Hello all.

So I guess the Specs won the vote on my last blog!

Got some great comments.  Thank you to those who reassured me they don’t look lame, even though my mum thinks they look lame, well check it out mum. They don’t look so bad after all. The fog isn’t that bad only sometimes. Oakley actually sent me out the anti fog spray which makes a difference.

To all those glasses wearers out there who commented, I’ve got your back! Nothin beats a slick pair of specs! Ha ha

A lot of great information about Lasik the pros and cons if I ever decide to go under the Laser. As for contacts, call me soft but I really struggle getting those slimy things in there. I have Rob one of our trainers to put them in for me, I even have a little station set up for me in the corner of the training room with a mirror to practice in my down time. Not going so well.

Regardless the Oakley Flak Jackets it is. Sticking with those dorky things for now.

My second topic of the blog is TWITTER. I really didn’t understand the whole concept or appeal but I finally signed up and learned all about it and slowly getting the hang of it. Would be an easy way for me to answer your questions if you have any or to just give quick updates. I am searching out all my favorite people to follow and what they have to say on it. One of my fav’s is Tom Morello, Lead guitarist of Rage Against the Machine, they guy is a legend and answers question from his fans, which I find really cool of him to take the time and answer even the craziest questions.

Another is Matt Hasselbeck, who I have been able to talk to a few times and have a lot of respect for. He gives some good updates on what he is up to. So for you who have Twitter check me out at hyphen18, and say hi, and I’ll say hi back!

So now that the off the field topics have been taken care of, now some #18 news!

SO, as some of you are aware I had a really tough rehab start a week or so ago. As grim as it looked I took a lot away from that outing, and moving on from it reinstalled some of the fight I usually pitch with. So my last outing in Sacramento was ME. I had that fight running through me again, was aggressive, attacked the hitters and competed my ass off.  When that happens it makes pitching fun. Brought back what makes me ME, No matter what my stuff is like that night, or any night I understand I don’t need to be perfect, all I need to do is attack hitters and back myself and trust the adjustments I’m able to make.

Pitching is a blast when you’re competing. I guess that goes for anything. I think we truly find out our true character when we are challenged and tested in life. So if you ever get the opportunity to be challenged, you should embrace it compete and see what you find out about yourself, and if that opportunity doesn’t come knockin, build a door!  (One of my favorite quotes!)

I get my next opportunity in Portland on Wednesday where I am writing this blog. So if you come out to watch the Rainiers take on the Beavers come say hi. C’mon you Rainier fans, its only a 2 hour drive from Tacoma! Ha

That’s all from me for now, I really enjoy answering your questions and keeping in touch. Come check out twitter, I’ll try and keep it somewhat interesting I promise! Probably won’t tweet what I’m eating for breakfast.

Here are some replies to the comments-

PositivePaul- Who is the Brim Reaper?????

Brett- I’ve never heard of the Hydrophobic lenses, they keep the fog and sweat off??

Cheryl Ann- Yes I remember your daughter lovely comment, thank you, about the Mexican Wave, I think its great when the crowd starts it. It’s cool to see it develop and get huge and loud. I must admit it can be distracting sometimes. There was a time in Detroit I was about to throw a pitch and stepped off cause the wave was going crazy right behind the catcher, but yes I love the WAVE!!!

Kiri- what do we do in the dugout? Try to pay attention to hitters but I’m guilty of scanning the stands with teammates looking for anything amusing I’m a big people watcher and there are so many random faces behind you.

After the game sometimes I will go hang out with my friends at the K n K, such a good spot if you’re an Aussie. Nothing changes driving to Tacoma just the drive itself after the game,  just have to have a good play list on the IPOD!

BobbiK

Auty and Thorne? I have no idea what they’re up to, to the best of my knowledge I think Thorne stayed in AUS and Tim played INDY ball somewhere. I Will fid out for you and get back to ya! I get stoked when any Aussie has success, there will be plenty more!

Peter- Any EX-Pats coming to Safeco is great, it might sound cheesy but I love it when Aussies come up and say hi or if I see the f lag in the stands, its great. Will be back soon so come out and introduce yourself!

JayR- getting stuff signed in the bullpen is not easy but I always try and do it if I get the opportunity, or if it’s for a special reason. If you have something positive to say up there, chances are I’ll react! ha

David in Burien-Slap shot is a great flick, how funny are the brothers in the classic specs; we actually had little action figures of those two in the kitchen area in spring training. Might have to pull that out ad watch it again.

Scotty- funny you ask me if playing in Tacoma is like reserve grade in the NRL, it is kind of similar but different set up, On an average night, depends on the city but Tacoma can pull in around 5000 fans, AAA ball attendance varies from 1000 people to 10000 in some places. So yes people show up but it can’t match the intensity of a major league crowd or that in the NRL.

Morgan- you want some solid aussie movies? Here you go , forget Crocodile Dundee! Ha here is a list of some of my favorites I will beg my teammates to watch

1.     ‘Two hands’ (heath Ledger, great great movie)

2.     ‘Chopper’ (Eric Bana, true story about underground crime in Australia)

3.     ‘The Castle’ (Comedy, typical Aussie humor but I think you would love it)

4.     TV show ‘Underbelly’ Came out last year based on true events  in the underworld of Melbourne crime scene!

There is a good start for you, let me know what you think!

Mark SV/Daniel -We need to make a petition for the #18 jerseys on First Ave! Lets do it!

Carla- Never had to wear my glasses in a yoga session couldn’t imagine them in Hot yoga I just struggle with the contacts. I’m hearing some scary facts about Lasik!

Chandra- Thanks for the comment. The Hyphen I hear ya, its really not a big deal, I think people bring it up cause I’m the only guy in baseball with it! I am the 26^th Aussie to play in the big leagues, there are a handful playing right now, including Peter Moylan (Braves) Grant Balfour (Rays) Rich Thompson (Angels) all pitchers, all doing pretty well. Nice to meet you too! 

Craig D- wow thanks for the shaving cream idea; I’m going to try that before my next bullpen. I’ll let you know if you gave me a break through!

Jon- I hear ya mate, my favorite pitchers are guys I watch beyond the theatrics! Champion comments!

Steveo- thanks for the support mate; I’ll be back in Safeco soon. Was spewing of the origin! Ha-ha, nah honestly It’s to hard to follow over here but was fun to watch at the K n K!

That’s It!

Catch you guys on Twitter. Introduce yourselves and keep in touch!

RRS Read More » | (64) Comments »

Hi All- 

First of all thank you for your comments, it’s fun to get them and hear what you have to say. On that note, I need everyone’s opinion. I have to make a decision on my prescription glasses when I pitch. If you don’t know I wear Oakley glasses on the field. As superficial as this sounds, I really need to make a decision on getting lasik or sticking with the glasses. 

I have a really tough time wearing contacts, my specs are convenient to put on and off, I can see way better (obviously), but I’m getting sick of them fogging while I’m out on the mound or sweat getting on the lens.  I also seriously think they look kinda lame! So let me know whether I should stick with the specs? or go lasik? 

OK more importantly…

After nearly two months since I started my 2009 season, I finally have some light at the end of the tunnel. I just got home from spending six days in extended spring Arizona– where it feels like a blow dryer is in your face every time you step outside. No wonder the games start at 10 am. Maybe the Rangers should start doing that! 

In the six days in the desert I made two starts, which felt great. Good to get back on the mound and facing hitters. A couple of you asked me when I was making my start in Tacoma, so to answer your question I will be on the mound Saturday night and can’t wait! So I hope to see you all there. 

While I’m at it I think I’ll continue this blog with answering some of your questions. 

Sarah and Audrey asked me who I think is the best player in baseball or who I enjoy watching- First of all thanks for the really nice comments. Very positive. So who do I think? There are so many different elements in baseball that can make someone great  but honestly the guy I am most impressed with every time I watch him is Joe Mauer, the Twins catcher. He is an amazing hitter, very patient, and a really tough out. He is always in the middle of a big inning and controls their pitching staff very well. Plus he’s a good guy.

Best pitcher would be Roy Halladay hands down. I think the constant success and results he puts up every year is enough, but if you watch him, he can turn it up a notch when he gets in a jam and work through any situation. Being a pitcher I tend to pay most attention to pitchers when watching a game, so another guy I enjoy watching is Tim Lincecum. Looks like he is throwing a golf ball up there! Would love to have those mechanics. 

Jenny, Marc and Peter- The Aussie beer topic once again! Jenny my favourite beer in Aus is Bluetongue Ginger Beer, can’t get it here in the USA, maybe Brad at Kangaroo and Kiwi needs to step it up. The reason Queenslanders main beer is named XXXX is because they can’t spell Beer! hahahaha, I love that joke. Vegemite is awesome! Megan is right, you just don’t see Fosters in Aus. Thanks for the info Peter about Crown lager, I really liked that beer but now I should just buy Fosters and look like a typical Aussie here in the US! Marc can still bring the Tooheys though! 
Kiri- Thanks for the comment. About me giving advice…hmmm, I think I am still on the receiving end of that unless it’s the little clubhouse rules us rookies have to look out for. Most of the new guys this year got settled pretty quickly though. We always talk amongst each other about pitching  as for who do I watch on out team?  I think I take little bits from all of them. Washburn’s competitiveness, Bedard’s ability to stay the same in any situation. Felix’s stuff, Silva’s personality, and so on. They are just a few examples if that helps. 

J- I’ll snowboard in winter, surf in summer! hows that? Gotta understand when you don’t grow up in the snow and you only get a couple weeks a year when you’re young to be in snow, you think it’s the best thing ever. 

Ben- checked out the website, very cool but you gotta get more Mariners news up there! c’mon. 

Fan-whats important to me? well everything you said, as well as my family, and my close friends. I grew up with and friends i have met through out my life, I think it’s important to have a good network of close friends who have different opinions and know you as you with agendas aside. Other things, as my career goes on I hope to become a good role model and ambassador for baseball and everything else I represent and believe in. As time goes on, I hope I will be able to express some of this stuff openly with you guys. Also staying healthy, being active and appreciating what I have not what I want. 

Scotty- Grant Balfour and I are very close friends. We hang out around Christmas and New Years, and any chance we can hang out in the off season’s. We keep in touch and have a laugh over the phone every couple of days. He was someone I looked up to and I am stoked to have a mate like him. 

I don’t think anyone has mixed me up for being Austrian but doing that commercial I did learn some stuff about Austria, what hats they wear, the instruments they play etc. I was nervous about that commercial though, I didn’t want it to be lame. My two older sisters would be the first to let me know if it sucked and they liked it so I was good to go. 

Ethan- who’s the funniest guy in the clubhouse? There are a couple of comedians but Sweeney cracks me up on a daily basis yelling random stuff across the locker room. 

Craig- I heard Channel 10 was going to show MLB games. That’s awesome. More baseball in Australia the better. They need to profile some of their home grown talent like Balfour, Moylan and who ever else gets up to the big leagues. Don’t be afraid to show some Mariner games too!My family wouldn’t have to watch it on MLB.COM with it freezing every 20 minutes on the bad internet connection. Let me know what teams they show most. Let me guess, Red Sox??

Westy – love the nickname!  great, you really a bogan or is that just a funny name? For sure mate , come say hi when you’re at Dodger Stadium, hope I pitch but if not during batting practice come say hello. 

OK, that’s all from me. Hope I got all your questions answered. Give me your take on the specs! hear from you soon!

RRS Read More » | (68) Comments »

Hi Everyone-

First of all I just want to apologize for the 2 months in between blogs. We were rained out tonight so it gave me a bit of time to type up some paragraphs. So much to talk about since I last wrote, and a lot has gone on with the Mariners.

I’ll get the negativity out of the way first and talk about my elbow, which totally caught me off guard! I went from fighting my way into the rotation to having a tough first outing in Oakland, to all of a sudden feeling some stuff on the drive home from Opening Day in my elbow, to landing on the DL for the first time! Nothing too serious but it seriously sucks sitting out especially right out of spring training! I was so amped to be picking up where I left off last year, and next thing I know, I’m getting iced down everyday! Don’t want to dwell on the injury. I played catch today for the first time in two weeks so i’ll just worry about getting back out there.

Now for some positivity!

I guess what has made my time on the DL a lot easier has been watching us kick everyone’s ass!It’s been a lot of fun, we have such a great group of guys and everyone is playing so well. We have chemistry in the locker room and on the field. From the coaching staff, to the speed in our lineup to the patient at bats, to the pushing guys over. A lot of fun to watch. Just want to hurry up and get amongst it. I want contribute a little more than being a cheerleader on the top step of the dugout giving fist pumps every time we score!

I know you have heard it a lot already but having guys like Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Sweeney in the clubhouse and on the bench does make a difference, even when they’re not playing. They are two genuinely good human beings, and being a young guy like myself, it really rubs off on me as to how a professional athlete should act.

Another guy I love to watch do everything from play defense to hit is Endy Chavez. He is a difference maker in our line up. It’s always tough to pitch to a lineup with speed and who can bunt and do all the little things. He is a big part of that dynamic.

Got to hang out with one of my best mate’s Grant Balfour when the Tampa Bay Rays came to town. I could lie and write that we sat around ate vegemite, drank Foster’s and tossed the boomerang but sorry it didn’t happen! Believe it or not Aussies don’t drink Fosters ! Lets get that straight! We eat vegemite though! Gotta know how to spread it! Well that’s all from me tonight.

Have a long day tomorrow with the double header plus I get to throw a baseball!I apologize for not answering the questions on this one but if you have any ask me and i’ll answer them next blog in two months…kidding!

Ryan Read More » | (33) Comments »

Hi All from Peoria. 

Thanks for checkin in with me and my last blog. So spring training is underway and as some of you are aware, I turned down my chance to play in the WBC. Tough decision, but I feel great about being in camp everyday. 

I’m going to be reminded of it constantly for the next couple of weeks as my Aussie peers are working out here in Peoria right next to me. Regardless, I made the right decision and have no regrets. Opening day is really the only thing I have on my mind now that I’ve made my decision. I figure, in four years time when I get another shot I’ll be either four years established in the big leagues or back home playing beer league softball somewhere, either way I will be available! I sure hope it’s the first scenario!

Ok, now that I’ve spent 10 minutes picturing myself in that beer league lets get on with it! scary stuff. 

So, I had my first ’start’ on Wednesday, the big two innings of work with 30 odd pitches. Not the most efficient I’ve had but it was good to dig some holes for myself and get out of them, as strange as that sounds. Sometimes when you’re trying to get a feel for what you have early on it sucks to have quick innings because you drive home that afternoon and really question what you got out of it. It felt really good to get back out there and face hitters, compete and get the nerves going again.

So I guess you’re all pumped up that Griffey is back on the scene. Well so am I. I still haven’t thought of anything cool to spark up a conversation about with him. (probably wouldn’t be the first 26-year-old to say “I used to idolize you when I was a kid!”) 

Just watching him hit batting practice is cool enough, but I’m sure you all can’t wait to see him get in the batters box in a few days? I can’t imagine Safeco field when he runs out for opening day! That will be a pretty cool sight! I’ll be paying full attention to that moment! 

Well that’s all from me for now. Hope to see you in the desert in the next couple weeks. I will keep you posted as spring training goes along with some random RRS thoughts! Time to answer some questions. 

RRS

Heather- No word on the #18 shirts in the team store! I might just make a bunch of knock off’s and hand them out outside of Safeco! I mean they put a pic of me up along the wall there, how hard is it to print off a couple shirts! haha 

Rachel-well this is an answer after the fact that Griffey has already come back, but I really think he has a massive presence in our locker room already. So many of the young guys really look up to him. I can see guys following his example, which would be very positive. 

Katrina- Hi Katrina, I had a great time at the Boys and Girls Club in Ballard. Great group of kids, and I will hopefully make it an annual thing. I got a lot out of it also.  Make sure your cousin looks after that glove! I had some really good games with that one, hope it works for him! 

Mark- Despite what you might have heard of my excellent dancing ability, I’m hardly the clubber, but i’m sure you can find what you’re looking for in Scottsdale, that always seems to be the hyped up place. My typical day: I’m at the Complex around 7:30 am and done once the game is over in the afternoon. Happy birthday and take it easy. Don’t go too hard on the clubbing scene! 

Jim- I remember turning the tv on one night hearing some think Aussie accents and thinking what the….To be honest I had never watched the show until I was over here and have watched a couple episodes. I like it, i like it because it’s nice to hear the accents and see stuff from Aus that is cracking into the market over here. There have been some BAD Aussie flicks that have popped up over here ,and I’m thinking, man I hope my team mates aren’t watching this right now! Mcleod’s Daughters is a good show though. Not my favorite Aussie show but it’s good. Summer Heights High on HBO is what you have to see! 

Cheryl-Ann – Yes I did see that article, very cool. I sent it to my folks and they thought it was great. 

James- I can’t wait to get a chance to p;ay with Jr , I have wondered if he remembers facing me? probably not , but I might have to remind him. Hey, maybe that can spark of the convo! haha 

K Smith- always wins the award for longest comment! Just working on making my slider better and having better command against lefties. For whatever reason I struggled with that last year. Also, thanks for the info on the 18 shirts! maybe you can pick up a knock off when I hand them out on the street! just kidding.

Craig- As for the quote you found in Yahoo, I think thats just my bashful Aussie humor. Trust me no one else wants baseball to have the profile it deserves back home more than me. Once we get some guys who are main stays in the big leagues we will work on that. Just such a smaller market back home, but it was great to see Balf get some serious recognition after pitching his ass off in the playoffs. 

Clint- There are still some great pitchers in that staff. There is plenty of big league time amongst all those guys, and as important as it is for the Aussies to surprise people, it is just as important for those guys to show the world how much talent Australia breeds. It wont be long until you’re going to see a huge group of Australian’s in the big leagues on a regular basis. 

Greg- Thanks for the great comments, it means a lot to hear that. 

FF- The baseball community in Australia is very interested but not much beyond that, it really isnt on a main stream sports level yet. Hopefully it turns into the same magnitude as the World Cup of soccer. Seems that whether you’re a soccer fan or not people are interested.

Ethan- good to have you mate. I can’t wait to get an At bat. I’m hoping to sneak one in this spring training. Not sure how good I am with the bat since my 17-year old days of hitting. We’ll see! I’m sure I’ll make a big deal about it and brag on this if I make contact! Something tells me it aint as easy as it looks! 

Tara- Really stoked to play with Griffey this year! Cool to say I played with a Hall of Famer 

Rey- I heard about the games in Japan, not in to much detail. I am really looking forward to seeing how they look when we play them on March 4th! Read More » | (70) Comments »

Today, I was fortunate enough to spend the day at the Ballard Boys and Girls Club of America. I held a camp for 50+ kids from the ages of 8 and up who were great to work with. I was able to give them my story of growing up in Australia with baseball being so foreign and how I came to play professional baseball. 

Working out with the kids today really took me back to when I was their age and how I was so stoked to get involved with baseball. It also reminded me how important it is to have those facilities they have there as well as the coaches and staff running it. Not to mention noticing how supportive their Mum’s and Dad’s were taking time out of their weekend to have their sons or daughters at the camp, and helping me out to make sure the drills went smoothly. So I would just like to give a special thanks to the Boys and Girls Club of America and the parents for a great day.

Ryan spends time with the kids.

Spring training is a couple days away, it’s that time of year again where everyone hits up that massive grid like city in the desert escapes the cold to get prepared for the season. It’s always an exciting time because I’m just about to get back around my team mates but the nerves set in as its been a while since facing hitters and how silly I might look running laps after messing up a PFP! Plus that treadmill test kills you, my off season prep better serve me well! Will be good to slide back into that daily routine I have been seriously lacking for many months working out at random times. I just have to figure out what to do in the afternoons.

Last year I bought a guitar and tried to get really good, then as soon as spring training finished I shut it down, maybe I should finally try golf this year!  OK, On that note I gotta pack bags and sort out rental cars for good old Peoria! I’ll check in soon!   Have answered your questions below.  See you in the desert.  

Jenny – I don’t really notice if people admire me or not, I do have heaps of respect for certain athletes musicians and entertainers! Some people amaze me of what they are capable or their perception on life, and it would be strange and intimidating to be around them. As for myself, I think I have a very long way to go before I ever think I would be close to that category !! But my Mum thinks I’m pretty cool! ha

Mariner Mike – I haven’t had the chance to talk to Jack yet, I look forward to meeting him in a couple days though, I have a lot of new people I am going to meet staff and teammates, so I’m excited about that. 

K Smith – Yes she did get out there and get amongst it. Had a surfing lesson with an ex pro which was great . Kinda hard to keep up the practice in Seattle though. My workout this off season were similar to previous years, a lot of spring training with my trainer Cale, who was a sprinter, also some boxing and yoga. As for surfing, I feel like it does get my shoulder in shape some what but the it is really just for fun and to be active, but I gotta say, it does burn a lot of energy. I am worn out after a good long surf . 

Steven A Taylor – The Aussie roster is scattered with guys who have a time in the big leagues, the most recognized would be Grant Balfour. There are a bunch of guys with significant time in the big leagues . I haven’t had a good look at the roster but from what I hear it’s full of young guys who you will see in the big leagues in a year or two. 

Kaipo -Thanks for your comment, my fish is short for me also but really thick through the middle to it holds my weight , and very easy to throw around ! I’ll have to come down for a surf after the season, but I better pack my thick wetsuit! Sorry, I’m soft when it comes to cold water! 

Trevor / K Smith – Thanks for the Happy Birthday !! I’m getting old !! You better be rockin that #18 jersey!!  

Big Al- Thanks for the nice comment ! I’m always nervous coming into camp, I get nervous having a stroll in the park , but I always feel I have a lot to prove , and I love that because it really keeps me hungry! Until I’m retired I think I will always be trying to prove myself! 

Megan – As far as I know my family is fine , I think its way further south than where I’m at , it seems to happen every year where we get these really hot days in Summer and the Westerly winds blow the fires out of control . Scary stuff if you’re close to em 2 years ago they shut down the freeways all around Sydney it was that bad .  OK that’s all from me but i will check in soon!! Keep warm!! Ryan Read More » | (41) Comments »

Happy New Year everyone.

It’s been a while since I graced the pages of Prolebrity, I’m not going to make excuses, I have had very few opportunities to get on the computer and fill you guys in. I needed to write something positive after my lash out at Virgin Airlines on the airport floor!

Was nice to get some great comments feeling my pain of bagagge fines, I’m over it now but still waiting for a personal apology from Richard Branson. (not holding my breath) Like always some really positive coments from everyone who checked out what I had to say.

A few of you have asked me where I stand on the WBC and how I see Team Australia doing. Well, priority number one for me is to be healthy and ready to be in the rotation come opening day . So I need to really work hard up until and during spring training to give myself the best chance of that happening .

Would be a massive honor to represent my country in the WBC , but honestly, if it gets in the way of my preparation with the Mariners, I will have to let it pass and watch my buddies surprise a bunch of people without me.

So with that said, I still haven’t made a decision. I’m going to wait and see what’s best when it approaches, but for now, I’m working towards a big year in Seattle for a big 2009 .

On a lighter note, I did get a new board for Christmas, the type of shape I got is known as a “fish” little shorter and fatter than the conventional board, also it has four fins instead of the regular 3  , used mainly in smaller waves . Such a fun little board and as you can see , with my favorite TV character on the bottom of it!

So besides hanging out at the beach, I had a pretty full on off season. My girlfriend came to Australia for the first time. Doing all the touristy stuff really made me appreciate how cool of a place Australia really is!
Also I had both my sister’s back with their significant others so it was family overload , which was great.

Speaking of how cool Australia is, K Smith asked me if I was going to see the movie ‘Australia’. I finally ended up going to the cinemas and checking it out , and regardless of how bad the reviews were (apparently), i loved it.  It was great to see scenes from Australia that you would never get to see. I think critics were expecting a history lesson or something, to me I just enjoyed the story and the scenery. Give it the thumbs up! go check it out if you haven’t seen it ,take it for what it is, a fictional story, not a documentary.

So in my last couple weeks in Australia, I’m really working hard getting in shape but also spending some down time with my best friends and my family. Have to be honest though, I cannot wait to get back to spring training and get 09 going ! So if any of you are coming to Peoria, make sure you say hi if you see me walking around.
I’ll check in soon. P.S  I have answered your questions below -

Cheryl Ann- How are you, thanks heaps for coming with your daughter to the signing at DJ’s I will be in Peoria the entire spring training , and probably only be with team Australia for less than a week . So make sure you say hi if you make it down .

Jenny- I haven’t done the full on Scuba diving,  snorkeled if that even counts, I can’t believe I live here and never done it . I don’t know if I could handle the cold water in  Seattle though!

Brett – Yes I have been to hawaii a few times, I actually fly through there on my way back to Seattle every year. I love it. It’s fun to ride the little waves at waikiki on a long board and relaxing before I hit the cold mainland. I actually met a guy last year working at the hotel who was a big Mariners fan, dont think he recognized me but he was into the Mariners!

Ramona- As much as I would love to do appearances back home, it just doesnt happen. I would love to go hang out with kids who play baseball in Australia because I know what its like being a youngen and being a minority. If I’m able to do some stuff back home I will let you know .

Alex- The best tips I have for you to get to pro ball in the states is to just enjoy it and don’t listen to the negativity because people have an easy time telling you how you’re not good enough.Or when you have Aussies who aren’t into baseball questioning your sport choice . Ex – why you playing baseball ? why don’t you play footy or cricket ? I’m sure you have heard that once or twice. Or when people in baseball have no idea how it works try to tell you how it is, or how it’s impossible to get amongst it here. I’m a big believer in people hate about other people what they hate about themselves. With that said, you will have 100 people tell you you’re not good enough, just because they never made it themselves. Block that stuff out, believe you’re as good as that kid who just signed a contract. Just enjoy the game , respect it , and it will happen if you want it bad enough.

Tom in Olympia – I got into baseball after seeing it on at 1am on TV and watching my sisters play softball. No, I never played cricket, everyone seems to think i did. Well I did make my cricket debut in High School. Some of my teammates know how my bowling went! Not too good. I have known of a few pro cricket players playing baseball as a kid.

Shane- Looking forward to hearing my commonwealth buddies play on turn back the clock day ! I’ll see what I can do but let me know if you are playing that day.

Bryan- Hey mate about the facebook page, I don’t actually have a Facebook account , there is actually a fan site of some sort of me where some of my ex school mates have written comments thinking it is me, but I have no idea who runs it!

Tristan G – Mate, no claxton shield this year and I’m on the northen beaches quite a bit, my Dad lives down there .

OK, that’s it from me, I will check in soon.
Ryan Read More » | (23) Comments »

Hi Friends,

I’m writing this as I’m sitting on the floor in Hong Kong International Airport (only power outlet I could find).  I just spent an amazing week in Hong Kong with my girlfriend- hanging out with my sister, Stef, and her boyfriend Will.

As ‘Popeye’ commented on my last blog, it really is an amazing place. So much to do, we barely sat down. I have to give it to them, their transit system is unreal, you can get from one corner of the city to the other in minutes. (ha, i should work for their tourism department!)  I know we don’t have the same population in Seattle, but it would be great to get downtown on public transit in minutes, not have to worry about parking or traffic and every other hassle of driving!

Before I get off the Hong Kong subject, I have to fill you all in on my excess baggage penalty, which pissed me off so much. I got charged 500 US dollars for having excess baggage on Virgin Atlantic. I kinda hope this throws them under the bus a little bit! How can you justify charging a customer that amount of money, after they spent over 2K on a ticket? I have flown every other international airline and not once have they charged me for being over, and if you think about it, I’m never going to Fly Virgin Atlantic ever again, so basically, they made $500 off me but missed out on a 2000 dollar fare next time I choose an airline!

OK, I, just wanted to publicly get that off my chest, as I sit here thinking of a scheme to get my money back!

So I am making my way back to Oz finally after such a roller coaster season, ready to get amongst some warm weather and surf, hang out with my family and friends and get my head ready for 2009! I must admit though, I am missing my new ‘home’, I just bought a house as some of you mentioned you read about and I hadn’t had a chance to enjoy it!

I guess as I check the weather in Seattle I think I can be away from there right now. So thanks to all of you who came to meet me at DJ’s a couple weeks ago, I had a blast, and had some great conversations. Plus DJ and the guys at DJ’s Sportscards were great people and run a great thing there in Renton. Good to be apart of that, and put a face to some of my favourite comments.

Well my flight to Sydney is boarding so I better pack up the computer and get on there! The check-in guy probably gave me a seat in the luggage compartment for being a hassle after my blow up about the bags! Ah well, whatever gets me home!

I’ll keep in touch while I’m back home!

Also I have answered some of your questions below.

- RRS

Texas Jill, I’m not sure if I’m going to be playing the WBC, it all depends on how I feel when I start to throw again. If all’s good, and Australia puts together a good group of guys, and I’m invited, I would love to be a part of it. I will have to talk Balfour into it as well!

Chris from Bothell, it’s hard to go into detail about my workouts but some things I have found really helpful in my offseason workouts are sprint training and boxing. As soon as the season ended I was straight into East Side MMA’ in Renton and got into the boxing. I love it and it gets me in really good shape. They have a great gym there with everything and Joe, the owner would put me through hell!  You should get down there and check it out!  As I start to get in the sports specifics, the sprint training is great because it relates exactly to the power movements in pitching. One of these days I will go into detail with some good workouts but for now those two things can really help you.

K.Smith – I’m sure this is the same K. Smith that was at DJ’s? Well, glove companies are pretty good about giving you what you need as far as new gloves! Guys normally get 2 or 3 in spring training, I normally stick with 1 glove until I have a string of bad outings then I try and go for the new one sitting in my locker. It’s silly but it seems to get me back on track, I hope!

Big Al, I haven’t had a chance to meet Jack yet but from what I have heard sounds like he is a positive thing for us and our furture! And thanks for the explanations!

Kellie, as far as the guys in the AFL, I know Rob very well, he is a good friend of mine, he caught me in AAA and caught me in Seattle (against the Yankees ). He is one of the hardest workers I have ever met, and is going to be a great catcher. I also know Stephen Kahn quite well.  We lived together in 2006 AFL, funny dude, and really sucked he missed this year with his knee. You will see more of him soon.

I’ll check in soon! gotta run … gonna be long flight amongst suitcases! Read More » | (28) Comments »

Hi All ,

So we’re nearly a month into the offseason and already I’ve got the new glove out, breaking it in so I can start to throw again, even though I still have to wait til Christmas to pick up a ball. It’s just hard not to think about playing again when I’m sitting at home watching the playoffs!

What an awesome series between the Rays and Red Sox! I was STOKED for the Rays. I apologize to those of you who wanted a Red Sox-Dodgers series and all the hype that is created with Manny at Fenway etc, but come on, it’s pretty cool to see a team with a tiny payroll and such a young team to come through time and time again, especially after listening to every expert from ESPN analysts, to the guy sitting at his local bar saying that they’re just about to cave. They never did.

Plus it’s fun to watch my best mate Grant Balfour getting fired up like he’s just about to maul anybody with a bat in their hand. I couldn’t help but jump around my living room when he struck out Cabrera. And to answer your question Big Al, I’m pretty sure he’s fine, maybe they just wanted to give Boston a different look by throwing Price into the mix. Balfour will be yellin at himself in the Series and coming up big!

As for me, besides watching and wishing we we’re in the playoffs, I’ve been doing a bit of travelling with my girlfriend. As you can see in my new pic, I made a new friend down in Mexico, he didn’t say a whole lot but makes for a great picture, maybe he didn’t speak Australian!

Also starting my offseason routine. This time last year I was taking 5-hour bus trips in Venezuela, but this year, I have the whole time to get strong and to be in shape and 100% for spring training and win a job in the rotation!

I make my way back to the land of Oz soon, but before I leave the Seattle winter behind I wanted to let you all know you can catch me at DJ’s Sportscards on Monday, November 3rd at 6pm.

It would be great for me to put a face to some of these great comments I have gotten the last couple months and have a chat! So get yourselves down there on the 3rd so I can meet you guys in person!!

(More details are at the bottom)

OK, that’s all from me for now, but I will check back in soon and hopefully meet all of you at DJ’S Sportscards on the 3rd!

See you there!!
Ryan

Monday, November 3, 6-8 pm at DJ’s Sportscards

1630 Duvall Ave NE (Coal Creek Parkway)

Renton, WA, 98059

For driving directions check out: djssportscards.com or call 425-235-4357. Autographed tickets are $15 each, and include a COA (certificate of authenticity) and dual hologram matching serial numbered stickers. Autograph tickets, photos, balls, and cards can be purchased at the store or in advance at djssportscards.com Read More » | (36) Comments »

Readers, 

If you click on this site you have noticed I have taken down my previous blog. I apologize for that but shortly after posting it, I read an article with disturbing comments about our best player, Ichiro Suzuki. I’m sure you all did too. 

I didn’t know this story was going to be the big talk of the day and I certainly did not want my words adding fuel to what was brewing in the Seattle media. I recognize once its out there its out there, I just regret the timing of my post coupled with the way my message was coming across.

But I will take a moment to address the disturbing article because I do think it’s important to make this clear from a player’s point of view:

Ichiro is very very respected in the clubhouse, yes as a player but most of all as a teammate. He is a class act, a true professional, and has so much respect for the game of baseball. Any player who gives you 200 hits every year, who is never on the DL , and who plays amazing defense is hardly selfish.  And any teammate of a guy like that who has a problem needs to seriously step back and look at what they’re saying. I just can’t picture any one of my teammates feeling what was said in that article, and it is a real shame that the public has a reason to feel negative about a player like that. A guy who could never ever be replaced on any team. 

Also when you’re losing 100 games and fans still want to come to Safeco to watch us play, chances are it’s to watch a ONE OF A KIND like Ich. 

The section I wrote about leadership is what it is. This is what I wrote in my last blog:

“Our team this year lacked much needed leadership. We had great veterans on our team but just never seemed to speak up in front of the team when it was really needed. Say what you want, or read what you want about Jose Guillen but if you were doing something you weren’t supposed to do on or off the field, he wouldn’t sit around and gossip to other guys, he would get in your face and let you know about it. He had no problem speaking up in front of a group either. He played the game hard everyday and took every loss to heart.  He didnt take any sh*t from anyone and he had some kind of relationship with every single guy on the team. So, hopefully a vet steps up when needed, kicks someone’s ass for not playing hard and that’ll set the tone!”
 
Every team needs some kind of leadership and we tried really hard to find it somehow. Especially when we were written off mid way through April, fresh out of Spring Training. We have some guys I really look up to on this team, and would love to see them next year get on a guy who isn’t giving it his all day in and day out. It happens on every team, even the best teams, it’s just not apparent because they’re winning games and can be overlooked.  

Bottom line is this, and I’ve said it in my previous blogs, despite what people want to say about us, all of us want to win. We want to win these last three games of 08. We want to win in 2009, then the next year and so on. 

When you’re in the middle of losing 100 games its so easy for people outside the clubhouse to say what they want and form opinions. But every single one of us busted our ass everyday and came to the field trying to win that day.

We will bust our ass next year too.

In three days we start over 0 wins and 0 losses, and trust me, we will do everything we can to add to that win column in ‘09. 

Ryan Read More » | (76) Comments »

Hi friends, 

I’m really sorry for the delay for my new blog, it’s just been tough lately, to get a good hour to sit and write something worth reading.

I know I keep saying this, but it is so awesome to get such great comments on my blog. Even when I suck, you guys are cool with me! I’m waiting for someone to get on here and let me have it for whatever reason!

I know it sucks that we haven’t done well this year. It’s been tough for everyone. Ignore the negativity you read! There are some great guys in this locker room and we’re gonna have a youth revolution and be strong next year!

As for how the starts have gone, I’m pretty happy with the way I have progressed, especially physically. Getting deep into games and staying under control without getting tired is the big thing I wanted to overcome. It has a lot to do with having a good routine.

Brent, to answer your question:  During the season, the basic thing for most pro pitchers on a 5-day schedule is to run long the day after, 30-40 minutes just to get some cardio fitness and lift upper body.

Second day, lift lower body and cut the running down to maybe 3/4 poles. Third day, which is a bullpen day, run some good sprints or do some plyometrics. Fourth day, I like to just chill be lazy. Then, day five I’m pitching.

As far as work ethic goes, playing this game at this level will catch up to you if you don’t put in the work.
Offseason is when I get in the best shape. I love the offseason because I can work really hard and feel healthy. I feel like a lazy ass sometimes during the season if I can’t workout, but sometimes it’s good to chill out. That’s what I like about starting, cause you can get after it the days you know you’re not pitching.

As for throwing in the offseason, to answer Jason T’s question:  Most guys, including myself,  shut it down up until Christmas time, then slowly build it back up with long toss and are ready to throw off a mound probably a couple weeks before spring training starts.

One thing I like to do to build up arm strength is 2 sets of throwing — break up your throwing session into 2 sets, with about 5 minutes in between, it works great. 

While I’m at it, here are answers to some other questions:  

Big Al asked about pitching indoors (Metrodome):  Well, it kinda feels strange but it’s good to be in air conditioning as opposed to being in really cold or really hot weather but I feel like baseball needs to be played outside!

Clint, a fellow Aussie, asked me about Yankee Stadium: That place is electric. You need to go watch a game there if you never have. (well for you Clint it might be the new Yankee Stadium) It feels like the fans are right on top of you and they live and die on every pitch. Safeco is an amazing place to play, but Yankee Stadium is so intense! Hopefully, next season we will be playing against them in the playoffs.

K Smith asked about the jerseys in the bullpen:  That cracked me up when I was warming up and saw Morrow’s, Rhodes’ and my jersey hanging up.  That was Mark Lowe’s doing. Kind of a joke, but I was stoked to see they missed me! Ha, all my brothers in the bullpen! 

Jill asked about my favorite events in the Olympics: I like watching track. Especially the 100m sprint! Those guys are freaks. Also, I like watching beach volleyball. I think every event in the Olympics is cool and brings back some great memories of the best three weeks of my life in Athens in 2004.

Robin mentioned my mum watching the games back home: Yes, she loves watching the games. Then she loves to advise me and criticize me on pitch selection. She is very knowledgeable. I know she is reading this, but Mum you’re not the GM and pitching is harder than it looks! Just joking, it’s great to have her watch every pitch I throw. 

Jake, are you saying I need a haircut? I’m trying to grow it back out since I had it shaved against my will with a mullet in spring! Rookie abuse — man I looked bad!  But I might have to take you up on the offer, make me look pretty! Ha.

Ok, I have to give a couple shout outs to some people:

Nathan Clemens: Mate, your comment was really, really cool. It’s nice to have a young fan like yourself out there! Next time you’re at a game you better come say hi. Keep working hard brother!

DICKO, long time no talk, how are ya, mate? Good to hear from you. CH boys and NSWC boys always have each other’s back!

Hughes Dentist!  Even though I couldn’t talk and sounded like an idiot, thanks for taking such great care of my teeth!

OK, I will write again soon. Keep writing awesome comments. It makes it easier to pitch knowing I have friends out there. 

RRS Read More » | (97) Comments »

Hi Friends! First of all, I just want to say that the transition to Triple-A was so much easier because of all the positive comments I got from you guys. It felt like I had you backing me every time I went out to pitch.

I read through all the comments and thought it was great to get so many positive words. What ‘typical idiot fan’ wrote was one of my fave’s, and even quotes from Napoleon Hill!!

I have no problem telling you what it’s like to be sent out to Tacoma, and didn’t wanna do a Hope Solo on ya (the other No. 18 from Seattle), and say things that people would get upset about.

I actually got heaps out of being there for the couple weeks. And it was good to be around some of my good friends again, Rich Dorman and Rob Johnson to name a few. They’re guys who really deserve more than a chance in Seattle!

But now I feel like the real test for me begins, as I have my first start back at Safeco. I am pretty excited to contribute to this team right away and show I belong there.

Marc W asked what the pitching coach told me in Tacoma: Well, when I was sent down, I was told to work on getting lefties out and work on fastball command, so Dwight Bernard (Triple-A pitching coach) and I worked on getting weight on my back toe to force all my weight in one direction — to home plate. Also, staying back to create a plane, which I really need to be effective. The weight on my toe was a good little key anytime I would fly open, and it really helped me to throw with better fastball command.

OK, enough mechanics talk, it feels like I’m reading a Tom House ‘how to pitch’ book.

Tim from Sydney (hey mate!!) mentioned Grant Balfour (Tampa Devil Rays) who was sent to Triple-A: Funny you mention that because he was one of the first people I spoke to. He and I are great friends and I have always looked up to him. He had some great insight on what he went through and how he dealt with it, I think his numbers prove how strong-minded he is.

As for my number being 52 in Triple-A: they just gave it to me because No. 18 was taken already, not a big deal at all.

Positive Paul, to answer your question: Yes I throw a circle change, stock standard, straight changeup, and get that camera outta my face, you made me feel like one of those idiot Hilton sisters! Haha I’m joking, didn’t even notice it, but send me my pics!

I was stoked when some of you followed my starts down there and wrote the cool comments, even my big sis contributed, very cool of her to write.

Some of you made the trip out to the games in Tacoma: I heard a couple “Go Hyphen’s” but no “G’day Mate’s” Chuck!

The nickname “hyphen” I can deal with, but I don’t know about “Clark Kent” — maybe if I threw 100!

Oh and by the way, the Facebook page, which is in my name, I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT. I’ve had some primary schoolmates say hi on there but it isn’t my page. I’m not really into the Facebook or MySpace thing (too much upkeep for me) but I am aware it exists.

OK, I will finish up, I gotta get some rest so I don’t fall asleep on the mound and get sent back down!

But to answer some questions …

Fin: my good friends on the Mariners are most of the bullpen guys: Greeny, Lowe, Corcoran, J.J., Morrow, Dickey and Jeff Clement. Those are the guys I’ll hang out with. And there’s one guy behind the scenes Kenny B, who is a champion, always a good conversation.

Chucko: I didn’t see any Coopers in Tacoma! That’s Melbourne beer anyways, which sucks, so go drink some Tooheys.

Pakipaki: I don’t mind Kiwis, your accents are awesome. Hell yes, get those No. 18 shirts in the Mariner store already. Hey, is it sad that I called the store myself to see if they had ‘em? OK, I’m off.

Thanks again, RRS Read More » | (99) Comments »

On Sunday I was sent down to Triple-A Tacoma to make room for JJ Putz. It was the toughest day of the year for me. I left Safeco Field upset and very confused. I’m not sure if people understand the feeling of being sent down, it’s tough no matter what.

The media says it’s to make me work on starting, get me stretched out to 100 or so pitches and to make room for JJ — that was also what they told me when I sat in the office feeling discouraged about being sent down.

I can sit here and be pissed off. I can sit here and wonder what’s going to happen. I can sit here and feel sorry about myself. But no matter what is said or what the objective is, the bottom line is: I control my own destiny.

All I can do is pitch, go to Triple-A and work my ass off and give them no reason to keep me out of Seattle. Everything that was said in that office and everything written in the newspaper doesn’t matter because I have an opportunity to be better — whether it’s in Seattle or Tacoma. Easier said than done, but sitting around bitter about not being in the big leagues does nothing!

My entire baseball life has been a roller coaster. Highs and lows since I was 12-years-old. There’s been a lot of digging myself out of holes, whether I created them or if it’s an opportunity like this one to become better at what I do.

I’ve always been a believer in balance in life. You can’t reach true happiness unless you experience true lows. In Seattle, if it were sunny everyday, we would want it to rain! As with any goal trying to be reached, the holes you dig yourself out of make you appreciate the solid ground.

My mum always said, “The journey is more important than the destination.”

I am only so grateful for where I am. And it’s only because of my journey which has been high, low, up and down. This is just one more mountain I have to climb. And when I reach the top, the memory of the path taken will flood my mind and make me stronger for when I tow that rubber in Seattle, when the time comes for me to return.

I just thought I would express what players go through when they’re told they’re being sent down. I’m sure people go through much tougher times. But I hope you embrace those times because it makes the good times so much more fulfilling.

Ryan Read More » | (78) Comments »

Hello once again. Wow, I’m really stoked with the comments and questions and am happy to answer them as the best I can, without getting myself in trouble!

Jason, you wanted to know if I liked starting or relieving better. To be honest with you mate, in the long run, I really wanna be a starter. To me, it’s the ultimate, to have the game in my control, and try and go the entire nine innings.

My favorite guy to watch is Roy Halladay because he is so locked in and hates getting taken out of games no matter what. That guy is a great role model for me, great stuff or not, nothing else matters to him but winning the game!

Jill asked if I spend my off seasons “down under” in Australia. OK, even though I love Seattle, nothing beats flying into Sydney airport after eight months and a 14-hour flight, driving two hours to my hometown ‘Newy,’ sinking back into my favorite environment and seeing my family and friends.

So yes, I spend the majority of my offseason back home. It’s perfect to work out there, it’s warm, I’m around super positive people and baseball is very quiet down there — which is good and bad. Sometimes I wish baseball was bigger there, but it is nice that it’s not talked about constantly on sport shows etc… for a few months.

JP wondered about my daily routine. Well, it’s nothing too exciting. It starts with being woken up at 7AM by my girlfriend Andra’s alarm as she gets ready for work. Then, I kiss her goodbye and roll back over and sleep until about 10AM. Then, I usually walk down and see my new friends at Emerald City Smoothie for some chocolate peanut butter goodness. Then, I hang out, catch up on stuff I have to get done, and by about 1:30 PM, head to the stadium, have a work out and win a game.

Afterwards, I like to have a beer and chill at the Kangaroo and Kiwi. It’s a great place over by Green Lake. Or, I just relax at home with my girlfriend and make her watch some Aussie TV or movie.

Nathan wondered about the difference in baseball in Australia and the states. Well, the culture is way different. I figured that out during the 2004 Olympics – which was the best three weeks of my life — I had 25 of the best teammates I could possibly have, but to talk about the difference between the two? I would be here all day rambling.

The sad thing is though, because of the lack of exposure, kids in Australia who play baseball, softball and T-ball have a tough time identifying players to really look up to or call role models.

Australia has 80+ pro’s in the US and only a handful of major leaguers, so no one is able to really understand the magnitude of the sport in the US, the size of the market here and how difficult it is to make it to the Majors. The biggest reason for that may be that there is no professional league in Australia. But, once again, we haven’t got all day so I will leave it at that and hopefully touch on it more, later.

OK, well that’s all the time we have for this week! Ha Ha!

But thank you to MP for the meat pie recipe. I’ll give it a crack! And to the great comments from the Web page, Lookout Landing, friends back home, send me stuff from you guys from time to time.

Have a good one!

Ryan Read More » | (35) Comments »

First of all, thank you to everyone for writing comments on my blog. I had never done this before and didn’t think I would get so many nice comments — especially the Aussie comments. It’s nice to have people from Australia checking out what I’m up to with baseball. And of course, the comments from Seattle; I compare the culture of Seattle to Australia a lot so I’m really grateful to play in such a nice city with cool people.

So, this is my second blog after my second start, which went a little better than the first one. I used up a lot of pitches in the first two innings which cost me an extra inning or so, but I made the pitches when I had to. Sunday was a crazy game: 15 innings and our catcher Jamie Burke copping the loss! It was a shame that we ran out of arms, especially after how well our bullpen did. I have to give it to Burkey, it really shows how much of a champ he is to do that and give it his all after catching so many innings. Oh, for those of you who don’t know, Jamie is a catcher who was asked to pitch an inning in a tied game because we had no other pitchers able to pitch.

OK, so because people actually read this, I won’t ramble on too much about my outings and will try to write something interesting. If you have any ideas, drop a comment and I’ll do my best! Read More » | (27) Comments »

I was really excited about starting. It felt like my Major League debut about a year ago . My legs were heavy and it felt like I had never thrown a baseball–no matter how much I tried to tell myself it was just the same as coming in from the bullpen.

Going into the game, the coaches, reporters and everyone else played it down and acted like I was just filling in a spot because I was the most stretched out as far as the bullpen goes, but I looked at it as something special. It was my first start in the Major Leagues and, just like my first call up, I had all the same emotion, especially looking back on how far I had come . Even though people from where I’m from (Sydney, Australia) would have no clue it was happening! Except of course, the few family members (mum, dad and sister) who all have the great subscription to MLB.com

I cruised through the first 3 innings, giving up just one hit, then the wheels fell off in the 4th. I gave up a hit, then a walk, then a double and just like that the bases were loaded with none out. I went from looking at my pitch count thinking I’m gonna stretch my measly 60 pitches into 5 innings, to getting knocked out in the 4th inning!

All in all, I was happy and learned more in that 4th inning than I had all season. Luckily, I earned myself another start Sunday, this time with 80 pitches to work with! Read More » | (40) Comments »