I was taught how to throw a baseball by the great Jason Ream.  Jason Ream, as you all know, was a pitcher and he taught me the basics of how to throw a four and a two seam fastball.  He also tried to teach me how to throw a knuckleball, but the end result just has me throwing the ball about 2 feet before it hit the ground.  Truth be told, I don’t think Jason even knew how to throw a knuckleball–I’m sorry, I was just informed by my editor that no one will know who this Jason Ream fellow is.  For those that don’t know, Jason is one of my best friends and we grew up together out in Burton.  He now works in Chicago for a bank and has never played professional baseball.  He just happened to be a pitcher on a little league team.  I’m sorry for any confusion, I just really wanted to tell you all who taught me how to pitch because it’s a great memory. 

At the Cleveland Indians, we are big on creating memories.  I bet if you ask J.T. Taylor who taught him how to pitch he would probably tell you his dad and his baseball coach (obviously).  But if you asked him who else taught him, he would say Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez.  J.T. won a pitching lesson with Chris Perez through the Cleveland Indians Wives Association charity auction.  Player’s wives donate unique items to the auction to raise money for Cleveland Indians Charities and Providence House.*

J.T. was “psyched to see Chris…and have a lesson by him.”  Perez spent about 30 minutes going over different pitches, but in the end, all J.T. really wanted to learn was how to throw the curveball.  When asked what his best tip he learned was, he simply replied, “The curveball.  I’ve never learned how throw a curveball.”

Of course, Perez knows that everyone wants to learn the curveball.  This is the 2nd year he has given a pitching lesson and both kids immediately asked him to teach them the curve.  He is quick to point out (and he proves it every time he is out there on the field) “it all revolves around the fastball.  Hopefully he takes some of the stuff I taught him and goes out and helps himself become a better pitcher.”

*Providence House was founded in 1981 by Sr. Hope Greener, CSJ, as Ohio’s first licensed crisis nursery, offering free, voluntary (non-custodial) placements for emergency shelter to children newborn through six years old, actively living in crisis situations which place them at risk of abuse or neglect.  For more information visit www.provhouse.org