Hello from Hunter
Inside the Ballpark with Hunter Pence
Hi Everyone,
Well with the busy holiday season upon me, I am hoping that after New Year’s everything will calm down for me. Up until this point, my off season has been pretty hectic. During the month of November alone, I have managed to be in three weddings for some of my closest friends. My brother was one of those weddings, he was married in California. All of these weddings and other commitments made it difficult for me to get my workouts in during November. While I was visiting California for my brother’s wedding, I actually paid a guy working in a vitamin shop five dollars to let me use the few weights that he had in the shop so that I could get a workout in. I guess that it is fair to say that I had to try and find any opportunity I could to work out with my hectic schedule.
I guess that is okay because I used that time to let my body recover from the season. However on December 1st, my training madness began. I have a trainer that I trust, Steve Seney, who owns a company known as “REPS” that I work out with. During the first two weeks of December I was sick, sore and didn’t get much sleep due to the strenuous training. We started off doing four days of weight training a week. We called those first two weeks “hell week” because my body was adapting and I was pushing my body past its limit.
In this training, I have found that your body can handle much more than most people could imagine. During those first two weeks I was sick from the training. But during the third week, I started working out with Steve six days a week and instead of exclusively doing strength and power workouts, we started doing conditioning for three days and strength and power for three days. The only day of the week that I have a break from training now is Sunday. I have been working with REPS and Steve over the past two years and I feel that working with them has given me a major advantage on the baseball field. During some of my upcoming blogs, I am sure that I will talk more about my workouts with Steve and REPS, but right now I want to share some more important things that you probably want to hear about — TRADES!!
It looks like a lot of my old buddies are off to play elsewhere, and we are going to have some new teammates with the Astros. The emotions are strange because on the one hand I’m really sad that all my friends are gone because I have shared so many games and experiences with them. On the other hand, I’m also happy for them because they are going to have new opportunities, and I am excited about the great players that we received for them.
The chance to play with someone like Tejada is really exciting for me because I love to be around people who seem to enjoy the game like I do. You can see it in the way he plays the game. He is not only is a great player, but he loves to get after it. And the more of those guys you have on your team, the better your chances are to win. Not to mention the middle of our lineup is going to be one of the toughest for any pitcher to face.
After this past season, I still have a really bitter taste in my mouth with how we finished up the season. Each day I try to remember the feelings that I felt towards the end of the year watching other teams celebrate as they clinched the playoffs. I use that feeling to motivate me as I’m going through my workouts. All and all, it’s good to see the moves that we’ve made and I know it’s going to bring a lot of confidence to the locker room when we arrive for Spring Training. For now I’m going to keep getting after my speed and power, and on January 1st, I will begin throwing, hitting and my defense work. So for now, that is what is going on with me and my program.
Thanks for listening.
-Hunter
Tags: baseball, baseball-training, Houston Astros, hunter pence, hunter pence blog, hunter-pence-off-season, miguel-tejeda, mlbRelated Stories
POSTED IN: From Hunter
21 opinions for Hello from Hunter
Geoff Young
Dec 31, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Welcome aboard, Hunter; great to have you with us! Best of luck in ‘08 — except when you’re playing my Padres, of course. ;-)
Looking forward to future posts from you…
Aaron Brazell
Dec 31, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Good to see you arrive, Hunter, and I’m looking forward to reading this blog. Please let me or one of the other tech team members know if there’s anything we can do for you along the way.
Cheers.
Don Zaegel
Dec 31, 2007 at 10:37 pm
To help clear the smoke, I am a St.Louis Cardinal fan; however that only matters during the post season. It will be interesting to hear on any new directions the Astros are looking torwards with a new GM for the upcoming season. Welcome to the b5 Media Sports Channel Team and Good Luck in ‘08.
Don
http://www.gettingreel.com
gary
Jan 1, 2008 at 9:35 am
We are sure glad you are an astro. I have followed the astros since 1968. My father listened to them on the radio. Good luck in the future…GO STROS
Jen
Jan 1, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I hope your holidays were great. Can’t wait to see y’all in February for Spring Training! I miss my boys terribly. :)
Joel B.
Jan 1, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Keep kick’n but dude. You’ve made it exciting to watch the Astros win or lose.
Syd
Jan 1, 2008 at 2:47 pm
I really enjoy watching you play. It reminds me so much of the free love we used to have when i played ball, and the reckless abandon with which we played. Please don’t lose that - our team needs it. I agree with you about Miguel Tejada. It might get contageous and we’ll get away from the boring, but successful, milquetoast that we’ve had for so long. Go ‘Stros!
FF&F
Jan 1, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Hunter, I like the way you seem to be accepting the departure of your buddies. It is not fun to be separated from friends, but the team needed to be shaken up. I am afraid we have now become the Texas Rangers, playing four hour games in which we score 10 runs, but can’t get anyone out.
I am hoping for some pitching help to arrive or emerge!
James Meadows
Jan 1, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Hey! It is great to see that you are doing a blog. I can’t wait to read your future posts. I have been an Astros fan for over 20 years and I loved watching you last season! Keep up the good work and Go ‘Stros!
Jeremy Wright
Jan 1, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Hey Hunter,
I’m not much of a baseball guy (except the Jays… too bad you guys don’t play!), but wanted to give you a huge welcome from the b5 team (even though a few have already welcomed you!).
If there’s ever anything I can do to help out, let me know :-)
Jeremy Wright
b5media CEO
Kevin Watson
Jan 1, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Hunter - Thank you for sharing your thoughts. And welcome to the blogging world. You have been a delight to watch play on the baseball field. I love your approach to the game. It has been hard to watch Bagwell and Biggio retire, but I am excited that someone like you is carrying the Astros into the future. (By the way, I would love to hear about your thoughts in a future post about getting to play with Craig Biggio!)
Take care,
Kevin
joe b
Jan 2, 2008 at 8:46 am
hang in there kid,
i have been watching this team all my life and basically the season was a bust about the time you arrived.you are what kept my parents and i watching the game every night.you remind me in looks of my 4 year old nephew—their great-grandson–in fact we call you him each time you come to bat.anyway,i really look forward to watching you this year and intend to make some games–maybe even take him to watch you play.
good luck and GOD BLESS YOU.
Jamie
Jan 2, 2008 at 8:53 am
I wish you the best of luck Hunter. Hope what you showed us this past season will be just as exciting to watch what you can do in the upcoming games. Hopefully with the additions we have had this offseason it will put a new spark into this team. Good Luck and Go Astros!!!. From a fan in Indiana.
Paul
Jan 2, 2008 at 10:24 am
I briefly met you in Kissimmee last spring, Hunter. Go #84! lol Anyway, you were ultra nice, & I wish nothing but the best for you this season, & in your career with the Astros.
roitelas
Jan 2, 2008 at 11:01 am
you must be third bat
Brandon
Jan 2, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I had a really good time last season reading Curtis Granderson’s blog on espn.com and I don’t even have any particular interest in the Tigers (or the American League). It was nice to read about the journey and the day to day life that comes with your hectic profession. I’m really glad one of “my guys” is blogging this season. Thank you for playing baseball in my city. Seeing guys my age play for this team and be successful in this league has really rejuvenated my love for the sport.
Look forward to reading!
KerbyTex
Jan 2, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I am glad you are an Astro! Thanks for hustling every play. This is only your sophmore year, but you are already showing leadership with your enthusism and hustle. Keep it up and you will be the new Biggio.
Mike
Jan 2, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Hunter, I really enjoyed your blog! I’ve been an Astro fan for many years, and can truly say that you are one of my favorite Astros ever. I appreciate the way your play has sparked the team, and you have helped make the team fun to watch again. I think many of us tuned in last year just to watch you play. Hopefully your leadership on the team, and your playing passion will rub off on the others! Don’t change a thing, we love ya…We can’t wait for the season, and the 2008 Astros!!
BWT
Jan 3, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Hunter, If & when you have a chance I’d like to hear your take on hitting (mechanics, things you were/are taught & specific drills that have helped you)
Thanks.
Joshua Smolik
Jan 5, 2008 at 1:14 am
I am looking foward to reading more of your posts about your life, training and the season. My grandfather is a big fan of yours. I let him know about this site so he can read up on it.
Talking about favorites
Aug 5, 2008 at 8:18 am
[…] It’s no coincidence that the colors were modeled after the Astros’ colors, since Hunter Pence was the previous author of this blog. But, since I’m a fan of Houston, you’ll never hear me complain about the colors on […]
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