You Think YOU Had a Bad Day&;#063;

You Think YOU Had a Bad Day?

by Paul Mellette

We're all prone to it; the feeling that "this was the worst day ever!"
It might have been a Monday (it usually IS!), or it might have been
that the boss was in a bad mood. Maybe it was just that you were
nervous about a big assignment or your first day on the job...

Next time you think you've had the "worst day ever" at work, consider
this; the first day on the job for poor Miguel Asencio.

Miguel hails from the Dominican Republic and like many young men from
his homeland, he has parlayed his skill at baseball into a chance at a
better life. Saturday, April 6, 2002 was the day that he, like millions
of young boys worldwide, had dreamt of his entire life... he got his
first chance to pitch in the "big leagues."

Miguel made the rare jump from "A" ball, one of the lower
classifications of minor league baseball straight to the major leagues;
making the Kansas City Royals after a particularly good "spring
training." Excitement was sure to have been running high; his pulse was
no doubt racing and his heart thundering in his chest as he got the
call from manager Tony Muser to enter the game.

It was a perfect opportunity for a young rookie to get his feet wet; to
face his first major league hitters and quell the butterflies that were
fluttering in his stomach. The Royals were being creamed by the Chicago
White Sox; the score was already 9 - 0 when Miguel stood on the mound
in front of the home crowd at Kaufman Stadium.

I witnessed the historic event in the young man's life from in front of
the television at the local health club I attend... ostensibly to work
out, but more often than not simply for a "Hollywood" shower and maybe
a bit of steam...

The game was televised nationally via WGN, the Chicago super station;
and White Sox announcer Ken Harrelson made sure that we all knew just
how nervous the young man must be...

Kenny Lofton stepped to the plate and Miguel went into his wind up...
threw his first major league pitch... and the umpire shouted "Ball!"
The next three pitches would have the same result and with "ball four",
Lofton trotted to first base.

Harrelson remarked that the young man was probably extremely excited
and at least he was "keeping the ball down"... which is a good thing as
long as it is "down" within the strike zone! However these were
dangerously close to the dirt...

Sox second baseman Ray Durham stepped in and prepared to hit... four
more pitches missed the plate and with "ball eight" Lofton moved
leisurely to second base and Durham took his place at first.

After the young man threw "ball one" to Frank "The Big Hurt" Thomas,
Royals pitching coach Al Nipper strolled from the dugout to the
pitching mound to try to calm his pitcher down. Shortstop Neifi Perez
did likewise. Harrelson commented to his partner how if they could just
get the young man to laugh, to derail his train of thought, then he'd
probably settle down...

Nipper returned to his place on the bench, Lofton and Durham stepped
off their respective bases... and Miguel Asencio fired another baseball
toward his catchers glove; but this one bounced in the dirt before
getting to home plate and by the time the Sox' catcher located it, the
base runners had meandered from first and second to second and third
bases... not that it mattered, because "ball twelve"... all without a
strike yet... moved Frank Thomas to first base and now the Royals
bullpen was feverishly trying to get another pitcher ready...

Maglio Ordonez made his way to the plate; a threat in any situation but
especially when it was painfully obvious that Miguel desperately NEEDED
a strike... so much so that you expected he might toss the ball
underhand just to get it in the right spot...

Harrelson and his partner, Darrin Jackson, tried their best to
sympathize... even though this was "the enemy"... a player from the
opposition... The announcers tried to downplay the importance; one
commenting how he struck out his first time at bat in the big
leagues...

Ordonez stepped to the plate and the umpire signaled that they should
"play ball" once again... and with another four pitches came "ball
sixteen"... Lofton walked across home plate, scoring the first run
against the befuddled hurler before he ever got one single pitch into
the strike zone...

As his manager stepped from the dugout to remove him from the game,
Harrelson and Jackson... and by this time myself and the other men who
had gathered as the glut-of-balls &; dearth-of-strikes had
mounted... all poured forth their sympathy for the young man... his
lifelong dream had unraveled into a nightmare... and it looked like he
was crying on the mound when his manager put his arm around him and
took the ball from him...

As they cut to a commercial, Harrelson and Jackson said that they hoped
Muser would tell the rookie that tomorrow is another day... and would
get him into another game soon... The young man obviously has talent,
but he had the ultimate "bad day at the office..."

Think on that the next time you think yours was "the worst
ever..."

And Miguel; I know that there's a group of guys in Florida who are
pulling for you... hoping that your next outing will be as memorable...
for a far more pleasant reason!