MLB Guest Blog
The experts speak: MLB reports devotes this page to the players, coaches and everyone associated with baseball who will be writing blogs in their own words to you, the readers.
Saturday April 14, 2012
My Tommy John Surgery Experiences: The Johnny Anderson Guest MLB Blog
MLB reports – Johnny Anderson (Guest MLB Blogger): “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capacity to build the world’s first bionic man.”
The doctors call it “UCLR” – ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction. The Baseball community call it Tommy John Surgery. I call it the resurrection of my career. Dr. Frank Jobe introduced the world to his experimental procedure in 1974 on the one and only Tommy John. The UCL is the ligament that creates the stability which allows the high-stress action of throwing a baseball. Through repetitive use and a heavy workload, the UCL will indefinitely succumb to failure. The ligament will begin to fray and eventually tear, leaving pitchers in agony on the mound (see Joel Zumaya, Chris Carpenter, etc.) During the surgery, a new tendon, coming either from the wrist or hamstring is implanted and woven in a figure-eight pattern through holes drilled in the humerus and ulna bones. Sounds gnarly, I know first hand. After surgery, the player will be in a brace with limited mobility. Over time, the brace can be adjusted to certain degrees to promote extension with the elbow until the player has full flexion. Through rigorous rehabilitation and a 6-month throwing program, it’s not uncommon for pitchers to throw harder than they did before the injury. The chances of a complete recovery after the surgery are estimated at 85 to 90 percent. Rehabilitation takes around 12 to 15 months for pitchers and about 6 months for position players.
To Read Johnny’s Full Blog: http://mlbreports.com/2012/04/14/tj-surgery/
Thursday February 23, 2012
Casey Bond Guest Blog: The Big Moneyball Oscars Giveaway!!!
Casey Bond- Guest MLB Blog: It’s getting to be that time of the year again…yes, I am sure you are thinking of baseball, and I agree. Spring training seems like it was just yesterday for myself (it wasn’t really that long ago), and I was showing up with a fresh new rebuilt body after the long recouping off-season, along with a very positive outlook to start Spring Training off right.
To Read Casey’s Full Blog: http://mlbreports.com/2012/02/23/bond-oscars/
Monday February 6th, 2012
Robby Rowland Guest MLB Blog: Inside the Life of a Minor League Player
Robby Rowland- Guest MLB Blog: Hello all! I am honored to say that I have been welcomed back onto the Reports. Once again, I would like to thank Jonathan for having me on here. It truly is an honor to be asked to share my experiences with the world. For those of you who have not met me in person, you should know that I just love to talk… I got kicked out of a lot of classrooms in my day because I love to chat. That’s why I am honored to be on here- because I am allowed to express my love of talking… but just on paper. I have some great topics to discuss with all of you today. The way I like to prepare my blog entries is by asking my twitter followers about subjects they would like to hear about. I like to first write them down on paper and later type in my blog. And once again I apologize if everything is just thrown down with no sense of proper writing. Boy would my english teacher in high school be upset if he/she read these…
To read Robby’s Full Blog: http://mlbreports.com/2012/02/06/rowland-blog-2/
Wednesday February 1st, 2012
Michael Schlact Guest Blog: Preparation for Uncertainty
Michael Schlact (Guest Blogger): First, I’d like to thank MLB reports for asking me to contribute to their website. I appreciate the opportunity and I’m honored they chose me to write a piece. A common question that I’m asked is regarding the preparation for the season. As a free agent yet signed with an independent ball team, how does that affect my off-season conditioning and strength program? How does not knowing what your future holds affect the throwing that you do? I will answer these questions and more as we continue.
To read Michael’s full blog: http://mlbreports.com/2012/02/01/schlact/
Sunday January 22nd, 2012
Ian Kadish Guest MLB Blog: I Owe It All To Them…
Ian Kadish (Guest MLB Blogger): Once again, I was lucky enough to be asked back to write another blog post for MLB Reports! I always love being asked to write for them! This time they asked me to write about the biggest baseball influences in my life…and I’m warning you, this could take a while! I have been playing baseball for as long as I can remember, so obviously I am going to have many people that have influenced my baseball career. If I don’t mention you specifically, I am sorry, but the list is way too long and I have to pick the biggest influential people in my baseball career.
To read Ian’s full blog: http://mlbreports.com/2012/01/22/kadish-influences/
Monday January 9th, 2012
Casey Bond Guest MLB Blog and Special Moneyball Surprise: Moneyball released on DVD and Blu-Ray
Casey Bond- Guest MLB Blog: It’s a brand new year folks! Now all of the hard work and effort put into the previous year will generate some new and exciting happenings for 2012. Although released in September of last year, MONEYBALL continues to turn heads as it is now up for a plethora of awards. I couldn’t be more proud to play such a large role in this film. Truly, it has been a wonderful ride already. I know that ride will continue for years to come, especially if we can walk away from this with some hardware!
To read Casey’s full blog: http://mlbreports.com/2012/01/09/bond-moneyball-dvd/
Saturday December 31, 2011
Robby Rowland Guest MLB Blog: Welcome to Robby’s World
MLB reports: Happy New Year everyone! On this New Year’s Eve, we get reacquainted with an old friend. Earlier this month, we featured our interview with Arizona Diamondbacks pitching prospect, Robby Rowland. After getting to know Robby and staying in touch, Robby has been gracious enough to prepare a Guest MLB Blog, exclusively for the Reports. Fans of the game love to interact with its favorite players. But there are fewer bigger rushes that being able to get inside the mind of a player. Today on the Reports, Robby has opened a window into his mind and soul. We get to meet Robby and learn about his story. From growing up as a 2nd generation ballplayer, to signing with the Dbacks and his experiences during his first two professional seasons. What does a ballplayer do during the offseason to spend his time? Robby lets us know…and the answer may surprise you.
http://mlbreports.com/2011/12/31/rowland-blog/
Thursday December 29, 2011
Ryan Tatusko Guest MLB Blog: Reflecting on 2011 and Preparing for 2012
MLB reports: We welcome back to MLB reports: Ryan Tatusko, pitcher for the Washington Nationals. It is a special moment for us, as Ryan prepared the first ever Guest MLB Blog for the Reports. Now he’s back, to give us his insights on playing Winter Ball in Venezuela and preparing for the 2012 season. Ryan and I talk on a frequent basis and I have to admit, the man is 110% committed and focused on his goal: making it to the big leagues. After completing his 2011 season in AAA pitching for the Syracuse Chiefs, Ryan is one step away from achieving that dream. In his own words, we are proud to feature Ryan Tatusko and his Guest MLB Blog:
http://mlbreports.com/2011/12/29/tatusko-blog/
Wednesday December 28, 2011
Chris Swauger Guest MLB Blog: My Offseason, Part 1
Chris Swauger- Guest MLB Blog: The winter months are an interesting time for a minor league baseball player. When the season ends in September, we all exchange hugs, handshakes and well-wishes, knowing full well some of us will never see each other again. It is a very strange feeling and it carries over into the off-season. Some of us head home to relax and recover from 140 games or more. Some get ready to showcase their skills in the Arizona Fall League. Others, like me, sign up to keep playing in foreign countries. Those of you who have read my previous blogs know about my experiences playing in Panama this fall. It was a great experience and now I am back home, enjoying family, friends, and the holiday season.
http://mlbreports.com/2011/12/28/swags-offseason-blog/
Friday December 9, 2011
The End of the Winter Ball Season in Panama: The Chris Swauger Guest MLB Blog
MLB reports: Chris Swauger (aka Swags) is back in North America and returns to the Reports! Swags has wrapped up his Winter Ball season in Panama and shares his experiences with us. We even get an inside look at a Winter Ball All-Star Game! A big thank you to Swags for his time in preparing his second blog feature on MLB reports, as well as the photographs used which were supplied for from his personal collection.
http://mlbreports.com/2011/12/09/swauger-blog-panama-2/
Friday December 2, 2011
Playing Winter Ball in Panama: The Chris Swauger Guest MLB Blog
MLB reports: We are proud to welcome Chris Swauger (aka Swags) back to the Reports! After our interviewwith the St. Louis Cardinals prospect, we are fortunate to have Swags return as a Guest MLB Blogger. Have you ever wondered what goes through a player’s mind playing winter ball in a foreign country? Swags is here to give you the scoop on the experience of playing ball in the offseason. A big thank you to Swags for his time in preparing this feature, as well as the photographs used which were supplied for from his personal collection.
http://mlbreports.com/2011/12/02/blog-swags/
Sunday October 23, 2011
Doug Booth: An Inside Look at the 2011 World Series Ballparks
The 2011 World Series features the second ever meeting of a series between the two clubs, with only a 2004 series in Texas has been played in the whole history of interleague. The Fall Classic may display some of the unique characteristics each city, park and all of the fans to display to the rest of the world. From the new tradition of the faithful Rangers fans joining in with players to do the antlers/claws celebration when powering up-or the entire Cardinal team taking the good luck pet squirrel-(both the real live one and the stuffed squirrel that was tossed into the Cardinal bullpen-and participated in the champagne celebration of the NL Champs,) this series will be entertaining. http://mlbreports.com/2011/10/23/booth-world-series/
Saturday October 22, 2011
Casey Bond: Toronto Premiere of Moneyball – Guest MLB Blog
Casey Bond (Guest MLB Blogger): Well, where do I start? Right now I am fortunate enough to be in one of the top box office hits in theaters with Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Philip Seymour Hoffman among others, and I get to portray a baseball player in the film all at the same time. I couldn’t have written a better story for myself. http://mlbreports.com/2011/10/22/bond-toronto/
Tuesday October 4, 2011
James Lamb MLB Guest Blog: Tips for the Baseball Parent
We are very fortunate to have James Lamb return as our MLB Guest Blogger today. For all current and future baseball parents, you will find James insights and tips extremely valuable. We proudly feature on the reports, James O. Lamb, with his latest tips on baseball parenting, “Involvement with respect to your son playing baseball beyond recreational levels” : http://mlbreports.com/2011/10/04/lamb-guest-parent/
Monday October 3, 2011
Ian Kadish Guest MLB Blog: Part 2 – Offseason and Expectations for 2012
We welcome back Blue Jays prospect Ian Kadish to MLB reports. The right-handed pitcher pitched for the Bluefield Blue Jays in the Rookie Appalachian League in 2011. With a 2-3 record, 7 saves, 2.67 ERA, 1.154 WHIP, and 11/35 BB/K, the 23-year-old Kadish showed some very strong numbers pitching in the pen in his first professional season. With a bright baseball future ahead, we are proud to announce that Ian has agreed to become a regular MLB Guest Blogger on the Reports, describing his baseball journey for our readers. In his own words, we present part 2 of 2 of our featured guest blog of Ian Kadish, the offseason and his expections for the 2012 season: http://mlbreports.com/2011/10/03/kadish-2012/
Friday September 20, 2011
Ian Kadish Guest MLB Blog: Part 1 – Recap of My 2011 Season
Sunday September 11, 2011
Ian Kadish Guest MLB Blog: My Baseball Journey
We welcome today on the Reports, Blue Jays prospect Ian Kadish. The right-handed pitcher pitched for the Bluefield Blue Jays in the Rookie Appalachian League in 2011. With a 2-3 record, 2.67 ERA, 1.154 WHIP, 11/35 BB/K, the 23-year-old Kadish showed some very strong numbers pitching in the pen in his first professional season. With a bright baseball future ahead, we invited Ian to prepare a MLB Guest Blog describing his baseball journey for our readers. In his own words, we proudly present the story of Ian Kadish- pitching prospect, Toronto Blue Jays: http://mlbreports.com/2011/09/11/kadish/
Wednesday September 7, 2011
“Casey Bond Guest Blog: From Giants Prospect to Moneyball Star”, By Casey Bond
Baseball movies have been part of the culture of the game for as long as most of us can remember. Classic films include The Natural, Bull Durham and Major League, among countless others. When baseball fans are not watching games at the ballpark or on television, they can often be found at the theatre or popping in a disc at home to watch a baseball movie. Fans also enjoy baseball documentaries, including the Ken Burns series. If not watching baseball in some capacity, a good baseball book is not usually far behind for a diehard baseball fan. Lovers of the game cannot get enough of their favorite sport and enjoy the game in many different capacities.
At MLB reports, we are big supporters of baseball books. We try to read as many new ones as we can to review on our site to encourage readership. Those books that we enjoy can sometimes also end up on the big screen and come to life. One of the most popular and talked about baseball books of all time, Moneyball by Michael Lewis, has in fact been made into a Hollywood movie. Starring Brad Pitt as Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane, Moneyball has all the makings of being the next all-time classic baseball movie. Due out in theatres on September 23, 2011, Moneyball is a movie that everyone must see!
We are very fortunate today to have Casey Bond, one of the stars of Moneyball the movie, on MLB reports today. Casey in part one of a two-part feature, prepared a guest blog sharing his journey from outfielder in the San Francisco Giants organization to starring in Moneyball with Brad Pitt. In part two coming this week, we will be publishing our interview with Casey Bond. We appreciate Casey taking the time out of his schedule in preparing this feature. Casey portrays former Oakland A’s pitcher Chad Bradford in Moneyball and will be promoting the movie this week in Toronto as part of the Toronto International Film Festival, starting September 8th. For the very first Hollywood star on MLB reports, we proudly present actor Casey Bond, with his journey from San Francisco Giants prospect to Moneyball star: http://mlbreports.com/2011/09/07/bond/
Monday September 5, 2011
”What Can a Parent Do: A Guide to Being a Baseball Parent“, By James O. Lamb
I had the pleasure of meeting James Lamb through social media this year. As parents and through our mutual love of baseball, we have enjoyed several baseball discussions and debates. As a professional scout for the Florida Marlins, James is very active in Major League Baseball and is extremely knowledgeable on the sport. Many of our discussions though centered on parenthood, including being a baseball parent. James own son, John Lamb, is a prospect with the Kansas City Royals. Having been through the process of having a son drafted to a major league team, James’ story is a fascinating one. I learned about James also through his websites, http://pbdad.com and http://baseballpg.com. Being a father myself to a five-year son with another baby boy on the way, I started discussing with James the journey of becoming a baseball parent. That is where the concept of this article was born. We are very fortunate to have James Lamb as our MLB Guest Blogger today. For all current and future baseball parents, you will find James insights and tips extremely valuable. We proudly feature on the reports, James O. Lamb, with ”What Can a Parent Do: A Guide to Being a Baseball Parent“.
April 21, 2011
The inaugural MLB Guest Blog comes from Ryan Tatusko of the Washington Nationals. Ryan currently pitches for the AA Harrisburg Senators of the Eastern League.
Ryan Tatusko: This year was a different year for me in preparation for many reasons. For one, I was starting out with a new team that I really know nothing about. Furthermore, I am going to be a full-time starter this year. In the past, when I was with the Texas Rangers, I was would routinely ping-pong between the bullpen and the starting rotation based on where they, the organization, would need me. I would then usually stick in the rotation around the all-star game, but this year was different. The Nationals have told me that at this time they envision me as helping the ball club as a starting pitcher and that’s where they wanted to keep me.
Heading into the season as a starter, I did not necessarily change the way I went about my off-season preparation or conditioning, but I did tweak a few things here and there. For instance, as part of my bullpen sessions, I wouldn’t throw them as frequently as I would when I started the season as a reliever. Instead, I would do fewer sessions with more pitchers. I also made sure that I would do more long distance cardio work to build my stamina for the upcoming year. My preparation for camp has never changed in the 4+ years that I have been going. The team you are with gives you a pretty set schedule as to what to do in terms of running, lifting, and throwing and as long as you follow it, you will be just fine and will be ready to go when camp starts.
Getting to camp this year was fun and exciting for me as I got the feeling 
that I was a fresh face all over again, the same feelings I got when I was first drafted by the Rangers came back. I was excited, maybe too excited. The first few games I played in I probably tried to do too much. But once I settled down and starting getting back to my game, I felt like I had very good success during spring training. I really wanted to work on throwing my change-up for strikes more in camp, as it seems to be a pitch that has been less effective for me as compared to my other pitches. By the time that I left Viera,FL I felt that I made immense strides with it and I was extremely happy with the way I was throwing it and with the confidence I was displaying.
Not understanding where you are going to be assigned is one of those things that can consume you if you are not careful. When you start to think about the potential moves that the organization could and should make, you start to drive yourself crazy and you get distracted from what you do on the mound. It’s one of those things you just got to try your best to block out and not think about as you go through your process and getting ready for the season. There is always a rhyme and a reason that people do things and although it might not be evidently clear at the first get go as to why; you eventually find out.
I have since been assigned to AA Harrisburg to begin the year. I have made a few starts and although one particularly has not gone the way I would have liked it too, it is still very early on in the season. I see these starts as an opportunity for me to learn from my mistakes and to grow as a pitcher. There are numerous quotes and clichés out there that talk about having a short memory if you want to succeed at this game and they are all absolutely true. There is a fine line between learning and obsessing over particular starts. There is always something positive and negative to get out of taking the mound, but as a player you have to be careful and not let it consume you and over-think about the process. The really good pitchers out there learn and move on the quickest so that they can devote all their time to their next outing.
I am eager to get back on the mound quickly and progress through the season. I have never felt stronger mentally and physically and I can’t wait to see what the season has in store for me.
Thanks for reading.
Ryan
***A special thank you to Ryan Tatusko for his time and effort in preparing his guest MLB blog entry for MLB reports. Please follow Ryan on Twitter. In addition to being a talented pitcher, Ryan is a tremendous person and loves interacting with his fans. A friend of MLB reports, we look forward to reporting on Ryan throughout the season as he continues his journey to Washington. Good luck Ryan!***
To learn more about Ryan, please click here to view our February profile of Ryan Tatusko
Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook . Please subscribe to our website for free to receive daily e-mails of our newest articles: please click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.
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