Ricky Rodriguez photographer

And so it begins

2011-06-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

And so it begins. When I was 14 I finally reached the age where I could umpire baseball. I knew the older kids were allowed to umpire when they turned that age. We grew up just 3 blocks away from our local youth baseball complex. For some weird reason I knew my place was on that field. Its a weird thing because its a place where I feel both comfortable and uncomfortable. Its a love hate thing. Mostly love. So here I am a old 29 year old professional umpire working in short A (my second year). I'm always older than the players and my partner. You see I got into this a bit later in life than most professional umpires. Trust me right know I feel it. The squatting, sprinting and constant state of attention wears you out (oh and the traveling and practically no days off) Add on top of that me being a couple months out of back surgery and having to miss spring training I am playing catch up. I feel much more comfortable that last year. I'm enjoying myself on the field and trying to take it all in. I miss my lovely wife and doggies a ton just like last year but it seems to be a bit easier on the road this year. Granted we do have the added excitement and complication of Billie Jo being 8 and a half months pregnant with our little Joie girl. She is doing great by the way. I can't believe how awesome and strong she has been. I love that girl. Anyways so far I got to open in Eugene (former hometown of 5 years) and now in Washington. Will be here for another week. I'm going to continue to work until near the due date then head home for our new adventure. Exciting times. And did I say that this is crazy.

In Case You Didn't Know...

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BJ, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

In case you already don't know... my wife is awesome. Really she is. Really just rocks. Ok some back story. Met this lovely gal back in 2002. 9 years ago for you lower level math peeps like myself. We have traveled this country together and apart. She loves sports and watches more than me. She loves tamales and skiing. She is just plain cool. She lets me get in to way to many hobbies and lets me cook all of the meals. I am a good cook and I get to practice on her. for nearly 9 months she carried a little girl inside her too. I didn't even have do it at all. Some feet rubs did take place and I still owe her many more. She lets me go off to work in minor league baseball for months at a time. Not only that during the end of the pregancy. I know crazy. We moved across country again and bought a house. Did I mention my wife is pretty cool. She can tell you the entire line up for the Atlanta Braves and tell you who Arkansas plays next and the Oregon Ducks record was. She now is even a professor at UT San Antonio. She is molding great minds .If that can be half of what she is that class is do awesome.

I'm leaving on a plane tomorrow for baseball. I will be coming back to become a dad and a better husband. This is kinda crazy I know. It is gonna be tough but is going to be incredible when I get back. Heck it's incredible now. Oh, in case you didn't know. My wife is everything

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HeartSticker, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Heart sticker, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

BJ

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BJ, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

Meet Jackson

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A few months ago I had the chance to shoot a few pictures of Jackson. This young man is the child of a couple of our friends, Toby and Jessica back in Eugene, OR. This guy is awesome and has awesome parents.

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Meet Jackson, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Meet Jackson, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

Tarah

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Tarah, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

Another older shot of Tarah. I have been playing with some skin smoothing in PS and wanted to try it out on this one as well.

Tarah

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Tarah, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

This is an old one but wanted to play with it a bit. Tried some new things and I came out happy with it.

The Cross

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The Cross, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

Taken at Royal Palms Resort in Phoenix, AZ while off working the Arizona League this summer

Injury Update: The Season Comes to an End

2010-08-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

This is NOT me

So not the news I had hoped for. I am done for the year. Sending me home. But I'll back track for you first. Thats the best way to tell a story. Ahh what do I know? As you may know a couple of Sundays ago in Boise I left the game due to injury. I got smoked by a foul ball in the 1st inning. The ball took my mask completely off, which is not the norm. After picking it my mask I went back to work. I felt a bit dazed but okay. As the inning went one I began to have trouble tracking the ball and making decisions on the pitches. I left the game after the 2nd inning due to a concussion. After little over a week I had not cleared the ImPACT test. The ImPACT test in a computerized neuro test for my injury. It helps with the return to work decision for me. So after a week of not passing I get a phone call from work. "We are sending you to Pittsburg today." So I boarded a Red eye to Pittsburg. No sleep and an AM Dr appointment. However I got to go see Dr. Micky Collins, who is the one of the nations leading minds on sports concussions. I love reading anything he publishes and puts out in the media. So it was a great experience to get to meet him and learn a bit. He put me through a battery of tests. Again I would love the opportunity as an ATC to come out and study under this guy. He is phenomenal at this. Just not so much on this end.

After some testing by him I had some symptoms return. He said that he would bet my car that they would return if I exerted myself. So with only 2 weeks left he decided to call it a season for me. He said if this was April it would be different and I could be back in 3 weeks.

This is the right choice. I'm not completely better. But close. I got to see a vestibular physical therapist for an evaluation and some rehab. She gave me some rehab exercises for my vision. A lot of my symptoms come from my eyes. So this really is cutting edge rehab. Its exciting stuff really. I even got to meet a AA guy form the Texas League named Kelvin. He is awesome man. A man of God and a good umpire. Glad I got to meet him and share some stories with him for a night.

The Crew

There is no doubt that I will recover so please don't worry. This season was a great experience. I learned a lot about baseball. Professional baseball is nothing like amateur. Just a different sport. Both are great but way different. I like it. It is tough but rewarding. The experience has also been great for my marriage. Billie Jo and I have gotten closer by being apart. She has been a great sport. I have made some great friends and some great contacts. I had an incredible roommate in AZ. I also had a rocking partner in the NWL. We will see where this will take me. It's been blast, a real blast. I had some rough spells but what an experience. God has continued to bless me and will continue to, I am sure. Well one thing is for sure I am ready to get back on the field next season. Until then time to get healthy.

Lastly I wanted to thank the many people who have supported me this season. I couldn't do it justice by naming names. You know who you are. And Thank you. God Bless.

-I've always felt like an umpire. I still am one and really like that.

Concussions...Not Just For Athletes Anymore

2010-08-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

I spend usually about 10 months out of the year working with high school athletes as an Athletic Trainer. Usually sprains and strains. However often I deal with head injuries. These injuries are sustained in many different sports. To be honest it is one thing think interests me the most. This is probably due to working so closely with Dr. Mic Koester. He is one of the best in the country regarding young athletes with concussions. For years I have seen, treated, worked with and tested kids for concussions. I have seen a lot of them in 5 years. However I have never had one...until now.

I took a shot working a professional baseball game last Sunday. I was hit in the mask in the top of the 1st inning. After picking my mask off the ground, I continued to work but felt lethargic, dizzy and had difficulty concentrating on balls and strikes. I worked for one more inning until my partner and the home team's ATC pulled me out. Since then I have started to feel better. Still have a dull headache and some other mild symptoms.

If there is one thing I have learned it is empathy. I have tried to coach many kids through this process. The process from injury to rest to return. I am doing it with some help but a lot of my own knowledge. I now know how many of them feel. It is hard to remove yourself from the game. It is easy to deny your symptoms and you feel like you are letting others down. But I do know that if I do the right things I will get better and back on the field soon. I won't do it until I am ready and that is a promise. I would never let a kid do it and now it is time to practice what I preach. I will certainly use this experience as a tool in my future while working with young athletes who suffer from a concussion.

First Overnighter...

2010-08-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

Last night was my first overnighter. I know there will be longer ones in the future. So here is the scoop. We worked a 3 game series in Keizer and after my plate job on Friday night we packed up and drove from Salem, OR to Boise, ID. It was a long sleepy haul for sure. Then we we got there at 7am there was not a room for us. The hotel started to tell us ,sorry see you this afternoon, but fortunately enough they finally cleaned up a room for us. So we eventually got in and crashed and crashed hard. So after a long night, losing and hour and very little sleep its time for game one of 5. Should be a good time.

Oh How The Time Flys...

2010-08-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

The New Me

I can not believe how much has gone on since my last post. It was January last time. Well guys it is August. There is a lot to tell and share with you.

Last time I posted my God-Daughter, Abby was so small. See my last post to see her then. Now you can see her here. Wow so big. Hope we can make the trip up to Boston soon to see our friends.

The Boys

In January I was fortunate enough to do something I always wanted to... Go to Umpire school. I chose to go to Jim Evan's Academy of Professional Umpiring. 5 weeks in Kississimme, FL. Not gonna lie, better place to spend January than Oregon. Unless you ski. Which I do and missed out on this year. However I promise to take my lovely wife this year. Anyways it was great. I made some great friends there. We spent 6 days a week in class and on the field. 8am to 6pm. Then off to the rooms for homework, studying and some good times. We took a ton of tests, spent hours working on the field doing drills and in the cages. I graduated as an honor graduate, which gave me a chance to have a job in professional baseball.

Class

The Field

The Cages

In March the canadates made their way to Vero Beach, FL .We spent nearly 2 weeks in the class room and working games. We where evaluated by P.B.U.C. supervisors. It went well. I was offered a job in professional baseball. I was among the 15 offered at the time. There were 45 of us there in Vero Beach. Another great thing there was that the course was in Historic Dodgertown. So much history in a place like that. Dodger greats had been coming there for decades for spring training. It was fun.

After that excursion I got to spend time at home with my wife and doggies until late June. BJ graduated.

Dr. Billie Jo

Mom always wanted me to marry a doctor. We also had our 5 year anniversary! Got to take a trip to Seattle via the train, take in a Mariner's game and stay in a great place (Hey the tub filled from the ceiling).

In late June I then hit the road to Phoenix, AZ. I spent little over a month there working in the Arizona League. This was my first job in professional baseball.

Saguaro Cactus

AZL Pregame

The AZL is a rookie league. This means games with little to often no fans in big league spring training stadiums or complex fields. Not the best baseball but a great place to learn how to work in professional baseball. So different from amateur. I got to make some great friends and had a great. Roommate, Carlos.
Oh by the way Carlos was just promoted to the NWL. Awesome! If you hadn't heard AZ is quite hot in July. The days often looked the same. Breakfast, workout, lunch, Law and Order or NCIS, nap, and game. Then repeat...everyday. A lot of baseball for sure. I was lucking enough to have Billie Jo come out and visit for a week. We had a great time. I worked a lot but got to spend some quality time with her. We stayed in an awesome resort called the Royal Palms. Definitely a Big League place. We had a great time.

Rubbing Up Baseballs

Royal Palms

Hanging Out at the Diamondbacks Game

Then one day I got the phone call. I was promoted to the Northwest League. Which is great. Real baseball with crowds and traveling. I go from Oregon to Washington to Idaho to Vancouver, BC. Sometimes there are some hauls for sure but there is often great weather and I'm close to home. So to be honest I've been spoiled because I've gotten a lot of wife time. By far the hardest thing about this new career is being away from her. For a while I was worried about her but now I think its me having a harder time. She has been a trooper. Even mows the lawn and tames the crazy vine in the front yard. She is great.

So far in the NWL I've traveled to Eugene, OR, Everett, WA, Vancouver, BC, and Salem, OR. Next up Boise, ID. I have lucked out with getting a great partner, Mike. We work well together and I get to learn some good stuff from him.

About the job. Well to be honest it is tough. Not sure if it is different than I thought but tough. A lot of travel, a lot of baseball, and a lot of crap to put up with. I definitely remember the first time 4,000 plus booed me. It certainly was an experience. It is something I always wanted to be. So I'm gonna give it my all and try to do my best. I do certainly miss my wife and doggies but it has been pretty good for us. I got just about 3 weeks left and then back to the real world.

Last update is that I have a herniated disk in my low back. Not the greatest thing when you are working professional baseball. Trust me its hard enough healthy. Either way hoping and praying some relief is on its way soon.

Anyways I'm hoping to keep this blog up a bit with both photos and some updates on the year. Thanks

Meet the Shachmuts...They Good People

2010-01-15T19:02:00.001-08:00

Shacks, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

We have some really good friends in Oregon and Arkansas. We also have some great friends in Boston Mass. Laura is the best friend and a huge part of my wife's life. They have a beautiful little one named Abby. We are blessed to have her as our Goddaughter. Laura is a glowing, beautiful young mother. Kyle is a great young father who is a full time student and works very hard at his job. Abby just looks cute. Here are a few pics I took from this Christmas. Love these guys...they good people.

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Shacks, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Shacks, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Shacks, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Shacks, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Shacks, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Shacks, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Shacks, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Shacks, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Shacks, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Shacks, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

Senior Collage

2009-12-15T19:24:00.000-08:00

Frozen Columbia Gorge

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Horsetail Falls
Last Friday I decided to brave the elements and head down the Historic Columbia River Highway and shoot the frozen landscape. It did not snow or anything. We had simply had several subfreezing temps in the Pacific Northwest. So the falls and creeks frozen and I decided to get out there. Granted I was not the only one. There were hundreds of people out. Amateur, professional and just visitors. So I took a lot of shots (a few good ones), traveled, a lot on foot, and got really cold. Here are few of my favorites. Enjoy

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Multnomah Falls

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Wahkeena Creek

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Wahkeena Falls

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Multnomah Falls (lower)

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Multnomah (HDR)

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Multnomah Falls

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Horsetail Falls

London Calling

2009-11-30T21:54:00.000-08:00

So wanted to create a couple fun prints from pictures from my trip for my wall. This was my first attempt for something like this and I think it went well.

London Times

2009-11-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

Last July I watched my last game as the Head Athletic Trainer for Willamette High School. I was invited to travel with the Lady Wolverines to Europe for the Gothia Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden. More of the cup is to come on a later post. We spent about 3 days in London. I found London to be an incredible city. I would love to spend at least a week their with my lovely wife in the near future. The following pictures are some of my favorites.

Church Door Near Winsor Castle

Winsor Castle

Cobblestone street near Winsor

Umm. Beef and Kidney Pie

The Tower of London (the white tower)

My favorite sight seeing attraction. The tower is the historic Royal palace and fortress built by William the Conqueror in 1078. It had an incredible exhibit put on by The History Channel called Henry the VII: Dressed To Kill. Not only the but there were the Crown Jewels, Changing of the Guard, and Torture Chambers...a must see

Door to Wall for Archers

Knob (Well I thought it looked medieval)

The London Eye (One HUGE Farris Wheel, each car once held a Mini Cooper)

The "Eye"

Big Ben in the Clock Tower

Ben and the Eye

Westminster Abbey
A lot of famous dead people in there. Kings, Queens, Geoffrey Chaucer, and much much more!

Madonna and Child Outside the Abbey

So that's a few of my favorites. This was the first trial run with my new Canon 50D. So far so good I think. Will be sure to post some of my favorites of Sweden soon. Hope you enjoyed.

I Gotta Great Gal

2009-11-04T12:11:00.001-08:00

I'm a blessed guy. I have a great gal. She is my best friend, my lover, my financial advisor, my coach, my ski partner, my biggest fan, my dog whisperer, and much much more. She has a birthday coming up on the 16th. Be sure to wish her a happy birthday. Trust me she is great. I'm sure she can be the best at anything she wants. But being the best partner I could imagine she does with such an ease. Trust me its not easy being with me. I have many hobbies and I like stuff. She tends to do a good job keeping me in check. She deserves the world and I hope I can give it to her piece by piece. I'm prepping to leave for a month to chase a dream. A dream that she is supporting. It may call for me to be gone for several months a year. It will be tough if it happens. But I know I have a great gal waiting for me. I love...

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You Capture: Autumn

2009-10-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

By far my favorite time of the year. Fall. I simply love it. For some reason it just reminds me of the peace of God. Sitting for hours hunting deer with just God to talk to brought me to this point. However I usually and standing in it all day rain or shine at my team's practices or games. When I get a day I love to take the wife and and go shooting. We went up the Columbia gorge and took several shots from different falls. These were my favorite. Not a lot of foliage but the single leaf was my focus. Enjoy and please I love feed back if you have any. To see everyone else's shots from this week click here. I can't wait for the next assignment. Gotta test out my new Canon 24-70 2.8L. Woo hoo! Thanks

Here is a closer shot of the focal leaf.

Kilee's Shots

2009-10-27T09:58:00.001-07:00

In late September I had a great time shooting Kilee for her senior pictures. She is a great young lady and I'm sure she will do well in her future.

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Kilee-111-Edit-31, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Kilee-219-Edit-49, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Kilee-105-26, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

You Capture: Still Life

2009-10-17T11:03:00.001-07:00

The Prayer of Jabez. Still life. Haven't really ever done much still life. So I really just waited until I was inspired. I tried to force some others but it didn't work. I do love the light in my bathroom. The frosted glass makes it look cool. Check out the others

You Capture Red: Leaf & Barn

2009-10-09T22:27:00.001-07:00

So after checking out Billie Jo's Bestie's Blog, I found this cool blog. Its called You Capture (to see others Red shots click here). She provides a topic each week and the goal is to go out and take a shot (or several) of the theme. So Thursday I took this shot of a red leaf in my neighborhood. The shot was in the morning and the light and the awesome red of the leaf made it a sweet looking shot. Well at least to me. The barn was taken at work. It reminded me of a video game I played with my brother when we were kids.

Em's Seniors

2009-09-16T21:28:00.001-07:00

Like I said on the previous post, I was lucky to take pictures of two seniors at the same time. Not only are they classmates and teammates, but Emily and Laura are great friends. So here is Emily's shots. Soon I'll post a few of them together.

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Laura's Seniors

2009-09-13T23:08:00.001-07:00

Late last month I had the privilege to shoot not only one Willamette athlete but two. Both Laura and Emily. We had a great time taking these with the help of both mothers. It started off a bit rocky due to a mix-up in the meeting place, but we put it together and had fun. So without further a due... here's Laura!

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Melanie

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Melanie is a senior soccer player for Willamette High School. In July her team traveled to Europe to play, and I was fortunate to come along as the athletic trainer. I got to know her better over the course of the trip, and she asked me if I would do her senior pictures. Of course I loved the opportunity. So, here are a few. And are there any more Seniors out there? Enjoy!

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Jessica and Toby

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Just got to work with a fun couple who are tying the knot next month. Jessica and my wife, Billie Jo, are in the school pysch program at UO. I took these in Portland where Toby grew up. Fun times. These are just a few. If you would like to see more go to my flickr site... www.flickr.com/photos/rickyrodriguez/

Jessica and Toby-101-2, originally uploaded by RickyRodriguez.

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Emily's Senior Shots

2009-07-29T22:28:00.001-07:00

I've gotten the chance to work with some great young people as an athletic trainer. Emily is definitely one of the fun ones. I was excited to get a chance to do some senior pics for her. If you are a Wil-Hi senior and are interested please contact me.