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Reply to "Roller Coaster Ride"

Wow...I feel I have been gone a month between my work schedule and traveling to Cincy and Tampa

TYhis is a great topic for me at this moment...I HATE ROLLER COASTERS!!...lol

When we got to Cincy we were excited, they were ranked #24 and had a great trip coming up. What WE saw was a team that has talent that seemed to forget they had to use it every play. We saw 11 games and saw 4 lost from errors, 1 by a hit batter with bases loaded, saw them nno hit and absoulutely destroyed by Tampa...men amoung boys! Tampa threw the #1 pitching prospect in DII,(with 25 scouts in the stands) we threw number 7. With the trip ending with 4 conference games, they didn't use 1-4 until the weekend.
My roller coaster didn't really start until the conference games. The left fielder and short stop are All-Conference players and ahead of Brian...and deserve the opportunity, the Third baseman is a senior and captain, ahead of Brian and deserves the opportunity, the second baseman is a returning starter who is ahead of Brian and derves the opportunity....they all cost us games along the trip with defensive miscues...and multiple ones. NIt didn't seem to matter until the last day when the short stops dad says...they should pull my son out and put Brian in because he WILL make the plays. I figured it was just a dad being hard on his son and told him he seemed to be lacking confidence but he would get it back. Then while sitting in the stands by my wife I over hear the pitchers doing the logging (3 are starters) say, we ought to pull these guys and put Brian in, he is the best we have and we could have won 4 games more"...At first I thought...nope, he can't play all positions. BUT THEN... DAD starts analyzing...hmmm. With 24 errors between the Left Fielder (3), Thrid baseman (5), Short stop (13) and Second Baseman (3) maybe he should be getting more opportunities. He has been perfect in 16 opprtunities and had some very hot shots that he made look pretty easy. I mentioned to him what the pitchers said and he says " I am ready when they call me number, it isn't my decision" I have always told him that "in this game you can't get too excited when it is going good and not too low when it is going bad"...he does this soooo much better than me.
When I start to feel I am on the "roller coaster"...I know step back or get off...think about what I have read in the book "The Mental Game of Baseball". Basically it says "Worry about what you can control and don't waste energy and thought on what you can't control"...I don't play but if I transfer MY ROLLER COASTER to my son by asking him "WHY AREN"T YOU..."...HOW COME YOU.." then I can make him think about things outside of his control, which he doesn't need to do. Now I ask.."How did the games go"..."How did so and so do..? Did you get in?...if a NO, then I say stay ready you never know when"...if it is a YES, I say "how was your defense?..."how'd you see the ball"..."Keep working, as you see more you'll do batter...believe in your abilities, I do as do a lot of other people"...and then..."have a great night, do well tomorrow and most of all...have fun andremember I love ya"...

BY then I am so off the roller coaster until they have another game and I can read about it or ask him my 5 or 6 questions....lol...

Did I say..I HATE ROLLER COASTERS!!!"

Than good ness he still has to more years after this one...god willing
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