Can you believe it? The Arizona Fall League is about to commence No more baseball in the states until next year. There have been many occurences during the 2008 AFL season that have invoked tons of interest; the emergence of uber-prospects Tommy Hanson and Matt Wieters, the repeat performances of Chris Petit and Kevin Frandsen, and the relatively unknowns trying to solidify themselves on the prospect map. I think the baseball world as well as the players involved in the fall league are finally winding down. The means to an end so to speak. The question is, however, what kind of end? Some players' end means going back home for the winter to spend time with their families. Guys go work part time jobs in the absence of being temporarily unemployed. They go work out and train religously in hopes of bringing something better to the table next year. Many minds will analyze how the fall league influenced their development as players and as men. A lot of players will watch over their respective teams offseason moves and spend many countless moments wondering what their team has in store for them. Some will be major leaguers, some won't. Some will be on 40 mans, others on the 25 man. Chances are a large percentage of 2008 AFL Alumni will get cups of coffee in the coming year. This is what makes the fall league credible and most notably the finishing school to the major leagues. 

Whats not to love about the AFL? Its easy coming to the park everyday to fresh faces that carry the same passion and devotion of making it to the major leagues. It helps having new coaching styles and personalities thrown into the mix. Sometimes it takes a different voice for you to really "hear" some instruction. I have learned that lesson. The personalities around the clubhouse made for an interesting mix, and it was also very easy to see what made guys tick. It was helpful seeing how different approaches and preperation can still arrive at the same results. Games of ping pong also relieved some tension and brought the pressure from the field to the table. The fans were very passionate also, and it made a comfortable playing environment. Nothing says comfortable like autographing a sweaty T shirt I must say. It was certainly beneficial getting game experience at Spring Training facilities, while trying to find somewhat of a comfort zone out there to aid in the months ahead. One of the keys to success I've found is finding a comfort zone and staying in it. Scottsdale is my comfort zone. It is also my spring training home as well as home to my Uncle John and Aunt Pam. It helps having relatives close by that will gladly attend baseball games, as well as the SPUR. FREEBIRD! "Tip the band!" Fishing trips, countless meals, and constant laughs were just some of the staples we shared together these few months. They have definitely contributed to my comfort level by donating their time, their car, and their home to me and my teammates.  I owe them alot. God Bless them. It was really something seeing the dedication of former players like Jimmy Rollins that came back to the AFL for ceremonies and a visit. Words like "history" and  "tradition" come to mind.

It was a tremendous honor being chosen to play in the Arizona Fall League and it was a great experience. Being part of a league that has seen some of baseball's biggest superstars come through it is inspiring because it makes you believe that you could also follow their path to baseball greatness. I also would like to thank both Johnathan Mayo and MLB for giving me the opportunity to write about my experiences in Arizona.  I hope everyone has enjoyed reading my blog and I want to leave you with this quote that was written on the inside of my hat this AFL season:

"MANAGE TO CONQUER EVERY OBSTACLE, MAKE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE, EVEN WHEN WINNINGS ILLOGICAL, LOSINGS STILL FAR FROM OPTIONAL."

When not on the baseball field, players will do almost anything to keep their mind occupied. Any activity that is somewhat relaxing or completely irrelevant to baseball will work. I chose fishing for my off day therapy, so to speak. I definitely have a newfound respect for that hobby.

My off day started off with a nice breakfast with family on a golf course villa overlooking Sunridge Canyon in Fountain Hills, AZ. This spread would definitely rival anything found in the big leagues. Cook-to-order omelettes and waffles, fresh fruit, biscuit and gravy, bacon, sausage, and eggs benedict chased down with some chilled orange juice. It was a cooler day in the Valley with a wind advisory in effect. So what did I want to do on my Sunday off? My Uncle has a cabin up on the "Rim" just above Payson, so we decided to check it out and go fishing. About an hour and a half into the trip, we stopped at the only store at the base of the "Rim" called Tall Pines grocery. This store was a haven for crusty outdoorsmen and residents of the Valley that drive up on the weekends.  Tall Pines had everything from tackle to wine, cheese to saw blades, and lamps to listerine. This place had a monopoly on the economy of the "Rim". They were the only store remotely close by. Thirty miles we're talking! They could charge whatver they wanted to for any item. Three dollars for limes. Six bucks for bread and people will pay it. I also never saw so much flannel in my life! 

A few minutes later we were at the cabin picking up fishing supplies. Lines, lures, rods, the standard operating equipment for a day on the lake. Off to the lake we went. We dropped our lures in after we selected the perfect spot to fish. I was up on a rock ledge with my uncle down below me and my brother to the left of me. All rods in the water, we waited. This was fishing I guess. I'm normally a very patient person, but after few bites and temperatures in the low 40's, I was getting reckless. The temperature in the Valley was in the 70's by the way. A two hour drive and a 30 degree change in temperature at 7000 feet elevation. Fishing was an adventure for me. Between having a monster fish break my line and nearly snagging the only other fisherman that was remotely close to us with my lure, it was frustrating but fun.

As we were about to leave, I saw something that I had only seen one other time in the state of Arizona. SNOW! "There's something about you leaving the Valley that brings out snow" my uncle cried. By that time, the sun had gone down and the temperature was in the 30's. The trip was a little bit of a downer because I didn't get to see any of the local wildlife up there. There were elk crossing signs and deer signs everywhere, although none were spotted. It still was a great trip and a good overall experience. I just hope all that line casting doesn't mess up the old pitching arm.

This is the time of the year that baseball fans either love or hate, a new world champion has been crowned in the Philadelphia Phillies. Like it or not. This fan would have much rather seen the underdog Rays pull it out. So, we probably just got done watching the least heralded World Series of all time. The only thing that made it somewhat interesting was a three inning clincher caused by a torrential downpour in the city of brotherly love. A lot of fans and commentators thought that the rain delay was a travesty orchestrated by the hands of Bud Selig. I thought that it was handled fairly and even added some drama to a somewhat lackluster series.  How many playoff games have you ever seen decided by three innings? The series never really had that "awe" factor that is so imperative to postseason baseball heroism and lore. Drama sells, that's how those corny crime TV shows make it on network television.

The other very intresting and integral part of the "dead" period after the series is: The Reloading of Teams. True fans dedicate themsleves to following all the winter meetings, free agency filings, and rule 5 drafts that occur in the offseason. This years free agent pool has a lot of whales swimming in it, such as CC Sabathia. Any team in baseball would love to have this clydedale of a horse in their stable for the following years to come. The problem is, however, how much is it going to cost us to feed this big horse? 100 million? 150 million? I know that my organization is likely going to explore bringing CC to the bay. But at what cost and at what risk? These questions are ones that I always find me asking myself, but I am neither qualified or have the time to answer. As a player, you can only ask that the organization gives you a solid look and a chance to contribute to a winning product. How can u really expect to compare with the whale that is CC Sabathia?

Our organization has a lot of unanswered questions going into the offseason. It should be interesting seeing what the Giants do over the long winter. Any casual fan would state that we need to beef up the offense, but also at what cost. Do you part with one of your good young starting pitchers? I think that the current philosophy of pitching and defense is the right one, especially in the pitcher friendly ATAT Park. It is simply not a home run ball park. Fans clamor for the next Bonds to come around, but it is simply the ballpark, not  the personnel. There are very few power hitters out there that can reach the bay on a consistent basis. Once again, at what price? We do need offense, we are two bats away from contending in one or two years given the maturation of our young guns. It should be a very interesting and fun winter season.

I come to you once again from a small condo in Scottsdale,AZ to bring you up to speed on this weeks entry. Now that it is world series time, baseball interest is at its highest. Pretty soon it will only be us winter leaguers being talked about in the baseball world. This week was a short one in that we only played five games, but I feel like our approach to the day to day grind of the game has been improving. I mean, this is game number 160 or so for a lot of guys here. Believe me, it takes a toll. We are professionals though and are very good at handling our jobs.

We had two days off this week. SInce I got to sit out the rousing trip to Surprise on friday night, I got to attend a party with my agent at the W resort in Scottsdale. This place was unreal. Celebrities, flashy cars, red carpet, and paparazzi were just some of the staples of this oasis in the desert. If you haven't stayed at the W, I would highly recommend it. Though I don't think your wallet would like it too much. A standard room at the W runs you about 600 a night, but if you have the means, like a key to an Italian sports car, then I would do it. I will admit that I had never seen a beach in the desert until then, but for 600 a night I better have that beach in my room.

Sunday funday kicked off with me and a few of the guys attending a haven full of testosterone and bonding. Also known as Hooters. Fifty wings and football games later it was time to go to the real reason we went to Phoenix. WWE Cyber SUnday.   Pay Per View Wrestling. Dont laugh but it's true. I have a friend that is the head cameraman for WWE and he hooked me and five other scorpions up with front row seats and backstage passes. We were so close we could feel the flames and the fleshy smacks each time. It was a bigtime adrenaline rush. Between the women, the fighting, and the pyrotechnics, it was the perfect off day. We got to meet some of the wrestlers and divas backstage. We hung out with the GM himself, MIke Adamlee. Yes, American Gladiator fans. HAHA! A few tours and a few collective T shirts later we are back in Scottsdale clamoring for the beginning of a new baseball work week. 

 FYI: I think i just made Josh Reddick want to become a wrestler now.

Thanks for reading and being fans! 

Yes AFL fans, the Scottsdale Scorpions played a great six days of baseball and even managed  to put together a three game winning streak. A more polished product of the game was on display this week. I am definitely willing to state that our 4-7 record is very deceiving. The team made a big step forward getting a .500 week for the first time all season. In this weekly excerpt, I will take you inside the clubhouse of the Scorpions, introduce you to our ring leader, and talk a little bit about the dedicated fall league fans.

Team chemistry is really coming along after these first dozen games or so. It was a funny sight walking into our clubhouse on the first day of the season and seeing all the various organizations in collective units in seperate corners of the room. Giants talking with Giants. Red Sox eating with Red Sox. Pirates playing cards with other Pirates. You get the picture I think. Now a days, it is a much different scene. Guys are mixing it up more and forming bonds with their teammates for the next seven weeks. I would really like to credit one of our Giants players, Kevin Frandsen, who is a large reason why the clubhouse has gotten so comfortable, so quickly. If you were to walk into our clubhouse on any game day, Franny would be either the first guy you would see or hear. That's the type of guy he is. He is very outgoing and makes every effort to keep the team loose with his hijinx. The first day of the season he put on Aaron Bates uniform and paraded around the clubhouse as a Boston player. Everyone was loving that stunt.  His jokes and antics keep it loose and makes it a fun environment to be in. It really helps having a long tenured big league player around to help us go about things the right way. He knows what it takes to play in the Majors and I think we all can learn from him.

As some of my fellow AFL bloggers have done this week, I want to write about the dedicated and loyal fall league fans. As players, fan support means a huge deal to us. I think most guys can vouch that we would go out of our way to accomodate any fans reasonable wishes. The fervor of some of the fans out here is unbelievable. I mean I've seen fans pull off James Bond type stunts to try and get an illustrious Clay Buchholz autograph. There have been fans at the stadium waiting outside the players entrance sometimes four hours before a game. I think dedication might even be an understatement there. Home games, road games, or no games you will see these avid fans at and around the stadium looking to catch the next major league superstars autograph on a ball, trading card, or on their tanktop.  Yes, I said tanktop. A rather large hairy man that looked like Kevin James wanted me to sign his beer stained and sun tan lotion saturated tanktop.That was a first for me. If anyone tries to say that the players aren't accomodating, I'll tell that story again and again. Once again I think dedication is an understatement. It is part of our job to entertain. We are in the entertainment business. I just don't know how many more sweaty tanktops I can entertain the notion of signing! Until next week, leave the tanktops at home AFL fans! It is the fall right?

Well AFL fans, week 1 is in the books. Time to enjoy a nice sunday off in Arizona. The first week of games have brought a few things to light for the Scottsdale Scorpions. First off, its very hard playing a complete baseball game with players that have never played together. Sure the game doesn't change, but any player will tell you that it is a big adjustment. Secondly, you have to do two of three things to play winning baseball. You have to hit, pitch, and play defense. We haven't been executing on those three facets of the game as well as we should be right now, but there is somewhat of a learning curve involved. I know I have learned some things after my first start. Try and keep the ball on the ground when the wind is howling at 30 mph! HAHA. Thanks for that lesson Shawn Doolittle.

The team is really starting to gel with just these few games under our belt. It takes some guys months to learn to play with new teammates, but in the AFL we are asked to do it immediately. Tough request, isn't it? Course it's not all that difficult when your team is based in Scottsdale. There are tons of things to do with teammates, there just isn't enough time for them all. Nice resteraunts, landscapes, and beautiful women help ease the thought of another 7 weeks of baseball after a 142 game season. I am confident that the gelling off the field is well on its way, but we need it on the field more right now. 1-4............. Tough first week.

In last weeks blog entry, I talked a little bit about an intriguing matchup with Steven Tolleson  against Phoenix yesterday. The elements were extremely tough to play in yeasterday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Wind swirls at 30 mph, impossible glaring sun, and a fast, hard infield made for it to be a very adventurous game. To the casual observer, it would have appeared to be a very sloppy game. Rest assured that those elements played a huge factor in a lot of the plays.    {AKA Guy with the unbuttoned Tommy Bahama shirt and the oversized sunglasses who sat right behind our dugout and insisted on calling us rummys!} What the hecks a rummy? Anyway, back to the matchup. Tolleson's first at bat against me was a successful one, even though I had jammed him with a changeup on his hands. He floated a bloop single behind the second base bag. Game Tolleson. Three pitches into the next hitter, Tolly gets a little too greedy over at first and I pick him off. Set Pucetas. His next AB was a few innings later with two outs and a runner on second. Tolleson knows me. He knows I will challenge anyone with a fastball early in count. First pitch he saw was a challenge fastball with a base open. Clearly a mistake, Tolly drives the fastball for a run scoring double. Match Tolleson. I defintely will have the chance to get those back in the future.

I would like to conclude this entry by thanking Lisa Winston from MILB for stopping by the stadium on Saturday. I haven't spoken with her since all star weekend in Yankee Stadium  It is really refreshing getting to talk with her beacuse she is so energetic and has such a passion for the game of baseball.She really loves her job and the players. That makes it extremely easy for the players to want to help her anyway that we can. Its been a pleasure getting to know her the past few years, and I know many other MILB players feel the same way.

Greetings from Arizona baseball fans. My name is Kevin Pucetas and I am currently a member of the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League. First off, I would like to give you a little background on myself and my baseball career. I am the oldest of eleven children and live in the small southern town of Spartanburg, SC. I began playing baseball at a very young age, as most boys in the south do. That is what is great about the game of baseball, it can be played by the youngest boys as well as the oldest of men. My talents earned me a scholarship to nearby Limestone College, where I got my four year degree before I was selected in the 17th round by the Giants in 2006. The transition to the professional game was tough. I had gone from playing in front of 50 of your closest friends to playing in front of 5000 strangers. I still to this day dont know which one was more difficult. I have definitely come a long way since taking the mound at a Division II school. The last year has been a blur. I have graced the mound at the cathedral that is yankee stadium, considered to represent our country in the olympics, and now having the opportunity to play in the AFL.

Enough about me, lets talk fall league baseball. As soon as you walk into a fall league locker room, you automatically feel the presence of success of the league. Many players have graduated from the fall league to the Majors in as little as a year after they participate in the league. There are many guys on our squad that have major league experience, so it is our job to try and learn from them. We have one pitcher on our staff that has thrown a no-hitter in the show: Clay Bucholz. The practices have gone very smooth. It is really a pleasure watching our team play defense during practice. As a pitcher, you know you are gonna be taken care of. I think we have a very balanced squad complete with some power arms, power bats, and some flashes of speed. I can't wait to compete against some of the top prospects in all of baseball. There is one prospect that I cant wait to pitch against: Steven Tolleson. Tolleson and I grew up in Spartanburg and we won a State Championship together when we were twelve. We remain good friends to this day and have the same agent. We haven't faced each other in a game situation before and we both think that it will be a fun matchup to watch. We have been joking about the matchup,which could happen as early as this Saturday. You guys can catch my blog updates every monday and I hope you enjoy following this exciting AFL season.