The Japanese Experience

     Since February 9th, I have been in Okinawa, Japan along with the rest of my teammates participating in daily workouts. Spring training is officially in full gear as the season is approaching quickly. That may seem a little exaggerated, but with March 29 being our opener, it gives pitchers like myself only a limited amount of outings to fine tune everything. This means every day is very crucial to ensure you are ready to go, ready for when it counts. Two days ago I got my first game-action and it went relatively well considering it's been almost 6 months since my last outing. It always brings upon a few nerves, but they quickly fade away as soon as you throw your first pitch. Our team is very talented and I cannot stress how excited I am to compete with this group.
     As each day goes by, I will say that I get more and more comfortable. I think that getting placed on a new team with new teammates requires a lot of observation and patience as well. Every year, a baseball player meets new guys and has to bond as best as he can with these new acquaintances. It is no different here, only with a culture and language barrier to complicate the process. The first couple weeks I was as friendly as possible while trying to feel things out along the way. Now, I can say that I am developing relationships with a lot of guys and it makes everything that much more enjoyable. My teammates are awesome and couldn't be more helpful to someone who is 9,000 miles from home. This team is now my family.

     All baseball aside, Okinawa has been quite the experience thus far. Today was an off day for us so about 15 of us players and coaches took the 75 minute ride to Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, the second biggest in the world. I can't imagine how much upkeep has to go into this place because it covers so much ground. Besides the actual indoor aquarium, there are gardens, outdoor tanks, and other exhibits covering acres and acres. My personal favorite was the dolphin show although I couldn't understand a word of what the trainers were saying. I took a video on my phone of jumping dolphins, pretty impressive. I'm a big fan of Sea World in the United States and this show was similar to those put on there. They had manatees, sea turtles and 3 giant Whale Sharks which were swimming around inside a massive tank indoors. There also were some Yellowfin Tuna swimming around in there and I would love nothing more to be able to cast a nice line out there and reel one of them in!
     We've also had two more off days up until this point. The first day consisted of a trip to Naha, the biggest city here to walk around and check out the scene. Some guys shopped a little bit, but I was busy looking at the bottles of liquor they have here with Pit Vipers in the liquid. So inside of the bottle is a fierce looking snake, dead as can be. I'm still debating on whether or not I need to bring a bottle back with me to the USA. I also had a fantastic crepe in Naha stuffed with bananas, chocolate and caramel ice cream. I've never been afraid to sample the dessert menu when ice cream is involved. I only purchased some batteries and an external hard drive at the local "Best Buy". I can't get over how nice the workers are in these stores always bowing to me and smiling, immediately putting you in a more pleasant mood.
     The other day was spent relaxing at the hotel and walking into town for dinner with just Josh Bell, my other American teammate. It started to rain on the walk there of course so we were soaked by time we got to the restaurant. As we walked in, we sat down and didn't get served for 15-20 minutes. I don't know why it took so long but it ended with me stuffing my face with tuna sushi and chicken teriyaki. Our last off day is this coming Wednesday and Josh and I plan on getting our snorkels ready. We want to get wet somewhere in the East China Sea. The lobby of the hotel has several small excursions to pick from and the middle of town has no shortage of dive shops so we should be fine. Maybe I'll get lucky enough to find one that offers spear fishing. That way I can open my own sushi restaurant here in town where we take people's orders in less than 20 minutes. Pictures are sure to follow if we do go.
     While I am in Japan, I've brought my little piece of the USA with me, Netflix. I watch several episodes of Always Sunny in Philadelphia daily, quoting from every one. Between that and the country music I have pumping at 7:30 AM, I'd say I'm getting by just fine. Nothing like some Eric Paslay in the morning (he's a new favorite). Last night, we had our best dinner yet, Korean BBQ. For those unfamiliar with it, its a bunch of raw meat put out into separate bowls or plates to choose from. We had the choice of 3 different types of beef, chicken, lamb, pork, hot dogs, and scallops. I was a sucker for scallops and a lot of them at that. You bring the meat back and cook it yourself at a grill located in the table. I've attached a picture of my view from the table. Also attached is a picture of Josh and I outside the massive aquarium. Tomorrow is another opportunity to get better and get myself ready to go. Until next time...

This is it, don't get scared now.

     For those of you who don't recognize the title, shame on you! It's from a personal favorite and one of the best American movies ever made, Home Alone. Well, it's official. I will be off American soil for the next 9 months and I couldn't be happier to call parts of Asia my home. A majority of that time will be spent in South Korea, but for now, Okinawa will be my spot of residence. I'm writing this blog from my hotel room listening to the waves crash on the beach about 50 yards from the building. It's beautiful, yet the weather hasn't been particularly desirable. I guess I should be patient as we haven't even been here for 24 hours yet. It rained last night in what seemed to be a fitting ending to a very long 36 hours of travel.
     Let's backtrack a bit and recount the exact happenings of the long journey to get here. We left Arizona at approximately 1 PM on Friday afternoon. Before we left, I walked about a half mile both ways to make a key purchase, an XBox One. I might have seemed like a fool to some walking back with the XBox in one hand and a carry-on piece of luggage wheeled in the other. The carry-on was filled with vitamins, shampoo, deodorant and anything else I could get my hands on at Target. Better to be safe than sorry. I was feeling prepared. I packed my bags onto a truck that would meet us at the airport and changed into a suit to travel. We would then take a bus 5 hours to Las Vegas to eat, kill some time and then board the Korean Air flight non-stop to Seoul.
     The flight to Seoul left at 11:40 PM Pacific Coast time on Friday. Both Josh Bell and I had tickets in business class, which was clutch. The seats fully reclined into beds and provided much needed comfort for a 12 hour and 50 minute flight. Two meals were served and I managed to watch three movies: All is Lost, Last Vegas, and About Time. For those of you critiquing the last choice of movie, I am no stranger to chick flicks or anything close to it. I enjoy a good Rachel McAdams movie as much as anyone. We arrived in Seoul on Sunday at 6:30 AM. This means that I never set foot on the ground for Saturday, February 8th. I can now make up stories about what happened on that day and no one will ever know. Our day was not done yet however.
     The rest of the team would get their baggage and leave the airport to go sleep at home and enjoy their families. Not us. Josh and I don't have family within 7,000 miles so we were boarding another plane to Japan that would leave at 9:30 AM( actually 10:30 with the delay). I got a nice Burger King breakfast sandwich at the airport, which by the way was the nicest airport I've ever been in, and waited for the flight. At this point, I have to imagine people looking at me, and smelling me for that matter, have to be disgusted. I look like I've just crawled through the sewers with the Ninja Turtles and need money for a meal. After a 2 hour flight, we landed in Okinawa at their beachside airport. You would think that the workers as Asiana Airlines would know how long of a trip I've had and how desperate I was for a shower. Not these workers. Another half hour spent at the baggage claim and we had our stuff ready to rock.
     On the way out, we loaded our bags into 2 vans and I was taken for a surprise when the driver got into the right side of the car. Where are we, London? I guess they drive on that side in Japan too! We ate lunch and then went to the Sunmarina hotel. This place reminds me of a Dominican Republic resort. My goal is to befriend a fisherman and maybe haul in a few big boys before we leave in the beginning of March. I would be able to check that off my bucket list. The water is blue but choppy because it is very windy. I'm not complaining.
     I went upstairs to my room and was exhausted. We had finally made it, but it had been quite the journey. I unpacked a little bit, before I showered. I set up the Xbox and even made myself a cup of Green Tea in the room, which I don't even like but hey, "when in Rome". I went to go take a shower and almost broke my toe doing so. There is a ledge right before the shower for some reason and I whacked my toe pretty hard. I learned my lesson there. Josh and I went downstairs for dinner and afterwards, wanted to have a beer. We went to the convenience store in the hotel, but they didn't take American dollars. Oh boy. Luckily, the front desk exchanged money and we got some Japanese Yen. I was rich. 10,000 Yen for 100 dollars!!! Not really, but it made me feel that way. Then comes the coolest thing I have ever seen in my entire life. A beer vending machine on our floor. I was able to purchase an Asahi beer from a machine. Take note USA.
     I slept for 9 hours last night and feel fantastic. Zero jet lag because the times worked out so perfectly.  We start workouts here tomorrow and I'm excited. Roughly two weeks before exhibition games start and I get to go at some hitters. Below are some pictures I've taken to share. There is my own private movie theater on the plane, which was awesome. The guy in one of the pictures is of my translator Jay smoking a cigarette while I took a paparazzi photo. Jay is the man and I lean on him for everything, take note ladies. There is a picture of a toilet seat, but its not just any toilet seat. It's heated!! And you thought heated seats in your car was cool. And lastly, there's a picture of me with all my Japanese riches. Hope you enjoy and I look forward to catching up soon. Until next time...

One Week To Go

     February 7th is the day when we board the plane in Las Vegas with a ticket to Seoul. I've been told that we won't be leaving the airport in Seoul, however. I guess the plan is to head to South Korea and then get on another plane to the Japanese island of Okinawa, famed for its role in WW2. This is where we'll spend roughly another 5 weeks getting ready for the start of the KBO season. Exhibition games start February 23rd and I can't wait to face some hitters. The offseason for a baseball player works in 3 different phases. The first phase is the initial couple weeks of rest where you spend no time at all thinking of baseball or even training for a majority of guys. I enjoy that first part with my fair share of fishing, golfing, and eating foods that aren't a nutritionist's dream. The second phase is spent working hard in the weight room, getting as strong as possible for the upcoming season. The last phase is the baseball specific part where you are getting back into the flow of the game. This is where I have been at for the last month or so and it's time for it to end. I want to be out there breaking bats and doing my best to get hitters out.
     With all that being said, my time here is not over as we still have another 7 workouts to go. Today was our first day back after an off day on Tuesday, where I had a blast at the Phoenix Coyotes game, the NHL team out here in the desert. I was welcomed in the clubhouse today with a brand new present from one of the guys! The picture of my new glove is attached and I know LG fans will love the color. On top of that, I had some very nice Under Armour running shoes come in from my agent so I am set to go. I'm currently trying to think of anything I can buy here to take with me that won't be so easy to get over in Seoul. All the guys on the team love to shop here. On off days several of my teammates venture to the factory outlets for a variety of brands like Nike and Under Armour. I just need to make sure I have enough socks because every time I do laundry, magically half of my socks disappear. I've never understood it and I don't think it was meant to be understood, kind of like the Bermuda Triangle.
     Baseball has been going great. I've thrown 2 bullpens so far, with the second one being better than the first which is a good sign. I'll probably throw 2 more before I leave, face hitters in live batting practice in Okinawa and then its game time!! The season for baseball is incredibly long and you have to remember to do all the little things right to ensure your health. This means rotator cuff work, a diligent weight lifting schedule, proper nutrition and supplementation and of course, ample rest. The season is a marathon, not a sprint so each day counts.
     Tomorrow is a standard day for us beginning at 9 AM and ending roughly at 1. From there, I'm headed to the Waste Management Open in Scottsdale, a PGA tour event. I love watching pro golfers because they are so much better than me at what they do. I love golf as much as anyone, but these guys make me feel foolish. With that being said, I'm currently taking challengers for a match in Korea sometime this summer. If my putting is on that day, you're going to have a tough time! The person who is accompanying me to the golf tournament is playing for the Doosan Bears this coming season (don't hate me LG fans). Its Chris Volstad and he was my teammate in AAA in 2013. Should be lots of fun. If anyone reading this has any questions at all or comments, please ask away on Twitter @CRiordan22. Until next time...

 
     

5 Days In and Going Strong

So its been 5 days since I first met the guys and put on a LG uniform for the first time. Every day gets a 

little bit easier as I learn the way things are done. None of this would be easy without my right hand 

man, Jay. He is my translator that follows me everywhere (and makes sure I don't myself look stupid!) 

Jay has been a translator in the Korean Baseball Organization for a few years and worked last year for 

the Hanwha Eagles. We've been getting along great and he really does look out for me, which I truly 

appreciate. Jay is already looking into how he recommends I get from my residence to the stadium once 

the season starts in Seoul. On top of Jay being a baseball fan and good translator, he loves golf. He has 

explained to me multiple times how it is substantially more expensive to play golf in Korea than it is in 

the U.S. Most of my spare time is spent either playing golf or fishing so I can talk about it for days. I'm 

going to do my best to take him golfing before we leave for Okinawa, Japan. 

     

     As far as baseball activities, I'm getting used to the Korean way. Some things are very different and 

others are almost identical to the way I've done it in the states. Pitcher fielding practice or PFP's are the 

same with a huge emphasis on doing it the right way and taking lots of repetitions. The part that really 

differs is the conditioning. The last couple years I have done all my running at shorter distances and 

high intensities. The running thus far has been lots of longer distances and an ample amount of time to 

catch your breath between reps. After the second day of running close to 2 miles, I was pretty pretty 

sore. As we go along, the training coaches have made it clear I have the freedom to alter my program to 

cater to the way I have done it in the past. I will see how my body reacts and what adjustments need to 

be made.

     Today was an off day so I was delighted to be able to hit the golf course and actually got paired up 

with Willie Wilson, an ex-Kansas City Royal from the 80's who is now in their Hall of Fame. Pretty 

cool. The rest of the guys took a shopping trip to an outlet mall an hour away to buy American clothes 

and goods at a much cheaper price than it would be in Seoul. I'm excited to get back to work tomorrow 

and work on getting my body ready for the rigors of the next 8 months. I can't stress enough how great 

the LG Twins' fans have been to be, showing nothing but support and hope for a great season. I'm very 

eager to contribute and to explore Korea.  It is very refreshing to wake up and be excited about going to 

work. I'm very lucky and blessed to be able to play baseball for a living and I owe it to my family and 

fans to give it my all each and every day. I'm posting two pictures: one being "Riordan" in Korean on 

the back of my jersey and two being the Korean game baseball. The ball is slightly different than an 

American baseball because the seams are a little higher. If anyone ever has any questions for me or 

comments, please ask away @CRiordan22 on Twitter. Until next time...

     

 

      

First Day in Arizona

안녕하세요
That is how to say hello in Korean. So far its the only thing I know but I will try my hardest to learn as much as possible. Let me start off by saying that I cannot wait to experience what I am about to experience over the course of the next 9 months. Playing baseball in Korea is something few people get to take part in and I am eager to get this season going. The team I play for, the LG Twins, are based in Seoul, South Korea and have a much storied history. I will do my best to take it day by day and to write as much as I can to share my experiences with as many people as possible. 
     With that being said, today was my first day as part of the team. I had the pleasure of meeting one of the other two foreign players last night at the airport. His name is Radhames Liz, he is from the Dominican Republic, and this is his 4th year with the team. He couldn't be a nicer guy and he was happy to help me with whatever I needed. I also received a healthy supply of baseball gear last night bearing the LG Twins logo. I felt like I was ready to go and prepared enough to get going on Thursday for the first day of workouts. 
      My first interaction with the team was at lunch before we headed to the ballpark, which is the Dodgers facility in Glendale, Arizona. I walked downstairs with Liz and into a room full of possibly 30-35 South Korean men all wearing LG Twins gear. I was the only person wearing street clothes so I was off to a fast start. I'm not a person easily rattled or shaken in awkward social situations whatsoever. In fact I often love putting other people in those situations to get a quick chuckle but this was a taste of my own medicine. I'll admit I started to get a little hot and sweaty as I approached the food line. At that point, players started walking up to me and introducing themselves as politely as possible so it put me at ease. I then met the manager, Kim Ki-Tae, who explained he was very excited to have me and welcomed me a few times. Lunch was great. For those who have never had Korean food, I recommend you try it. I'm not going to lie and say I always know what I'm eating but it tastes good and it can be pretty spicy, which I also enjoy. 
      From there, we got on a bus to head to the complex. I walked into the clubhouse to meet the other American on the team, Josh Bell. He'll be playing both first and third base for us and we both smiled indicating we're ready to do this. I found my locker with the number 57 on it, which is going to be the Cory Riordan special this coming season. We then made our way outside to the bleachers near the field. The whole team sat down for staff introductions. A few coaches spoke and then sure enough, he motioned for both Josh and I to make our way to the front of the bleachers to be introduced to the team. I gave a nice bow to the team and said annyeonghaseyo. This is how to pronounce those Korean characters at the top of this. I made a quick 3 line speech through my translator for the team indicating I can't to get to Korea and how I will do whatever it takes to help them win and be a good teammate. After a raucous applause(not really), I sat back down and listened to lots of words I had no clue of the meaning.
      It was then stretch time which is something I wasn't quite prepared for. It lasted approximately 45 minutes and consisted of several stretches and motions including push-ups and sit-ups. Amongst all this, the younger guys on the team are screaming things which are then answered by the team screaming back. I asked the translator, Nick, what all that meant and he told me they were Korean military chants meant to pump up the troops. Very interesting and cool. Us pitchers threw, then went to the weight room for shoulder care and abs, followed by conditioning. Our day was done. 
     I was told the days will be longer from now on consisting of morning and afternoon workouts divided by lunch at the clubhouse. I don't know what tomorrow will bring but I'm eager to find out. I will do my best to update this as many times as possible and will post pictures as they come along. Until next time...