Pic Post.

Hey guys. Love yall. Thank you for all the comments. Ian, I laughed pretty hard at your comment. Alex, I got an extra 8 balls in bp for the lion outfit ;). Thanks for all who hit the blog.

For a short little update. I have had a great past of couple of games. Hit my first triple of the year to the roar of fans. As I was rounding second...the noise was incredible. I dove in and the umpire motioned safe. What a great memory. Starting to hear the fans chant my name as I come up to the plate. I really do not like writing about things like this but I just want to recall this memory some time down the road. I know that Bruce Springsting's "Glory Days" will be playing in the background. So as long as I am writing about good moments, I will continue just a bit...
I also had a walkoff double to clinch a playoff spot for us this season.

SO...Last night.
Doug Toro, one of my closest brothers on this team, and I were sitting on the bench. We chewed at least 2 packs of gum and 300 sunflower seeds. I was drinking coffee and had my batting gloves on because it is getting pretty cold here in ol Quebec. We were just playing around and then Toro predicted this to me. It was the top of the 8th inning, we were down 4-3.

"Ok Tony...Bottom of the ninth, I will pinch run for Scalabrini, our DH, You will pinch hit for D'oust, our catcher. You will have the game winning hit and I will score the game winning run."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA....ok man. Whatever. I am cold brother."

Sure enough. Toro's prediction came true.

So we clinched a playoff spot with the win and I had a walkoff game winning double. Toro crossed home plate and the team rushed the field and we all were cheering with joy. Great moment. Here is the article in today's paper.

"The Capitales in the Playoffs by the Grace of Tony Lewis"

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/ligue-can-am/200908/28/01-896937-les-capitales-en-series-grace-a-tony-lewis.php

I can't wait to sit down and share stories with all of you. I love you all so very much. Here are some pictures that I have captured. With explanations following.



This is when Eric Coutu and his family came to see me play. I took them on a tour of the stadium. It was a fantastic day.





This is a pic of Jose Aquinas, James Kukucka, and me. These are a couple of new pitchers that we got and I took them on a tour of Quebec. James is my roommate now. Great guy and friend.



This is a picture of Chateau Fontenac. A five-star hotel in Quebec that sits on the top of the city. Absolutely beautiful from this view. The following pic is a view from the boardwalk.



Can't say it enough...Love you guys and I will see you pretty damn soon. Beso.

It is what it is.

Hello friends. I have taken a hiatus from writing, as you all can tell. Been through quite a bit the past few weeks and I am glad that I can finally write a little bit about what is going on. To all that still hit the blog, I love and miss you all....I still read all the comments when I had no intention to write. To Mom and Dad, the most supportive parents a kid could have...Thank you for putting up with all the conversations, stories, bitching, lashing outs' that I have given you. If I can't talk to my parents.....who can I talk to though? Love you guys. Alex, I love you man. Thanks for still giving me the words I need to hear so I can lace up my spikes. Ian, I love you man. It seems that you live through all the bullshit that baseball has dealt me as well. Thanks for helping keep my head. Stephanie, I couldn't ask for a better girlfriend. When I think that you would say..."Come home." You tell me to "Keep going." That let's me know how much you really care about me. Chris, I miss you man. I know I say this a lot but, I really see us hanging out within the next year or so. Olivear, THE CALLING!!!! Hahahahaahahaha....How I miss those times in our "studio". To everyone else, thank you for reading and for all the support. Say a prayer for a loss in the Lael family and for my uncle Jose.

Where, oh where, to begin?

It has been hard, lemme tell ya, to be a part of a professional baseball schedule. There are incredible highs and incredible lows. Pete LaForest has really helped me out these past couple of days on how to deal with it.

"Tony...I have been around a bit and I know what you are going through. Doing incredibly well....not playing when you think you should....getting in, and putting to much pressure on yourself. You have to play this game on an even level."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when you are hitting, like you did when you got here, you can't let anyone know how 'high' you are feeling. When you go 0-20, you can't let anyone how 'low' you are feeling. You have to play this game on an even keel."
If you play highs and lows....it is a rollercoaster of emotions that you can not control. You have to play it cool and bring that 'swagger' that you have every game. Do not let anyone see 'you' not being 'you'. And that is that kid with a smile on his face, giving everyone shit. It is not hard to tell when you are not being you."

I understood this. I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve. Yes...it being due to the fact that I haven't played so well the past couple of games and being out of the lineup...but also to the fact that I am away from home. I am away from family, my girlfriend, and all of my friends. It is really hard keeping all my relationships in tact via phone conversations. But do you think I am the only baseball player who has dealt with these problems...? Hell no.

It is just a different life.

Now understand this as well. I know that this is not the "Majors". But this is a summer where baseball really is a 'job'. Where 'off days' are 2 days out of the month, working 8 hours a day, wanting to perform well, getting paid in peanuts...

The best aspects I can take out of this summer are these two things.

1. I can play with these guys.
2. I can honestly say, that I am going to ride this mother fucker to the end.

Baseball has been such a big part of my life. Ever since I picked up that yellow bat when I was 5 and got in my left handed stance (my favorite story btw Dad) to my final at bat of this season, there are things that I will remember most. It is not the homeruns, doubles with two outs, and diving plays that I make. It is everything else that is outside of the game that I will remember. The people I meet, the rain delay games, the shananigans that go on in the hotels, the picture I have with Coach Strat, and the feelings of rejection and redemption are the things that will echo most in my mind.

So the attitude now is this...

Let's see who can throw this mother fucker by me...

Here is a link to video you guys might wanna see. It is when I was asked to show up for a Capital/sponsor thingy.

http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090806/mtl_baseball_morrin_090806/20090806/?hub=MontrealHome

I love you guys and will talk to you soon.