Bray Day! Episode 15

Aaron Bray was the 27th round draft pick for the Astros in last June's amateur draft. He was also the winner of the Astros County Adopt-a-Player contest. Each week, Aaron will write a column for Astros County detailing his off-season. Check the sidebar for archives.

Hello Astros fans! I have been busy the past couple days. I hope all of you are doing well. I thought I was busy when I was going to class, but without class I feel as if I am busier. I'm up early I go to the gym. After the gym I am either in the practice gym at UNC-Charlotte doing agility drills or down at the field to do my conditioning. Then once that's done, I get to mess around on the field. I usually throw and hit. This week I plan on starting to take ground balls and fly balls. Why both? I guess being considered a utility guy I will try not to limit myself to the infield. As I say every week, I am excited to get down there to Florida and start playing. I feel after one season I learned a lot of stuff to make me better. I took what I was taught by my coaches and used some advice from other players and molded the two together. Once you feel like it is all clicking together, you're itching to get out and show it off, and that's how I feel now. This leads into my question for the week.

What do you think is the biggest distraction that keeps guys from "making it" in baseball?

There are so many factors to baseball players not making it. I mean I believe all the sports have the same reasons for players not making it. You have girls, money, drugs, off field issues. To me as a player the one I feel that gets most players is work ethic. The reasons listed above are obvious and rare. But work ethic can take the top athletes out of their game. There are sport gods and they are always watching. I feel like if your work ethic is not very good you will not make it. If you're in the weight room and you're skipping reps or cutting your running short and just doing it to be seen, you're not hurting the coach or any of your teammates, you're hurting yourself and it will cost you. I was told by someone that if you don't make it, it better be because they took the jersey off of you. So you work hard and give them a reason not to let you go. You work hard, you do what you're asked. It is all about integrity. Doing the little things when no one is watching. I feel that a good strong work ethic keeps players in the game, also along with talent. But if your work ethic is good, you will keep getting better as a player.

I hope you all have a great week!!!!!
Aaron