My experience at the Trop

Work.

It's the only way to describe Sunday at Tropicana Field.

Last summer, I interned at MLB.com from early May to late August, covering all but two of the Colorado Rockies home games. The only day possibly harder than today was my final game. It was the best Rockies game I covered. I remember the game tied at 1 and the San Francisco Giants scoring three in extra innings in what seemed like the winning runs in a game with H-U-G-E National League Wild Card implications. Then the Giants stop throwing strikes, which included a walk to the pitcher. Unbelievable. The next thing anybody at Coors Field knew was Ryan Spilborghs slamming a walk-off grand salami into the bullpen in right-center and flying around the bases with his helmet tossed and hands outstretched -- just like Kobe in Game 6 at Phoenix after he hit that amazing fadeaway to put the Lakers up 7 with less than 40 seconds left.

I can remember this because by then, I felt comfortable with my responsibilities.

Then today came. Nothing surprised me -- except Leon Carter telling us to write the poem Invictus in front of the Tampa Bay dugout while waiting for manager Joe Maddon.

But I also don't remember many details in the Rays losing to Ozzie's Chicago White Sox 8-5. Maybe it's because I started blogging today. Never blogged in my life prior to SJI. This is my fourth blog of the day. I Twittered with MLB.com, but Twitter is easy.

Or maybe it's because I had no control. Last summer, I set everything up to a tee. It almost became an assembly line:

1. Get to Coors with 30 minutes to spare
2. Go to clubhouse once they open and get interviews
3. Pregame story
4. Next day's preview
5. Eat
6. Watch game
7. Turn in quick gamer before top 9 or middle of ninth inning depending on situation
8. Postgame interviews
9. Turn in writethrough

This time, eating was the only normal act.

Blogging created more work. No postgame interviews meant more work in-game on interviews done pregame because I don't want to leave any stones unturned. More in-game work meant less observation of the game.

Don't get me wrong, I watched as much of the game as I could, but not as much as I liked. I stopped working only in key situations such as a Carlos Pena or B.J. Upton at-bat because both players have been -- for a lack of a better word -- scuffling. And I'm being kind. Pena struck out three times on Carlos Pena Toothbrush Holder Day. Pena might have been hitting with a toothbrush in May (12-of-94, .128 average). Upton singled, but is hitting .216.

As a result, I didn't start on my quick gamer/recap until I returned to Poynter after everyone else. Oh, and did I mention my group and I returned after everyone else because we got lost? It meant less time to write my recap.

But hey, if today was out of the ordinary for me, I might not have been alone. Tampa Bay's James Shields struggled and gave up home runs to Alex Rios, a guy who was 5-of-27 against him prior to the game, and Jayson Nix, a fella who's hitting .167 AFTER his go-ahead grand slam.

Maybe it will get easier. Or maybe it won't.

Maybe I'll gain more control. Or maybe I'll have to succumb to nature.

Maybe I'll beat the system. Or maybe the system will beat me.

But here's another word I should add to my lede.

Faster.