Well, even though it has been a while since my last entry, we are still in first place, so that is a really good thing! We have a great team and we are playing well, but we are only 4½ in front of the Twins, so we need to grind it out the rest of the way. We play both teams a bunch down the stretch, so it should be an exciting playoff race. Hopefully, not too exciting!  It would be nice if we can gain some ground these next few weeks, so that we put some more space between us.

I am flattered by the comments that all of you have left. Let me know if anyone has any questions. I don’t lead a very exciting life off the field, for the most part, so I never really have too much to blog about. Questions would be helpful!

One thing that I have been doing while I am not at the field is playing golf.  Fishing and golf are my two favorite hobbies and I enjoy doing both as much as I can. One of the many benefits of being a starting pitcher is that you know your rotation spot. I have a pretty good routine in between starts. I get my work in before each game so that I continue to build and maintain strength this late in the season. I usually get to the park at about 1:30 p.m., so that leaves the mornings in between starts open to try to get better at a very frustrating game.

My handicap is coming down, but I have tortured myself by playing some very tough courses. I mentioned in my last entry that it is exciting for me to see different ballparks all over the country. It is equally as exciting to be able to play some nice courses in those areas. When we were in Atlanta, I got to play East Lake. It was unbelievable, perfectly manicured, and tough as could be. It is ranked by Golf Digest as one of the Top 100 Greatest Golf Courses.  I am hoping to play all 100!  

This is the first blog that I have ever written, so here it goes …

This is all still somewhat surreal to me. At the beginning of Spring Training, I was pretty sure the plan was for me to go to Erie with our Double A club. Next thing you know I am making my big league debut at the Skydome in Toronto. Here we are a few months later and I am writing a blog as a member of the Sharp Team and have 16 big league starts under my belt heading into the All-Star break. It has been an awesome ride so far!

For the most part, each road trip has been a new experience for me. I have been fortunate enough to play in some great ballparks and see some cool places. Pittsburgh was especially fun because I was able to hit and I thought I threw the ball well. Hopefully, I will get a chance to hit again in October! We just got back from Houston, Oakland and Minnesota.  Houston was smoking hot (good thing they have a roof) but I enjoyed my time there.  

Even though I am having a blast, I am looking forward to the All Star break. I plan on spending time in Vermont. I am a big outdoorsman, so Vermont is a great place for me to relax and mentally get ready for the second half. I plan on fishing as much as I can.  

After the break, we start a series in New York against the Yankees. I grew up in NJ, so I will be able to see family and friends while I am there.  We are both playing pretty good right now, so it should be a great series.   

Talk to you after the break!

RP