Hello from sunny, dry and hot Arizona. Im Joe Woerman, a pitcher with the Seattle Mariners, here to write my very first blog at the beginning of an exciting Arizona Fall League. Today is Tuesday October 7, 2008. Seems like just the other day I was stretching with everyone in the crisp spring air of February, in spring training. Fast foward eight months and here I am with six fellow Mariner employees, to show off our skills in the most competitive non season Baseball League on American soil. Hope you enjoy my writing perspective, and get a good understanding on what we will be doing down here for the next six weeks.

 

     I have been playing with the Mariners since 2003. I was drafted in the eleventh round out of San Diego City College, after graduating from Coronado High School in 2001. I grew up in San Diego, the finest city in our solar system. My father was a career Naval Officer, so I was so fortunate to live all over the country and see all kinds of great things along the way. Ironically, my journey took me to live in the great Northwest, living near Seattle, the team I would later be playing for. My first Major League game was at the Kingdome when the M’s played the Orioles. I only remember this game, well, not only for seeing this large open room full of thousands of cheering humans, but I had my pre-game promotional Mcdonalds bat signed by none other than Lee Smith, Baseballs second leading saves leader. I remember he was sarcastic in telling me, “do I have to take the cap off too”? He was referring to the pen I was trying to hand him. My eyes were wide open that night. I recently had the bat taken up into space on NASA’s shuttle, and placed into orbit 55 miles above Earth. Just Kidding, but that would be outta this world. 

 

     I am currently on Seattles 40-man roster, as I was placed on it last year after AFL ’07. I played in Tacoma WA, this year, the AAA affiliate for the Mariners. After 4 months of pitching there, I was transferred to West Tenn of the Southern League (AA). I had the great opportunity to see so mant great cities in the PCL. Since we fly everywhere, it added a whole new angle to Baseball for me. There are pros and cons of the tough travel, especially from a city situated so far away from all the other opponent clubs. I for one, happen to be a huge aviation enthusiast, so cramming into a plane so frequently is a real treat for me. On the down side, there is so much time between bussing to and from airports, waiting for what seems like forever in check-in lines, eating stale breakfast sandwiches in an airport lounge, and just sitting and watching all the other travelers walk by. At the airport, I guess at its absolute worse, I seem to look up and notice a group, or lone soldier in their camoflouge toting their personnals amongst the shiny floors of the airport walking to who knows where. The middle East? Some far reaching outpost somewhere, or maybe to the safe confines of their home wherever that may be. Its only then that I realize my job, Baseball, is possible because of those individuals, the backbone of our military might.  What it boils down to is that from the moment I step out my apartment door to the moment we take the field thousands of miles away that night, it seems like a mini Lewis and Clarke expedition.  What a year its been.

     I will be sharing our fun day to day activity in the coming blogs, so please stay tuned and ask any questions that may arise. My AFL team, the Javelinas, consists of Yankees, Brewers, Reds, Rays and of course the Mariners. The team looks like a powerful bunch so mark my words when I say, we will be winning a lot of games this fall. As for now, im outta here so see ya next time.