DAYTON, Ohio – Jason Braun is living a life many young athletes dream of -- a life as a professional baseball player.
A year out of college and thriving as a member of a Class A minor league ballclub, Braun loves what he does on a day-to-day basis.
"We're playing a game. We're playing a baseball game for a living," said Braun, a 2005 graduate of Dallas High School. "All the time that we're sitting here griping and complaining about a long trip or anything, it's pretty trivial because, honestly, we're not working. We're playing a game and we're getting paid for it."
Just over a year ago, Braun was selected in the 29th round of Major League Baseball's first-year player draft by the Cincinnati Reds organization.
He was assigned to play for the Reds' Rookie League team last summer in Billings, Mont. It was difficult initially because Braun is from a small town (Dallas) and small college (Corban), unlike many of his teammates, who came from powerhouse Division I programs.
"I was definitely pretty nervous," said Braun. "Last year I felt uncomfortable and had self-doubt: 'Am I really as good as these guys? Can I get these guys out?'"
Luckily, Braun has many people who helped him through the process.
"I talked to my scout frequently and coaches I've had in the past, and basically they all said the same thing: just to believe in knowing that I had the ability to be just as good as anyone else is," Braun said. "That was kind of like a mental exercise routine: everyday just believing that I belong out there, regardless of what background I came from."
Braun has since been promoted to the Dayton (Ohio) Dragons. The Class-A long-season team is fueled by the energy of its fans, as the Dragons have sold out 748 straight home games, a streak that is the longest in professional baseball history and spans almost a decade.
"The atmosphere is incredible," said Braun. "The fans, the whole city, they all take care of you."
Most of the players on the team live with host families that provide meals, a place to sleep and sometimes even a car to drive. And the Dayton players frequently participate in community activities in order to give back.
Braun counts his blessings as he lives with a host family in Dayton that takes care of him.
"They're complete strangers that are opening their house to you," explained Braun. "They're going out of their way for you. It's very generous of them."
On May 10, Braun was called up from Billings to Dayton, where the right-handed relief pitcher is enjoying much success.
Braun said the mental aspect of his game has improved since last season -- and it shows.
He has pitched 28 2/3 innings in 20 games this season and has an ERA of 3.77 while holding opposing batters to a .210 average. Additionally, to go along with a 2-0 record, he averages nearly 10 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. His strikeout to walk ratio -- 30-15 -- is 2 to 1.
Always looking to get better, Braun still has aspects of his game he wants to improve.
"I need to work on my command -- the ability to throw strikes where I want to when I want to."
He knows that, if he can do that, he will be able to move up in the minor-league system and, hopefully, earn a chance to play in the big league.
As Braun speculated a year ago upon being drafted, the Reds organization tends to move its prospects up the ladder relatively quickly. One Cincinnati rookie, Mike Leake, moved up so quickly that he bypassed the minor league system entirely.
"We're definitely jealous," said Braun lightheartedly. "We're like, 'Man, he gets to skip this whole process of some of these Podunk ballparks and traveling for eight hours on a crammed bus with 35 other guys.'"
That said, Braun is impressed with Leake, who is 6-1 this season.
"It's mind-boggling that someone can do that, and that he can have that kind of success right off the bat," said Braun.
It's not just Leake. The whole Cincinnati team has enjoyed great success this season as the Reds are currently in a dogfight with St. Louis for the lead in the NL Central standings.
Being in his parent club's backyard -- Dayton is about an hour's drive northeast of Cincinnati -- has yielded Braun the opportunity to enjoy the excitement that comes from the Reds' dream season.
Despite Braun's passion for baseball and the fact that he has the opportunity to make a living throwing a ball, there are still hardships.
"It's a grind, it's an unbelievable grind," Braun noted. "The team will play 142 games in 150 days. It's just a constant flow of game after game after game. That's the biggest thing: it's just a mental and physical grind. The days all kind of blur together."
But, reiterating his point: "It's a game, and it's an opportunity not many people get. I want to play baseball as long as I have got the ability to do it."