It's just one of those things you have to do, and then find out how you bounce back. It's different in preparation and in coming back the next day. I haven't done this since 1993.

I was a little nothing. My brother Kurt was a lot older. Mark had three years on me. They were all better. But maybe I learned a lot in those games. We had leagues where we'd imitate big-leaguers.

He'd get frustrated. I'd say, 'O.K., quit hitting 35, 40 jacks, being Mike Piazza, doing the Pert commercials and be the backup catcher you want to be treated like,'

It's different. But I was definitely ready, and I was charged about it. How could you not be?

I look at this as a second life. Every game feels like an event. Every pitch matters. I need that. It elevates your aggressiveness.

I stunk. What went wrong? Everything. I was terrible. It was embarrassing.