AJPettersen

Being a minor league baseball player has taught me to be an expert packer. I travel with a baseball bag and a backpack, what goes into my backpack has to serve a purpose because everything takes up space and there isn’t very much of it. Game Glove My glove gets treated well. I often use the phrase, "treat your glove well and it will treat you well." On airplanes it is carried on, if it is a passenger in my car it usually rides shotgun. Ask many infielders and they will tell you something similar. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Electronics What did minor leaguers do before technology? I don't think I want to know. My Ipad gives me the internet, games and more while on the road. A wireless keyboard allows me to type articles on the run. My Ipod has 4000 songs at the touch of a button. Reading Materials I always travel with a book and my Bible. Right now my book is Wild at Heart. Reading is a great way to spend quality time on the bus and during locker room/hotel free time. Clothing Clothing is less important to minor league trips than it is to typical travel. I pack one or two outifts for a road trip. This includes the one on my back on travel day. Before you tell me that's dirty, keep in mind I am at the field for around 8 hours a day. This means I only wear my outfit for 6-8 hours each day. Clothing is the item that takes up the most room in my backpack, it needs to be packed with intent. If it isn’t going to be worn, it isn't making the trip. Miscellaneous Items An empty water bottle is a must. Staying hydrated on the road is vital. Sleeping on the bus is difficult at times, so I include a pillow and an eye cover. This ensures that I am always well rested. A bag of toiletries rounds out my travel bag for roadtrips. I travel light and keep things simple. Others travel with a couple of bags, while I prefer not to. How would you pack for a road trip if you were a minor leaguer? Is there anything else you would include? Follow me for the back end of the 2012 season! @apettersen1

I wasn’t in the lineup yesterday and I thought I would give you an idea of what the off day looked like for me. The minor league season is long, so having routines is important to staying fresh and ready when opportunities present themselves. My off day routine is a bit different than when I am playing. Pregame Knowing I wasn’t in the lineup for the game, I would need to get some extra work in to be prepared for the next time I was. I went out to hit in the cage a little early to work on some swing mechanics. Before stretch I informed the pitching coach that I could catch bullpens. It’s a good workout and helps to see balls out of the pitcher’s hand. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Jairo Rodriguez was the catcher for the game and Matt Koch (the other catcher) was the DH, so I figured I would give Koch a bit of a rest so he could be ready for the game. I caught a couple of pens, with Koch catching the rest. Lefty curveballs are still tough to catch, they aren't quite the same as they were in Little League. After stretching and playing catch, we took the field for batting practice. I took groundballs and made throws from shortstop. I usually will make a few more throws on an off day to give my arm a good workout. Again, the little things are what help to withstand the 140 game schedule. I hit in the last group off of the tall lefty pitching coach Gary Lucas. Post…Pregame (?) Once we get done with all of our pregame work around 4:45, we usually have about an hour and a half to eat, relax and get our minds right before the game. I took a few more rounds of BP in the cage with Tommy Watkins and JD Williams and headed in to get some food. JD and I volunteered to sign autographs before the game at 6. So after we ate and got dressed for the game we headed outside to mingle with the fans. This was a big night. Because it was a Saturday night and fireworks were to follow, there were around 2500 fans at Pohlman Field to see us take on the Clinton Lumberkings. It was fun to chat with some fans, sign autographs for kids and see all the people. Around 6:30, JD and I went inside to get our gear and headed out to the field. Gametime The big crowd was a fun dynamic for us. During the National Anthem, there were fireworks...the loud bang always makes someone jump. I would be the bullpen catcher/pitch charter/backup utility guy/late inning pinch runner for tonight’s game. Have to be ready for anything from the bench. When our starter got into trouble in the third, I headed down to the pen in case anyone needed to get loose. By the fourth, Cole Johnson was getting ready to enter the game. This would be my first in-game bullpen catching experience, pretty neat. In the sixth Bart Carter got loose and in the eighth Clint Dempster got ready. While the game didn’t turn out the way we would have liked, I got to experience something I hadn’t before. Baseball is always showing me something new and last night was no exception. Today we take on the Cedar Rapids Kernels and it’s National Guard Jersey day! Follow me on Twitter! @apettersen1 (photo courtesy Jim Crikket)

As the first half comes to a close, I thought I would write about the best moments of the season to this point. 67 games into my first professional season and I already have a number of memories I won’t forget. After 3 more games, we will be exactly at the midpoint. We have a number of stellar players on the way to the All Star game. I will be going home to see my friends and family.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Stadiums Throughout the Midwest Coming into the season, I had yet to see a Midwest League stadium. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Where Beloit has a quaint, personal feel to it, some stadiums are loud and large. From the all turf surface in South Bend to over 8000 fans during Memorial Day weekend in Kane County to the picturesque backdrop in Quad Cities, the Midwest League has a lot to offer. Each city and stadium presents a unique set of characteristics. Playing With and Against Friends When Dayton came to town, I was excited to see my roommate from college and good friend, Nick O’Shea. The visit was even better when both of our fiancés surprised us by coming to Beloit for a couple of games. Kyle Knudson came off the disabled list in the beginning of May and was sent to Beloit. It was great to play with him as I had in college. It’s always nice seeing familiar faces in the sometimes lonely world of minor league baseball. Having Visitors Being 5 hours from my hometown of Minnetonka, MN, I have had a number of visitors throughout the first half. My fiancé has visited a number of times, as have my brother, his wife and my parents. I have visitors from home, such as my friends from high school, my neighbor and a number of others. Being close to home makes it a lot easier for people to visit while I am in Beloit. Getting On the Mound I have missed being on the mound ever since I threw my last pitch in high school. I have been known to tell pitching coaches I am available if necessary, sneaking my way onto the bump on a few occasions since high school. I threw 2 outs in the Northwoods League in 2008 and 2 innings in the Cape Cod League in 2010. Coming into the year I made sure our pitching coach, Gary Lucas, knew that I had a scoreless streak spanning nearly four years. So when we got down big in a game in Quad Cities following a few extra inning games in Kane County, I knew my chance may be approaching. When ‘Luke’ and our manager, Nelson Prada, told to go to the pen to get loose, I got giddy. While warming up, Luke asked what pitches I threw. My response was, “Fast, curve and change…but mostly fast.” I threw a scoreless inning, thanks in large part to a fastball that came in well below the hitting speed (although I did break a bat). Territory Train Some of the biggest Twins fans came to town for a couple of games in the beginning of June. I was able to visit with them over lunch before a game in Beloit. It was great to chat baseball and life with some dedicated supporters of Twins baseball. Clinching the Wild Card Last night, we beat the Peoria Chiefs to clinch the wild card spot in the Western division. This was the culmination of consistent play and hard work. We had a great time celebrating our victory and we are looking forward to representing the Twins in the Midwest League playoffs in September. The first half has been full of highlights and I am sure there are more to come in the second half! Follow me on Twitter: @apettersen1 (photo from FoxSportsNorth.com)

It seems like yesterday I was playing for a 12 year old in house championship. Baseball has taken me from the grass backyards of Minnetonka to either coast and a number of places in between. There are moments I will never forget, there are others I would rather forget. Each day baseball teaches me more and more about myself. The game recently took me to Kane County for a 4 game series against the Kansas City affiliate. Here is my recap:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Memorial day weekend is an important event for minor league affiliates. On Saturday night, there were 7,000 in the crowd. The Zooperstars put on quite a show. They are big blowup mascots with a number of characters from Barack Ollama to Mia Hamster. They did dance shows and skits. The fans went crazy. While the Zooperstars were entertaining, my favorite in between innings promotion was the water balloon launch. A three man crew shot balloons into the stands and the fans were cheering for them. I couldn't hold my laughter. It seemed the fans would go nuts for anything coming from the field. We ended up losing the game, but felt ready for the next one. On Sunday night we knew we would be playing for a large crowd. The attendance came in a bit higher than the previous night at 8,300. I remember the days when my parents would be some of the only ones in the stands. They were still cheering me on in KC, but now it was hard to find them in the crowd. Birdzerk was the promotion tonight, doing skits and getting the crowd excited. The best bit was when he started dancing with Miguel Sano at 3B. This led to Birdzerk 'confusing' Sano and taking and throwing his glove over the fence (not his real glove). The fans loved it. We got the best of them tonight winning and evening the series at one game apiece. Memorial day meant an early game after the night game. We had a quick turn around after arriving home around midnight the previous night. The most important factor in this game was the wind. It was howling from the first pitch to the last. This made for a number of hits in the 12 inning affair. We ended up scoring 6 runs on one of Kane County's first basemen (who came in to pitch) in the top of the 12th. Another victory gave us the 2-1 edge in the series. We put ourselves in position to take the 4 game series with a win tomorrow morning. The final game of the series was another successful one. We won to take 3 of 4 from the Cougars and we had the pleasure to see one of the most unique in between innings promotions yet. Before the top of the 5th inning there was a bobblehead contest. Two young boys put on headband devices and shook, nodded and bobbled for a minute. I thought it was hilarious. A few late homeruns sent the game to extra innings. John Goncalves blooped a ball down the right field line and ended up scoring on a throwing error in the 11th. Tomorrow we head to Quad Cities to take on the River Bandits. The third game of that series will be attended by the Territory Train. I am looking forward to seeing all the diehard fans! Follow me on Twitter! @apettersen1

Baseball dominates a lot of our time in Beloit, so when we have a day off, we are left without an idea of what to do. An early game yesterday followed by an off day left me with loads of free time, but no clue how to fill it. What could I do to fill a day without baseball? I woke up early to help Jhonathan Goncalves make a trip to the dentist. He is one of the happiest and nicest guys I have ever met. I was friend/teammate/translator for the morning. The best way to learn a language is to speak it, even if I am constantly botching sentences.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] After the dentist I returned back to my host family’s home to find coffee still in the pot. Adam is still in bed? A few minutes later he rolled out of bed, no need to wake up and get moving without a game I suppose. I called my grandma. When I asked how she was, she responded, “I’m still above the grass,” she’s always making me laugh. I decided laundry couldn’t be a bad idea. Three weeks of dirty clothes are starting to pile up in my closet. Can’t ignore the fact that I have worn the same outfit for three straight days. College taught me that all the clothes can go in the washer together. Why separate them? After having some leftovers, a few skittles and more coffee for lunch, it was time to find something to do. Knitter, linguist and Picasso-like pitcher Tim Shibuya was bored and gave Adam a call. He lives in Janesville, but doesn’t have a car. After a few lefts, rights and u-turns, we picked up Shibuya and Steve Gruver. Back at our house we found that four 20-somethings with a lot of time and no idea what to do could only lead to one thing…Call of Duty. I did a lot more losing than winning. Adam was clearly the front runner in the video gaming. I chatted with my dad, he will be making the trip to Cedar Rapids this week. It’s nice being close enough to home for my family and friends to come to a few games. Steve, Tim, Adam and my host dad went out for some fishing in the creek in our backyard while I talked to my fiancé about her day. A little home cooking marked the end of a successful off day. My host mom cooked lasagna with garlic bread. They treat us like we have lived here forever. I feel extremely lucky to be a part of the family. We are off tomorrow morning for a three game road series. What do you want to know about my minor league experience? Tweet at me: @apettersen1

Baseball dominates a lot of our time in Beloit, so when we have a day off, we are left without an idea of what to do. An early game yesterday followed by an off day left me with loads of free time, but no clue how to fill it. What could I do to fill a day without baseball? [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] I woke up early to help Jhonathan Goncalves make a trip to the dentist. He is one of the happiest and nicest guys I have ever met. I was friend/teammate/translator for the morning. The best way to learn a language is to speak it, even if I am constantly botching sentences. After the dentist I returned back to my host family’s home to find coffee still in the pot. Adam is still in bed? A few minutes later he rolled out of bed, no need to wake up and get moving without a game I suppose. I called my grandma. When I asked how she was, she responded, “I’m still above the grass,” she’s always making me laugh. I decided laundry couldn’t be a bad idea. Three weeks of dirty clothes are starting to pile up in my closet. Can’t ignore the fact that I have worn the same outfit for three straight days. College taught me that all the clothes can go in the washer together. Why separate them? After having some leftovers, a few skittles and more coffee for lunch, it was time to find something to do. Knitter, linguist and Picasso-like pitcher Tim Shibuya was bored and gave Adam a call. He lives in Janesville, but doesn’t have a car. After a few lefts, rights and u-turns, we picked up Shibuya and Steve Gruver. Back at our house we found that four 20-somethings with a lot of time and no idea what to do could only lead to one thing…Call of Duty. I did a lot more losing than winning. Adam was clearly the front runner in the video gaming. I chatted with my dad, he will be making the trip to Cedar Rapids this week. It’s nice being close enough to home for my family and friends to come to a few games. Steve, Tim, Adam and my host dad went out for some fishing in the creek in our backyard while I talked to my fiancé about her day. A little home cooking marked the end of a successful off day. My host mom cooked lasagna with garlic bread. They treat us like we have lived here forever. I feel extremely lucky to be a part of the family. We are off tomorrow morning for a three game road series. What do you want to know about my minor league experience? Tweet at me: @apettersen1

We just finished up a three game set in South Bend, IN. Although the series didn't end the way we wanted (we lost two of three), I wanted to share some of the trip. Thursday-Hecklers We arrived in South Bend around noon for a 7 ET game. I wasn't sure what to expect of the stadium and was pleasantly surprised to see turf covering everything except the mound and the bases. Playing a number of games at the Metrodome in my career I felt right at home. A large jumbotron covered the scoreboard in right-center field and the stands stretched around the complex.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] I was in the lineup as the left fielder, which led to my first heckling experience as an outfielder. I watched a week ago as JD Williams was yelled at an entire game by a group of guys celebrating a bachelor party in Clinton, Iowa. I was lucky enough to have four guys calling me names throughout the night. I enjoyed the heckling, but was slightly disappointed the crew didn't come better prepared. During a break in the game one guy blurted out, "Hey number one, you'll never make it to the big leagues..." I waited for his reasoning, "...Cuz you suck!" Man, was I bummed, I suck? I was hoping he had more to throw at me. We got down big early in the game, made a big comeback to take the lead, but ended up losing 12-10. Friday-Food Management My roommate (Adam Bryant) and I woke up around 10 and the search for breakfast began. Just as time management was important in college, food management is vital in professional baseball. Getting healthy food at the right time helps one perform at their peak on the field. Our search took us to a small cafe, where we found Tim Shibuya. He recommended a sausage breakfast sandwich, so I went for it. Later in the day we had to figure out what we would be eating for lunch and dinner. We had a difficult time eating the night before (almost all the restaurants in town were closed), so we decided on Subway. Adam and I both ordered two subs, one for now and one for later. Food management success. It was a big win for us on this night. Behind four hits and three doubles by Miguel Sano, we took game two. He is off to quite a start. Saturday-Stories Saturday morning Tommy Watkins offered to take Adam and I to breakfast. We checked out LePeep, a small cafe in downtown South Bend. The food was fantastic, but Tommy's stories were better. His recollection of playing third base while Johan Santana struck out 17 batters was awesome. Being a Twins fan my whole life made it hit home for me. It must have been amazing to be a part of that experience. The amazing pitching performance topic continued as we were preparing to take the field for our game. We were able to watch the finishing moments of Phil Humber's perfect game. I always wonder how it must feel for someone to go through such an experience. What a moment it must have been for him and his family. Moments like this are why I love baseball. A man can go from being on the fringe to being in the history books in a few short hours. Wow. The game didn't go our way again tonight and we lost the series, but the experiences I had remain. All we can do is look forward and do our best to win our next one. Tweet me! @apettersen1

All is well in the world. Spring Training is over and teams are in their affiliated cities. The beginning of the season means jersey selection, locker organization, paperwork and…walkout songs. This decision can be spur of the moment or have months of thought put into it. The reasons for choosing a particular song are unique to each guy. There are a few popular ways I have seen players do this in the past. Play on Words Yesterday I was asking a few guys what they would be using for songs. Matt Summers told me he couldn’t think of anything so he went with “Summertime” by Kenny Chesney. This is clever for obvious reasons. A number of closers have used the song “Closing Time” in the past. Mitch Williams used the song “Wild Thing” to go along with his ‘style’ of pitching. I have had a tough time playing on a Scandinavian last name, so this one isn’t for me.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Funny/Crowd Pleaser I really enjoy when I hear this style as a walkout. They are especially good if a pitcher uses one (they get a longer section of the song) or if they are played at the perfect point in the song. During batting practice yesterday all of the walkout songs were tested over the loud speaker. Among the popular hits played were a number of Justin Bieber ballads. These songs are usually picked as a joke, but often are a hit with the kids in the crowd. I am excited for the first time “One Less Lonely Girl” is blasted over the speakers at Pohlman Field. In college our 2B picked his song to be a joke, but little kids danced and sang every time “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus filled the Metrodome. Good Beat/Lyrics This is the most popular method and the one that I typically use to pick my songs. It has been used by guys like Derek Jeter (Square Dance-Eminem). His song is cued up to say the words, “It feels so good to be back.” I used this my freshman year of college with “Love Me or Hate Me” by Lil’ Wayne. Last year I knew our home games would be at Target Field. The state of the art sound system contributed to picking “Buzzin” by Mann for its catchy beat. What Do You Like? This year I went with “Paradise” by Coldplay. What walkout songs do you like the best? Do you notice each song when you go to a game? Follow me this season! @apettersen1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G4isv_Fylg&ob=av2n

The first full day of Spring Training was a whirlwind of activities. Being my first March in Fort Myers, I wasn’t completely sure what to expect. Here is how it went: Leave home for the airport. Say goodbye to my fiancé. Check my bags, just under the weight limit. Take my shoes off, walk through a small door, put my shoes back on. Sit and read Hunger Games. Hope they make it out alive. Hangout with Nate Hanson. Board the plane. Watch Cole Nelson try to fit his long legs in a very small space. Take off. Take a nap. Finish Hunger Games. I won’t spoil it. Drink a miniature glass of Diet Coke, no nuts or pretzels? Plane lands. Text everyone, “I’m here!” Grab bags. Hop in a van. Arrive at hotel. Sign my name on a computer screen. Arrive at my room. Roy Larson is staring at me. My roommate, Tyler Koelling hasn’t moved since he got here. Watch two teams punch tickets to the NCAA Tourney. Good luck against the one seeds. Start next Hunger Games book. Mind is blown. Crank up the AC. Go to sleep.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Wake up. Get dressed. Go to bus. See Miguel Sano. He yells, “Ayy papi!” Glad we are still pals. Small talk in Spanish with Kennys Vargas. Head to the field. Arrive at the Clubhouse. Scavenger hunt for my locker. There it is. Unload my stuff. Boxes of gear inside. Christmas in March. Get in a line. Weigh in. Measure my height. News flash, I’m still short. Pee in a cup. Pour urine into a vile. College prepared me for this. Get blood drawn. Nearly pass out. Take off shirt. Stickers placed all over. EKG. Stickers taken off. Sit in a chair. And another. And another. Stare in a machine. Read letters. Look ahead. Bright light in my eyes. Chin on a machine. PUFF. More lights, more staring. Get in another line. Deep breath. Chest my test. Woops, going too fast. Look in my ears. Turn my head annnd…cough. Get dressed and head to field. Warm up. Play catch. Mile run. Catchers and corners first. Watch Matt Parker move like a deer. He ran it in 5 and a half minutes? Cmon. Run my mile. Mouth is as dry as my humor. Get a drink. Shower. Eat lunch. Meet with peak performance specialist. Good to see Dr. Rick Aberman. Day concludes. Hop on bus. Arrive at hotel. I hope this gives a small glimpse into my first day of Spring Training. I am extremely excited to be in Fort Myers, and I am ready to start playing some ball! Follow me on twitter! @apettersen1