Never let it rest

“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.”

Lately, I feel like I've been over working my body.

Since mid-August, I've been going to the gym 5 days a weeks after working unusual hours at work that usually go from 3pm to 12 am and sometimes later.

In July, one of my childhood friends asked me to work out with him because he wanted to get into shape. He was working out at a small gym in on the outskirts of Gardena and since I was told that a membership there was $100 dollars for a whole year, I felt like I found a gold mine. 

During that month, We decided to go to the gym at 8 or 9 am religiously depending on if we had work that morning or not. We also talked about setting a goal of some sort rather than just going to the gym to just lift.

In the same month, he took a little time off and went on a little vacation he had already planned out. During that time, I decided to go join Deuce Gym in Venice on top of having a gym membership in Gardena already.

A little crazy for some, right? Well, here's a little more craziness.

After my buddy Mason came back from his 2nd year of professional baseball in August, during my off days from work, I would go work out either at Deuce Gym or that gym in Gardena, then go to Mason's house to lift with him. 

Then on top of that, sometimes, I go hit at the batting cages or play basketball with some high school friends at the park.

The other day, I was at one of my high school friends house watching the World Series and Lakers game. I probably left an hour after I got there and he knows most of my routine I go throughout the day. Once I was heading out the door, he told me, "You gotta learn how to relax, man."

Once I got home, I thought about that.

Relaxing.

I honestly don't know what that is. For about 9 years starting from high school to college, I felt like I always had to prove myself to my peers and coaches to move my way up on the baseball team. IT felt like a never ending grind for those 9 years. Even on days off, I would either be working or at the gym trying to get better.

I feel like taking a day off is overrated. Granted, some days your body is going to need rest, some more than others. But for me, if I can help someone get better everyday of my life, I would sacrifice some sleep to wake up early for that.

As one of my coaches would say, "Always be better than yesterday."

Jun

Get to Know: Alicia Spurgin

During my time in Iowa, I have been grateful with all the friends I've made out there. But here is one in particular...

Alicia and I at some bar in Omaha, Nebraska

This is Alicia.

Why is this person special to me? Well, here's why...

Probably a month before walking at graduation, I found out that I had to do an internship in order to get my degree, which I could still walk at graduation but would have to get the internship done within the summer.

 I tried to find something out in Los Angeles but I couldn't reel anything in. 

Later when I could;t find an internship on my own, I talked to my advisor about an internship out in Iowa. He knew some connections and helped me get one at the Cedar Rapids Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

So that meant one thing: finding a place to live for the summer.

I asked my roommate from my 1st year at Mount Mercy University since he lived in a house and had a room opening up.

At first, I was all set up to move in with him, his now fiancée and a another roommate but he wanted me to stay there for a whole year which I wasn't planning to do.

So as it got closer to graduation, I was still homeless for the summer.

There was a house across the street from my school, which was the baseball house during the time I was there, I asked if I can live there but that fell through because the house because all the room were taken.

So one day I was with Alicia, talking to her about my situation for the summer.

When I mentioned that I needed a place to stay, she insisted of taking me in to her apartment for the summer. She said I would have to sleep on the futon in the living room but I couldn't refuse because she said I didn't have to pay rent but just pitch in for groceries every once in a while.

So on the day after my graduation, I packed everything in my car and moved in to Alicia's apartment.

During the time I moved into Alicia's and was her roommate for 3 months, one of my best memories I had with her was going to the College World Series with her and one of my teammates David.

Alicia, David and I with Mississippi State fans from Mississippi

When we were in Omaha, she wasn't a shy person so I knew she was going to talk to random people (And plus, majority of the midwest and southern people are super nice). Some people from Mississippi approached us and she started to mingle with them. Maybe if it weren't for Alicia being there, we wouldn't have made new friends from Mississippi. 

I never would have thought of going to Omaha during my life time, but thanks to Alicia and David, I could check that off the bucket list.

In brief, I couldn't be more grateful to Alicia with the kind act she has done for me. She provided me with a roof, food, and hospitality for the 3 months during the summer I was in Iowa. 

There's never a day that goes by where I don't think of how fortunate I am for having a friend like her.

Thank you Alicia for everything you have done for me!

Jun

Post grad: One year later

I remember packing my things and leaving the place I temporarily called home like it was yesterday...


August 15th.

That's when I left the small city called Cedar Rapids in Iowa for good. Well, not for good but wouldn't be living there anymore.

I packed everything I can in a tote, stuffed every clothes I have in a suitcase and threw whatever I couldn't put in the tote or in the suitcase anywhere I can in the car.

Right before I left, one of my teammates, David, bought shooters because everyone else was going to go out that night. He handed me one and said, "This might be the last time we might have a drink here together....To this summer." We raised the little shooter of fireball and I was on my way out.

Before I headed out the door, two of the girls that we hung out with all summer were also there. They both gave me hugs and teared up as I let go of them.

I never had someone cry for me because I was going away for good.

I want to say I left around 9 o'clock at night so I can get home to Los Angeles during the day.

The drive was pretty long. A 16 hour ride to Boulder, Colorado and slept for about 1 hour at my friends old apartment parking lot. Then, 14 hours to LA.

I came back to Torrance with no life plan drawn out.

...

One year later, I am now a full time highlights production assistant for Fox Sports 1. In other words, I cut/produce highlights to a certain game I am assigned.

During my time at Fox Sports 1 so far, I am not going to lie, it was tough (for me at least). I would try to put extra time in even though I knew I was going to get in trouble for it, didn't complain when I got assigned to cut a highlight for a fringe sports I never knew about until it forced me to watch it. In short, it was a daily grind with unusual hours.

Yeah, I put in the time and labor to get to where I am at today, but I can't take all the credit for that; it was everything in-between within this year that got me to where I am.

After coming back home to Torrance from Iowa, I just sat around and helped out around house, well I tried to.

Then I remembered my buddy Mason messaged me earlier that summer I was Iowa if I wanted to play on a summer team in Torrance. So I messaged him and asked him what he was doing.

Then, he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.

After a short talk with him, we decided that we would work out and hit together. In the hope of his arm getting better and me finding a independent baseball team to play for.

This all started in September and continued all the way April until he had to leave for pro ball in Rockford, Illinois. We would work out on religiously on Tuesdays and Thursdays, even if we were hung over from during the night before. It was something we didn't want to miss.

During those 7 months or so of training, we both saw improvements on our lifts and felt stronger. I think I lost about 10 pounds at my peak during this stretch, and of course, also because I was going to Venice to go workout at Deuce gym with my good friend Taylor every Wednesday of the month since I want to say November.

PR'd deadlift at 315#

Waking up at 7:15 a.m. every Wednesday morning was rough, especially after getting off work at 11:30 at the earliest! I would get ready, drive to Taylor's and he would drive both of us from there. And some time on the day of the work out, we both would have work afterwards.


I put my body through a lot of stress throughout that time and I'm not going to lie, I never felt 100% during that time.


Besides from those two things, I got to hang out with some friends from high school and the junior college I went to. Some more than others now, but it was good to see some faces at a least once within the year I got back home.


Also within the year I got back home, I received an email from a professional baseball team in France and asked me if I wanted to play for them. I would have no doubt left Fox Sports and played if I didn't just get hired as a full-time employee there. So I was in a pickle in that situation. Long story short, they signed another guy, probably because I was pretty indecisive with if I really wanted to quit my job or not. There was another time that I was told I could possibly play in Austria but I never got to the bottom of that.


One thing I did during the 12 months after graduating that I wanted to do for a while was go visit my relatives in Japan. It's been a decade since the last time I visited them, only because it was after one of my grandfather passed away. But when I finally visited the motherland during the month of March,    it was still for an family emergency.

My family and I found out one of my aunts (my uncle's wife) had cancer and had a couple months to live back in 2013, so we knew time was short for her. Also, my grandmother is very ill. She lives in a nursing home with bunch of other elderly, which they all taken of very well but when we visited her, she couldn't remember who we were at first. After we sat down and talked with her, she started to recognize who we were. I mean, I don't blame her because she hasn't seen us in 10 years or so.

Couple of weeks later after my family and I return to the states, I remember telling one of my cousin's husband to tell her happy birthday for me since she old school and doesn't seem to be in the social media world.

After a couple of hours passed by, he replied saying that my aunt has passed. I remember how everything went down because I was at work and was everything just turned upside down that day...


I've done other things throughout this 12 months as well, such as go to Las Vegas for the first time since I turned 21, actually signed up for a membership at a CrossFit box, went to my first postseason Dodger game, visit San Francisco for the first time just to name a few.

The futon I sleep on at my mom's apartment

I think I am in a good spot right now. I can't really be complaining about little things. But I am still living at my mom's apartment with my two sisters, sleeping on a futon in the living room which sucks but not having to pay rent is nice (I do help out around the house and buy things for the house from time to time).

Hopefully in the next 12 months, I hope for bigger and better things to come my way.

I still hope to look to somewhere to play professional baseball weather if it's a small independent team or overseas. If not, I hope I've gotten a promotion and found a place to live on my own.

Until then, I just have to keep plugging away.


Jun


"Success is about dedication. You may not be where you want to be or do what you want to go when you're on the journey. But you've got to be willing to have vision and foresight that leads you to an incredible end."

Breakfast: The Meal of a Champion

I wasn't really a big breakfast guy.

When I was younger, my mom would make me 2 egg done over easy and serve it with rice. She would make this for me couple of times a week in the morning but I would never finish a whole plate of it every time.

She stopped making breakfast for me some time when I was in elementary school and started to buy cereal instead. And even then, I never really ate breakfast. The only reason I would eat cereal was because one, I loved the Flintstones and two, I absolutely loved eating the marshmallows from Lucky Charms (who didn't?!).

Also, when I used to go work with my dad at his job, he would always stop by McDonald's when ever I went with him. I would always order a Sausage McMuffin and would only finish half of the sandwich.

In middle school and high school, I wouldn't eat anything until after lunch because I knew I would have to go use the restroom right before my mom would drive me to school or have to go use the restroom during school hours, which I despised doing.

Even for half my time in college, I never woke up early to make and/or eat breakfast.

My mom would always tell me every morning, " You have to eat something in the morning. You not going to have enough energy for the day."

And honestly, in retrospect, I don't know how I had the energy to play baseball everyday during those times.

I think it was back in May 2011, I met Logan (one of my best buddy, Taylor's older brother) in Santa Monica at his Functional Fitness at the Bluffs. I asked him about protein shakes versus eating. There, he talked about his foundation of nutrition and how University of San Diego, where he played 4 years of  college baseball, they had a program that consisted of CrossFit training and had a nutrition program.

After the conversation, it really made me think about how I should eat, but of course when during college, we make the decision to eat fast food because it is convenient.

But during my senior of college is when I started to make breakfast, which would only consist of 3 eggs scrambled every other day.

Now fast forward to 2014, I can't go without a day without having breakfast, especially after I workout in the morning.

A daily routine

Now my breakfast will usually consist of 3-4 eggs, 3-4 bacons or a rib eye steak and 3-4 breakfast sausages with 2-3 cups of coffee every morning after I workout. 

On a day I don't workout, I usually have the same amount of coffee but with 2 eggs, 2 bacons and 2 breakfast sausages.

After I started to make and eat breakfast religiously, I feel the energy difference between not eating anything in the morning compared to eating in the morning everyday; I feel more confident with myself throughout the day whether if it's going to work 8 hours or going to the batting cages to take some hacks.

It's not on everyone's agenda to eat what is called the most important meal of the day. I was there too. Then, I rather sleep for the extra hour or two so I can relax. 

But now, I can't wait to wake up in the morning to eat breakfast.

For those of you who don't eat breakfast, I recommend you to take a chance and eat breakfast in the morning for a month, even if it's just a piece of fruit.

You'll start to notice something different throughout your day.

Jun

#HalesYeah

First off, I want to thank all of you who suggested some topics I should write about. I'll try to get to some of them in the near future.

...

The other day (July 24th, 2014) I had a meeting with my boss about an interview that my co-workers and I had for a different position.

After the meeting was over, as I was opening the door on my way out, my boss asked me about the purple bracelet I have on my right wrist.

My first thought was, "He probably thinking it's purple. It's probably inappropriate for work." So on and so forth.

I explained who and what the bracelet was for, and after I told him, he said "I'm glad I asked about it."

...

For those of you who don't know, I have a purple bracelet.

The purple represents the favorite color of the person who is engraved on this bracelet, Haley Rinaldi.

Haley was one of the student-athletes at Mount Mercy University, which is where I met her.

Personally, I didn't really know Haley that much. I probably had a handful of conversations with her.
I remember one conversation I had with her was with one of my roommates, and that we were all going to go visit her hometown one day, which is Aspen, Colorado.

Another time I kind-of, sort-of talked to her was during the summer of 2013 in Iowa, on the day before she left to Aspen for a little bit during the summer. She told some of us she was going to hang out with her family and would be back in a week or so.

Couple of days later on July 26th, 2013, everyone in the Mount Mercy community heard horrible news that Haley was involved in a freak boating accident and her life was taken away.

It was terrifying when my friends and I heard the news just a couple of days after we saw her. All I saw was everyone sitting on the couch with their faces dragging to the floor with sadness along with mine...

Now every time I look at this bracelet, I think of how I could have talked and became better friends with Haley. It's a personal reminder for myself to not be shy and not be afraid to talk to someone because you never know if you can make an impact in their life or not and vise versa. And from what I know and heard, Haley was that game changer.

Thanks for watching over every single one of us, Haley.


Jun


"Life is too short. Hug the people you love most and tell them "I love you" because you never know when you'll get to tell them that and see them again."


R.I.P. Haley Rinaldi 9/20/91 -7/26/13

Memorial Day for Murph

Memorial Day...

Some people take it as a day off of work. Some take it as another day to drink. Some just take it as another day in life.

I would admit that I am guilty of being the person. I would usually shoot a text to my friends and ask what they're doing and probably go out to drink with them for the whole day.

But this Memorial Day, I did something different.

Logan and I after completing Murphy on Memorial Day 2014

I found out via Facebook on Sunday that Deuce Gym, the Strength and Condition garage I go to work out at was having community work out on Monday.

The workout called Murph, named after Lieutenant Michael Murphy (originally called "Body Armor") was the workout for the day, which consisted of:

- 1 mile run

- 100 pull ups

-200 push ups

- 300 squats

- 1 mile run 

I was pretty hesitant to go at first because I just wanted to sleep in on my day off of work.

I asked my buddy Taylor if he was going to the work out but he said he wasn't going for his own reasons.

Right after I talked to Taylor, I watched the Lone Survivor because one, Mark Walhberg is a boss, and two, the Michael Murphy was one of the main characters in the movie.

To sum up the movie in four words, it was pretty nuts. 

After I watched the movie, which was around 2:00 on Monday morning, I made a decision to go to Deuce to work out.

I woke up Monday morning, drank coffee, cooked three eggs sunny side up and drove off the Venice to the gym.

Around noon, Logan, one of the coaches at Deuce, gathered the 40 some odd people that were there for the workout.

As Logan talked, he would do his pep talk on what the work out is and motivate people to give the drive they need to do their best in the work out.

But today was different...

As Logan was talking about the workout and Michael Murphy, he paused for a few seconds and started to break down a bit. Then after a few more seconds, he gathered himself and told us, "There are people out their serving and protecting our country. They don't have the privilege to live a life like we do."

I never seen this man break down in my life until now. I have to say it was one of the most powerful speeches I have heard from anyone.

...

When the work out was going to start, Logan broke us up into 3 groups. I joined in with the second group. 

As I did the work out, I would have some part of the pull ups, push ups and squats done to a certain amount. After I felt like I was going die or pass out, I went to the white board where the workout was written out in different modifications. I started to look at the workout with about a quarter of the repetitions taken out from the RX (the prescribe recommended weights or standards for what is typically your best athletes in the class.) As I stared at it, I was thinking of just stopping at where I was at and just finish the mile and call it a day.

But the little part of me was basically telling me, "all those guys serving for our country would rather be working out here than being out on duty right now."

So I took my inner conscience's advice and finished the workout in 79 minutes and 43 seconds. It was probably the hardest workout I completed since I started to train with Logan in 2011. I couldn't feel my arms or my legs afterwards but the feeling of completing the workout was rewarding, knowingly you put everything you had into that workout to cross the finish line.

I sat around after I finished my last mile and looked around as members of the gym socialized with each other. Then out of no where, I just thought to myself, "I do really take my life for grant at times."

Today had a unique experience to my part of life. It really opened my eyes to what life could actually be instead of what it is. 

You might have job that you might not really like or hate the workout that is posted for the next day, but there are people all around the world that rather be in your shoes. 

Getting through Murphy, like I said, was probably the most difficult workout I've completed. But like in life, you have to keep pushing through it when times are tough.

Jun

Shout out to everything serving in the military to protect our country. I salute to every single one of you.

R.I.P Lieutenant Michael Murphy (May 7, 1976 – June 28, 2005)

Get to Know: Mason Morioka

2nd up, Mason.

Mason and I at Lake Mission Viejo

This is Mason--------------------------->

I knew of Mason since we were in middle school. We played against each other in baseball and basketball. But we didn't know each other then.

Mason was born in Bellflower, California but was raised in Torrance where he went to West Torrance High School and lettered 4 years in baseball. during those 4 years, he's received the accolades of 1st Team All- League 3 times and 1st Team All-CIF 2 times.

After his high school days, he signed a letter of intent with the University of San Francisco to play baseball and earned All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mentions his senior year.

Shortly after he returned home to Torrance after graduating from USF, my buddy Taylor was on his rough journey of couch surfing until he found a place to live in Los Angeles and was spending the night at Mason's one night.

This was the first time I talked to Mason. That night, we talked about what his situation was since he had just graduated and told us he was waiting hear his name in the MLB First Year Amateur Draft.

Later that night Taylor, Mason and I met up some of my teammates I played with at El Camino for a get together. But after that night, I didn't keep in touch with Mason for a while.

Then 3 or 4 months later (still in the year 2012), I found out he was in Wichita playing professional ball for the Wichita Wingnuts. We had a brief conversation and that was pretty much it until after I graduated from Mount Mercy.

One day during the summer I spent in Iowa, out of no where Mason messaged me on Facebook asking me if I wanted to play on a summer team in California. But as I mentioned earlier, I was in Iowa at the time.

Fast forward to August when I came back home after graduating, Mason and I met up to talk about my pursuit of wanting to play professional ball with an independent league and what it's like playing professionally.

He said, "It's a lot different than college. You play for yourself as well as for a team. Although you meet some amazing baseball players and learn as much as you can from them, they are still trying to make it to affiliated baseball as well. It's different, but it's an amazing opportunity." 

As we talked I learned that he had Tommy John surgery in October 2012 and was still looking to play once he was fully recovered. 

"It happened playing long toss with another player on a team. It was with my first day of pro ball."

Since he was looking to play after recovering from surgery and I was in pursuit of looking for a team to play for, we made a deal that we were gonna work out until he found a team to play for.

Then after what it seemed like a long 9 months of lifting weights in his backyard, staying up past midnight to hit batting practice and occasionally playing catch, he signed with a team from Rockford, Illinois in the Frontier League and met the one year mark since the Tommy John Surgery (It's usually estimated a year to recover from the surgery with physical therapy) in-between that time.

"I was really limited on what I could and couldn't do for about the first month couple of months; I was in a cast for a month, then a brace that only allowed me a certain amount of mobility. It was difficult doing every day tasks such as brushing my teeth, changing my clothes, and doing my job. While giving lessons, I had to learn how to throw left handed which came in handy with some of the kids I was giving lessons to. I was doing a lot of lessons so it made the transition easier. It also helped me with my own ability to come back to playing baseball. Teaching kids how to hit and catch sharpened me as a player as well. Since I was teaching it daily, I learned more about myself and my capabilities."

Mason temporarily resides in Rockford, Illinois where he journey to reach the dream of one day making the roster for a Major League team.

"I continue playing the game I love for the people I love. My parents, family and friends who continue to support and love me throughout my triumphs and hardships. It's those people who inspire me to continue pushing forward and giving back to those for the game I love."

During his free time he continues to find a way to better at baseball and  can find him at The South Bay Refinery Baseball and Softball Facility teaching athletes of all ages the game of baseball who could use it to further their own careers, which is in his future plans.

"I think the end game is to continue teaching baseball and helping others. Whether that's at a college or on my own. I love this game and I want to see others succeed at this game as well."

Since I've became friends with Mason, I learned that this guy is big hearted and really doesn't take anything for granted in life. One of the hardest working guys I've met. 

Good luck to Mason this season as he made it past the last cuts and was put on the 25-man roster for the Rockford Aviators

Thanks for your time Mason!

Jun

"Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is." -Bob Feller