For me, probably the beginning of August in 2006. I had a team playing in the West Coast Summer Series, a great 18u wood bat tournament. There were many things that made this day special, but the most important for me was that I knew this was the last game I was going to coach many of the young men who'd been playing for me, some for up to five years of summer ball with me. We went 5-1 in pool play, and were undefeated, 4-0, in the championship round. To give you an idea of our team, here was my starting lineup that day, and where they are now.
Rikki Foster, SS, UC Davis
Tim Wheeler, CF, Sacramento State
Corey Valine, 3B, San Jose State
Lars Anderson, 1B, Boston Red Sox organization (drafted by Boston two months earlier)
Tyler DeWitt, RF, Sierra College (drafted by Cincinnatti Reds two months earlier)
Jamie Niley, LF, University of the Pacific (drafted by Colorado Rockies two months earlier)
Alex Rivers, P, Santa Clara
Brent Hottman, C, Sacramento State
Marcus Kemp, 2B, Loyola Marymount (no longer playing)
We were playing Top Tier, which is a Chicago based team, and their starting pitcher was fresh and throwing low 90s gas. Rivers, who also sat low 90s, started off strong but then gave up two walks in the 2nd inning before getting out of the inning without allowing another baserunner. By the time we'd come to the 7th inning, we'd been held to only 3 hits, but.....Alex had a no-hitter going. Other than the two baserunners in the 2nd, they hadn't gotten a man on base. We go to the top of the 7th with a 3-0 lead, and Alex retires the first batter. The next hitter lines a soft line drive that gets over the shortstop and falls harmlessly in short left field. The no-hitter is gone. I was crushed, as Alex had pitched his heart out and had thrown three other 1-hitters for our team in the previous two summers, and I was really pulling for him to have his final game for my team be a no-hitter. Alex just backed off the mound, took off his cap and wiped his brow. When he climbed back on the mound, he had a smile on his face as he nodded at the fingers Hottman put down. His pitch jammed the hitter and he rolled a ground ball to 3rd, for a 5-4-3 double play and GAME OVER.
That was the best d*mn dog pile I've ever seen.
Lars signed a week later, and the rest went off to start their college baseball careers. I expect that several of the other players from that team will be drafted this June, and it'll be another great day for us all.