Jim Devitt's Blog, page 7

The Media Blitz Ensued ...

Photo Op outside the Kingdome
After my selection as a Batboy for the Seattle Mariners, there was an onslaught of media coverage. Here I was, one day a mild mannered high-school kid, the next day, interviews, photo ops and more. It was a fun time in my life, for sure. Most of this was before I even set foot on the field for the first time.
In addition to the job, I received a $500 savings bond for winning the contest. The Mariners also selected a Ball Girl from the contest. I guess you could say life was looking up.
Over 30 years ago, there were no 24 hour sports stations (actually ESPN came into existence the year I was batboy) and media coverage was limited at best. To say I was unaccustomed to the media blitz was an understatement. They made me feel as if I was really in the Big Leagues.
As a perk for winning the contest, my entire school, Auburn High School, attended a Seattle Mariners game. I remember it like it was yesterday, my high-school peers in the stands while I was roaming the field before the game in a Yankee's uniform.
As the visiting clubhouse batboy, I wore the uniform of each team that came to town. I was nervous that day because many of my friends were in the stands. A few had come down to say hi and I tried to act like it was no big deal.
Then Reggie Jackson, Mr. October, calls out, "Hey, Batboy. Warm me up."
I grabbed my glove and barely got my hand in it because of all the sweat running from my palms. My heart raced as Reggie rocketed a baseball toward me…
 Now realize this, I was no slouch at baseball, I'd played catch with ballplayers dozens of times before games. But, this was Reggie Jackson from the World Series Champion New York Yankees and my entire high-school was in the stands.
… with a snap, I caught the ball and breathed a sigh of relief. We played catch for about 10 minutes without any catastrophes. The next day at school, everybody that was at the game was talking about me playing catch with … Reggie Jackson. If they only knew how nervous I had been!
Needless to say, I had many experiences while working in the clubhouse and on-field. While many of those times would ultimately end up in the pages of THE CARD, looking back, I realize that these mini moments helped me develop confidence and self-esteem for my life ahead.  

 Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!

My Ticket to the Major Leagues

I've mentioned previously that I earned the batboy job for the Seattle Mariners through an essay contest. In 500 words or less, the topic was, Why I wanted to be a Bat Boy for the Seattle Mariners. The Seattle Times and the Seattle Mariners selected the Top Ten Finalists based solely on the essay and then the series of interviews began.
This was a long time ago. I happened to dig out the original essay that I submitted for the contest. Sometimes, it's hard to remember how different things were in 1979. There were no word processors, personal computers or online access. Quite frankly, it's amazing that I have a copy of the essay at all. Then again, I tend to keep a lot of stuff.
So here it is, for better or worse, from 34 years ago, my ticket into the Major Leagues … "Why I wanted to be Batboy for the Mariners" Winning Essay

  Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!

I Can't Believe They Paid Me For This

Being a batboy for a Major League Baseball Team had lots of perks—free tickets for family and friends, a great view of the game, a chance to meet baseball superstars and much more. The one question that I'm always asked is, "Did you get paid?"The reality is I would have done this job without being paid a dime. There were so many memories and experiences, that I should have paid the ballclub to work. However, I did receive a wage. Ready for this … now remember, this was 1979. I received a flat rate of $6 per game.Wow, that must be something like $11 a game in today's economy!As I said, I didn't do it for the money. A typical day started at about 3:00 pm and ended about midnight. So, I earned about sixty cents an hour. That wasn't all, though. When I started, I had no idea that would I earned tips after each series. Most series ran for three games. Some of the players would give me a few bucks for helping out. My first tip I ever earned came from Bobby Grich, the second baseman on the California Angels. After that first series of my career, Bobby became my favorite player since he gave me $20 (remember, I was just a kid!) There was no rhyme or reason to the tips that I received. Some players I would bend over backwards for and not receive any tips, and others, I would hardly do anything for and I would make out like a bandit. My year as a batboy was also the year that Seattle hosted their first All-Star Game. I was the batboy for the National League in that game. Without realizing it was coming, I received a check from the National League offices nearly two months after the All-Star Game—$25! You can see a copy of the check above, I cashed the original. My biggest tip? Hmm, a couple of times I walked away with a Benjamin in my pocket. So there you have it. I certainly didn't get rich working the clubhouse, but I sure did have fun. Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!

Hanford Nuclear Reservation Doesn't Disappoint Mr. Han

I saw an interesting article yesterday in the Florida Today Sunday paper. In the article, they discuss the Hanford Nuclear Reservation located in Eastern Washington. What caught my eye is the extent at which the 56 Million gallons of toxic waste has been leaking into the area surrounding the facility. 
Now why would this be of note in a blog like this?
If you've read The Card, you might recall Van's science teacher, Mr. Han. Van, Zoe and Fred go to him to help solve the mystery behind Van's Moe Berg baseball card. Han is a paranoid genius—constantly on the lookout for the next government conspiracy. In the story, Mr. Han is sure that the Hanford facility is leaking nuclear waste into the Columbia River.
I guess this is another case of fiction mimicking reality. The U.S. Energy Department solution is to build one of the largest industrial construction projects in the nation, both in cost and sheer size. This vitrification plant will encase the nuclear wasted in glasslike logs for disposal deep underground. Set to be operational in 2019, it's estimated that all the waste won't be treated until 2047!
Looks like Mr. Han was on to something.

My Home Away From Home - The Kingdome

Kingdome under construction- mid '70's
You've heard of a home away from home? Well, I had one of those. It was the largest freestanding concrete structure in the world at the time—the Kingdome, built in 1976.My family moved to Seattle from Florida in 1975. There are two things I remember most about arriving in the Pacific Northwest. The first was driving through Snoqualmie Pass and seeing real mountains for the first time. The twin sister volcanoes, Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier greeted us as we approached the Cascade Range. This Florida flat-lander was 14 at the time and the mountains served promise of new adventures.  After passing through the mountains, we approached downtown Seattle and turned south on I-5. That’s when I saw the grey concrete mushroom called the Kingdome as it sat, surrounded by cranes and scaffolding putting on the finishing touches. For as long as I can remember, I've been in awe of stadiums. I don't know why, maybe it's the bigger than life aspect of the monument to sports. Maybe it’s the history like in the Orange Bowl in Miami, that has witnessed Super Bowl Champions including Green Bay in Super Bowl II and the famous Joe Namath Super Bowl III.  Whatever the case, I was in awe. I couldn't take my eyes off of the structure. Little did I know that in a few years, it would become my home away from home. Most people hated the Kingdome. It was sterile, cold and uncomfortable. It didn't matter to me, I loved it. I got to know all the security guards, ushers, vendors and caterers. I became friends with the grounds keepers and the ticket office. The clubhouse guys would have sleep over's in the locker room and play baseball on the turf in the dark. I felt like I owned that stadium. There's a really eerie feeling when you walked out onto the field with 70,000 empty seats and a concrete roof that soared to 250 above your head. The massive empty space absorbed sound and then sent an echo from what seemed like miles away.Before games we would have our clubhouse world series, Mariners clubhouse personnel against the visiting clubhouse. A couple of the Mariners players would join in on the fun. I still remember hitting a home run, just over the fence, off Edwin Nunez, one of the closers on the Mariners. Outside, the ramps made for a great workout. I would run the ramps up to the three hundred level and back down, over and over. The location was great, too. When it wasn't raining, I would take a run down the historic waterfront in Seattle. photo source: Admrboltz During games, after my batboy days, I would hang out in the photo bay on the first base side. I made friends with many of the season ticket holders over the years, with them sharing their lives with me. You could also get about anywhere in the stadium under the stands. Not the prettiest of places, but it led to some interesting sites and times. The ballplayers complained of the stadium, too. The turf was too hard, the ball bounced erratically and air conditioning was pointed toward the field to reduce home runs. Twice, once during my batboy year, balls were hit during play that never came down. Rupert Jones hit a ball into the low hanging speaker and it got stuck, eventually, the umpires ruled it a strike. It happened again in 1983, after that, they raised the speakers.Alas, they imploded the Kingdome in 2000. After ceiling tiles started falling and the incredible Mariners run in 1995, the Mariners were able to get their current home at Safeco field, just across the parking lot from the old location. The new Seahawks stadium now occupies the resting place of the old Kingdome. Although THE CARD , is set in Safeco, I use many of the memories from the Kingdome to build the world around Van Stone.I'll always have fond memories of the Kingdome. I flew back out to Seattle for the implosion. Truth be told, I shed a tear.





  Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!
 

Behind-the-Scenes in Major League Baseball - The Beginning

Billy Martin and Jim Devitt, circa 1979
Wow, it's been over 30 years since I was a batboy in the visiting clubhouse for the Seattle Mariners. That time of my life had a huge impact on me—working on the field in Major League Baseball, dealing with million dollar athletes, and picking up jockstraps in the clubhouse while participating in an exclusive club. 

The first question people ask is, "How did you get the job?" Most don't believe the answer. I got the job through a contest sponsored by the Seattle Times and the Seattle Mariners. I submitted an essay on "Why I wanted to be a batboy for the Mariners." Ten finalists were picked based on the essays and then we went through a series of interviews. 

I didn't realize how lucky I was at the time, or, maybe I did. It's hard to tell. I had one of 28 jobs in the country. There's so many stories to tell from behind-the-scenes. You can find a bunch of these stories intertwined in the Van Stone novel, The Card. However, many more can't be told in a teen novel or just didn't fit the flow of the book. I figured that this would be a good place to fill you in on some of those times. 

There's no better place to start than the beginning. In the first draft of THE CARD (A Van Stone Novel), I had a scene that was a little too much back-story and never made the cut in the book. I edited it out during the first revision. It's a mostly true accounting of the interview process with the Mariners.

Consider this something like "Deleted Scenes" from the DVD. Here it is in all its unedited glory! 

… You see, I’m a batboy, and not even a batboy for the home town Seattle Mariners, but for the visiting teams coming in to town. Today I’m wearing an Oakland A’s uniform. To be honest with you, I have no idea what I’m doing. This is my first day in the “Bigs,” the “Big Show.” Describing me as nervous is probably an understatement.  After all, three weeks ago, I was trying to decide what I would do all summer, well that, and playing Xbox.
    I barely remember that day, I was sifting through the sports section, checking out the spring training stats and there it was, Boy’s/Girl’s, enter for a chance to be batboy or ballgirl for the home town team”. On closer inspection, I saw that just by entering, I would win four box seats to a game! Sweet, I was all over that, I loved going to Mariner’s games. All I had to do was write an essay on why I wanted to be a batboy for the Mariners. I sat at the computer and typed out a brief story, filled out my entry form, and promptly forgot about it. About a week later, I get a call from the Seattle Mariners.
     “You’ve been selected as one of the top ten finalist, we would like to have you come in for an interview.”
     Unbelievable, this is the biggest opportunity that I’ve ever had! Only friends and relatives of the team ever get the chance to be a batboy! I could break into the inner sanctum of Major League Baseball. Imagine, hanging out with multi-million dollar ballplayers, being on the field at games, and who knows maybe even getting a crack at the Major’s myself. I’d never been to an interview like this before, who would I interview with, what would I wear, and what questions would be asked? On the day of the interview, I was a mess.
       When I arrived at the team’s offices, I looked around the room at the other nine finalists. Sizing up the competition, I really started to get nervous. One kid looked like he just walked out of an Abercrombie commercial, another straight from J. Crew, and of course you had Mr. Under Armour, who looked like he could rip your head off. Boy was I out of my league. Most people looking at me wouldn’t think I was 16 years old. As a sophomore in high school, I am probably a little taller than most 10thgraders, and I still have that sort of clumsy way about me. My curly hair and cracking voice is a dead giveaway that I’m not used to the limelight. But, the one thing I do have is a brain. When it’s my turn, I’m going to nail this interview.
     I sat in the waiting room as one by one the candidates went in the conference room, all I could hear was the muted noise of traffic on the street below, the muffled cough of someone down the hall, and the tick, tick, tick of the logo clock on the wall. Little by little, each candidate left without a smile, goodbye or wave, just a bug-eyed look of bewilderment. 
     “Van Stone,” the very professional lady uttered as she made a check mark on her clipboard.
       “Uh, that’s me!” Gulp, here goes nothing, I thought. I walked into the room and looked around. The conference table was so shiny that I could see myself like looking into a mirror. There was that strange feeling of coolness that you feel when you walk into a place so plush with carpets and comfy chairs that it absorbs all sound. The very professional lady closed the door behind me as if it were an airlock in a decompression chamber, and stepped off to the side like a sentry standing guard. The three men in the room were all smiling at me as I was invited to climb into a chair.
     After an exchange of pleasantries, they opened fire with questions. I felt as if I were in the speed round of a game show. I rattled off answers like someone with Google overload. Honesty, integrity, work ethic, punctuality, respect, honesty again, no problem working late, integrity again, all came out of my mouth like a reflex. 
     “Thank you for your time Van, we’ll be in touch,” the apparent head honcho said after only about 10 minutes.
     I got up and was escorted out by the very professional sentry lady, and now I understood the look on the other candidates faces. What had just happened in there?
     Over the next three weeks, I attended two more interviews until it was down to me and one other kid. That time they invited me into the same interview room, gave me a jersey and congratulated me on becoming the newest Seattle Mariners Baseball Club Batboy …

Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!

 

Feed Your Passion

As if reading my mind, the fantastic blogger Kristen Lamb nailed it yesterday. Regardless of your profession or life's ambition, her blog post is a must read.


My biggest takeaway from her post is, "The world does not reward perfection, it REWARDS FINISHERS. It rewards DOERS. What are we doing?"

So, go ahead, get inspired to move your you-know-what by visiting her blog. 

Start feeding your life, your family and your passion. If you don't feed them, they'll die. Start today! 







  Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!
 

A True Blog

I've been inspired from the most unlikeliest place. I've had this blog you're reading for just over two years. In fact, I completely missed my two year blog anniversary on March 19th. Clearly, I haven't given enough attention to this space.

Not that I haven't received nice comments and lots of views, over 11,000 and counting. Not bad considering that I've averaged just over 3 posts ... per MONTH!

Back to my inspiration,


It's probably safe to say that he has posted more since he started his blog in January than I have in two years! Every day he posts great stories and insights, typo's and all. That's not a critique, that's a compliment. Tony speaks from the heart in each post, whether it's about biking, his family or life in general. He does an awesome job and I rarely miss a post. That's blogging.

So here we go, I'm going to start treating my blog like it should be treated. I will attempt to post daily or nearly every day going forward. If I'm filling the pages with useless drivel, then please tell me. It's my hope that this will make me a better writer, storyteller, reporter and thought provoker.

Of course, you can still find my weekly column on Indies Unlimited and my occasional contribution on Yahoo!

So cheers to the new blog!



  Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimitedand occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!

Help Raise Money for Cystic Fibrosis Awareness and Get a REALLY Good Book

May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month and my friend and author Laurie Boris is helping to raise money for this deadly disease. I read her book last year and was truly moved. You can find my review of her book on Amazon.

From her blog, Laurie posts,
"Many of you know that I wrote Drawing Breath as a small way to honor a friend who lived into his thirties with cystic fibrosis. Although each person who is diagnosed with the disease experiences a unique level of severity, there is still no cure, and management of the symptoms can require a great deal of time and expense. Often this hits families hardest; since the disease is genetic, multiple children can be affected, like the ones my character, Daniel, meets in the hospital.
Since May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month as well as the anniversary of the release of the book, I wanted to do something special, and I hope you’ll be willing to help me. All proceeds from sales of Drawing Breath over the month will go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This amounts to $4.00 per print book (please purchase print copies through CreateSpace directly, because they take less of a cut) and $1.00 per e-book."



Please help  to increase awareness, help support families, find better treatments and, one day, hopefully, a cure for Cystic Fibrosis by purchasing one of her books. It might be one of the best things you'll read all year. 




  Jim Devitt

New reviews for The Card - A Van Stone Novel

I'm pretty psyched about the most most recent reviews on Amazon. In the past few weeks, two 5 star reviews, one 4 star review and one 1 star review have appeared. Hey, I don't pull any punches, if someone doesn't like the book, that's their prerogative. You'll get a kick out of the one star.

Here they are straight from  Amazon - The Card - A Van Stone Novel.



4.0 out of 5 stars Solid mystery that includes baseball, April 10, 2013 By Sharon Storm "sports fan" (Sunnyvale, CA USA) -"The Card" is written for young readers (13 and older), but I enjoyed the mystery, and the experiences of Van Stone, who gets a job as a batboy in the visiting clubhouse of Safeco Field, where the Seattle Mariners play. Van and his friends, Fred and Zoe, join forces when a baseball card that Van receives early in the book becomes the center of a set of puzzling occurrences. It took a few chapters for the story to get moving, but the writing was good, and the conclusion was surprising. Good choice if you want a quick read and like mysteries. I expect baseball fans will enjoy this more than others, since the early chapters give a lot of detail about the activities in a major league clubhouse.





5.0 out of 5 stars The card, April 10, 2013 By rachel ponto -Was a great story. Has some suspense. Was a hard book to put down. G o o d b o o k


1.0 out of 5 stars Bad, April 6, 2013 By Ed Abel - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: THE CARD (A Van Stone Novel) (Kindle Edition) Just bad!!!!! Don't bother with this one. Have to write 13 more words BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD



Thanks for the reviews. If you have read The Card, I would love for you to stop in and put your review on my Amazon page .

The Van Stone sequel by Jim Devitt  is nearing completion. Look for it in the Summer of 2013.