Headlines

  • Phillies Sign Walker Buehler
  • Administrative Leave For Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz Extended “Until Further Notice”
  • Cubs To Sign Carlos Santana
  • Red Sox To Extend Aroldis Chapman
  • Red Sox Release Walker Buehler
  • Pirates Place Isiah Kiner-Falefa On Outright Waivers
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

The Inner Monologue of @DimTillard Baseball Sayings

By Tim Dillard | April 30, 2017 at 10:50am CDT

It’s 8:02am on Sunday April 30th, 2017.  So here’s the gist… my name is Tim Dillard.  I’m a pitcher in my 15th professional baseball season, and currently in the Milwaukee Brewers organization with Triple-A Colorado Springs.  I think that’s it.  Oh yeah, I’ve been married for eleven years, and have three remarkable kids.  A few months ago I was minding my own business, when MLB Trade Rumors asked if I was interested in baseball blogging.  I asked if I could blog about movies instead, but they said no.  So here we are… in the midst of my SEVENTH Inner Monologue.

8:05am  Basically what I do is just write down my thoughts while logging the exact time.  Not sure what typing in the time, and putting it in bold accomplishes.  But I guess after the first time I did it, and nobody told me (to my face) that it was stupid… I just kept doing it.

8:07am  Right now our team is in Des Moines, Iowa.  Last night’s game against the Triple-A Cubs was postponed due to freezing temperatures, ice rain, hurricane-type wind, and lack of fans.  Today we’re supposed to have a day game, but could possibly turn into a night game depending on weather.

8:08am  Currently, I’m at the hotel trying to see how much I can type before my road-roomy vacates the bathroom.

8:09am  When I was grabbing coffee earlier in the lobby, a gentleman asked the front desk lady if he could order room service. (We stay at some nice hotels in the minor leagues, but I can promise you… none of them have room service.)

8:11am  Front desk lady was very polite when she told him they didn’t offer room service.  Then the man said, “Well, I guess it is what it is.”

8:12am  It is what it is?  You ever hear people say that?  First time I heard that expression was in 2007, and I’m still confused.  It’s like saying, “Well, you know oxygen is oxygen.” OR “You win some, you lose some.” OR “How’s a rainbow made?” OR “I’m calmly showing my maturity by hiding my frustration and disappointment behind a fancy philosophical-sounding statement that doesn’t change my current circumstances.”

8:13am  Well you know, baseball has a lot of interesting expressions too.  Especially in the minor leagues.  Such as:

“Wear it!”

“Skillets!”

“Clean it up!”

“Friends dues!”

“Save it meat!”

“Figure it out!”

“Have some feel!”

“There’s a window!”

“Hard in, soft away.”

“That GUY ’s in the SHOW!!??”

“Don’t like it?  Play better!” (or play worse)

8:16am  Anyway, I want to coin a NEW phrase in professional baseball.  And for some reason I thought now is the perfect time to divulge this special saying to the entire world! (Or at least the few people who read this… thanks for reading mom!)  And here it is:  “Do Less.” 

8:16am  Yep, that’s it, that’s the big one. “Do Less.”

8:17am  See, baseball is hard.  But sometimes it can appear simple when watching it on TV or from the bleachers.  For instance, the guy in the picnic area the other day who screamed, “Come on man!  Watcha thinkin’ gettin’ picked off!  I wouldn’t have gotten picked off!  Put ME in, coach!”

8:18am  In this particular case, the man had probably been drinking and was borderline unsober.  And still has every right to yell his opinion, but I reiterate… baseball is hard.

8:18am  Well during the game, in those most intense moments, players can sometimes feel the urge to dig deep or do more.  Like when a hitter wants to swing EXTRA hard or run EXTRA fast.  Or like a pitcher who wants to throw EXTRA hard or make a pitch EXTRA nasty.  But usually the opposite happens.  More often than not, the hitter misses, or breaks his bat, or pulls a hamstring.  And the pitcher, he usually throws a wild pitch or hangs a fun ball right down broadway.

8:19am  Do Less… just watch, it’ll be a thing.

8:20am  However, the most important thing about baseball sayings is knowing which one to use, and knowing when to use it.  I learned this lesson May 23, 2008.

8:20am  I was in Washington D.C., warming up in the visitors left-field bullpen, when the door opened.  Suddenly it dawned on me that just beyond the Nationals’ outfield grass and infield dirt, was my Major League Baseball debut!

8:21am  All I was thinking as I jogged out to the mound in front of 40,000 people, was… “Left.  Right.  Left.  Right.  Left.  Right.”

8:21am  Thankfully, without tripping, I managed to make it to the mound where veteran catcher Jason Kendall was waiting for me.  When he started double-checking my pitches and my signs, I was thinking about how many baseball cards I had of him growing up.

8:22am  Then he pulled his mask back down, turned to run back to the plate, and quickly said, “Here we go.”

8:23am  And for some unknown reason, I felt the need to say something back to him.  So out of all the words and phrases I know, my brain thought it’d be a good idea to intensely scream, “OK!  LET’S DO THIS!” (and yelled it like I was wearing giant headphones)

8:23am  It was enough for Jason Kendall to kinda stop, look back with a puzzled face, then continue his jog back behind the dish.

8:24am  All alone, standing there, on that mound, I spoke out loud, “Did I just tell… Jason Kendall… let’s do this!?”

8:25am  I felt very uncool in that moment.  Why would I say something so cheesy?  Why am I so awkward!

8:25am  And I’m pretty sure he told the home plate umpire what I said too, ’cause the whole time I was throwing my first major league warm-up pitches, the umpire was chatting with Jason Kendall then pointing at me and laughing.

8:27am  I still don’t know how it all happened, but… I guess it is what it is.

8:27am  Ah!  Think I just heard a toilet flush.

To Be Concluded…

Share 0 Retweet 11 Send via email0

MLBTR Originals Player's Perspective Tim Dillard

Adam Eaton Suffers Torn ACL, Meniscus
Main
East Notes: Yankees, Mets, Phillies, Rays
View Comments (9)
Post a Comment

9 Comments

  1. naked dave

    8 years ago

    It was even worse in the Springs last night. Like what I envision winter in Winnipeg to be like.

    Reply
  2. LodgeBoxin

    8 years ago

    So good sir…..So good

    2
    Reply
  3. fettichico shiznilty

    8 years ago

    This was priceless. The guy is comedy. For those who haven’t watched his videos, you need to.

    4
    Reply
  4. lesterdnightfly

    8 years ago

    Hope Tim gets a callup to the bigs again. Would love to hear what his thoughts and impressions would be.

    Plus he’s so right — “It is what it is” is about as prof0und as “whatever”.

    2
    Reply
    • jd396

      8 years ago

      Goes up there with “no offense, but [something overtly offensive]”

      Reply
  5. John F Thomas

    8 years ago

    3:19PM Read Tim Dillard’s blog.

    3:21 PM Reminisced about the first time I met Tim Dillard at spring training with the Lancaster Barnstormers (I was the clubhouse manager).

    3:21 PM Realized he was crazy the moment I met him. Was looking forward to a fun season with him on the team. He got called up before the season started.

    3:22 PM Same thing happened the next year. So……i developed a friendship with Tim by reading all the funny stuff he posts! I really think he’s a cross between Jim Carey and Bob Ueker (hope I spelled that right). Keep posting Tim, you keep me laughing!!!

    2
    Reply
    • statmaster96

      8 years ago

      Almost got it. Uecker

      Reply
  6. Nick Bellows

    8 years ago

    Reminds me of my NCAA debut as a freshman. Manager came to get me and stuck his hand out. I, of course being awkward and nervous, reached out to shake his hand, thinking he was congratulating me on making my first college appearance. He and my catcher looked at me like I was crazy until I realized he wanted the ball. Ugggg. Act like you been there right?

    Reply
  7. thekid9

    8 years ago

    Excellent! More please.

    1
    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Phillies Sign Walker Buehler

    Administrative Leave For Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz Extended “Until Further Notice”

    Cubs To Sign Carlos Santana

    Red Sox To Extend Aroldis Chapman

    Red Sox Release Walker Buehler

    Pirates Place Isiah Kiner-Falefa On Outright Waivers

    Randy Rodriguez Recommended To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Padres Place Xander Bogaerts On IL With Foot Fracture

    Cardinals To Promote Jimmy Crooks

    Red Sox To Promote Payton Tolle

    Corey Seager To Undergo Appendectomy, Not Ruled Out For Season

    Frankie Montas To Undergo UCL Surgery

    Guardians Release Carlos Santana

    Brewers Place Trevor Megill On IL Due To Flexor Strain, Sign Erick Fedde

    Guardians Place Carlos Santana On Outright Waivers

    Astros Reinstate Yordan Alvarez From Injured List

    Nathan Eovaldi Likely Out For Season Due To Rotator Cuff Strain

    Mets To Promote Jonah Tong

    BBWAA To Institute Relief Pitcher Of The Year Award In 2026

    Zack Wheeler Recommended For Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Surgery

    Recent

    Phillies Sign Walker Buehler

    Phillies Claim Tim Mayza

    Reds To Promote Sal Stewart

    Cubs Claim Aaron Civale

    Blue Jays Claim Isiah Kiner-Falefa

    Angels Sign Jose Urena, Place Tyler Anderson On Injured List

    Nick Anderson Elects Free Agency, Reaches Deal With Mariners

    Administrative Leave For Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz Extended “Until Further Notice”

    Nationals To Promote Andrew Alvarez For MLB Debut

    Cubs To Sign Carlos Santana

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Every MLB Trade In July
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version