What's In My Baseball Bag? Ft. Graham Lawson Pitcher For Chicago Cubs Organization

What's up guys? My name is Graham Lawson. I played at the University of South Carolina. I was drafted in 2018, the 12th round by the Washington Nationals. Ended up signing with the Cubs in 2020 with the UDFA during COVID. So here's what's in my bag. So last year, part of the season, I just keep these in here just in case I were to get on the field one day. These are the Harper cleats. I actually didn't know what I was going to think about them with being half molded, half spikes. They actually ended up being a really, really good cleat for me. I really, really liked them. They were very durable and I have to get a toe guard on all my cleats. And you can see I did miss it some there, but most cleats I have, I generally just tear straight through them. And these were very, very durable and such a good cleat for me. Didn't mind wearing them at all. So I keep these around just in case you're on the field that day, in case it's wet or whatever, but highly recommend the Harper's. I've heard the new model is even better than these. So definitely recommend the Harper's. Holding on to what else I keep in my bag, just wrapped up a lift. This is a thorn protein, thorn creatine, CB supplements for collagen. Have one of these after every lift during the week, which is four times a week. So I'm constantly filling my body with good stuff after my lift just because that's what we do it for. So these are actually something I'm very, very new to. I'm not new to Jaeger bands, but during the year I had a teammate, Max Bain. He carried some light, what they're called, junior bands or baby bands or whatever from J-bands. They're actually not the mainstream ones you see a lot. They're actually made for younger kids. I have come to find out that I love these bands. They allow me to get in such great positions at full ranges of motion, no matter what it may be, whether it's a pre-throw activation or post-throw for recovery and strengthening. I cannot tell you how much I love these bands and love using them. Like I said, pre-throw, I use them different than I do post throw, but I can still feel a good burn in my post throw and they're just loose enough in our pre-throw to get full ranges of motion and get me nice and warmed up. Last year, it wasn't really, it was kind of bumpy towards the end, but it was really kind of just trying to fill out everything again. If you've got to use one of them things. I actually got these turfs last year by New Balance. I had not wore them in many years, but they've been very durable. Once you can see why I need a toe guard on these. Been a very good cleat for me. I keep these just for bullpens, any turf work that I might be doing. Love these cleats, cleats, turfs. They feel great, very durable. And I mean, this has got to be at least going on 25 to 30 bullpens. So highly recommend these New Balance turfs as well. I actually don't know where I ever acquired this from, but I use this for forearm work. I'm very big on, I had a Tommy John surgery in 2018, which is why I could not sign with the Nationals. So I got very big. I was trying to strengthen my forearm and very big on arm care to try to prevent as many injuries as possible. And I use this and just kind of wrap it under my feet like this right here and just do some forearm work like this and several different positions. You can never, in my opinion, be too healthy and too strong to keep yourself healthy in the long run. And lastly, I just started my bullpens with the Cub. This is a command chart that I'm working on with some command things. Each pitch has a location and so I chart it and what kind of pitch it was, the velocity of it, just so I can try to see the growth and progress of me getting ready to go to spring training. Lastly, what I just carry in my bag is these are, I'm not very, very big into the weighted ball stuff. It's just never been kind of my thing. Not saying I don't use it. I'm just saying everybody's arm works differently and it just, I've never been a big fan of it. So I don't keep nothing really heavy in here, but I believe the heaviest one is five and a half ounces. And I kind of use these before I even touch a baseball every day, just kind of throw these into a wall somewhere to get my arm nice and moving. So these go down to three and a half ounces. So I just use these kind of every day, just to kind of feel my arm moving around till they get down on my bands. Nothing crazy, maybe, you know, 10 to 12 throws and I go straight into throwing. And lastly, just keep a couple baseballs in here. Never know what we're going to run into and kind of conditions. Try to keep four or five baseballs on me at all times. So I just recently started wearing Nakona gloves. This was my first one from Nakona. I have two more coming right now. It is a great American-made glove. I always try to put a little message inside there for me to see while I'm pitching. I use a 12-inch glove because I'm very, very, very, I get so paranoid that a hitter might see my hand inside my glove moving around. Some guys like smaller gloves. I actually prefer bigger the better. So there's no chance you see my hand moving or anything like that. I prefer a closed web as a pitcher just for that same reason because I believe if it's open, you know, you might be able to see a grip change or something because hitters get very talented and they get really good at seeing things. I don't know why I get a finger hood, but we had to get them in college and I got used to it. So I have not moved from it since, but highly recommend Nakona. I mean, the leather has been absolutely amazing. It has molded and fit well to my hand. I kind of tie my strings different, a little different. Everybody's giving a little flair, just something different. So love Nakona. I love a bigger glove and you definitely got to add your own personal little flavor in there with your glove to have a little swag. That's Graham Lawson and that's what's in my bag.