Looking Through the Mask: Chris Rosenbaum

June 8th, 2008

June 08, 2008 — Baseball websites long ago discovered that a sure-fire way to rack up the visitor count is to post online ballplayer journals. There’s something about sports fans’ insatiable appetite for information (yours truly included) that keeps us constantly on the prowl for the “inside scoop.” You can find player journals everywhere: MLB (gotta admit, Bengie Molina’s blog is good), Yardbarker, ESPN, Baseball America, MiLB, the list goes on and on.

Of course, big-name sites want big-name authors. Thus you’ll find most of the player journals are bylined by established starters or highly ranked prospects. Unfortunately, these mass-market diaries read like their brethren, the mass-market memoir, meaning they don’t usually give us anything new to think about. Even blogs written by sports-beat writers are rarely more than sports-tickers—notes jotted down during the game that will eventually form the nugget of tomorrow morning’s full 600-word feature.

However, there are hidden gems out there for those interested in real honest-to-goodness storytelling. These tales are not flashy or scandalous, and yet are filled with details about what goes on between the foul lines, as well as outside the ballpark. I’m talking about the kinds of personal perspectives that flesh out what it’s like to squat down behind the plate, step into the batter’s box or walk out to the mound.

Take for example Chris Rosenbaum’s fascinating, first-person account of life in the minors: Looking Through the Mask.

Rosenbaum’s May 18 entry talks about balancing competitive drive with mental stability; “an even keel” is how Kernels manager Keith Johnson puts it. That advice reminds me of an interview with Scot Shields from spring training. Most of it covers Scottie’s rehab and season projections, and then near the end the interviewer asks about mental attitude.

Rosenbaum delivers quite the eye-opener with his June 4, 2008 entry, in which he plots out the timeline for a 24-hour period during which the team plays three ballgames and he catches two of them. High-schoolers take note—this is the glamorous life of the professional ballplayer. And if you want to laugh out loud, check out the Comments section and read Mrs. Rosenbaum’s post.

What I find most refreshing about Rosenbaum’s insights is he focuses on the community aspect of the pro athlete’s life. This is not some all-about-me spotlight on the triumphs and slumps of #9 / B-R / T-R. It’s really about the relationship he shares with teammates, coaches, families and fans.

While Rosenbaum’s stories are hardly the kind to make sports media outlets sit up and take notice, they in fact reveal the experience of the vast majority of ballplayers chasing their major-league dreams. Rosenbaum was 23 years old last year (2007) when he signed with the Angels as an undrafted free agent. Right now he is playing single-A ball for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. In layman’s terms, he’s a real long shot to make The Show. So what? He gives us great stories, filled with honest insights about what it’s like to be a professional ballplayer. And let’s not forget, even the lowest-ranked minor-league ballplayer is a pretty d*mn fine athlete.

Check out his blog every once in awhile; I think you’ll enjoy it. Bye for now!

Entry Filed under: Cedar Rapids Kernels,Minor Leagues