When Kansas City Manager Ned Yost sent 29 year old bust of a prospect Bryan Bullington to the mound to make his first start for the Royals against the Angels in Anaheim, Royals' fans gave Bullington little more than a "just give us five innings and don't get shelled all over the LA Metro area" sort of chance. When Bullington exited that early August game in the 6th inning after allowing only three runs against a potent Angels' lineup though, Kansas City fans reserved feelings on the newcomer suddenly turned to a more cautiously optimistic view.
In Bullington's next trip to the slab against the infamous Bronx Bombers, Kansas City's cautious optimism turned rapidly into a more "where the heck has this guy been for the past 30 years" outlook. Bullington managed to outwit the New York elite for eight strong innings, allowing only two hits against the all-star driven lineup while striking out five. All of a sudden, Royals' fans had something to be excited about in what had been a dismal second half to the season.
Bullington, since his first two successful starts, has been beaten around by Chicago, Cleveland, the Kansas City Media, Kansas City fans, uncle Bob's ol' hickory tree switch (don't act like you don't remember those days) and everything else in between. After 'Bull' allowed only three runs in his first 14 innings as a starter, he has since given up 13 earned runs in his last nine innings of work, turning Kansas City's glimmering faces into that of a kid attempting the old tablespoon full of cinnamon trick. With Bullington getting his first real look at the major league level this season however, lumps are going to come his way more often than not.
Bullington has had experience against big league opposition in four prior seasons, his first being with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2005. That season, Bullington amassed a grand total of 1.1 innings. The 'Bull' did not get another shot at the bigs until the 2007 season, also with Pittsburgh. That time around, he managed to get a whopping 17 innings of work, which included three starts. Bullington managed to walk out of Pittsburgh that season with a dismal 5.29 ERA, and was picked up via free agency by Cleveland the following off-season.
In his time with Cleveland, Bullington caught time as a spot starter during the 2008 season by making a grand total of two starts, giving up eight runs in 14.2 innings (4.91 ERA). After Cleveland decided that Bullington wasn't a part of their ever so promising future (by the way, they're currently 21.5 games out of first place), they cut him loose, leaving him searching for employment once again. Toronto took an interest in Bullington after the 2008 season, seeing him as a valid fit in their drained bullpen, and signed him to a minor league contract with an invite to major league camp prior to the start of the 2009 spring training period.
In his short time with the Jays, 'Bull' managed to collect another impressively high six innings of work, giving up only two runs during his time in Toronto. Once again however, Bullington's hard work failed to pay dividends, and he was let loose by his third club in as many seasons. After weighing his diminishing options, the aging former prospect signed on with the Royals prior to the start of the 2010 season.
After failing to make the big league club out of spring training, Bullington was shipped down to Omaha to get his work in. During his time with the AAA club, he amassed an impressive line, going 8-2 in 20 starts with a major league worthy 2.82 ERA. This caught the front office's attention in Kansas City, and shortly after Royals' starter Luke Hochevar went on the disabled list, Bullington got the call from Omaha for one more shot at major league competition. Since his promotion from the minor leagues, 'Bull' has collected a career high 30 innings of work, earning a 6.00 ERA enroute to the closest thing he has had to a full major league season. While his ERA is not spectacular by any means, even at the age of nearly 30, Bullington is entering the learning curve of his career.
Since nobody else gave the former Ball State standout a shot before the Royals, Bullington never had the opportunity to grow into his game so to speak at the major league level. 17 Innings of work at the major league level is not nearly enough time for a newcomer to the league to work out all of the kinks, so naturally what people need to understand is that he is still learning, even if he is approaching the 30 year mark in age. As I've said before and will keep saying, patience is key here if you really want to get a good estimation of how solid Bullington is going to be at this level of competition.
'Bull' has all of the potential in the world, but will need time to figure out how to find that potential. Bullington was originally drafted by the Royals in the 37th round of the 1999 first-year player draft, but quickly decided not to sign with the struggling organization. Be it a little bit of irony or just good luck, Bullington's second chance with the Royals could turn out to be beneficial to both parties involved if Kansas City gives him a legitimate shot. Truth be told, which all fans should already know, this pitching staff is hurting right now... bad. If Bullington can somehow figure out how to succeed at the major league level, his arm could solidify a starting rotation that could soon include Greinke (if he doesn't decide to leave us at his first opportunity, which is what it is sounding like he is going to do), Hochevar, Crow and Hernandez, a list of prospects that have shown potential to succeed in the big leagues but also are still in need of additional seasoning with the exception of Zack.
While Bullington may be taking his share of shellings and bends over uncle Bob's knee with switch in hand, the plain and simple fact is that this sort of thing is normal. Give the 29 year old kid a chance to develop, and see where it goes from there. If things work out, they work out, and Kansas City will be blessed with a talented pitcher for years to come. If they do not, well, I'm not going to be blaming him personally for the Royals 30 plus year post-season drought.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Royals Fans Need a Little More Patience, It's Not Like it's a New Concept to Them.
Asking a Kansas City Royals fan to just sit back and be patient with the decision to start yet another rebuilding mode, approximately the 73rd attempt in the past three years, is a just about as effective nowadays as giving a diabetic a hot fudge sundae with a side of Betty Crocker icing for a mid-day snack(and I can say that, because I am diabetic). I suppose what I'm trying to convey to you is that it just isn't going to go over well in either situation, just incase you needed that further bit of explanation. However, in this situation, patience may just be the extra boost that this club and its fans need to get over this 30 year post-seasonless hump that they're in the midst of.
While the frustration of the fans continues to mount as each season drags on to an early conclusion like clockwork, the real patience that needs to be shown in this latest installment of the Kansas City Rebuilding Game is from the front office higher-ups themselves, namely Royals' General Manager Dayton Moore. Moore, already coming under fire from the fan base after a number of terrible free agent signings and trades (obtaining Kyle Davies, trading J.P. Howell, signing Jason Kendall, and my personal favorite, signing "great player at a significant value" Rick Ankiel), needs to show that he isn't afraid to continue through with the entire rebuilding process this time around, a process that former General Manager Allard Baird failed to do on several occasions.
It amazes me that fans continue to complain about the fact that "can't miss" prospect Mike Moustakas, who led the Texas League in first half season play in average (.347) home runs (21) and runs batted in (76) while only compiling 259 at bats, was promoted to AAA Omaha rather than straight to the parent club after tearing up AA opposition in Northwest Arkansas. For whatever reason, Kansas City fans, be it their growing frustration or their lack of knowledge about the game, couldn't comprehend the fact that Moustakas was still in need of additional seasoning in the minor leagues. The proof is in in the numbers, you don't have to take this guy's word for it.
In 172 at bats so far this season in Omaha, Moustakas is hitting a mediocre .273 while going yard seven times and driving in 23 runs to help push the Royals to within 1.5 games of first place Iowa. Moustakas against right handed pitching in Omaha, is batting a whopping .315 with six HRs and 18 RBIs. Those numbers are enough to get any Kansas City fan's attention, and rightfully so. However, be that how it is, there are always two sides to every story
Against left handed pitching while with the AAA affiliate, Moustakas is hitting a measly .203 with one HR and five RBIs. The good news in that bit of sour information is that Moustakas has struck out only seven times in 64 at bats against southpaws, which shows that he is at least making contact when he steps into the box against lefties. With this being said, there is no reason, in my mind anyway, to "mean mug" the television every time Fox Sports Kansas City shows Moore in the midst of a disaster of a game being played at The 'K'. The decision to leave Moustakas in the minors to this point was a legitimate one, and should not be viewed as another idiotic move by the man upstairs.
Another name constantly being mentioned in the rebuilding phase is that of Omaha outfielder David Lough. Lough, an 11th round pick out of Mercyhurst College in the 2007 draft, has spent all season in an O-Royals uniform. In his first season at the AAA level, Lough has compiled a .279 average in 448 ABs, hitting 11 HRs while driving in 56 RBIs. Lough has also managed to have success on the base path, collecting 14 swipes in 19 attempts. Lough, who in closest comparison could be matched to Royals' OF David DeJesus, split time last season between single A Wilmington and AA Northwest Arkansas putting together an impressive collection of stats, batting .325 with 14 HRs and 61 RBIs. 2009 marked Lough's second full season in professional baseball, and was easily his most successful.
While Lough doesn't have the "can't miss" tag already applied to Moustakas and Northwest Arkansas first baseman Eric Hosmer, his upside is most certainly something to get Royals' fans excited about. Much like Moustakas though, Lough is still in the learning curve of AAA baseball, and could benefit from seeing additional time at that level before being rushed to the majors in an effort to please an already... well... less than happy fan base. Lough has already shown improvement in his short time with Omaha, batting a stellar .390 so far in the month of August as opposed to .200, .271, and .291 in the three months prior. With Lough already showing this sort of promise and improvement as his time with the AAA affiliate continues to mount, logic would tell you to let the kid develop his talents to the fullest of his ability before giving him the free ticket to Kansas City, wouldn't you think? Well, have you met your average Royals' fan?
I've also heard talk amongst Royals' fans that they expect single A pitcher Aaron Crow and AA hotshot Hosmer to be called up when the rosters expand to 40 in September, and the only thing I can say to that is you are all absolutely out of your minds. Crow, while toeing the slab for the Naturals, put together a 7-7 record with a bloated 5.56 ERA. Crow also had a hard time keeping runners off of the base path in Springdale, issuing 59 free passes in only 119.1 innings. Crow's 59 walks is still to this day second most on the team only behind that of fellow starter Eduardo Paulino. With Crow showing slow progress at the AA level, he was demoted to the Carolina League to regain his composure against a lower level of competition. Crow's former teammate Hosmer, on the other hand, has been a completely different story.
Hosmer continues to tear the cover off of the ball against AA pitching, collecting a .314 average with 11 HRs and 29 RBIs in only 159 at bats. Hosmer earned the call to AA after smashing opposing pitching in the Carolina League with Wilmington. In 87 games with the Blue Rocks, Hosmer hit .354 with seven HRs and 51 RBIs. Hosmer, the Royals' first overall draft pick in the 2008 draft, is still only in his second full season in professional baseball.
Rushing prospects is a game that the Royals have been a top tier team in throughout the past several years (Alex Gordon, Blake Stein, Dan Reichert, etc), and it never turns out well for the parent club when a rush decision like that is made. I realize how painful it must be for Royals' fans to read this, but the plain and simple fact is, Kansas City has several prospects that potentially could mesh well with the pieces to the puzzle that are already in place at the major league level. Picture a lineup with Moustakas, Hosmer, Aviles, DeJesus, Butler, and if he continues to pan out the way he has this season, Blanco. Those player alone could help pave the road out of this mess that the Royals have found themselves in since the magical 1985 season. As long as Moore keeps his head on straight and plays his cards the right way, which includes not signing "spot filler" free agents like Ankiel, Kendall, Farnsworth, Betemit (even though he has shown new found life at the plate) etc. to block the path of promising prospects in the farm system, this team could have a legitimate shot at success in the upcoming years... I'll be the first one to tell you though, that's a BIG if.
While the frustration of the fans continues to mount as each season drags on to an early conclusion like clockwork, the real patience that needs to be shown in this latest installment of the Kansas City Rebuilding Game is from the front office higher-ups themselves, namely Royals' General Manager Dayton Moore. Moore, already coming under fire from the fan base after a number of terrible free agent signings and trades (obtaining Kyle Davies, trading J.P. Howell, signing Jason Kendall, and my personal favorite, signing "great player at a significant value" Rick Ankiel), needs to show that he isn't afraid to continue through with the entire rebuilding process this time around, a process that former General Manager Allard Baird failed to do on several occasions.
It amazes me that fans continue to complain about the fact that "can't miss" prospect Mike Moustakas, who led the Texas League in first half season play in average (.347) home runs (21) and runs batted in (76) while only compiling 259 at bats, was promoted to AAA Omaha rather than straight to the parent club after tearing up AA opposition in Northwest Arkansas. For whatever reason, Kansas City fans, be it their growing frustration or their lack of knowledge about the game, couldn't comprehend the fact that Moustakas was still in need of additional seasoning in the minor leagues. The proof is in in the numbers, you don't have to take this guy's word for it.
In 172 at bats so far this season in Omaha, Moustakas is hitting a mediocre .273 while going yard seven times and driving in 23 runs to help push the Royals to within 1.5 games of first place Iowa. Moustakas against right handed pitching in Omaha, is batting a whopping .315 with six HRs and 18 RBIs. Those numbers are enough to get any Kansas City fan's attention, and rightfully so. However, be that how it is, there are always two sides to every story
Against left handed pitching while with the AAA affiliate, Moustakas is hitting a measly .203 with one HR and five RBIs. The good news in that bit of sour information is that Moustakas has struck out only seven times in 64 at bats against southpaws, which shows that he is at least making contact when he steps into the box against lefties. With this being said, there is no reason, in my mind anyway, to "mean mug" the television every time Fox Sports Kansas City shows Moore in the midst of a disaster of a game being played at The 'K'. The decision to leave Moustakas in the minors to this point was a legitimate one, and should not be viewed as another idiotic move by the man upstairs.
Another name constantly being mentioned in the rebuilding phase is that of Omaha outfielder David Lough. Lough, an 11th round pick out of Mercyhurst College in the 2007 draft, has spent all season in an O-Royals uniform. In his first season at the AAA level, Lough has compiled a .279 average in 448 ABs, hitting 11 HRs while driving in 56 RBIs. Lough has also managed to have success on the base path, collecting 14 swipes in 19 attempts. Lough, who in closest comparison could be matched to Royals' OF David DeJesus, split time last season between single A Wilmington and AA Northwest Arkansas putting together an impressive collection of stats, batting .325 with 14 HRs and 61 RBIs. 2009 marked Lough's second full season in professional baseball, and was easily his most successful.
While Lough doesn't have the "can't miss" tag already applied to Moustakas and Northwest Arkansas first baseman Eric Hosmer, his upside is most certainly something to get Royals' fans excited about. Much like Moustakas though, Lough is still in the learning curve of AAA baseball, and could benefit from seeing additional time at that level before being rushed to the majors in an effort to please an already... well... less than happy fan base. Lough has already shown improvement in his short time with Omaha, batting a stellar .390 so far in the month of August as opposed to .200, .271, and .291 in the three months prior. With Lough already showing this sort of promise and improvement as his time with the AAA affiliate continues to mount, logic would tell you to let the kid develop his talents to the fullest of his ability before giving him the free ticket to Kansas City, wouldn't you think? Well, have you met your average Royals' fan?
I've also heard talk amongst Royals' fans that they expect single A pitcher Aaron Crow and AA hotshot Hosmer to be called up when the rosters expand to 40 in September, and the only thing I can say to that is you are all absolutely out of your minds. Crow, while toeing the slab for the Naturals, put together a 7-7 record with a bloated 5.56 ERA. Crow also had a hard time keeping runners off of the base path in Springdale, issuing 59 free passes in only 119.1 innings. Crow's 59 walks is still to this day second most on the team only behind that of fellow starter Eduardo Paulino. With Crow showing slow progress at the AA level, he was demoted to the Carolina League to regain his composure against a lower level of competition. Crow's former teammate Hosmer, on the other hand, has been a completely different story.
Hosmer continues to tear the cover off of the ball against AA pitching, collecting a .314 average with 11 HRs and 29 RBIs in only 159 at bats. Hosmer earned the call to AA after smashing opposing pitching in the Carolina League with Wilmington. In 87 games with the Blue Rocks, Hosmer hit .354 with seven HRs and 51 RBIs. Hosmer, the Royals' first overall draft pick in the 2008 draft, is still only in his second full season in professional baseball.
Rushing prospects is a game that the Royals have been a top tier team in throughout the past several years (Alex Gordon, Blake Stein, Dan Reichert, etc), and it never turns out well for the parent club when a rush decision like that is made. I realize how painful it must be for Royals' fans to read this, but the plain and simple fact is, Kansas City has several prospects that potentially could mesh well with the pieces to the puzzle that are already in place at the major league level. Picture a lineup with Moustakas, Hosmer, Aviles, DeJesus, Butler, and if he continues to pan out the way he has this season, Blanco. Those player alone could help pave the road out of this mess that the Royals have found themselves in since the magical 1985 season. As long as Moore keeps his head on straight and plays his cards the right way, which includes not signing "spot filler" free agents like Ankiel, Kendall, Farnsworth, Betemit (even though he has shown new found life at the plate) etc. to block the path of promising prospects in the farm system, this team could have a legitimate shot at success in the upcoming years... I'll be the first one to tell you though, that's a BIG if.
You Have to Start Somewhere...
I will be the first one to admit, it has been far, far too long since I last sat down and put my thoughts together in the form of writing. For some reason, typing a theft report or a narrative on a domestic assault just doesn't quite seem to have the poetic nature that actually putting your thoughts into writing does (go figure). However, this is as good of a time as any to attempt to rekindle the writing groove that I feel I once had.
You know, it's funny... When you're 18 years old and chasing dreams that you've had for years, the one thing that you hope for once graduation comes around is excitement and the feeling of being able to love what you're doing in your professional career. As I sit back now and reflect on my days at Park University, it almost brings me to tears to see how much this small town "hick" accomplished, and how none of those accomplishments now seem to matter in my new found profession. You may be sitting there thinking to yourself 'Well, how is any of this supposed to be funny?', well allow me to enlighten you.
Straight out of high school, I set out on my college conquest coming from a family that was always pressing (more like inching) forward on a day by day basis when it came to financial security, only to find ourselves breaking even at best. I myself, took my first job at the age of 16 seating guests at a local Springfield eatery. It didn't pay great, obviously, but it was enough to pay for my cell phone (which is saying quite a bit considering it was being used by your typical high school student), and my transportation. When I graduated from high school, I swapped locations from the backwoods of the Missouri Ozarks to the vast metropolis of Kansas City. It was a great time for me, a learning time for me. I experienced new people, things and thoughts on a daily basis. Everything from the way I presented myself to the sounds I fell asleep to night after night had undergone a complete makeover. One thing remained the same however, and that was my ongoing need to work to ensure I would be able to struggle my way through four years of college at a private university.
I continued to put in 40 plus hours a week on top of my now added responsibilities as a student, and as a journalist. Even with the stresses of each responsibility constantly biting at me like a frigid winter wind, I managed to succeed when it came to my duties as a staff writer for the Park University Stylus. By the end of year one, I was fortunate enough to secure a position on the staff as Sports Editor. By year two's expiration, I earned the position of Managing Editor. Only a semester after that exciting promotion, I was given the opportunity to have my go as Editor In-Chief, and let me tell you ladies and gentlemen, I was on cloud nine being blessed with that opportunity.
I was writing a column on a regular basis, overseeing staff issues, helping out with layout and design and everything in between. I even managed to bring in a couple of awards at a state collegiate writing contest.. I was loving every minute of every day. To me, there was no greater feeling in the world than being able to sit down in a silent office, put on some music and let the thoughts and feelings in my head run freely through my fingertips as I pieced together my latest puzzle of a column. But, over time, the joy I had once got out of successfully making it through a tight deadline turned sour, and I began to wear down as the burden of carrying out my daily tasks pushed me into the ground like a tent stake driven by a determined camper.
Slowly but surely, I began to see others taking my place as the helm of the newspaper. I still held the head title, but I did little more than write my weekly piece and edit a few others laying around. One afternoon prior to the weekly deadline, I sat in a crowded office with staff writers and photographers running in and out in frantic fashion and attempted to muster another column out of my exhausted mind. I sat, and sat, and sat, and no words found themselves making the transition from fingers to document. For the first time in my young writing career, I had no idea what to say and even worse, how to say it. I sat there in literal pain, feeling as alone as the blinking cursor on the blank word document on the screen in front of me. This was the straw that broke the camel's back when it came to my career as a collegiate journalist.
After that semester, I transferred to Northwest Missouri State University, leaving the place I found the most success in life. I fought my way through a lone semester at the dreadful school, putting a few average at best pieces together for the campus text here and there. The feeling of success I had once had as a writer though had completely vacated me. It was at the end of that one miserable semester that I decided to hang up my aspirations as the next big Kansas City Royals beat writer.
As time passed by, things progressed with me and my new future. As much as I despised Maryville and the university located there, I saw the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. I met the love of my life in this town, which far outweighs any journalistic accomplishment of mine. I also was able to attend and successfully graduate from the Missouri Western State University Law Enforcement Academy, and quickly found my first part-time law enforcement job in a small town not much larger than my original stomping grounds in the heart of the Ozarks. Shortly after, I wittingly (and cunningly) fooled the girl of my dreams into marrying me, another accomplishment I'm very proud of. Three days after the wedding ceremony, I started on the road as a full-time deputy, successfully snagging my first full-time law enforcement employment.
As rough as the road to get to this point has been, it seems that I have finally found a starting place in my career, as well as my life. I have all of the excitement an 18 year old, wet behind the ears college student ever ask for in my respected profession. The funny thing about it is, I always imagined getting my excitement and love for my job from behind a desk typing tomorrow's catchy column, not by policing the streets of a rural Missouri county. However, I love what I do for a living, and I love the fact that when I get off duty and return home in the early hours of the morning, that I have the greatest woman in the world waiting there for me. There are times when I think to myself that I should have continued the march toward my journalistic Eden, but the times I spent slaving away in the Stylus office pale in comparison to what I feel I have accomplished since those days, at least in this average joe's mind. Perhaps one day, one day soon, I can continue to pursue my childhood dream of writing about the Royals. Until that day comes however, I will continue living the dream that I have been dealt. Besides, if and when I do make the transition from law enforcement back to journalism, this time around, I'll have somewhere to start from.
You know, it's funny... When you're 18 years old and chasing dreams that you've had for years, the one thing that you hope for once graduation comes around is excitement and the feeling of being able to love what you're doing in your professional career. As I sit back now and reflect on my days at Park University, it almost brings me to tears to see how much this small town "hick" accomplished, and how none of those accomplishments now seem to matter in my new found profession. You may be sitting there thinking to yourself 'Well, how is any of this supposed to be funny?', well allow me to enlighten you.
Straight out of high school, I set out on my college conquest coming from a family that was always pressing (more like inching) forward on a day by day basis when it came to financial security, only to find ourselves breaking even at best. I myself, took my first job at the age of 16 seating guests at a local Springfield eatery. It didn't pay great, obviously, but it was enough to pay for my cell phone (which is saying quite a bit considering it was being used by your typical high school student), and my transportation. When I graduated from high school, I swapped locations from the backwoods of the Missouri Ozarks to the vast metropolis of Kansas City. It was a great time for me, a learning time for me. I experienced new people, things and thoughts on a daily basis. Everything from the way I presented myself to the sounds I fell asleep to night after night had undergone a complete makeover. One thing remained the same however, and that was my ongoing need to work to ensure I would be able to struggle my way through four years of college at a private university.
I continued to put in 40 plus hours a week on top of my now added responsibilities as a student, and as a journalist. Even with the stresses of each responsibility constantly biting at me like a frigid winter wind, I managed to succeed when it came to my duties as a staff writer for the Park University Stylus. By the end of year one, I was fortunate enough to secure a position on the staff as Sports Editor. By year two's expiration, I earned the position of Managing Editor. Only a semester after that exciting promotion, I was given the opportunity to have my go as Editor In-Chief, and let me tell you ladies and gentlemen, I was on cloud nine being blessed with that opportunity.
I was writing a column on a regular basis, overseeing staff issues, helping out with layout and design and everything in between. I even managed to bring in a couple of awards at a state collegiate writing contest.. I was loving every minute of every day. To me, there was no greater feeling in the world than being able to sit down in a silent office, put on some music and let the thoughts and feelings in my head run freely through my fingertips as I pieced together my latest puzzle of a column. But, over time, the joy I had once got out of successfully making it through a tight deadline turned sour, and I began to wear down as the burden of carrying out my daily tasks pushed me into the ground like a tent stake driven by a determined camper.
Slowly but surely, I began to see others taking my place as the helm of the newspaper. I still held the head title, but I did little more than write my weekly piece and edit a few others laying around. One afternoon prior to the weekly deadline, I sat in a crowded office with staff writers and photographers running in and out in frantic fashion and attempted to muster another column out of my exhausted mind. I sat, and sat, and sat, and no words found themselves making the transition from fingers to document. For the first time in my young writing career, I had no idea what to say and even worse, how to say it. I sat there in literal pain, feeling as alone as the blinking cursor on the blank word document on the screen in front of me. This was the straw that broke the camel's back when it came to my career as a collegiate journalist.
After that semester, I transferred to Northwest Missouri State University, leaving the place I found the most success in life. I fought my way through a lone semester at the dreadful school, putting a few average at best pieces together for the campus text here and there. The feeling of success I had once had as a writer though had completely vacated me. It was at the end of that one miserable semester that I decided to hang up my aspirations as the next big Kansas City Royals beat writer.
As time passed by, things progressed with me and my new future. As much as I despised Maryville and the university located there, I saw the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. I met the love of my life in this town, which far outweighs any journalistic accomplishment of mine. I also was able to attend and successfully graduate from the Missouri Western State University Law Enforcement Academy, and quickly found my first part-time law enforcement job in a small town not much larger than my original stomping grounds in the heart of the Ozarks. Shortly after, I wittingly (and cunningly) fooled the girl of my dreams into marrying me, another accomplishment I'm very proud of. Three days after the wedding ceremony, I started on the road as a full-time deputy, successfully snagging my first full-time law enforcement employment.
As rough as the road to get to this point has been, it seems that I have finally found a starting place in my career, as well as my life. I have all of the excitement an 18 year old, wet behind the ears college student ever ask for in my respected profession. The funny thing about it is, I always imagined getting my excitement and love for my job from behind a desk typing tomorrow's catchy column, not by policing the streets of a rural Missouri county. However, I love what I do for a living, and I love the fact that when I get off duty and return home in the early hours of the morning, that I have the greatest woman in the world waiting there for me. There are times when I think to myself that I should have continued the march toward my journalistic Eden, but the times I spent slaving away in the Stylus office pale in comparison to what I feel I have accomplished since those days, at least in this average joe's mind. Perhaps one day, one day soon, I can continue to pursue my childhood dream of writing about the Royals. Until that day comes however, I will continue living the dream that I have been dealt. Besides, if and when I do make the transition from law enforcement back to journalism, this time around, I'll have somewhere to start from.
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