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Jason · 09-30-2005, 05:09 AM

February 23, 2006, 9pm, Lakeland, FL

It didn't take long for me to make my first real enemy.

As I was standing near the batting cage waiting for my turn, I heard a voice behind me say "Enjoy Toledo, rook." I turned to see Erik Colgan standing behind me with a less than friendly look on his face.

"Excuse me?" I said to him. "Did you say something?"

"Yeah, rook," Colgan said and then spat at my feet. "I hope you enjoy Toledo because I'm going to be the starting second baseman of this ballclub. You'll be in the minors where you belong."

Fighting off the urge to tell him off, I just turned around and started to walk into the cage.

"Yeah, go pretend you're a ballplayer," Colgan said as he ran past me toward second base. I didn't even look up as he ran past. Instead, I looked over to the back of the cage where Skip and Gibson were standing.

"You gonna take that?" Gibson asked. I looked down at the plate in front of me and then back to Gibson.

"No," I said. "I'm not."

The first pitch came in waist high and I hit a bullet right at Colgan. He apparently wasn't expecting it to arrive so quickly and it skipped right past him into right center field. The next nine pitches all went to the same way...hard line drives right at Colgan. He was able to field three of them.

"All right," Skip said. "You made your point."

"Made him look like an ass, actually," Gibson said and the guys around the cage roared in laughter. I looked at Colgan and I believe if it would have been legal for him to shoot me he would be looking for the nearest gun. Instead, he flipped me the bird and started walking off the field. I stepped back into the cage and sent the next five pitches over the wall.

"Ignore Colgan," Skip said as I was leaving the cage. "He doesn't realize that he was ticketed for Toledo before we even arrived here. The only person you have to beat out is Schott."

"And I'm going to make you work for it," a voice behind me said. I turned to see Schott standing there with a smile on his face. "Look kid, I'm not going pull a Colgan on you but if you aren't out here busting your ass each day I'm going to make sure you don't end up on this team."

"Fine with me," I said. "If I'm not busting my ass I shouldn't be here."

"Damn right," Gibson muttered.

I grabbed my glove and headed out to the field where I didn't miss a single shot that came my direction. It still feels very funny to be playing second base because the balls come off the bat at a different angle but I'm getting used to it quickly. I guess I don't have much of a choice there.

When I went to my locker after practice, I found a pile of dog crap sitting on the shelf next to a copy of the Toledo Blade opened to the apartments for rent. I turned to where Colgan should have been and noticed that he had already left for the day. What a coward.

I guess this won't be the first time I have someone upset at me because of my contract or my talent...I just didn't expect it to happen so quickly. I guess I can understand it because if I wasn't here Colgan would likely be the backup second baseman and utility guy off the bench.

Still, better him to Toledo than me. Maybe I can have him send me some hot dogs from Tony Packo's.

09-30-2005, 05:09 AM	#6
Jason Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 3,855	February 23, 2006, 9pm, Lakeland, FL It didn't take long for me to make my first real enemy. As I was standing near the batting cage waiting for my turn, I heard a voice behind me say "Enjoy Toledo, rook." I turned to see Erik Colgan standing behind me with a less than friendly look on his face. "Excuse me?" I said to him. "Did you say something?" "Yeah, rook," Colgan said and then spat at my feet. "I hope you enjoy Toledo because I'm going to be the starting second baseman of this ballclub. You'll be in the minors where you belong." Fighting off the urge to tell him off, I just turned around and started to walk into the cage. "Yeah, go pretend you're a ballplayer," Colgan said as he ran past me toward second base. I didn't even look up as he ran past. Instead, I looked over to the back of the cage where Skip and Gibson were standing. "You gonna take that?" Gibson asked. I looked down at the plate in front of me and then back to Gibson. "No," I said. "I'm not." The first pitch came in waist high and I hit a bullet right at Colgan. He apparently wasn't expecting it to arrive so quickly and it skipped right past him into right center field. The next nine pitches all went to the same way...hard line drives right at Colgan. He was able to field three of them. "All right," Skip said. "You made your point." "Made him look like an ass, actually," Gibson said and the guys around the cage roared in laughter. I looked at Colgan and I believe if it would have been legal for him to shoot me he would be looking for the nearest gun. Instead, he flipped me the bird and started walking off the field. I stepped back into the cage and sent the next five pitches over the wall. "Ignore Colgan," Skip said as I was leaving the cage. "He doesn't realize that he was ticketed for Toledo before we even arrived here. The only person you have to beat out is Schott." "And I'm going to make you work for it," a voice behind me said. I turned to see Schott standing there with a smile on his face. "Look kid, I'm not going pull a Colgan on you but if you aren't out here busting your ass each day I'm going to make sure you don't end up on this team." "Fine with me," I said. "If I'm not busting my ass I shouldn't be here." "Damn right," Gibson muttered. I grabbed my glove and headed out to the field where I didn't miss a single shot that came my direction. It still feels very funny to be playing second base because the balls come off the bat at a different angle but I'm getting used to it quickly. I guess I don't have much of a choice there. When I went to my locker after practice, I found a pile of dog crap sitting on the shelf next to a copy of the Toledo Blade opened to the apartments for rent. I turned to where Colgan should have been and noticed that he had already left for the day. What a coward. I guess this won't be the first time I have someone upset at me because of my contract or my talent...I just didn't expect it to happen so quickly. I guess I can understand it because if I wasn't here Colgan would likely be the backup second baseman and utility guy off the bench. Still, better him to Toledo than me. Maybe I can have him send me some hot dogs from Tony Packo's.