funny how times change

Back when I was a kid, my dad used to take my brother Ryan and I to the races all the time, all types of races. In fact my first memory as a kid is from 1984 when we went to the Los Angeles Olympics to watch the bicycle races. I just remember faintly all those colors whizzing by, and the commemorative '84 Olympic stuff (like key chains and coffee mugs) that everyone in southern california retail stores was selling.
Of course my desire to race led to a desire to be a fighter pilot. I wanted to be like maverick in Top Gun- shoot the bad guys, fly crazy fast jets, and do wheelies. One day my dad (who's had his pilot's license for single engine planes) sits me down and informs me that the Air Force is really cool, but if I'm a F-16 pilot, I might get shot down at some point.

"oh yeah, they shoot back huh dad?"

"yep"

"well what can I do so I can have cool cars and a nice house?" (seems even at 8 years old I was a car snob, as my brother referred to me thursday via text)

Dad says: "You could be a surgeon, or a Lawyer, or run your own business maybe. Or play sports. The pros have it really well"

"so if I'm a good hitter in baseball I can drive a ferrari or a porsche?"

"Oh yeah totally. It's really rare but if you practice really hard and don't get distracted, you've got a long time to work at it, and it's really fun"

"baseball huh? okay well then I'm going to play in the majors one day dad."

true story. I've enjoyed working hard towards having a career in the major leagues since I was 8. It hasn't always been glorious, or glamorous, but it sure beats all the other jobs I've had. Someone told me the other day that his son woke him up at 7am to go sign up for little league. maybe he'll enjoy practice and discipline as much as I have.

19 years later (I just turned 27 in november), I was running today listening to my ipod, and I couldn't shake the images of baseball from my mind. The new year always brings my spirit into focus, and the excitement of a new season is dawning. 2008 is here, and my goals are loftier than ever- I've got more responsibility with the team and feel like the improvement I've shown over the last 3 seasons here in Texas is speeding up my development at just the right time.

I like to balance out my ramped up workout schedule by indulging my heart's attachment to solitude, and just like how the mound is an island, so is the driver's seat. In my car I feel encapsulated in my own universe, and just like Ricky and Reese Bobby, I love to feel the road through the steering wheel. While my contract prohibits me from skydiving, snowboarding, and rally car racing for time, prizes or money- it doesn't prohibit me from scouring the web for awesome car videos...here are the commercials for my last few cars. The gang at the tunnel might recognize the second one, but the first one really got me hooked.

Marketing for porsche sure has gotten a lot more dynamic over the last 11 years...

I love these videos, especially when they take the car off the jump. just something fun to watch, and the reason why I no longer golf. all that road out there...anyway these are the cars that have made me such a crazy car fiend in the last 5 years, starting with my first porsche, the red 911 (type 993), silver 911 Turbo (type 993), blue GT3 (997) - from my youtube videos, and orange GT3RS (997) which I am driving back from miami on thursday.

keep your escalades, I enjoy swinging the tail end of a porsche. yeehaw

signing bonus:

upgraded to:

happy birthday in november:

happy new year???