Editor's Note: The below is the first chapter of an ongoing blog by alumnus Reed Garrett, class of 2015, as he participates in the Texas Rangers' Major League Spring Training camp. Further chapters will be posted as Garrett's time allows.
2-15-2018
The offseason is officially over. Camp started today. Boy, am I glad to be back. It has been long enough away from the diamond and I'm ready for the adventures that 2018 can bring.
The offseason is a time that I do treasure, however. It's time that I get to spend with my wife, Mary, which is time that I don't get with her during the season. Traveling 70 out of the 140 games and having a wife with a full-time job calls for a lot of phone calls and texts. But she is a rock star. She stays up late to watch me pitch and travels when she has the opportunity. I truly am lucky.
This winter, I spent a lot of time working at a golf course to make some money to help with rent. Monday through Friday were our workout days and I had the pleasure of having five of my close teammates there working out with me. It's always great having a group around you with the same goal as you. We pushed one another. We got better this offseason.
I'll break it down a little further about my daily routine from September to January. My mornings normally started around 6:30 to eat breakfast with Mary before she headed to work. I'd get my change of clothes for work together and make my lunch. I head to the field around 8:30 and begin warming up for the days workout. Stretching and foam rolling to prepare myself for our 10 a.m. start. Come 10 o'clock, we got after it. We lift, throw, and condition and wrap up around noon.
As soon as we finish our lift, my lunch is downed and I head to work. I'd be working from 1 o'clock to around 9 five days a week. I thoroughly enjoyed working at the country club this offseason and was thankful to meet everyone I did.
As I sit here writing this blog, I feel incredibly blessed to chase a dream I have had since I was four years old. Twenty one years I have been chasing it. It was that dream that led me through VMI, which was by far the best decision I have made throughout my career. It molded me into who I am today. I am thankful for the sacrifices my parents made and all the trips the made to see me. It was VMI that got me to this point in my career through its discipline and mental toughness.
Today, I had the privilege to walk into a clubhouse that I share with my friends and some of my idols. I grew up watching Cole Hamels win a World Series MVP. I chose the Cleveland Indians in Ken Griffey Baseball on Nintendo 64 as a kid, just so I could throw Bartolo Colón. I watched Adrian Beltre and all his quirky antics and his incredible defense. These guys are now my teammates for the spring. They are just a few feet away from me everyday.
To wrap this thing up for my first post, I am here to compete and give everything I can each day, as soon as I step into that clubhouse. That's what I intend to do. I am going to leave it all out on the line. I know that I have an amazing support system, and I want to thank each and every one of you who root me on.
Reed Garrett
VMI '15
