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Bloggin' With the Bears: Kendal Volz and the USA Baseball National Team
July 15, 2008
That's: "Hello, Baseball Fans." ... in German. Greetings from Armin Wolf Arena in Regensburg, Germany. Do not be confused: we are not playing in a dome or in a basketball gym. Instead, Armin Wolf Arena is simply a small stadium; it is a well-kept city park, actually, and typically the Regensburg Legionaere play here. The park seats about 2,000 people with additional berm seating down both foul lines; it was nearly completely full for tonight's game. Tonight, Team USA faced the German National Team in one of two tune-up games from the National Team before beginning the FISU World Championships this weekend in the Czech Republic. Tomorrow, the team travels to Ostrava, Czech Republic, for a "friendly" game against the Czech National Team at 5:30 p.m. local time (17.30 hrs). Regensburg, which is split by the beautiful Danube River, has a population of about 125,000, which makes it roughly about the size of Waco. However, this city is quite more historic than Waco. For example: the Stone Bridge in Regensburg was built in the mid-1100s and was used by knights of the second and third crusades to cross the Danube on their way to the Holy Land. The Regensburg Cathedral - known as the Dom - was founded in the 1200s and finished in the late 1600s. In fact, Regensburg is believed to date back to the second century AD with ties to a first-century Roman fort what are now Regensburg suburbs. One of the larger cities in the German Free State of Bavaria, Regensburg nestled in the southeastern part of Germany. Regensburg is about 75 miles north of Munich, about 60 miles west of the Czech Republic border and about 60 miles southeast of Nuremburg, site of the infamous World War II war crimes trials. Most of southern Germany that we have seen over the past two days, including Regensburg, is very reminiscent of Appalachia from a scenery standpoint. Monday, we made the eight-and-a-half-hour drive from Haarlem, Netherlands, to Regensburg; there were several parts during the ride that it felt as if I were traveling down Interstate 81 in Virginia. The landscape is dominated by rolling foothills, sprawling farmlands and small-to-medium-sized mountains. The Alps are not close enough to be seen, something that more than disappointed me.
Monday was somewhat of a taxing day for the National Team. After a short lifting section Monday morning, the team loaded the bus and left at 11 a.m. We traveled four-and-half hours before taking a break at a random rest area with an eatery somewhere in western Germany. Then, it was back on the bus for another four hours before arriving in Regensburg around 8:30 p.m. (all of the European Union is in the same time zone). The Team USA travel party consists of 36 people at present: 22 players, four coaches, a general manager, his two assistants, me, our trainer, a trainer's assistant and one of our assistant coach's four family members. Our bus here in Europe has about 50 seats, which is slightly smaller than a normal team bus in the United States. Furthermore, it has enough storage space in the underneath bins for about 30 people - if each person had one suitcase. I'd venture to say each person in our travel party has two pieces of luggage, and that does not include catchers, who have addition equipment bag, the large bat flumes, ball bags and other equipment. Needless to say, it was a tight fit. Typically, each coach, each member of the five-person administrative staff and each of the three players who were Team USA members last year gets two seats; sometimes, nearly all the players get two seats. Monday, we were packed in like sardines. Head coach Rob Walton got two seats. Assistant coach Ritch Price had two seats, but the one next to him was occupied by the team trophy from Haarlem Baseball Week. And general manager Eric Campbell sat in the "jumper" seat between the driver and the front door. Everyone else "doubled-up" either with another person or with a huge pile of bags and/or equipment. The back row of the bus was nothing but equipment, and even the aisle was covered with bags and bat boxes. We called it "bonding day." We were rewarded upon arrival to Regensburg: two nights' stay at a Courtyard by Marriott. That may not sound like that great of a prize; but after two weeks of sleeping on single beds (keep in mind, most of us on this trip are at least six-foot-two) in a rather un-American hotel, these accommodations are wonderful. On top of that, our meals in the hotel restaurant have been exceptional. And with a 7 p.m. first pitch tonight, we were able to sleep in, rest up and unwind a bit. This is the point in the tour where things begin to be a grind. Including trials, we've played 28 games in the last 35 days. Five of those seven off days were travel days, including what essentially was a two-day travel day in one when we flew to Europe. One off day was the first day in Haarlem when we still were adjusting to the time difference, and we practiced for about three hours. The other off day was essentially eaten up by rain; we arrived at the stadium at 11:30 a.m. in preparation for our 2 p.m. game against Chinese-Taipei, but the game was postponed at 3:30 p.m. and rescheduled for 10:30 a.m. the following day. Welcome to pro ball. But in a sense, that is what the USA Baseball National Team is all about: getting the nation's top collegiate players ready for life at the next level. Of the 22 players on roster right now, there is a good chance that at least 15 or 16 of them will be first-round picks over the next two years (many next June). And nearly all - if not all - of them will reach the Major Leagues barring injury. These are the stars of tomorrow. General manager Eric Campbell and USA Baseball are aware of this, and that is why they make the schedule so grueling. These men are here to play baseball; a compacted schedule keeps them focused on that task. A compacted schedule also can create headaches and frustration, bad attitudes and complaints. However, to a man this team has done a fantastic job of getting through it all. Sure, there have been some tense moments along the way, but none with each other. And there have been comments of homesickness, but never in demeaning or degrading sense. Campbell has a simple philosophy: "If you're unhappy, don't recruit." In other words: "Keep it to yourself or come talk with me." These guys have done a good job with that. It's much like what I tell Baylor players about dealing with the media after a loss or a rough night at the plate or on the mound: You display your personality in good times and your character in bad times; it's easy to talk with the media after a win, but a man will talk even after a loss. And the same holds true in other situations, as well. This tour is not easy; there are a lot of long days and less than accommodating circumstances. Campbell and USA Baseball do everything they can to make this an enjoyable and first-class experience, and it usually is. When the road bumps come, he only asks that they do a good job of handling those; so far, this team has done that with ease. Baseball in Germany is... well... different. The game itself is the same, but there are a few things at the stadium that would immediately catch any American baseball fans eyes... or ears, actually. There was a group of three guys with drums seated down the first-base line. These guys really liked to bang on those drums. And we're not talking like the guy with the drum at Cleveland Indians games; that guy sits way out in the outfield, he beats on one drum by himself, he does it in a continual beat, and he only does it when the Indians get something going. These guys bang on those drums non-stop. I mean, they really liked to bang on those drums. A lot. Forgive me if the sound is still prevalent in my ears. Another really peculiar thing at the game was what goes on over the speakers. First, the public address announcer said something after every pitch as if he were a radio broadcaster. Then, the music guy played a sound-effect after every pitch. But maybe the strangest of all was the song that played all game long. The only time it didn't play is when the pitcher was just about to pitch, during the commercials that played between innings, when the announcer was talking, and during occasional "Charge!" organ music. Otherwise, the song was playing - between every pitch, while the pitcher was getting his sign, while the batter was digging in, while the ball was in play, always. It was the same song... all game long. And it really wasn't even a song; it's more like a looped, rhythmic beat, if you will... only slightly more rhythmic than the guys with the drums. Between the lines, though, the game was still baseball. And Team USA continued to play "our game" exceptionally well. Matt den Dekker (Florida) broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run triple in the top of the fourth as the U.S. squad eased to a 9-3 victory. Jared Clark (Cal State Fullerton) and Tommy Mendonca (Fresno State) gave Team USA plenty of insurance in the eighth, blasting a two-run homer and a grand slam, respectively. Arizona State's Mike Leake allowed one unearned run on seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over 7.0 innings. Team USA is now 15-0 on the 2008 tour. Pitching has been the name of the game for Team USA... so much so that head coach Rob Walton and pitching coach Jerry Meyers have joked that they probably will want to cut all their pitchers when they return to Oral Roberts and Old Dominion, respectively, in August. This staff simply has been dominant, posting a 0.98 ERA (15 earned runs in 138.0 innings) with three shutouts in 15 games. Furthermore, the U.S. staff has not allowed more than two earned runs in any game and has allowed no earned runs six times. Team USA was even more dominant on the mound at Haarlem Baseball Week. After allowing two earned runs against Japan in its first game of the event, the staff allowed just three earned runs in the event's final 53.0 innings for a 0.63 ERA over six games. Baylor's Kendal Volz has been a huge part of that success, allowing no runs on five hits over 9.0 innings. Volz has 12 strikeouts against four walks and a .161 opponents' batting average. He has appeared in eight games with six save opportunities, completing the task all six times. Five of those saves came at Haarlem Baseball Week, where he saved five of Team USA's seven victories and had as many saves as the other five teams combined. Volz did not pitch against the German National Team. Well, tomorrow shapes up as the toughest day on the tour. The bus boards at 6 a.m. and leaves at 7 a.m.; after another eight-hour bus ride, Team USA plays the Czech National Team in a "friendly" game at 5:30 p.m. So, that's all for tonight. Look for another journal entry from Volz tomorrow. July 16, 2008
Americans sports fans who complain about artificial noise-makers should spend some time in Europe. Even the most annoying artificial noise-maker at an American sporting event has nothing on the contraption used by the "Hooligans" here at Ostrava Field in the Czech Republic. Basically, it is a multiple-horn instrument that makes various sounds - everything from a trumpet, to a buzz, to a whistle to my favorite: the fog horn. This wonderful addition to the atmosphere of any baseball game was about 10 feet directly behind me throughout Wednesday's game as Team USA battled the Czech National Team in a final tune-up before starting the FISU World Championships here in the Czech Republic this weekend. Do you remember the guys with the drums Tuesday night at Regensburg, Germany? Those guys were a Beethoven sonata compared to this thing. Karma: it's a funny thing. Part of the experience of playing for or working with the USA Baseball National Team is the opportunity to experience different cultures. There were times during our 12-day stint in the Netherlands that we felt as if we were in a different world, but by-and-large it felt rather normal. There were small differences, but for the most part it was not too much of a transition. The same cannot be said for Ostrava, CR. After getting settled in the hotel around 11:30 last night after defeating the German National Team, we left the hotel in Regensburg, Germany, at 7 a.m. CEST Wednesday and made what turned out to be an almost nine-hour drive to Ostrava. To put things in perspective, when Tuesday's Major League All-Star Game ended at Yankee Stadium in New York City, we already had been on the road for about two hours the next morning. Congratulations to the American League. We went directly to Ostrava Field upon arrival in the town about 75 minutes prior to first pitch. About an hour into today's journey, we reached the German-Czech border. It almost was an eerie site; twenty-five years ago, that would have been a heavily barricaded and guarded border between West Germany and Czechoslovakia. It was the Iron Curtain. As we approached the boarder, I made mention of such to some of the players seated near me on the bus. Then I quickly realized: these 19- and 20-year-olds have no recollection of the Cold War. At first, I felt old; but suddenly, it became evidence of how much the world can change in one generation. Missouri pitcher Kyle Gibson and I discussed where we were going for a few minutes. Gibson said he knew things used to be different in Europe, but he didn't know how different. Consider: None of the five or six "youngsters" seated around me knew what the Iron Curtain was. After a brief (and probably only mostly accurate) history lesson from me and Kansas coach Ritch Price, the "kids" understood things a little better. Make no mistake about it: the Iron Curtain has been lifted; but this still is Eastern Europe. Ostrava is an industrial town located in the extreme eastern corner of the Czech Republic, roughly 15 miles from the Poland boarder and roughly 30 miles from the Slovakia border. The bus ride from Regensburg to Ostrava took us the length of the country by way of Plzen, Prague (known as Praha in the Czech language), Brno and Olamouc. Along the way, there were a handful of familiar signs -mostly Golden Arches; but, there were not many. Here in Ostrava, the signs of familiarity are even more scarce than in Prague or even Brno, which about 80 miles southwest of Ostrava. The Polish and Slovakian influences are readily apparent. And, to be honest, signs of the Cold War have not completely faded here. Most buildings appear rather run down; and, even if in good shape, the buildings look similar to the mass structures commonplace in the Communist Bloc during the second half of the 20th century. Ostrava Field is rather small, there may be 1500 seats. There is no real facility, only a hillside with a modestly structured grandstand all but placed on top of the hillside (that is to say, it is lodged into the ground rather than being bolted or on a concrete slab). There is no press box, only a few tables and chairs that would be found on some suburban deck in the United States located at ground-level down the first-base line. One thing this stadium does have that stadiums in the Netherlands and Germany did not have: free restrooms; we had grown quite accustomed to paying anywhere from 40 to 80 cents Euro to use the restroom. American sports fans have it so easy. The field itself is not too bad. Perhaps it is a tad small to centerfield, but for the most part it is a very playable surface. Team USA, playing as the home team, scored a run in the first inning and held to that margin until scoring four runs in the seventh to take a 5-0 lead. Cal State Fullerton's Josh Fellhauer had the big hit on the night - a three-run homer to center in the seventh. It was Big 12 Conference Day on the mound for Team USA as all four pitchers on roster from the conference saw action. Oklahoma State southpaw Andrew Oliver allowed four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts over 5.0 scoreless innings for the win. A.J. Griffin (San Diego) tossed two scoreless innings with three strikeouts, and Kyle Gibson (Missouri) and Tyler Lyons (Oklahoma State) combined to strikeout the side in a scoreless eighth. Baylor's Kendal Volz pitched the ninth perfectly with one strikeout in a non-save situation as Team USA registered its fourth shutout. Volz has promised a journal entry tomorrow. But after what has been the longest day on tour to date, we're both going to call it a night. More tomorrow. July 17, 2008
The summer has seemed to fly by, especially while overseas and playing baseball everyday. Our days include a consistent dose of sleep, card games and baseball. It has made for a very enjoyable summer. Having an opportunity to come to Europe has been an unbelievable experience, but having a chance to play ball against some of the best teams from around the world has been even better. The biggest challenge has been communicating with friends and family back home. It is nice getting to talk to Mom, Dad and my sis everyday... oh, and my girlfriend. We have found ways around the barriers, though. Even though I miss them and my friends tremendously, my mind is fixed on the purpose of this trip. We are about to start our final tournament of the summer. Teams from all around the world are in Ostrava to duke it out. USA, Japan, Chinese-Taipei, Canada, Czech, Lithuania and Korea all look to take home the Gold. It is going to be an exciting week and a half of baseball. As cliché as it might sound, wearing the red, white and blue with 21 others and hearing the national anthem play before the game is very special. We all know we are playing for more than just ourselves and our team. We can extend our winning streak and bring home the gold medal if we continue to play hardnosed, fundamental baseball like we have all summer.
July 18, 2008
Play has begun in the 2008 FISU World Championships, hosted by the Czech Republic. Actually, it began Thursday night when Korea scored four runs in the top of the ninth to rally for a 6-3 victory over host Czech Republic. In fact, the Czech team scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to capture a 3-2 lead before giving up the lead in the ninth. Team USA's first game is underway right now; the U.S. squad and Korea are scoreless through four innings. Neither team has a hit as both pitchers are dominating the game. Korea starter Yu Kang Heo has five strikeouts against one walk through four frames, while U.S. starter Stephen Strasburg has seven Strikeouts and no walks. Strasburg has not allowed a ball out of the infield; of the five batters who have not struck out, three have bounced back to the mound and the other two grounded out. Congratulations to Strasburg, who Wednesday was named to the 2008 USA Baseball Olympic Team. Strasburg, who will be a junior at San Diego State, is the first college player named to an Olympic Team since the International Olympic Committee began allowing professional players for baseball in 2000. Three members of the 208 Olympic Team played for the 2005 National Team that was coached by Baylor's Steve Smith. It would not surprise me to see at least players from this year's National Team on the 2012 Olympic Team; however, the IOC took baseball off the docket of events for that Olympiad. What a shame. Nothing against rifle, but seriously... Well, back to today's game. The score just changed as Blake Smith (California) led off the top of the fifth with a home run down the right-field line. It was a good at bat for Smith, who fell behind 1-2 and fouled off several pitches before blasting the no-doubter round-tripper. Micah Gibbs (LSU) followed with a single for the game's second hit. The schedule for the FISU World Championships already has changed as the India National Team decided to not attend. Perhaps there was a cricket game that went long; we're not sure. That means seven teams will vie for the FISU crown: Canada, Chinese-Taipei, the Czech Republic, Korea, Japan, Lithuania and the United States. FISU is the acronym used for Federation of International University Sports. Shouldn't it be FIUS? Probably, but I suppose FISU (commonly said as FEE-SUE) is more fun to say. Needless to say, baseball I.Q. is not quite the same in some parts of the world as it is in the United States. Upon our arrival at Ostrava Field around 7:30 this morning, Team USA head coach Rob Walton spent about 20 minutes working on the pitcher's mound. Let's just say it looked nothing like a mound prior to Walton's efforts. The rules of baseball state that the batter's boxes shall be measured six feet in depth, measured from the mid-point of home plate with three feet toward the mound and three feet away from the mound. The batter's boxes here at Ostrava Field were measured at six feet in depth but with only about 18 inches toward the mound. Both have been noted and will be reported to the FISU committee after the game, but we're not expecting them to be any more in the know than the guys who work on the field. The bottom line, though, is throw strikes, play defense and get timely hits. Smith's home run has given Team USA a 1-0 lead, and it looks as though this could be another close one. That means we'll likely see Baylor's Kendal Volz late in the game. We'll check back in with you at that time. July 18, 2008
Stephen Strasburg left the game after 7.0 innings of work. He was nearly perfect, but had to settle for seven no-hit innings. Strasburg walked one and struck out 13, one K shy of tying the USA Baseball National Team single-game record. That mark (14) is shared by Baylor's Jason Jennings (1998) and Mississippi State's B.J. Wallace (1992). The connection between those two pitchers: both had Baylor's Steve Smith as their pitching coach in college. Strasburg's 13-strikeout performance tied Wichita State's Kennie Steenstra (1991) for the second-best total in National Team history. Team USA's no-hit bid did not last long after Strasburg left the game. Missouri's Kyle Gibson got two quick strikes before Kyung Su Bae singled up the middle to open the bottom of the eighth. A sacrifice has Bae at second base with one out. Gibson is still in the game, and Baylor's Kendal Volz is warming in the pen. We'll see how it shakes down. July 18, 2008
Pinch-hitter Sung Yong Na snuck a seeing-eye single through the left side of the infield with two outs in the eighth scored Kyung Su Bae from third with the game-tying run. So, we're tied at 1-1 to start the ninth. More to come. July 18, 2008
Team USA responded with fury in the top of the ninth, scoring four runs on four hits. LSU's Micah Gibbs had the key hit, a one-out, two-run single up the middle on an 0-2 pitch. Ryan Jackson (Miami-FL) followed with a two-run homer to right-center. We're headed to the bottom of the ninth with Team USA leading 5-1. Baylor's Kendal Volz takes the mound. This is not a save situation, but the ball still is in his hands to close the game. We'll see how he does.
The first batter Baylor's Kendal Volz will face in the ninth is leadoff batter Sang Hoon Lee. First pitch: Fastball fouled away. Second pitch: Slider misses low. Third pitch: Fastball cued up the first-base line. Volz tries to bare-hand the ball, but he mishandles it. Lee is safe on an error. That brings Joung Hoon Son to the plate. First pitch: Fastball for a called strike. Second pitch: Slider misses low. Third pitch: Fastball misses high and away. Fourth pitch: Fastball misses high and away. Fifth pitch: Fastball for a strike on the outside corner. Sixth pitch: Fastball misses low. Son walks, putting runners at first and second with no outs. The next batter is Sang Won Bak. First pitch: Fastball misses low. Second pitch: Fastball for a strike on the outside corner. Third pitch: 95-mph fastball called strike on the outside corner. Fourth pitch: Slider in the dirt; blocked by catcher Micah Gibbs. Fifth pitch: Fastball misses high and away. Sixth pitch: Ground ball to shortstop Ryan Jackson; he flips to second for the first out, but the turn to first is late. That brings to the plate clean-up batter Young Seop Bae with runners on the corners and one out. First pitch: Slider for a called strike. Second pitch: Fastball fouled back to the screen. Third pitch: Slider low and away, blocked well by Gibbs to keep the runner at third. Fourth pitch: Slider fouled back to the screen. Fifth pitch: Slider hit to right-center; center fielder Matt den Dekker makes the catch, runner scores from third (unearned). Two outs now in the inning, and up to the plate comes Kyung Su Bae with a runner at first. First pitch: Fastball for a strike. Second pitch: Fastball fouled out of play down the first-base line. Third pitch: Fastball high. Fourth pitch: Slider slapped toward the right-side hole. Second baseman Christian Colon makes a diving stop in the right-field grass; he roles over and throws to first from the seat of his pants. First baseman Jared Clark scoops the one-hop throw just in time to get the batter/runner and retire the side. It wasn't the cleanest outing of the summer for Volz, but he worked past the error and the walk to limit the damage. Team USA improved to 17-0 with the victory and showed their late-inning toughness. Next up for Team USA is an 8 p.m. local-time game Saturday against the Czech Republic. We'll see you then. July 19, 2008
Wireless Internet at Ostrava Field is, well, let's just say suspect. Our first game here was Wednesday night, and a signal was no where to be found. The signal was strong and worked perfectly throughout yesterday's game. However, it has gone back into hiding for tonight's game. So, bear with me as I post when possible. Tonight, Team USA faces the Czech Republic, a team the U.S. squad blanked 5-0 Wednesday night. The Czech National Team rapped three consecutive first-inning hits to score a run and assure itself of not being shutout again tonight. However, Cal State Fullerton's Jared Clark has erased that deficit and given Team USA the lead. Clark doubled to lead off the second and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Ryan Jackson (Miami-FL). After his Fullerton teammate Josh Fellhauer walked to lead off the fourth, Clark blasted the first pitch he saw over the centerfield fence for a two-run homer. Team USA pushed its lead to 4-1 later in the inning on an RBI single from San Francisco's Ryan Lipkin. More updates to come... wireless signal permitting. July 19, 2008
After taking the lead with a three-run fourth inning, Team USA scored one run in each of its next three at bats to take a commanding 7-2 lead headed into the bottom of the eighth inning. Jared Clark has continued his torrid pace and is 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI. Josh Fellhauer has reached all four plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored. Team USA has 12 hits on the night. Odds are we will not see Baylor's Kendal Volz tonight. July 19, 2008
Team USA tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth and cruised to an 8-2 victory over the Czech National Team. That ran the U.S. squad's record to 2-0 in pool play here at the FISU World Championships and 18-0 on the summer tour. Pool play continues Sunday for Team USA, facing Lithuania. First pitch is scheduled for 8 a.m. Texas time. See you then. |
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