http://www.yardbarker.com/users/AlexMerricks Recent Yardbarker Articles: AlexMerricks en-us I was asked the question earlier today, "Why do you like to pitch?" I didn't hesitate to answer that question because the same qualities it takes to be a pitcher are permanent in my mental makeup as an individual. I chose to be a pitcher for the reason that I love the pressure of winning and losing. Every pitch you make counts, and every pitch you make is a decision that will either lead to your success or failure that day on the mound. Life is full of challenges. Some people like to play the role of spectator and watch. Not me. I like to take the lead role. Sometimes people cheer for you from all corners of the field excited to see you thriving and winning. Other times, they bull bait and boo you. It is all part of the game. When everyone has their eyes on you, they don't miss anything. I love when my nerves get going and the ball is in my hands and everyone on the field is waiting in anticipation of my every move. Do not get confused with what I am saying. This isn't a statement of being self-centered or full of myself. This is a statement of the responsibility I love to possess when on the field. It takes courage to possess this much responsibility. Some can take it, others can't. In my eyes, there is no other place on the field where a player has so much cause and dictates the tempo of the game. You start, change, and stop the game with every pitch. I remember when I was a little kid, about 7 or 8 years old, and it was the first time I saw my older cousin Charles pitch. I was fascinated with how he stood on the mound throwing the ball with such velocity and I thought to myself that I wanted to do that too. The opportunity still hadn't come and it was the beginning of the little league season. My team and a group of others took a trip to Dodger stadium to watch the Major Leaguers play. They were handing out flip books that day at the entrance of the stadium. I will never forget what I saw in that flip book. It was Nolan Ryan striking out Ricky Henderson for his 5,000th career strikeout. I was absolutely amazed how fast the ball whizzed by Ricky Henderson and I then decided that I was going to be a Major League pitcher someday and I would strike people out like Nolan Ryan. That is what inspired me to step on the hill. That is why I can step on that mound day in and day out, good or bad, and get excited to face hitters, attacking the zone, and getting the job done. It hasn't been an easy road, but I wouldn't expect it to be. As far as I know, there is only 1 Nolan Ryan, 1 Sandy Koufax, and 1 Bob Gibson, and many other greats who stood out during their eras. What I am saying is, if it were easy, what these gentlemen have done would have no significance. But it does have significance. Their history inspires us to be great in this game. Their history has inspired me to continue regardless of how much pressure or difficulty has come my way. I know in the end, I will have success unimagined to many. It is my dream to stand amongst these men. Dreams are only accomplished with hard work, determination, and a burning desire that cannot be deterred. That is the road I am going to take. - Merricks Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:16:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296456 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296456 As of the last 10 games we are 7-3 and we have a 5 game winning streak. The San Angelo Colts are an amazing group of guys to play with. It has been a lot of fun being here. We finished out the first half of the season and we did make the playoffs. And thus far we are off to a great start for the second half. I made 3 appearances in the last 5 games and I have given up 1 earned run and had 4 strikeouts. I am focusing on the positives and the fact that I have been pitching a lot is a great feeling. Doc Edwards is awesome to play for. With all of his many years of Major League experience as a player and manager, you cannot help but get better when you are in his presence. I am pretty fortunate to be a part of this ball club and I know that this will be a great stepping stone in the right direction for me. My velocity has consistently been in the 90s and I plan to keep it that way. I have a consistent routine that I have been sticking too. My workouts consists of a lot of strengthening and fast twitch exercises. When you play for a team that comes out to win everyday, your approach to your day is to always be prepared and to have a plan for when you get your shot at being on the mound. I know that I always start to decide what kind of a day I am going to have before the game starts and during the game I watch what situations are developing and prepare myself mentally to come into the game, either to face a left handed hitter or to throw a couple of inning of late relief. There is no better feeling than when you are on the hill in competition and the game is in your hands. I have had that experience it quite a few appearances this year and have come out successful in the majority of them. Right now I am focused on getting the job done in every outting and giving my chance a team to win every time I step on the hill. I am looking forward to the rest of my time here and keeping my eyes on the Big Leagues. Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:08:50 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290533 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290533 The Lone Star State I have been in San Angelo, TX, with the Colts now for about 3 weeks. Getting adjusted to the heat has been tough. The weather ranges anywhere from 95 to 105 degrees. I am happy to be with this organization. I have been training consistently to be prepared to go to the next level. I have made 3 appearances so far and I got my first win on my debut here coming in the game in the 10th and 11th inning and throwing 2 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts. My fastball has been clocked as high as 93 mph and my arm is getting stronger and I am starting to develop a rhythm. The hard work is paying off and I am excited about the future. Kyle Dison worked with me about a week before the Colts got back from their road trip and we hit the gym everyday and focused on creating an in-season workout, which would allow me to continue to build strength and be ready for games. Kyle also gave me pointers on my delivery to get more leverage with the legs and generate more power which has taken stress off of throwing and turned my arm into a whip. Kyle and I also talked about doing 100 windups a day to build consistency and create the muscle memory necessary to get the job done in the games. Some of the things Kyle shared with me about using your legs and generating power coincided with a lot of the concepts I learned from Tom House this off-season out in California. I cannot be happier with the support I have received from Xclusive Sports Management and my family. Our team is doing great and I don't think it will be long before I am recognized as one of the best left-handers to pitch in the game of baseball. - Merricks Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:40:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280674 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280674 Being out on the field and playing under the lights has been a lot of fun. Getting back into game situations where the adrenaline starts to pump and the game is close creates a lot of excitement for me. When I am sitting in the bullpen in close game situations and we are on defense, my heart starts to beat a little bit faster and I am anxious to hear the pitching coach call my name and tell me to get "hot!" I didn't realize how much I missed being on the field and being the guy that comes in when the game gets tight or to keep the game close. My last 3 outings have been good. I have given up a hit or run and I am focused on attacking the target. I plan to keep working hard and hopefully soon I will be playing the role of starter. My goal is to be a successful starter in the big leagues and I know that I can make that happen. Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:09:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273114 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273114 I have to tell you, it was my first time pitching in a professional baseball game in front of lots of fans and under the lights. I played in the Gulf Coast League for 2 and a half seasons and we played day games and there really weren't any fans. It was very exhilarating and I had a lot of fun out there today. We lost 12-9 tonight though, and that wasn't fun, but being there with the pressure on was great. Jeff Vincent, who was DH'ing today, was the Player of the Game, with 3 hits in 4 AB's, 3 runs, and an RBI. He did an excellent job today. I didn't do too bad for my first outting coming in the 8th and 9th inning of the game. I touched 95mph and threw a lot of strikes. In the 2 innings of the game, I had 4 K's, 1 walk, 3 hits, and I allowed 2 runs on a 2 run homer just over the fence. I stayed composed, bounced back, and finished the inning. At that time the score was 10-8 and it went to 12-8. We ended up scoring 1 run in the bottom of the 9th but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit over the Southern Illinois Miners. Our offense was great, but so was theirs. Even though we didn't win our opener, our team is awesome and we have a great group of guys who can get the job done day in and day out. We are going to win a lot of ball games this year and I am looking forward to this season and my road to the Major Leagues. Thu, 22 May 2008 02:11:45 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/269571 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/269571 Things are getting exciting. The nerves are starting to build up as we move through spring training to prepare for the season. All of the pitchers are working hard to show they can get the job done along with position players swinging away in batting practice and taking the field to show off their arms and other tools. For me, this is a lot of fun. I have been dedicated to getting my body in the best shape I can possibly have it and I have also been doing the things to refine my delivery. The question about me has never been of my talent or ability, but only on my consistency. I came here to prove that I can be consistent and so as of now I drill daily doing dry windups, towel drills, and all of the things necessary to bring about a consistent delivery. I was talking with our pitching coach Randy Martz about how to get the command that a pitcher needs to be successful and he shared with me that once you get the release point under your control and consistent, you will have a lot of success and move up and out quickly. That motivated me a lot, but told me that I need to do what it takes to demonstrate that I can do that. I am looking forward to putting up excellent numbers this season, but most of all I know that regardless of where I am playing or where I may be, that my work ethic is under my control and I determine my destiny. I will arrive in the Major Leagues and with the help of Matthew Vuckovich and Kyle Dison of XSM, it will happen with lots of energy, enthusiasm, and excitement. - Alex Merricks Fri, 16 May 2008 12:02:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/267632 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/267632 It's been a long while since I have played in a full season of baseball, but it is exciting making my comeback. I remember it wasn't too long ago that I was selling cars in the automotive industry, where I was working from 9 am to 9 pm 4 days a week. I have to tell you, that it was not very fun except for the part about meeting new people. Anyway, since my decision to get back in the game about 9 months ago, I have been training religiously and putting together the consistent delivery that is going to allow me to dominate wherever I play. I am a left-handed "POWER" pitcher with command of 4 pitches. I throw a fastball, which has been clocked as high as 96mph in my baseball career, and I consistently throw in the 90s. I have an amazing 12-6 curveball, which has been quoted as "a big-league curveball," by some scouts. And with the recent acquisition of my 2-seam fastball and changeup, I have prepared myself to be a starter, reliever, or closer. I have to admit, I didn't always get the job done like I do now. When I was drafted to the Minnesota Twins organization in the 4th round of 2002, I thought I would get to the big leagues on the fast-track. Unfortunately, due to my inconsistent delivery I had control issues, which were minor and could be fixed, but that would take some time to discover. I learned a lot with the Minnesota Twins organization. I realized that you have to be a man and mature to make the next step into the professional world and that it requires a high level of responsibility and ethics presence in your life. I also learned that the support of a good agent and your family are essential to your success and overcoming of obstacles in your path. Recently, I became involved with Matthew Vuckovich and Kyle Dison with Xclusive Sports Management, and it was a great decision for me to join this new and exciting crew of enthusiastic individuals. When I first talked with Matthew, I could feel the energy emanating from him and I could observe that he was truly committed to doing the best for his client. And then, I talked with Kyle (former professional baseball player), and not only was he excited to have me on board with the team, but he had already prepared a workout regiment for me to follow to be prepared for this upcoming season. That's what made me gain respect for what these two gentlemen were creating. They were both first class and they put my concerns ahead of theirs. Quite frankly, I wasn't used to being treated like this, but I can see that Xclusive is going to do whatever it takes to guarantee my success in baseball and the Major Leagues. As a kid in baseball, I was always told that I was lucky to be left-handed. I guess sometimes it takes having the right tools in the right place at the right time. Fortunately for me, being a left-handed pitcher makes me a commodity. On top of being left-handed, I throw the ball incredibly hard and with longevity and consistency. So, continue to watch as the 2008 seasons goes forward because Alex Merricks is the left-hander that is making his amazing comeback and will arrive no less than the Major Leagues. - Alex Merricks Fri, 16 May 2008 11:58:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/267629 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/267629