I was sixteen years old and my first Varsity season in high school had just ended.  I turned 16 that May, so I had been 15 years old playing against 18 year old players earlier that season.  It showed.  I went 1-6 with one save.  

And I was a stick!  A tall-skinny, stringbean who couldn't put weight on if I tried.  My best friend Roger and I began playing in a men's 18 and over Sunday league in East LA back that summer.  I was playing against men with some tough baseball experience. I held my own and learned to compete.  The next high school season, playing against players younger than this I thought, would be so much easier.