ALLISON: My Baseball Wife Life

The term "baseball wife" has many connotations- some positive and unfortunately, many negative. Frequently this version of wife life is thought of as a permanently glamorous life when in fact, even for the woman married to the highest paid player in the game, I can guarantee you being married to a baseball player is not always perfect hair and makeup, tinted windowed SUVs and nannies. There's about a two month off-season window to get married- say goodbye to spring weddings. There is no guarantee that your husband will be around for the birth of your children- plan accordingly. Vacations have to be planned around the major holidays since those months are the only ones without baseball. Every baseball wife embodies their role in a different way as to best support their family and THAT is what I think is so admirable and unique about this job. 

For those of you who don't know me that well, I'm naturally sort of a control freak. Or how do people say that the nice way… I'm naturally a "Type A" personality, let's put it that way. I like to plan. I like routines. I like stability. All of that pretty much flew out of the window in December of 2010 when I met my (now) sweet husband. If you would have told me nearly 5 years ago that I would be traveling around the country, living in small towns, watching him play baseball and not knowing for sure where I would be living tomorrow, I would have told you to stop drinking so heavily.

Adam and I started dating when I was a senior and he was a freshman in college. Call me a cougar or a cradle-robber if you will, but I prefer puma if you MUST categorize. I was fortunate enough to work at our alma mater, UCLA, while he was finishing up his career there which allowed me to be by his side for some of our now most memorable times. It also made me feel like I kind of got to do college twice- bonus! The fact that I spent almost three years working a full-time job before Adam started his pro career played a HUGE part in why we were comfortable with me traveling with him during baseball season. In fact, me not traveling with him was never really an option that we seriously considered. No matter how strong your relationship is, spending nearly 6 months out of the year apart is going to be VERY challenging and we just knew that the long distance life wasn't going to be for us. There are so many couples that aren't in a position to be together for baseball season- we consider ourselves lucky.

One of the biggest things I have learned in the last eighteen months or so on the road is how to be comfortable being uncomfortable which, like I said earlier is definitely not my natural tendency. Our lives are ever-changing and "stability" is not a word commonly used in a sentence along with "minor league baseball." For me, a big part of being comfortable in uncomfortable situations is working in whatever town we live in. Fortunately for me, there are ALWAYS little girls wanting to learn gymnastics. I grew up in a gym. I learned in a gym. I developed so many of the personality traits that have made me who I am as a person, in a gym. So, for me that is one of my comfort zones. The vault, bars, beam and floor are going to be the same no matter where I am and that makes me feel like me. I've been lucky enough to coach in every town that we have lived in and not only does it provide extra income but it also gives me a sense of purpose, schedule and stability.

From what I have learned and experienced, it is incredibly important to keep a strong sense of self while your husband is a professional athlete, especially in the minor league baseball system since the road to the top is a much longer and more complicated process than most other pro sports. While our guys are scratching and clawing 9 hours a day for 6 months out of the year (all while getting paid below minimum wage and sleeping on the floors of buses) to continue moving up, it is very easy to get completely consumed by the game and by your husband's performance. Suddenly every poor at-bat, every home run given up and every slump seems like the end of the world. You start living and dying by the game. So, then not only is your dude frustrated and stressed but you could be unintentionally projecting your concerns about his career (and therefore a portion of your future lives together) onto him. The journey to the big leagues is already hard enough, you have to take everything as it comes and try to appreciate the adventure that you're on.

Keeping my sense of self includes keeping my daily workout routine, coaching/working as well as creating a comfortable home for me and my husband. Every marriage is different, but for us, me being fully supportive of my husband during season doesn't necessarily mean having my butt in the seats every single night, especially since he only pitches once every five days. I usually don't go on road trips. I may not even be at every home game. The way I fully support Adam during season is equal parts being at his games AND what I do away from the field. Having our own apartment (that I try to make feel as homey as possible!) to come home to at night, spending mornings together, eating dinner together-even if it's at 11pm- and having our dog, Max, with us is what I feel makes me a supportive baseball wife. 

Another less talked about aspect of being a baseball wife, is being supportive of your fellow baseball girls! Let's face it, unless you're living this lifestyle (whether you're traveling or not) it is VERY difficult to understand the many challenges, successes and stress of supporting a baseball-playing husband. Whether it's sitting at games, getting together for a workout or exploring the town that you are living in, it is so comforting to be surrounded by women that are experiencing (or have experienced in the past) the same ups and downs that you are. One of the best things about social media is that the supportive community of baseball women doesn't just stop at the ladies who are on the same team that you are! It's so easy to connect with tons of other gals via Facebook, Twitter, etc. and ask for advice or provide comfort. There are so many strong, independent women throughout the sport that make me proud to be a part of the community. 

ALL of that being said, Adam does an incredible job of supporting me along this crazy journey as well. Having a successful baseball marriage is not one-sided, as much as it sometimes is viewed as such. Minor league baseball season is compromised of 140 games which, doesn't leave a lot of time for Adam to always "physically" do supportive things but he is my emotional support system. He is so emotionally level and knows exactly how to mitigate most of my apprehension that comes along with moving, finding new jobs and making new friends several times a year. He asks me about my work every day. He wakes up earlier than most of the other guys so that we can spend time together before he leaves for the field. He hustles out of the clubhouse at night so that we can get home to make dinner. One of the things I appreciate most about Adam during baseball season is his amazing ability to leave baseball at the field. He could give up nine earned runs in one inning or throw a complete game shutout, but once he leaves the field, you wouldn't have a clue as to which occurred that night. I'm not even sure he knows how much that helps me during season, but it just makes our life at home feel so… normal.

Not only has traveling with my husband over the last year and a half allowed me to be on the sidelines (literally) to watch him chase his dream but it has also helped me grow SO MUCH as a person, as a friend and as a wife. The perspective and experience that I have gained has helped me discover that I CAN just roll with the punches and find positives among setbacks. I've lived in places I never would have dreamed of and met incredible people that I would have never crossed paths with and they will forever be a part of our story. This lifestyle has taught me to expect the unexpected and for that, I am thankful. 

MONICA: Words of Advice from a Frequent Flyer

Since the end of March, I have been flying from one destination to another at least once almost every week. This year being engaged, I have been making a major effort to split my time between wherever Marco is (which is always changing) and my hometown of Seattle to spend time with my family and close friends as much as possible before permanently moving away after we’re married next year.

So, since we all know a life in baseball means my sweet fiancé can never come visit me, I have become somewhat of a travel expert (Marco says, “self proclaimed”) and because Seattle is light-years away from just about every other city in the country, and Marco is rarely on the west coast, my travel days are generally 8+ hours long, with multiple connecting flights. Here a few things I have learned from my experiences…

Booking! 

A resource that has been really awesome for us is a site called skyscanner.com. It is perfect for last minute flyers (or all flyers for that matter), because it allows you to see all flights and airlines leaving from whatever airport you’re flying out of, so you can directly compare prices, and then book through the airline (without the annoying Priceline/Expedia guys).

Tip Here – always, always, always purchase travel insurance – just incase that “Call-Up” we’ve all been waiting for happens to come at an inconvenient time. Also, book your seats when you buy your flight! If airlines overbook, and you don’t have your assigned seat, you will be the first one out of a flight.

Airlines 
Pretty much every flight I take is booked within the same week or even sometimes the same day I pack up and leave, so we generally go with the cheapest flight available. Which means, I can tell you the ins and outs of just about every airline, so here are some things I have learned to expect when flying each one:

United: Potentially my favorite airline. I’ve always had good experiences here between the flight staff, reliability, and travel perks. Long flights include free wine (major plus), a meal, and a “digi-player.” They also have great deals on international flights incase you ever feel like a spontaneous trip to Europe (another post on that coming later!)

Delta: Another favorite. However, I have recently found that they schedule connecting flights dangerously close together. Which means you might find yourself sprinting through the airport in between flights when you land 10 minutes after your next flight begins boarding. Delta is also partnered with Alaska so you can combine mileage plans.

Alaska: My family loves Alaska, they’re definitely popular in the Northwest. However, I’ve found that if the airline messes up somehow (overbooking for example), they are not quick to apologize or accommodate for the mistake. But the “20-minute or less” guarantee to get your bags to the baggage claim is pretty awesome.

Southwest: A big favorite of anyone involved in the sports world (especially sports spouses) because they don’t charge for flight changes or cancellations, so a last minute change in plans doesn’t cost any extra. They will also wait for their checked in passengers who might be running a little late (a major plus for me). The boarding situation of choosing your own seat as you walk on the plane is still a little strange to me, but its not a big deal if you’re traveling in a party of one. Southwest also has a great credit card that you can use to rack up miles toward flights! They have promotions every once in a while where you can pick up extra miles by booking at certain times. 

US Airways/American Airlines: These two are operated by the same company, so they are essentially the same. With these, I’ve noticed that they’re really efficient with their travel days. For example, if you’re going from Washington to Florida, they wont have a connecting flight with a stop in New York (some airlines actually do this).

Frontier/Spirit Airlines: You’ll find that these are usually the cheapest options when initially booking, but I have never had a good experience on either of these airlines. They will charge you to book your seat, charge for a bag, charge for food/drinks, and charge for carry-on, charge you for every step you take on the airplane… basically I don’t have enough nickels & dimes to fly this airline. Keep away.

Travel Day -  Misc. tips for the day of travel.

I’ve found that cotton is my favorite clothing to travel in. Sounds random, but as much as I love my luon lululemon pants, cotton leggings are the comfiest for long days.  A good pair of tennis shoes and layers on top is also key.

Most people know the rule of thumb is to arrive about an hour and a half before flight time. When you’re at a smaller airport, you can cut down on that time to about an hour. And it's important to note that boarding time always starts about 5-10 minutes after it's supposed to, and you can board your flight up to about 10 minutes before scheduled take-off. Your "departure time" is actually the time the gates will close, not the time you will actually be taking off.  The flight staff will make “last boarding call" about 3 times before its really your last chance. I know this because I prefer to wait until the crazy line died down before boarding. 

If you can, fit your clothes into a carry on - even if it’s a larger one (it will save you some money). This way you can avoid the baggage drop line, and once you make it to the gate, and it’s too big to fit in the “overhead compartment,” the airline will put it with the other luggage without charging you the $25 you pay for a real checked bag. "Savvy veteran move"-Marco

Going through security, be sure to smile and make conversation with the TSA people. If you’re lucky, they will "randomly" select you to go to the TSA pre-check  line, meaning you go through security without having to take off your shoes, or remove electronics and liquids from your carry-on (much quicker - score!).

As of recent, most airlines don’t serve food (aside from the peanuts/pretzels) during flights shorter than 4.5 hours now, and they'll charge for it if they do. We all know we can't take large bottles of liquid through security, but you can take food! So I like to pack a wrap/sandwich and some dried fruit for the flight.. You can never be too sure what airport options are and it will save you some time and money.

Since I fly so much, I try to avoid asking my friends for rides to and from the airport. Taxis are expensive and an Uber can pick you up from the airport but only in a “Black Car”, which is about $50 a mile. I would suggest finding a complimentary shuttle to a nearby hotel, and then order an Uber from there.

Airports are always crazy and hectic, filled with stressed out people hustling & bustling for all sorts of reasons (sad, happy, vacation, business), so try not to stress when travel days don't go as planned. The other day, it took me 17 hours to get from Seattle to Palm Beach, Florida, because of mechanical problems, lightning storms, pilot issues, and everything else that could have possibly gone wrong. Easier said than done, but don’t forget there’s always a solution, and focus on the smiling face you'll get to see at the end of it..or in my case, a handsome man ;) All the miles & stressful hours are always worth it. 

Unfortunately, I can't tell you how to avoid over-packing… 2 years of constant traveling and I still don’t have that one mastered.

Safe travels everyone!

Xoxo

Mon

WAG of the Month: Virginia Rodgers

One of the most beautiful parts of our lives in baseball is meeting other wives and girlfriends (WAGs) who we can relate to and count on for support and understanding. We've met so many women from different backgrounds and places, and we wanted to be able to share them with you, our readers! 

Each month we will be featuring our "WAG of the Month", and have a guest post from a fellow baseball wife or girlfriend. 

This month we are featuring Mrs. Virginia Rodgers! I (Jackie) met sweet Virginia through baseball a few years ago, when our husbands played together at Arizona State. She's been a great source of support for each of us, and we're grateful to have her on this journey!

The three of us with Virginia at Jackie's wedding!

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Baseball: It Doesn't Define Us

Hey y’all! I am so excited to be the first guest blogger for the three lovely ladies that spearheaded this baseball blog masterpiece. Let’s hope my way with words is as eloquent and witty as theirs! Bear with me here.

To start, I am recently married as of 253 days ago to my hunk of a hubby, Brady Rodgers…but hey, who’s counting right? Brady and I met during both of our freshman years at Arizona State University (GO SUNDEVILS)! I joined a sorority where I met one of my best friends to this day and little did I know that this loud, big-haired, blonde girl from Texas would eventually drag me to some ASU baseball games and introduce me to my future hubby. It’s important to note here that Brady and I did not begin dating until the spring semester of our JUNIOR year. We both always knew we had chemistry, but let’s be honest…we both were focusing on the bigger picture here – baseball for him and biology for me (and maybe a couple of frogs until I got to be with my prince).

Well fortunately for Brady, his focus paid off when he was drafted as the first pick of the 3rd round in the 2012 MLB draft to his hometown team, the Houston Astros! There may or may not have been a tear shed that day…and when I say “may”, I mean there was, and when I say “tear shed”, I mean by Brady! It’s crazy to think that was 3 years ago already! Brady is currently a pitcher for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies in the Astros organization.

As for me, my biology degree is collecting dust (sorry Mom and Dad!), while I work full time in sales and marketing for a title insurance company in Houston. I moved out to Houston right after I graduated where Brady grew up so we could be together during our coveted off-seasons. I’m sure by now you have picked up on the sacrifices that come from this crazy world of baseball. Leaving my family was just about the hardest thing for me to do! Luckily, I married into a wonderful family that I get to spend a lot of time with!

Brady and I decided early on that I would stay home in Houston and work while he pursued his baseball career with me cheering him on from 1,000+ miles away. There have been many nights when I cuddle up to our sweet fur baby, Houston, and cry myself to sleep. This by no means is an easy lifestyle to handle! It takes strength, sacrifice, trust, communication, and FAITH to name a few!

When you begin your journey in professional baseball, you realize a lot of things quickly. Time apart, low pay, long days, hardly any time off, missing big milestones, etc. What you DON’T realize though, is the huge support system that comes along with this world. It’s a beautiful and inspiring thing all in itself.

The 3 girls that head this blog, Allison, Jackie, and Monica – are 3 perfect examples of the blessings that come from this life. It’s so amazing to think that women from all over the country, within different organizations, all fighting for the same end result, can all be so supportive of one another. These girls and many others are my rocks. No words will ever be able to sum up the tears they have dried for me from thousands of miles away. By far, this has been the biggest blessing for me personally through this journey.

When people ask about where my husband is, I say “Oh, he is gone until September or October” and the first question I always get is “Wow, is he in the Military?”. Luckily, I can sleep at night knowing he is safe, but I figure the time apart is right under that of a Military couple. Because of that, FaceTime, Skype, Snapchat, and basically anything that allows me to see my hubby’s handsome face, are our saving graces. That and COUNTDOWNS. The beauty of a countdown to your next visit is powerful. There is something comforting about knowing the end of a long period of absence is near!

It’s not easy being newlyweds and spending 7 of the first 12 months of marriage apart. Do I ever get jealous of the couples that get to be together during the season? Of course…we always want what we can’t have, right? But everyone has a unique journey and Brady and I are putting our faith in God’s great plan. That has admittedly been the largest struggle for me so far (more on that in a second). That, plus the pressure that these men put on themselves to perform.  If you allow it, it just about takes the fun out of the game of baseball that we all grew up loving.

This season has been one of growth for Brady and myself as a couple and in our walk with Christ together. It’s so easy to lose track of what is important in the world when you are constantly hoping things go your way and get angry with God when they don’t. Why didn’t I get that win? Why didn’t I get that promotion? Why is there no run support when I pitch? The questions could go on and on. Along the way, I have learned to enjoy the ride, no matter where it leads, because where we end up will be beautiful because it’s where God intended us to be. Whether it is in the major leagues with the Astros, with another team, or back in Houston watching Brady coach as a post-baseball career, it’s important to know that baseball doesn’t define us. There will be life after baseball.

You learn to accept the peaks and valleys and understand they are there to build you up, test your character and mental strength, and most importantly, bring you closer to God. There is a quote I have come to love this season – “When you are going through difficulty and wonder where God is, remember that the teacher is always quiet during the test”. I by no means have this whole baseball life figured out, but I’m slowly learning how to manage and appreciate it with the help of my fellow wives and girlfriends (aka – WAG’s)!

But for now, I will get in bed, cuddle up to our puppy, and appreciate the glory of high socks and baseball pants from a sub-par, grainy video feed. Oh, the glamorous life of baseball! But, I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

xoxo - Virginia

ALLISON: A Mid-Season Move!

GREAT news to report from the Plutko household: Adam got promoted to AA! He had an awesome start to the season in Hi-A and we have officially relocated to Akron, OH. Here's the thing. I love baseball and I obviously love my husband even more… but moving in the middle of the season is freaking HARD and STRESSFUL. Yes, the all caps are totally necessary. Don't believe me? If you can hang with me through this [long-ish] post, you may have a little better understanding of the anxiety and complications of having to move without warning. 

Cut to: a lazy Sunday morning in Lynchburg, VA. As I was getting ready to go to the game my phone started buzzing. I looked down to see that it was Adam calling and in the three seconds that I had to process that he was calling and pick up the phone I said a quick prayer to sweet baby Jesus that A. he wasn't hurt and B. that he was getting promoted. Thankfully, it was the latter and he was home within the hour! We had the afternoon together and he drove his car to Akron, OH the next day to meet up with his new team. Most people don't realize that these moves happen THAT fast. We were lucky to even have that afternoon together before he took off. Last season we got a couple of hours (insert monkey emoji covering his eyes here) before he left for our new town.

And so began my now traditional emotional cycle that accompanies a mid-season promotion: first comes excitement, happiness and optimism for the first 24 hours which is then quickly followed by stress, anxiety and a MAD scramble.

SUNDAY: After I got the call from Adam my mind immediately went to all of the things that were going to have to be done- I mean, I had two suitcases packed by the time he got home from the field. True story. But, first things first. CALL MOM! Thankfully, I have a mom that will drop everything at any time to come and help me pack up our life and drive to a new town. She’s definitely saved the day more than once. After her flights were booked, Adam and I got to enjoy the afternoon together- a novel concept.

MONDAY: I sent Adam on his merry way up to Ohio. Thankfully, the Indians let him drive his own car up there, which was one less (VERY BIG) thing that I had to worry about moving across three states. I also had to call the owners of the gym that I was coaching at and quit my job. Happy Memorial Day to them, right? Since it did happen to be a holiday, I was forced to put off cancelling/re-starting bills, finding a new place for us to live and renting a trailer to drag our stuff around. Since all else failed… it was pool time for me. 

TUESDAY: I had to go to the leasing office and see if I could talk my way out of our (minimum term) four-month lease. FYI- I hate breaking rules/confrontation and this kind of stuff makes me break into an immediate sweat. When we signed our initial paperwork, Adam explained that there was a possibility that we wouldn’t be living there for the full four months and asked what would happen if we DID have to break the lease. Answer: lease buyout. UGH. What kind of newlywed/minor league couple has $2,000+ to spend on an apartment that they’re not even living in? Spoiler alert: almost nobody. Our compromise was that we would go ahead and pay the rent for the month of June and if they could get someone to fill the unit we would get refunded for the portion of the month that new people took over. SO, if anyone is looking for a nice 2-bedroom place in Lynchburg, LET ME KNOW!

The rest of the day was spent packing, picking up my momma from the airport and visiting the gym that I had been working at so that I could say goodbye to the group of munchkins I had been coaching for the previous five weeks.

WEDNESDAY: Here is where things really started to get crazy. Adam and I almost always have more trouble than most finding an apartment that is not only big dog friendly but that also allows German Shepherds as they are more often than not on a “breed restriction” list. Womp womp. Short-term leases are also hard to come by but are necessary during season. PS: have you ever tried to find a place to live in a town that you’ve never been to? It can be a total crapshoot. I mean, who's to know where the hood is, right? We found a place that allowed Germans but had a 6-month lease minimum and it was going to be a month and a half of rent buyout if we broke the lease. We couldn’t seem to find a better option, so we sent in an application and we were going to figure out what to do about the buyout later.

Apparently my official name change hasn’t been fully processed (after 6+ months) with the credit-checking bureau that this particular complex used so my credit check came back with a fraud alert. According to them they couldn’t confirm that I am in fact Allison Plutko, so our application was denied. Back to being homeless. Adam was running around Akron trying to work something out and I called (enter a Lebron James voiceover here) "not one, not two, not three," but SEVENTEEN apartment complexes to see if they allowed our moose dog and/or would do short-term leases. I finally struck gold on lucky number eighteen. They could do a 3-month lease (the remainder of the season) and they allowed Germans. Bingo. On top of all of this, Adam was making his AA debut that night and I was scrambling around trying to do our application before someone else got to it! 

THURSDAY: After the mad stress of the apartment hunt I figured I had to be in the clear with moving obstacles. BOY, was I wrong. After a morning of errands and cleaning the apartment, my mom and I went to pick up our U-Haul trailer to attach to my car and pack up our stuff. We got back to the apartment and loaded it up- we don’t travel with furniture or anything so it’s mostly suitcases, plastic totes, cleaning supplies etc. Easy enough, right?

Once we were finished loading up, we were going to drop off our cable/Internet equipment and that’s when disaster hit. We were leaving the parking lot when BANG! an entire side of the bracket that attached to the frame of my car (which then attached to the hitch and then to the trailer) came COMPLETELY OFF. My car was entirely immobile, we couldn’t detach the trailer, NOTHING. STUCK. NO WAY OF LEAVING VIRGINIA. Without giving you the gory details of our several lengthy and (for them) very unpleasant conversations with U-Haul customer service, my mom and I proceeded as follows: took a cab to the local U-Haul, rented a truck that was way too big but was the only thing they had available, took everything out of the trailer, transferred it in to the truck, detached the trailer from my busted hitch and finally POURED A GLASS (or three) OF WINE. 

FRIDAY: I had to have the maintenance guys at our apartment complex detach the bracket from my car since U-Haul “couldn’t because it was attached to my personal property." Don’t even get me started on that… but, the guys didn’t have the right tool to detach it completely so I had to jog to the local tool shop (remember, my car was immobile), buy the necessary part and jog back- all before 9:00am. People were honking at me, I was sweating, I was carrying tools; clearly it really was a shining moment in my life. I also had to call someone to come pick up the empty trailer since I had no way of getting this trailer back to U-Haul and I certainly wasn't going to re-attach anything to my car. Once the guys detached my busted bracket and someone had come and picked up the trailer, we did some final loading up and finally headed out. About 8 hours of Max barking at 18-wheelers later (super great since we were on interstate almost the whole way) we made it to Akron. 

The next few days included, but were not limited to: air mattress sleeping, round two of unpacking and enjoying the three days I had with my husband in our new home before he hit the road for a week. This move may have been challenging and hectic but I'm happy to do my part so that our little family can stay together during the season because as we all know, similar to baseball, all of the important things happen at home. 

Cheers y'all! Xoxo,

AP