This cracks me up!

The Equipment

Day 4-

Let's talk gear.

I'm starting to break into my baseball shoes/cleats, which is great. They felt strange at first since I've never worn shoes with plastic spikes underneath. They were a little too snug on the first day and now that I've been rehearsing in them, they have become super comfy. So comfy that I accidentally forgot I had them on and forgot to put my regular shoes on after rehearsal!

I am also now very attached to my baseball mitt. When searching for a good fit it was important to take some things into consideration including my hand size, age, and field position. My character's position is shortstop (the fielding position between second and third base) so that meant my baseball mitt needed to be a little smaller than an outfield mitt and with a closed web.

And my favorite so far: my batting helmet. It's nice and snug and not only does it make me feel safe but it also makes me look like a pro!

I'm super stoked about the Diamondbacks game tomorrow night! Hopefully we'll win.

I love this!

Choosing Teams

Day 3-

I am looking for a team to be a fan of.

I saw my first baseball game in San Francisco (Giants) when I was about 19. The only thing I understood well was where the nearest cheese fries vendor was. Then, this summer I saw the Cubs play at Wrigley Field and was impressed by the passion the fans showed the team. The Cubs won that game and there was much celebration. I now own a Cubs hat and shirt, so does that make me a Cubs fan? I live in Phoenix, Arizona now so should I be rooting for the Diamondbacks? We have planned to watch a live game this Friday. Will they make a fan out of me?

I find it interesting how people become fans to specific teams. Some people seem to be loyal to their home teams. Others are more interested in the best teams of the season and others are attached more to particular players no matter what teams they are moved to.

I wonder if eventually I'll become that guy with the giant, pointing, foam hand furiously screaming at players after they miss a good hit. We'll see.

Playing Catch

Day 2-

I learned how to play catch. Yes, for the first time.

Before you judge me, let it be known I was born in Mexico City and I grew up being exposed to soccer (futbol) and not much else when it came to sports. I was never a sports fan and my most athletic moments in high school happened with the the school's marching band.

So now I'm a little older... but after about 10 minutes of total embarrassment, I was able to somewhat constantly throw and catch a ball without too much jumping and screaming.

And then it was fun! I couldn't believe that I was playing catch for a living!

Last night I drew diagrams of baseball fields with labels for bases and boxes and whatnot and learned basic rules of the game. My script is starting to look more like a scrapbook or journal of notes and pictures.

I am on my way to becoming a fan and as Miss Young says in Act 1, Scene 3 of the play, "there's two kinds of people in the world: people who like baseball; and people who will like baseball when they stop being idiots"!

Meet and Greet

This is day 1 of Honus and Me rehearsals and I am super excited.

I am a company memeber with Childsplay, Arizona's professional theatre company for young audiences and families and was cast as Joey Stoshack in the play, Honus and Me, based on the children's novel by Dan Gutman.

Today I met the incredible cast and the talented designers and artists involved in the production. Everyone is amazing.

The show revolves around Joey, a kid who LOVES baseball. I have to admit, I've never been a fan of the sport. I have no real knowledge of baseball and never had a real interest in it. Until now.

I love the script and the character and starting today I start my journey of becoming a baseball expert! Can I do it in 4 weeks?

We start blocking the beginning of the show tomorrow and tonight I am preparing for it. I hope you enjoy my journey.