Summer in the Cape

July 18, 2003

I can’t believe that this is my fourth journal. It just seems like yesterday that I got here, but it’s been about a month since I got here to the Cape. It’s amazing how time flies when you’ve got a million and one things to do.

Well, I finally had a day off. It was strange. I woke up early on Sunday to get ready to go to the ballpark and realized that I didn’t have to. So, a bunch of guys from my team and Vince Bongiovanni decided to spend the day in Boston. We head out there pretty early and spent the day. Our next day off is Tuesday, so I plan on heading back to Boston and check out a Red Sox game. I’m pretty excited about that. It’s a great ballpark and I’d love to get the chance to play in it one day.

My team (Brewster) is currently in 2nd place. There are 10 teams in the Cape League. 5 are in the East and 5 are in the West. The top 2 teams from each division play each other in a best of 3 series. The two winners then meet in a best of 3 series to determine the Cape Cod League Championship. Right now, we’re playing pretty good but we need to step it up if we want to win it all.

Here’s a few things I think you’d find interesting. As some of the emails have indicated, I guess word has leaked that I shaved my head. Everyone was asking why, so I might as well come clean. The real reason is that I wasn’t impressed by any of the barbers here and decided that I would shave my head, let it grow out and get it cut by my barber back in Miami. It wasn’t a Cape Cod rookie thing, or any of the other reasons I heard about. The other interesting topic some of the emails asked me to talk about what my outing against Brandon Camerdese. As you know, Brandon plays for the Orleans Cardinals. Well, he struck me out on my first appearance at the plate. Dice (Camerdese) was struggling so I decided to help him out my first at bat. But enough was enough. I ended up with 2 hits.

One of the first emails sent this week came to me from President Donna Shalala. I was very surprised and excited to see that she’s been reading my journal from the Cape. She wanted to let me know that things have been quiet on campus, with the exception of our move to the ACC. President Shalala, I know I speak for the baseball team when I say that we are very excited to be a part of such a great conference. We’ve been an independent in baseball for so long, that it will take some getting used to. We are all competitors and want to play the best. Being a part of the ACC will allow us to do just that. You mentioned that you were going to take some time to relax before the new university year. You know, I got to play a little golf while out at the CWS. Please let me know if you are looking for any tips. I might be able to help. In all seriousness, thank you for your email and I look forward to stopping by when I get back.

Jules, thanks for your emails. She mentioned this week that my brother, Danny, and Richard Giannotti have been helping out at Coach Morris’ baseball camp. In case some of you didn’t know, Giannotti’s arm is hurt and so is my brother’s. In playing catch with the kids, both Danny and Giannotti have been paired together. Danny catches the ball, and Giannotti takes it from the glove and tosses it back to the kid. That’s something I wish I could have seen.

I also wanted to wish Vanessa Valdes a very happy birthday. Thanks for the emails.

I got an email from Jay in College Park, Maryland. He wanted to know if the former baseball players keep in touch with the current ones much like the football players do. The answer would most definitely be yes. It’s one of the things that makes Miami baseball so special. Coach Morris is always having former players stop by and speak to us about many different things. Sometimes it’s baseball related, sometimes it involves life’s lessons. Guys like Pat Burrell, Alex Rodriguez, Coach Fraser have all come by. Each with a different message. Coach is always passing down voicemails left by former players wishing is luck. Right before the Regional Tournament, there was a email button on Hurricanesports.com where our fans could send us emails. One of the “fans” to send us a note was former Hurricane outfielder and CWS MVP Charlton Jimerson. Chewy is now in the Astros organization, but wanted to wish is “hard work” because luck gets us nowhere. He had talked to us, earlier in the year, about competing day in and day out, fighting and striving for perfection. He wanted us to know that this is just another battle and to do what comes so natural to those who work hard. These are the relationships that makes Miami baseball a destination for so many high school players out there.

Laura Turek was my trainer last season during summer ball. She sent a nice email about my health and to let me know that she was moving down to Miami and planned on stopping by campus. Laura, it’s great to hear from you. My shoulder is holding up just fine. In fact, I’m feeling great overall. I’m excited for your move to Miami and look forward to you becoming a Hurricane fan.

Sometimes emailers don’t leave me their name, so I can only refer to them by what they call themselves. Savage Cane sent me an email congratulating the team on our success this season. He watned to know that because we were so young this year do we feel that we have a better chance of winning it all next year. Well, I would have to say yes. At Miami, you expect to be in Omaha every year. You expect to WIN in Omaha every year. It’s almost become this program’s legacy. As a young but experienced team next year, we will have that hunger to get back. We know what it takes to win out there and for the most part, the nervousness won’t be there as much the second trip around. For some guys, it could be there third.

Jonathan wrote me this week and wanted to know about the changes I experienced going from high school to college. Not just in baseball, but academically as well. Jonathan, that’s a great question. It’s one of the best I’ve had so far. From the academic side, it was a little tough getting used to at first. The biggest things are the fact that you are more independent and have to manage your own time wisely. Your studying and work comes from you and not the teacher reviews you got in high school. Depending on your major, some classes are much harder than they were in high school. You have to learn to balance your class work and athletics. If you ignore school, you won’t keep your eligibility. That is stressed from the beginning. From the baseball side, the game is much quicker and it is a faster tempo game. The overall competition is better and an overall great experience. Everyone comes to play at this level.

Mark Torres sent me an interesting note. Mark, thanks for the comments and I look forward to hearing from you in the future.

I got an email from Cheryl. She sent me some great pictures from the super regionals. I’ve forwarded them to our athletics staff to see if they can have them posted up on our site. I don’t know how long it will take, so please check back often. By the way, she named one of her kittens Paco. Thanks, it’s a great name for a cat.

Erin Espinoza sent me a second email this week. She had some great questions that I’ll try to answer. She asked if I’d be working out in the fall at second base or shortstop. And how do you prepare to compete against someone who started the previous year? Well, Erin, I plan on playing both short and second. I’ve always been able to. The more positions you are comfortable with, the more valuable you are to the team. I’ll play where Coach Morris feels I’m needed most. You always have to have a positive attitude when it comes to competition. Everyone here is talented and it’s no coincidence that the guy that wins the job is the one that does all of the little things. Little things make all the difference. In my mind, I’m a starter. That’s the only way you can think in this sport. You prove yourself on the field in practice. It all starts there. I will give it my best. I may win the job…I may not. But it will not be because I didn’t give it my best. That’s the only thing you can control in life. Coach Morris always tells us that at the end of the day, if we can look ourselves in the mirror and know that we gave it our best that success will come.

I got a surprise email from my aunt and uncle Janelle and Jorge. How are you guys doing? Well, I’m sure you read earlier why I shaved my head. I hope it answers your question. I hope that little Jorgie is having fun at Coach Morris’ Baseball Camp with Danny. Tell him that I say hi and I’m sure Danny and Jorgie are having a great time.

I got a message from a possible future opponent. Jonathan Anderson sent me a message. He’s been accepted to Duke and will be playing baseball in 2005. Thanks for your email, it was nice hearing from you. You’re going to have a great time playing at Duke with Jay Socorro and Brian Hernandez. Tell them I say hi. You never know how life will turn out. We just might step on that field in 2004 as opponents. Only time will tell.

Jeff Herris sent me a nostalgic email. Jeff has been a Canes fan for about 45 years and have been following the baseball team since 1973. He asked me what I thought our chances were next season. Would this be the year from title number 5? Well, expectations will be high. However, our team’s expectations are always high. Our preseason ranking should be up there and we know that we’ll have a tough road. But we’ll be ready. Baseball is surprising. We’re ready to prove what we’ve got. We won 1 game in Omaha this year. This year’s over. We’re preparing for next season. By the way, Coach Fraser talks to us all the time about the 1982 and 1983 team. When we were struggling last year, it was the example that he used.

I got an interesting email from Rachel and I wanted to thank you for it. But I still think that I have (had) better hair than Greg Lovelady.

Speaking of fellow Hurricanes, I got an email from Alex Blanco’s sister Monica. If some of you have met her, she’s a great Hurricane fan who comes out to just about every game. Moncia, Cape Cod games are televised on Mondays and Fridays @ 8:00 on CSTV. I don’t really know which ones are ours. I never really know until we get there. Tell my mom to hold on to all those pictures and to stop showing everyone my new haircut. J See you soon.

Ali wanted to know what it was like playing baseball so far away from home. It’s exciting and very different. I grew up in Miami, which is unlike any other city out there. Cape Cod is small and quiet. I miss Miami very much and can’t wait to come back home and visit with friends and family.

Diana Parent wanted to know what my favorite baseball team is and who is my favorite player. I would have to say that my favorite team is the Atlanta Braves where my favorite player Raphael Furcal happens to play. I like him because he plays the same type of baseball I like to. He’s not very big, but he’s aggressive on the base paths and plays incredible defense. He’s the type of player I would like to model my game after.

Ryan Bernal sent me another email. Ryan I was more than happy to offer you advice. He wanted to know if playing out here at the Cape was much like the movie “Summer Catch”. I’ve actually heard that quite a bit in the emails. All I can say is that the towns are identical. In the movie, they characters play for the Chatham A’s. From what I’ve seen, the park they play in is the real one. The support from the towns is identical. The real life story line is a little different, though, and each game doesn’t have the storybook ending. Other than that, it’s pretty close.

Finally, I got an email from an old from of mine from high school. He wanted to know how much of a difference does the weather here really make. He’s in Washington, which is considerably different than Miami. It makes a bit of difference, but when you get used to playing in the heat and humidity you can almost play anywhere. And to answer your other questions, I wash my own clothes. Thank you very much. And I’m not a Colocho. (Sorry, it’s an inside joke. You can’t expect me to tell you guys everything, do you?)

Well, that’s all I have for this week. The emails are growing in size each week. Let’s keep them coming. Remember to send in your baseball pictures and we’ll try to post them.

Until next week,

Paco Figueroa, #16