuano has proven that it is indeed possible for a pitcher in his early 30s to come back from an extensive surgical procedure and pitch just as well if not better than ever. So if Sheets takes “Cappy” as a model, and gives himself time, he could still have several more years in the big leagues left.
Here’s hoping.
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** Note that the team that originally signed Sheets, the Brewers, was not on this list. I’m not pleased about that, but my best guess is that the Brewers need so much other help that they don’t see how Sheets could possibly fit into their plans. I view that as shortsighted, shoddy thinking, especially because the Brewers did sign Capuano to a minor league deal in 2010 (which worked out extremely well), which is why the Brewers know that it is indeed possible for a pitcher who’s sustained horrific arm injuries more than once to come back stronger than ever.
But I’m not the ones making the calls in the Brewers front office.
Vinny Rottino hits 1st HR in Majors, NY Mets win, 9-0
The old saying is, “You never forget your first” anything. And in this case, after all the time, energy, and “sweat equity” Vinny Rottino’s put into making the major leagues — his persistence — I’m certain that Rottino will never forget May 26, 2012.
Why? Because this was the day that Rottino hit his first-ever major league home run as a member of the New York Mets. Rottino’s homer was part of a four-run first inning that helped stoke Mets starter Johann Santana to a lead he would never relinquish. Ultimately, the Mets won, 9-0, over the Padres; Rottino went 2 for 3 with a HR, two runs scored, a walk, and a strikeout.
Despite Santana’s nine-inning four-hit shutout, the day belonged to Rottino. This is because he’s a 32-year-old rookie who’s played parts of six major league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, Florida Marlins, and, of course, the Mets. Trying so hard for so long — playing ten seasons of professional baseball in the minor leagues — is noteworthy, as I’ve said many times.
Finally, others are noticing Rottino’s persistence and talent, too. As Ethan Asofsky of MLB.com put it:
Vinny Rottino got a lesson in supply and demand after the Mets’ 9-0 win over the Padres on Saturday.
After hitting his first Major League home run, having spent 10 seasons in the Minor Leagues, the Mets outfielder had to bargain with the fan that caught the ball to get it back. The fan received a signed bat and ball from Rottino in exchange for the most valuable commodity a 32-year-old rookie can have — his first home run ball.
You might be wondering what Rottino had to give the Mets’ fan in return; from Asofsky’s above-mentioned story, here’s what happened next:
“I was running out of bats, so I actually gave him a bat that I haven’t used in a while,” Rottino said. “It turns out it was a Florida Marlins bat. That’s what it said on it. I realized that after the fact.”
Rottino’s home run came on a 2-1 fastball, capping a four-run first inning that allowed Mets starter Johan Santana — who tossed a four-hit shutout — to pitch with the lead for the rest of the game. Rottino said he didn’t feel the contact when the ball met his bat on the home run. He was numb.
“I was just happy to help the team and contribute to the win,” Rottino said. “But I was floating around the bases a little bit. I had a little bit of goose bumps running around the bases. It was a cool feeling.”
Asofsky then points out this is the first time Rottino’s had a chance to play meaningful baseball — in May, no less. And then, of course, Asofsky points out how long Rottino’s been trying to make it in the big leagues (as I have done, blog after blog), and then ended his article this way:
Rottino said he never stopped believing he’d have the opportunity to round the bases after his first home run in the Major Leagues. Mets manager Terry Collins said Rottino’s work ethic is a result of how much he loves the game.
“I talk about it all the time with my teammates down in Triple-A, you just have to keep grinding and believing,” Rottino said. “You just never know what can happen. I’ll continue to do so.”
And lest you think Ethan Asofsky was the only one to figure out this was a really big deal, Justin Tasch and Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News also wrote an article that discussed Rottino’s HR. Here’s what they had to say:
Vinny Rottino, the Mets’ 32-year-old utility man, smashed his first major league homer to cap a four-run first inning Saturday, helping the Mets topple to Padres, 9-0.Rottino, who made his debut in the minors in 2003, has played in 32 games in the majors his (sic) spanning six years. His daydreams of trotting around the bases finally became a reality when he connected on a 2-1 pitch from lefty Clayton Richard.
(Quoted verbatim from May 26, 2012, NY Daily News article; sic was added by Barb Caffrey due to the unnecessary word that somehow escaped the Daily News‘ copyeditors.)
Notice the pitch count, which was described in both articles. Rottino’s batting eye must have been sharp, as he’d taken two balls and a strike from Padres pitcher Clayton Richard. This meant he was on a “hitter’s count.” He then got a favorable pitch to hit (a fast ball), and drove it out of the ballpark in deep left-center field according to the box score.
What a great day for Vinny Rottino!
Donald Driver Wins DWTS
Earlier this year, I blogged about Donald Driver being a contestant on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” I’ve watched Driver, a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers, play for the last twelve years; he is as fierce and tough a competitor as they come, yet he’s never been big on showboating or making a name for himself. Driver is the type of guy who exalts his teammates, coaching staff, and family, which is why I’ve always enjoyed rooting for him.
Earlier tonight, Driver won this season of DWTS with his professional dance partner, Peta Murgatroyd. Driver was the odds-on favorite in Las Vegas and was also one of the fan favorites throughout this past season, but it was never clear that he would indeed be the final person standing. This had nothing to do with Driver’s dancing, which was excellent, but was instead about how well everyone else danced this season, too.
Over and over again during the past ten-week season, the judges exalted the level of competition, seemingly the highest it’s ever been, which is why it wasn’t easy to pick Driver (even as good as he was all season) as the winner. And because the level of competition was so very high, it was nearly impossible to determine what the crowd would do from week to week. The contestants who went out in fourth, fifth, and sixth places were all very good to excellent dancers who would’ve been Top Three material any other season — perhaps even winning material.
But all any competitor can do is this: control what you can control, and don’t worry about anything else. Driver did that: he controlled what he could control by making sure to improve as a dancer every single week. He listened to his pro, Murgatroyd, and he also listened carefully to the judges. Then he went out the next week and danced even better, because he took their criticism to heart.
Driver had another thing in his favor: he improved every single week. It may seem strange, but as a long-time watcher of DWTS, I’m aware that DWTS is often decided by who improves the most as much as who is the best dancer/who does the crowd enjoy watching dance the most. Fortunately for Driver, all of these factors — all of them — were in his favor.
Driver is a classy guy, and his behavior tonight on the final DWTS results show proved it. Unlike some past winners, he immediately congratulated the runners-up and their partners (singer Katherine Jenkins and her partner, Mark Ballas, finished second; actor William Levy and his partner, Cheryl Burke, finished third). Driver also made it clear that he couldn’t have done any of this without Murgatroyd, his partner, and thanked ABC for the opportunity of being on the show.
All of this — class, professionalism, strong work-ethic, and graciousness — is why I’ve enjoyed watching Driver on the football field, and now off it on DWTS. And it’s also why I’m glad to say, “Congratulations, Donald, on your well-deserved DWTS win!”
May Baseball: Brewers in Extras, Rottino Sent Back to AAA
Currently, as of 11:56 PM on Friday, May 11, 2012, the Milwaukee Brewers are tied with the Chicago Cubs, 7-7. They’re about to go to the thirteenth inning; all position players and all non-starting pitchers have been used, with the only two players available being starting pitchers Yovani Gallardo (who pitched two days ago) and Marco Estrada (who’s supposed to pitch Sunday), which leaves Brewers reserve pitcher Vinnie Chulk as the pitcher of record . . . this is a game, believe it or not, where the Brewers were ahead, 1-0, until the top of the seventh inning.
All of that sturm und drang, though, pales in comparison to the latest twist of the Vinny Rottino saga. Rottino was called up by the New York Mets on May 4, 2012, played in three games, went 0 for 4 during that time, and now has been sent back to AAA Buffalo. The main reason Rottino was sent down is that Mets IF Ronny Cedeno was reinstated from the 15-day DL.
Some of what Rottino is dealing with has to do with being the 26th guy on a 25 man roster; that is, he’s good enough to play in the majors, though probably not every day, and the Mets know this or they’d never have called him up. They also have to know that Rottino is a guy who does better if he plays every day or every other day — that doesn’t mean he’ll never stick in the majors, but the timing has to be right for him.
Rottino’s career, thus far, seems to be plagued by bad timing. This, of course, is entirely out of Rottino’s control. All Rottino can do is prepare himself, persist, and hit the cover off the ball at Buffalo. If he does this, let’s hope the right opportunity will finally arise as Rottino truly deserves it.
By the way, the Brewers are now batting in the bottom of the 13th inning. The game’s still tied, 7-7. The Cubs are now out of relief pitchers and have used their very last player, catcher Geovany Soto, off the bench. Rickie Weeks got hit on the left wrist and may have hurt himself badly; he can’t get the batting glove off his hand and is wincing in pain. Ryan Braun is about to bat; let’s hope he can end this game so the Brewers can find out what’s wrong with Weeks already.
UPDATE: Braun, too, was hit by a pitch (in the back); the Cubs final reliever, Lendy Castillo, was wild and didn’t get warned. Aramis Ramirez lined a single into center, then came the hero of the day night — Corey Hart. Hart had already hit a 2 R HR in the 9th to tie the game at 7, then hit a seeing-eye single that drove in the eighth and final run for the Brewers. Brewers win, 8-7; Hart goes 4 for 7 with a HR, double, and two singles, and drove in 3. Chulk gets the win (his first win since August 19, 2007 in the majors); he’s 1-0.
Baseball Round-up: Brewers News, Rottino Called Up by Mets
Folks, if I were a member of the Milwaukee Brewers organization, I’d be panicking right now. After first losing P Chris Narveson, then 1B Mat Gamel to season-ending injuries, the Brewers have placed CF Carlos Gomez on the 15-day DL. Now, the Brewers probably will have to place SS Alex Gonzalez on the DL as well, because today he slid into second base attempting to steal, and had to be assisted off the field.
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UPDATE: Tom Haudricourt points out in today’s game blog at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel online that this is the fourth consecutive day where a Brewers player has exited the game (Gamel, Braun, Gomez, and now Gonzalez). MLB.com Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy wrote that Gonzalez will be going to the DL as of tomorrow, and said that 3B Taylor Green and SS Edwin Maysonet (here’s his prior major league statistics; he’s a lifetime .276 hitter in very limited play) will be called up from AAA Nashville. Green can play 2B, 1B, and possibly the OF; Maysonet also plays 2B.
Note that this update doesn’t change my initial assessment about who’s going to play the outfield, now that there’s only three healthy outfielders (Corey Hart, Norichika Aoki, and Nyjer Morgan), with Braun playing anyway due to an Achilles injury.
This also doesn’t change my initial assessment regarding first base, either; right now we have Travis Ishikawa and Brooks Conrad, who aren’t good long-term solutions. It might be better for Braun and the Brewers if he must continue to play despite his injury to be shifted to first base. Braun came up as a third baseman, knows the infield, and is the best athlete on the club, so this might not be so onerous as it might appear.
That way, Corey Hart could be put in CF as he has good speed and is blessed with the best arm (outside of Braun, who is ailing) in the outfield. Morgan could be put in RF (possibly platooning with Conrad, who’s a better OF than he is at 1B), and Aoki, who has a very suspect arm despite his excellent speed, in left field.
Now, back to my regularly scheduled post.
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The player who really could’ve helped them right now is 32-year-old utilityman Vinny Rottino, who was called up yesterday by the New York Mets. Rottino, who had a good Spring Training with the Mets and was the last player sent down to the minors, hit .317 at AAA Buffalo with 1 HR, 14 RBI, 13 runs scored, 8 doubles, and 1 triple. He had a fourteen game hitting streak going at Buffalo when he was called up.
Here’s a link to a very nice Mets blog that discussed the Rottino call-up:
Rottino has played the outfield exclusively for the Bisons this season, but played first base, third base, and catcher along with the OF in Spring Training. The Mets know Rottino is versatile, is a patient hitter, and has a calming, steady presence on the bench; better yet, Rottino is a fine defender and makes very few mental mistakes.
The best news in this case is that Rottino finally is is an organization that’s told him the flat, exact truth: they told him when he was sent down (reading between the lines in Peter Jackel’s last story about Rottino in the Racine Journal-Times) that he’d be the first position player called up, and he has been. Being in an organization that’s told Rottino the truth and values what he’s done thus far has to be a huge emotional lift, which Rottino deserves due to his persistence, faith in himself and his abilities, and all of his hard work.
But as this article by Peter Jackel from 2007 shows, Rottino is a lot more than just a guy with a great attitude. Then-Brewers pitcher Jeff Suppan had this to say about Rottino:
“What is great about Vinny is he is able to play a lot of different positions and he plays them well,” Suppan said. “He had to wait a little while to get some good opportunities in the big leagues, but I think in the years to come, he’s going to be a mainstay.”
And here’s what then-Brewers hitting coach Jim Skaalen had to say:
“He knows he belongs up here,” Skaalen said. “Through the hard work he’s put in over the years coming from where he’s come from – an undrafted player – and the odds that are against someone in that situation, he’s obviously a fighter or he wouldn’t be here. And now he’s fought himself and worked himself to this level and he’s not going to be denied now.
“That’s the way it is with guys who play at this level. They expect to be here, they’re comfortable in this environment and they know they’re as good as anybody else who’s out there.”
Ultimately, the main thing to remember about Rottino is this: he’s a baseball player. And he’s a very good one. This is not a publicity stunt by the Mets; it’s not charity. Rottino has earned his opportunity and I believe he will make the most of it.
More people need to know about Vinny Rottino and his long journey to the major leagues. If they did, they’d realize the value in refusing to give up no matter what the odds.
Baseball Updates: Hart to Play Opening Day; Rottino sent to AAA by Mets
Folks, I have the proverbial good news and bad news.
Tonight’s good news? Milwaukee Brewers RF Corey Hart will not start the season on the disabled list, as had been previously thought. Instead, he will be in right field for the Brewers on Opening Day on April 6.
But the bad news is that ex-Brewers farmhand, all-around good guy, and one of the most versatile players in any league, Vinny Rottino, who hit .276 in Spring Training with 5 RBI in 58 ABs — an IF/OF/C who plays just about every position except second base and pitcher — was cut a few, short hours ago by the New York Mets and was sent to AAA Buffalo (their minor-league affiliate) in what appears to be the Mets’ very last transaction before the start of the 2012 season.
Now, there is a hint of good news even to this, as Michael Baron of MetsBlog.com fame says that he doubts the Mets have “seen the last of him.” Baron’s comment, in its entirety, is available here, but here are his kind words about Rottino:
I liked what I saw from Rottino this Spring. With all of the early injuries to the outfielders, he was given every opportunity to show what he could do, and he did everything the staff asked him to do when he played. He showed he can make solid contact and is versatile – he can play both corner positions and the outfield as well. I bet we haven’t seen the last of him.
In addition, Peter Jackel of the Racine Journal-Times is reporting that Rottino impressed Mets’ manager Terry Collins. From Jackel’s article:
Rottino, a 1998 (Racine)** St. Catherine’s High School graduate, certainly has reason to be encouraged. He was informed by Collins last Thursday that he would break camp with the Mets if veteran outfielders Scott Hairston and Andres Torres, who had been battling injuries, were not healthy. But Hairston and Torres made the 25-man roster, leaving Rottino the odd man out.
“They sent everybody else down except me,” Rottino said. “I was the last position player in camp. (Collins) said, ‘You made an impression on everybody. You opened some eyes, Everything I’ve heard about you is exactly the kind of ballplayer you are.’ ”
So it sounds like Rottino impressed at least a few people with his versatility, his strong defensive skills, and his hitting. Good for him!
Now, my hope is that Rottino will go on a tear at Buffalo and hit so well that the Mets are forced to bring him up (in the same way as the Brewers had to bring up Russell Branyan in 2008 from AAA Nashville whether they liked it or not).
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** These stars indicate an insertion, by me, for those of you who are not from Racine, WI, who read my blog, with all apologies to Journal-Times sportswriter Peter Jackel. Jackel knows, as I do, that Rottino is from Racine; I’ve said it here at my blog more than once. But it’s possible that some of you don’t, especially if you’ve started reading my blog recently.
An Update to the Update, AKA further thoughts from yours truly:
I view Vinny Rottino’s story as a strong lesson in the value of persistence. I do my best to emulate it, as my own career as a writer/editor hasn’t exactly set the world on fire thus far. (Please don’t ask me to tell you how long I’ve been trying to do this; let’s just say that it’s longer than Rottino’s been trying to get to the majors and stay.)
Ultimately, the only thing any of us can do — myself, Rottino, anyone at all — is prepare ourselves to take the next step in our development. For Rottino, that’s playing major league ball; for me, it’s selling my novel ELFY, or perhaps another novel to start with, then selling ELFY (as I remain fully committed to the value of my worth as a funny fantasy writer).
I know Rottino has prepared himself, and will continue to be prepared; as soon as he gets that call from the Mets, he’ll be there like a jet-fueled rocket.
And I know that I’ve prepared myself, too, to see ELFY in print and to know, ultimately, that my husband’s faith in me — much less my very good friend Jeff Wilson’s faith in me, as he, too, was a huge believer in the Elfyverse — will be vindicated.
As I’ve said before, so sayeth I again: good luck, Vinny. And may the wind be at your back, always.
Periodic State of the Elfyverse (2012 Version)
Folks, I just realized I hadn’t given a status update regarding the Elfyverse in a while — for shame. So, here we go:
ELFY is complete, hasn’t found an agent, and while I’ve had a few nibbles, most want me to split the book sight unseen as it’s 240,000 words long. That just doesn’t feel right; if someone read it and felt there were good split points, that would be different. But not reading it, then saying it should be split three ways (that’s what I’ve heard; two, I could almost see)? Why should I do this if someone isn’t willing to read a synopsis, much less the first chapter or two of ELFY, before they say it must be split? (I know it’s not the ideal length for a debut author to get a book over, that’s for sure. But I do want someone to know what they’re dealing with before he or she tells me the “only way to go.”) By the way, if you’re wondering what ELFY is about, please go here and read more about it.
Now, the sequel to ELFY, AN ELFY ABROAD, will definitely need to be split as it’s grown to a humongous 320,000 words. (Yikes!) But I do see a good split point halfway through, there . . . also, the final edit obviously hasn’t been done as I haven’t completed the work yet. (I’ve known about where I’m going for the last year and a half, but it’s proven to be quite elusive. I don’t get a chance to talk writing much with anyone these days, much less someone who completely understands what I’m trying to do; that doesn’t help.)
Anyway, the good news there is that I’ve written about ten thousand words into EA since the last time I mentioned anything about the Elfyverse (when was that? November of ’11, I think; a bit before my friend Jeff died).
As for KEISHA’S VOW, which is an ELFY prequel set in 1954, I’ve written a new chapter there and am at work on the next one. KV now stands at about 50,000 words, plus some deleted scenes.
Now, in case anyone here was waiting for a CHANGING FACES update (more about CF is available here) — a non-Elfyverse urban fantasy, which I was working on in November (I had to put it aside for a while after my friend Jeff died quite suddenly) — I’ve written a couple thousand new words there in the New Year (how odd that sounds to write in March!). I’ve also planned out the next chapter, and believe I have an ending that just might work. Things are looking up in that quarter.
Novellas? I have one in progress; it’s called “The Gift,” and it’s a spiritual romance/urban fantasy. I have looked at it, realized it needs to be restructured, but can’t figure out what would serve me best. So aside from planning, not much has been done there since November of ’11. But I’ll keep working at it.
Short stories? I have a few in the works, but nothing that I’ve started since January 1, 2012, is anywhere near completion.
Otherwise, I do intend to enter the Writers of the Future contest again if at all possible; the next quarter’s deadline is March 31 (end of this month). (I guess this is my way of saying I haven’t given up on short story writing, even though I find it much, much more difficult than writing a novel or even writing a poem.)
That’s about it; still writing and working away, as per usual. (And you?)
Vinny Rottino Redux, AKA Rottino’s Persistence Pays Off
More people should be like Vinny Rottino.
As most of you who follow this blog know, I’ve been keeping an eye on the Racine-born Rottino. His quest to become a major league baseball player is compelling for many reasons, but the biggest and best reason to follow Rottino’s story is because he refuses to give up on himself.
Rottino knows he has the talent to play in the major leagues, and because he knows that, he is willing to do whatever it takes to make it.
Racine Journal-Times sportswriter Peter Jackel wrote a very nice article about Rottino in yesterday’s edition; the headline read, “Irresistible force: Resilient Rottino Rewarded with Another Shot.” (I really like that alliteration there; whoever wrote that headline did a great job.) Take a look at that article here:
Jackel points out in his article that Rottino was the Milwaukee Brewers minor league player of the year in 2004 — his second year in the minors — and though he’s had some at-bats and a bit of playing time here and there with the Brewers, and last year with the then-Florida Marlins, Rottino has never had extended playing time with any major league team (as he’s also spent time in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ minor league system, too).
But the New York Mets wanted Rottino because of his tough-minded, hard-nosed attitude; this is why they signed him last November. As Paul Depodesta, the Mets Vice President of Player Development, said in Jackel’s article,
“Vinny’s hard-nosed style of play absolutely played a role in our decision to sign him. We know he’ll fit well with our manager, Terry Collins, who shares Vinny’s passion and intensity, and he’ll be appreciated by the fans in New York.”
This is a great deal more than is usually said about any guy who’s expected to be a career minor leaguer (or as the baseball types have it, a “four-A” player — someone who is really good in AAA, but isn’t quite good enough to play in the big leagues).
Podesta also says in the article that one of the reasons the Mets signed Rottino is because he can play a number of positions, including at least two of three of the most-valued positions — catcher, center field, and shortstop. Rottino was a shortstop in high school and college, so he knows that position well. He plays all three OF positions, though he really doesn’t have the speed to be an everyday center fielder. And he is a very good catcher — a dependable backup — which is a neat trick considering he didn’t even start learning the position until he was around 26 years old.
Rottino will be 32 in early April. He knows he’s not a prospect anymore — Jackel even said so in his article — but he has a lot to give any organization that gives him a chance. Rottino can hit left-handers rather better than his major league average (a sample-sized 36 ABs) indicates. Rottino has “gap power” — meaning he’s not a home run hitter, but he’s a reliable threat for doubles and the occasional triple. He’s a contact hitter who rarely makes stupid mistakes (and if he does make one, he immediately corrects it and doesn’t compound his error; I cannot imagine Rottino making the mistake Jerry Hairston, Jr., made in the Brewers NLCS on that double-error play, for example), he won’t run you out of innings, and he has deceptive speed — even at his somewhat advanced age for a ballplayer, he had 17 SBs last year, which led his triple-A team, the New Orleans Zephyrs. (Not bad for a catcher, huh?)
Anyway, I know Rottino can play, so if he gets a shot, he’ll do well.
The rest of us need to learn from his example; keep trying, and don’t give up, no matter what you do. All you can do is give yourself the best chance to make it in your field — in my case, that’s writing and editing, and I am somewhat older than most people who are hoping to make it in this business (let’s just say “older than Rottino” and be done with it, OK?) — and keep working on your “tool set” every day. (For Rottino, he takes lots of batting and fielding practice. For someone like me, that means something along the lines of, “Write something every day.” And considering I’m a musician, too, the days I am able to circumvent my carpal tunnel syndrome and practice my saxophone count as advancing toward my goals, too.)
You see, like Rottino, all I can do is to “keep (myself) in the game.” So if there is an opportunity, I’ll be practiced and versatile enough to seize that opportunity before it’s gone; I cannot make the opportunity, but I can definitely prepare myself to seize upon it whenever that opportunity finally presents itself.
Rottino himself said it best, though; when Jackel asked him what will happen if Rottino doesn’t make it in the bigs this time, Rottino said he’d keep trying (this was summed up by Jackel in the article). Then he said this:
“I think God has got me on this path for some reason and I’ll find out why someday.”
I am so glad that I’m not the only one who wonders about this sort of meandering path (though it seems to me that Rottino’s path has been slightly less circuitous than my own).
But I will not stop, folks; I plan to be like Vinny Rottino. I know I have the talent, and I know I will persevere. With perseverance and talent, I hope to seize upon any opportunity that comes to hand. Because that’s literally the only way to win.
Good luck, Vinny — and may the wind be at your back.
Persistence: Keep it Going
Folks, there are many things that I could talk about tonight, but rather than talk politics, sports, or the latest outrageous things going on in Wisconsin, I’d rather talk about something near and dear to my heart: the willingness to persist.
You see, no matter what you do in this life, if you believe in what you do, you must keep trying. No matter how long it takes, refuse to give up on yourself; do a little bit every day that advances you toward whatever your goal may be, and down the line, not only will you reach your initial goal, you’ll probably reach goals that you’d previously believed insurmountable.
I’m a writer, an editor, a reviewer, a musician, and a composer. (Many other things, too, but those will do for now.) I decided long ago that I was going to do something every day that would help me advance toward my goals, and that’s helped me continue despite what would seem to be mighty long odds.
Ultimately, I’m just like anyone else, except for one thing: I am highly motivated, and I refuse to give up. (Well, that’s two things, albeit two closely-related things.)
Today, what I did to advance me toward my goal(s) was to edit for several hours, then write this blog. Tomorrow, I plan to write a review, then work on AN ELFY ABROAD and KEISHA’S VOW (both Elfyverse novels); if all goes well, there’s a collaborative project with another writer that I hope to work on as well.
Lazette Gifford, who runs the Forward Motion Writer’s Group (at http://fmwriters.com), has said that all you need to do is to write 100 words a day. Most writers fiddle around on the Internet, or fiddle around doing something else rather than write; if you write just 100 words a day, at the end of the year, you will have 36,500 words written. (This would be a novella if completed at the end of a year, or approximately one-third of a full-fledged novel if you’ve decided that your story needs more fleshing out to make sense.)
In my case, I tend to use the little bits of time I have to sketch things out on notepad (which counts, too) rather than open up a file on the computer. But I do tend to get more than 700 words written in a week, too; most of the time, even in a bad week, I manage to get 4000 words written, or 16,000 average in a month. If I’m very ill during a week and can’t write, I continue to sketch things out and write notes in prose-form, which also counts as actual work. Then my next weekly total looks astronomical — something like 10,000 words in a week — as most of the work has already been done; now I just have to flesh things out with dialogue and descriptions and such.
At any rate, please don’t listen to anyone who says you “can’t write” or that your reviews don’t make sense or that your editing leaves a lot to be desired. This is going to happen to us all (or something similar will); all we can do is persist, persist, persist. And then persist some more. Because persistence is the key; without it, you absolutely cannot win.
So keep on keepin’ on, folks. And I’ll meet you on the flip side.
Powerball Jackpot at $325 Mil; Broke Down and Bought a PB Tix
Folks, you may recall my post a few weeks ago about Powerball raising their basic price per line from $1 to $2 — and about how I believed that was a stupid, pointless, and unnecessary act.
While I still believe all that, when the jackpot hits $325 million, it’s hard to resist buying a ticket. So I did buy one — and only one — due to the nature of the very high jackpot.
Does this make me a hypocrite? Yes, it does. (But at least I’m an honest one.)
My reflections on the $2 Powerball game after a few weeks of settling remain mostly unchanged; I don’t think the slight lowering of the odds (as it used to be that you had 42 balls to pick from in the actual “Powerball” part; now, there are 36 instead) and quicker rollover to higher jackpot amounts are worth having to pay $2 per line.
I still think, most of the time, you’re better off burying a dollar bill in the backyard and leaving it there until spring (or whenever) and then digging it up again than you are playing a line of Powerball ($1 a line or the current $2 per line).
But see above, as I broke down and bought one anyway. (A fool and her money are soon parted, as they say. Though I suppose there are worse ways to spend $2, too.)
We’ll see if it does any good.
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Note: The reason “persistence” is tagged as a category here is because up until Powerball changed their price per line, I’d played nearly every draw since the games inception. I continue to play the same numbers; the only difference is, now I am unwilling to play Powerball unless the jackpot is a really huge amount.
Barb Caffrey's Blog 