Dirk Hayhurst's Blog
Words and thoughts still trying to make it to the big leagues...Thanks Mom
We saw things very differently, partially because we were on different sides of the country, and partially because bad news has a way of hitting harder depending on where you take the punch. She was standing on the front porch in a pair of fluffy slippers, surveying...
More Cowbell.
Well hello there, Rays fans. As you might imagine, there is a lot going on in my little world right now. Signing with a new team less than a month from the pitchers/catchers report date tends to send things into a whirlwind. Regardless, I wanted to take time and say...
Full Circle
*I wrote this about a year ago, when the light at the end of the tunnel was nothing but a rumor...* I sit, shirt off, feet dangling from the medical table, staring at the wall. The doctor grabs my arm, one hand under my elbow, the other just below my right armpit....
More Perfecter Than Thou Art
I’ve been out of church for about a year now. I can’t tell you why I’ve been gone so long, at least not concisely, anyway. I think that’s because I don’t really know why I left myself. Even if I had to stand before the Big Man and give Him an account on why, my best...
Dear Trevor…
Dear Trevor, I just thought I would write to tell you how sad I am you’re not coming back to baseball as a player, and also that I understand why. The time to stop comes for us all. For you, however, this conclusion is not simply the ending of a career, but the ending...
The Cost of Being Tone Deaf
Maybe you noticed my Bye-Bye Blue Jays post had a pretty good reception? Maybe you were one of the people who commented on it? If you did, thank you, bad or good comments, I appreciate them, and your time in viewing. You're words meant a lot to me, maybe more than you...
No Ice Cream If You Lose
*The following is an excerpt from an email I worte to a coach concerned about the role he would play in the development of his young team's personal lives. I though I'd share it here as well. Thanks for reading. * In my opinion, the main job of the baseball player is...
Bye-bye Blue Jays.
I’ve actually known about this for a while, but I’ve been dragging my feet on just what to say about it. I’ve decided you need to know since you’ll find out eventually and I’d rather it come from me than some other blog which will probably highlight my small career...
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
This past weekend I had a conversation with a soldier about the abolishment of Don’t Ask, Don’t tell. This conversation went down at a restaurant over dinner, and when the topic was first broached, there was much whispering in case anyone in ear shot who was sensitive...
To Thine Own Self
To following is a version of a letter written to a college pitching staff currently reading my book as part of a winter break project for their coach (The coach is a friend of mine, and former Padre teammate... Thanks for the sales boosts!) Hey guys, You know, I took...
Baseball Mounds In Every Stocking.
One of the worst things about the winter time is how its frigid temperature cuts into baseball training. If you're a pitcher like me and make your home in a cold weather state, you know it's tough to find places to throw when the snow starts falling. You compete with...
I Hate Christmas
That's right, I said it. And whats more, I mean it. I'm not a Scrooge, and I'm not a Grinch. I'm just a regular human being who has taken the time to stop and give a hard look to this ever building but never satisfying mutant of a holiday commonly referred to as the...