I made my 2nd start of the 2010 season 2 nights ago against the Bakersfield Blaze (Rangers). I admittedly was a little nervous before the game because Bakersfield's Stadium is famous for having a tiny dimensions especially to centerfield where it is 354 feet***. Once I watched batting practice I felt much better because the park played much deeper than its dimensions because the wind would knock everything down.

***The short porch was not the only unique thing about Bakersfield's ball park (Sam Lynn Ballpark). The field was built in the opposite direction that the baseball fields are meant to be built in. This may not seem like a huge deal except for the fact that this means the sun sets directly behind the centerfield fence and directly into the eyes of the batter and the catcher. To combat this problem a monstrous batters eye was constructed behind the centerfield fence so that as the sun began to set it would be blocked by the batter's eye thus allowing the batter and the catcher to see the ball rather than being blinded by the sun. This would have been a great solution but unfortunately the sun blocking batter's eye was built during the winter when the sun comes down in a different place than it does during the summer. Now if you go to Sam Lynn Ballpark as the sun is going down you can watch as the sun goes right to the left of the batter's eye that was supposed to block it. I've seen a lot of quirky ball parks in my few years in minor league baseball but so far Sam Lynn takes the cake.***

After my last start where I struggled with commanding my curveball I really wanted to focus on getting my curveball breaking how I wanted it and ending up where I want it to go. This is different than how I normally warm up in that I usually focus on getting my fastball and change up locked in to both sides of the plate and only spin 4 or 5 curveballs. I do this because if I can locate my fastball down to my glove side and my arm side then my mechanics are where I need them to be. I don't need to throw a ton of breaking balls because the only difference between my fastball and my curveball is my hand position at release.

The curveball turned out to be the key against Bakersfield because they are a great fastball hitting team. I was able to get ahead with a curve or a change up and then keep them guessing later in the count. In the end it was a successful day, 6 innings pitched 4 hits 1 run 0 walks and 2 strikeouts.

One thing I have noticed on this road trip is that it is much harder to have a set pre game routine on the road than at home. At home I know that I get out on the field 45 minutes before game time, stretch and run for 15 minutes, do dry work for 5 minutes, throw out to 120 feet, come in and throw 6 change ups at 80 feet until 15 minutes before the game, warm up in the bullpen for 10 to 12 minutes, simulate the first 2 batters of the game and then walk down to the dugout to rest for 2 minutes before the 1st pitch. On the road you don't really know when the first pitch is going to be and you don't know how long the top of the 1st inning is going to take. I have always been the type of pitcher who would prefer to get ready to early on the road so what I have been doing is getting completely warm before the National Anthem. After the Anthem is over I wait for the opposing pitcher to take the field at which point I simulate the first two batters of the game and then head down to the dugout. It doesn't give me exactly the same amount of time before I get on the mound each game but it give me a sense of normalcy that puts me at ease before the game starts. What are your thoughts? What do you do at home vs. when you are on the road?