Best Baseball Memory

My bad, the topic should have read Your Best Baseball Memory

There are many between playing, coaching and coaching and watching my son. The best memory not about my son would be the kid who thanked me at his football NLI press conference for helping straighten out his life when he was a fourteen year old baseball player. This kid had tough circumstances and was mad at life.

Even though my son is in high school now, I like this one about him. It's his first LL Majors all-star at-bat when he was eleven. Don't ask me why but he was waving the bat like Sheffield. I shook my head. I told a friend/another dad to yell at him to use his own swing when he came up the next time. I won't coach my kids from the stands. My son hit a double on one hop to the fence. When he came up the next time the friend asked me what I wanted him to yell. I responded, "Go Sheffield!" He hit a triple off the fence his next at-bat and his first LL home run the following at-bat. It cleared the maintenance shed behind the fence. As he approached home he called out in his best Harry Kalas (Phils announcer) "That onnnnnnes outtaaaah herrrrre."

After the game I asked my son about the Sheffield stuff. Very matter of factly he responded, "It works for him. I thought I'd try it."

Coaching my son's Little League Major Baseball team. It was a playff game and we had a kid coming up to lead off the inning, that had not had a hit all season long. It was late in the game, we were down by and we really need this kid to get on. This kid always looked to get on base with a walk ( but mostly struck out) and usually would not take a good cut, no matter how much we told him to go up there and look for a hit, just swing away.

So before he went up to bat, I told him that I was going to let him use one of my son's special bat. My son had had an old Easton triple 777. I told my son to get his special bat for his teammate to use. My son caught on quickly and made a big deal about turning over his "special" bat.

Of course the kid goes up and one hops the fence for a ground rule double and ends up getting to score the tying run later in the inning.

I have witnessed many special things done by my son on a baseball field, some very special memories, but this memory will always rank right up there among the best. My son and still talk about that special bat and that day.

I like the ones with my kids the best...as many of you do I am sure.

But I also like this one from my own childhood...playing against "Michael's Conkrete," best team in Greater Cincinnati (age 13 or 14 I would guess)...pitcher throwin' gas. I come up, bases loaded, ball looks like a beachball comin' in, straight over the plate, I hit a gapper into right-center for a triple to clear the bases. My teammates go crazy and geez that felt good!

I have no idea why that memory sticks out in my mind...but it does, so I'd have to rank it the "best."

As a Player:

Getting that first grey blue flannel uniform, blue hat and blue and white stirrups.....A $1000 hand made suit never could feel so good...

Batting in a meaningless game and seeing my father on the hill watching...you see taking time off work meant less money for the family and wasnt something that could be done very often...

The last homerun I ever hit came in an adult softball game, which ended the game...and I was able to scoop up my 6 month old son and walk off the field...

As a Parent...

Seeing my son sleeping in his uniform...

Seeing the joy and smiles on my sons face through out his youth career...

Walking out on Senior Day with my wife and son...

Seeing my sons first and last College ball game...

Seeing my sons first college ball game as a coach.

As an Umpire...

The worst day....the one I run over and over again in my mind.. the day I realized that child abuse was real and I had to do something....

The day I heard from the stands, Hey, Mr. Umpire!...you dont remember me, but you umpired my games...and thats my son playing now....O Yes I remember you...and everyone of you...

The day I turned a corner in Wal Mart, and a kid said........hey arent you MY UMPIRE???.......Yes, I am...

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Getting that first grey blue flannel uniform, blue hat and blue and white stirrups

Remember when kids had to "make" LL? When I played LL was 10-12 with a handful of 9yo's. Kids who didn't make it played farms. Earning a LL hat was a badge of honor. I wore mine to school every day when I was nine. Heck, I wore it everywhere.

My son is 10 years old. One of the few years I helped coach. We draft a kid and are told he was just cleared to play sports after battling leukemia and was a hair away from dieing a couple of years earlier.
The kid had a great attitude and was actually pretty good but small due to his illness stunting his growth. He played SS most of the time. Everytime that kid smiled or did something good it made me smile.

Well we make it to the championship game. As we get closer to the end of the game with the lead this kid is jumping up and down with every out. We win the game and the kids do their thing with the dog pile and running around the field and I start to choke up. I had to leave the field before trophy presentation so these 10 yos don't see this big goofey guy standing there with tears running down his face. That kid made my year.

Of all the games my son played during those LL years that's the one I enjoyed the most.

Fills that is what it is all about.

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Remember when kids had to "make" LL? When I played LL was 10-12 with a handful of 9yo's. Kids who didn't make it played farms. Earning a LL hat was a badge of honor. I wore mine to school every day when I was nine. Heck, I wore it everywhere.

O... I sure do, getting a uniform was a big thing....there were only 15 kids on my team....because they only had 15 uniforms....if you got a uniform you made it....if not better luck next year...... there was no farm team....make it and play or get cut and try again next year.....

Ahh yes..back in the day when you could get cut trying to make LL. I remember playing baseball in the back yard when my mom came out to tell me I had made the Tigers...I was grinning from ear to ear. The woollen uniforms weren't very comfortable though!! Nor were the true stirrups we wore.

Justbaseball - Your story is almost a carbon copy of mine. We were in the 7th inning of a tied game and the bases were loaded with two outs (my coach didn't like me..couldn't tell you why..just did) and the coach asks who was up and bookkeeper said "Robert" and my coach goes.."great Robert" so I go up there against Danny Carlin of the Orioles (funny how we remember the particulars)and drill a ball off the center field fence missing my 1st homerun ever by a foot (fence was 8' high then). I cleared the bases with a double..should have been a triple but I hopped up and down all the way to second like Dave Henderson did after hitting the homerun in the 1986 ALCS against California.

My favorite game for my son was our 1st playoff game in Cooperstown in 2007. We had given up back to back hr's to go down 6-5 in the top of the 6th and were down to our last out. Son is up and swings at strike one which was a tad high and outside. Second pitch goes to the same spot and same result a swing and a miss strike 2. Now I'm keeping the book in the dugout and I'm dying that my kid is about to make the last out when the pitcher throws pitch #3 to the same location again, well this time son makes an adjustment and rifles it over the right field fence for the game tying HR. My book goes flying as I race out of the dugout jumping up and down for my kid and the team as the other team was celebrating a tad early at the beginning of the inning. Game was still tied 6-6 in the 8th when leadoff guy walked, stole second and my son came up and laced a double off the centerfield wall to win the game. His confidence after that was sky high and it was awesome to see him shine like that.... a true proud parent day!!

I could write a hundred of these but this one would be in the top 10 probably.
I'm taking my son to his first ever organized ball game. It's coach pitch and there are 2 diamonds at the complex he's playing at. As we get there the game ahead of us is in progress. I am calmly looking around for our team and then I suddenly can't find my son.
Where did he wander off to? I finally find him; he's ON the field, between 1st and 2nd with his glove and getting in the ready position on every pitch!!

I guess he just joined the game! it was pretty comical.

Good thread folks, keep 'em coming.

I have so many. One of my favorites took place when my youngest son was 12 and we were playing in the state AAU championships. We were playing in the semis and for a chance to play for the state championship the next day. We were down 3 runs in our last ab. Our lead off hitter was up and hit a solo HR to cut the lead to 2. He now he is a freshman mif at VMI. Our #2 hitter comes up and he hits a HR to cut the lead to 1. He is now a Pitcher at Wingate College. Our #3 hitter comes up and he hits a HR to tie the game. He was drafted out of HS and is with Tampa as a pitcher as well. They then go to the pen and bring in a guy to try to put out the fire. Our #4 hitter is my son. With a full count he hits a monster shot out to win the game. He is now a freshman catcher at UNC. I have never seen anything like it and probaly will never again. Four HR's in a row to win the game.

I think back to the game and there were so many young guys that have gone on to play in college. The other team had a mif drafted in the first round. Their C is a freshman at UNCW. Their 1B is a freshman at USC Upstate. The CF is now a LB at Georgia I believe. It was absolutely an amazing game and a great memory.

I remember driving down to Jupiter for USA Baseball's JO's East in 2005. Midlo Son asks, "Hey dad, what if I were one of the 18 guys they picked as finalists for Team USA?"

I explained that such things were pipe dreams, like when he was 12 and we dreamed of his LL team going to Williamsport. The odds were ridiculous, too many things needed to fall your way at once, and besides, he was only 15 in a 16u tourney. Put it out of your mind and just focus on doing your best.

The following Friday, when they told him he'd been selected for trials in Phoenix, our mouths dropped so wide open neither one of us could speak. Probably the only time in my life that has been the case!

He didn't make the final cut then, and being slowed by a temporary foot injury knocked him out at trials the next year, too. But we still cherish those photos in the Team USA uniform.

For me...getting to be bat boy for the Reds in a 1971 Exhibition game during Spring Training.

For me as a dad...wow...tough one. Probably this past summer when my son got to play in the CPL...going from playing in front of a handful of people in college and summer ball to over 1000. Yeah...I was a nervous wreck his first AB.

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Four HR's in a row to win the game.

That is almost unbelievable. I've never seen anything remotely similar to that. Wow.

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I sure do, getting a uniform was a big thing....there were only 15 kids on my team....because they only had 15 uniforms....if you got a uniform you made it....if not better luck next year...... there was no farm team....make it and play or get cut and try again next year.....

Then after earning the uni, you had to earn playing time. We didn't have minimum playing time. I think I played in half the games and got ten plate appearances when I was nine. It was OK. The good twelve year old pitchers scared me to death. One was six feet and bringing it in the upper 70's. Thing is, he wasn't much different by high school.

Thursday night, my son gets hurt in a collision at the plate in a game for his travel team (he was safe though.) Sunday his (right) wrist is still hurting a little, but he wants to play for his rec team. Usually he pitches three innings for them, but this day he's in too much pain after the first inning -- the weight of his glove on his hand is killing him. Coach sends him out to the outfield, where he puts his glove on the ground and sees no action. At the plate, all he can do is bunt, and his second time up, he bunts the third strike foul.

So it's the 6th inning, bases loaded, he comes up. They're screaming "Watch the bunt," and we are losing by a lot. The pitch comes in, he swings away -- a line drive over the center fielder's head. Grand slam homerun. Not enough to win the game, but enough to puff him up a little.

The punch line is, I took him to the doctor the next day, and we find out the arm is broken in two places. The coach gave us the score sheet so he can always remember the day he hit a grand slam with a broken arm.

LHPMom

Best baseball memory, thats a tough one.
But one comes to mind.

Took son to his first MLB game, Maybe 4 or 5 years old.
Went to see the Mariners at the old Kingdome.
If you have ever been there, you see nothing of the field while walking around the corridors.
Until you walk up the ramps to the stadium and the seating.
Were running a little late, and there already playing the National anthem.
We walk up the Ramp right at the end of the song.
To this huge Big Indoor stadium.
Right at that time the Fireworks go off at the top of the inside of the dome.
Sons eye's were wide open.
I do believe he was mesmerized.
Anyway we take in most of the game, and then we start walking around the upper decks.
Its just him and I out there walking around in the Outfield.
Nobody else is out there.
The Kid, Junior, you know KG, Ken Griffey Jr.
He was a god in Seattle at the time.
Between innings Junior is staring at my son and I in the upper deck.
And we waved. He did not wave back.
But I know he wanted to??

EH

I have a lot of bests, but there is, as a parent of a pitcher, one that comes to mind, but not as a pitcher.
HS district playoffs, DK had pitched the game to get us in the playoff a few days earlier so he couldn't pitch, but went in as the DH and hit a HR to win the game to advance to the regionals.

Most precious baseball memory will always be the first day of t-ball, oh the joy and the excitement of playing "real" ball. All those years of preparation....throwing and catching the ball and hitting off of the "T" finally were going to pay off.

Mine is a personal lesson in perspective. Oldest son was 12 and had struck out 18 straight batters over a few games in Little League. Only he and I were aware of that as you would imagine. The would-be 19th was in the batters box and my guy lobs the ball to the plate. Batter swings and misses. I say to him from the dugout "throw the ball." He looks at me with that "be quiet" look. He lobs the next pitch even slower. Now I'm getting angry. I firmly tell him to throw the darn baseball. I get the same look. Next pitch even slower and the batter taps one back toward the mound. Son goes after the ball in slow motion and doesn't make throw. Batter hits first and jumps into the first base coaches arms.

So I'm about to have a stroke when I get the best baseball lesson of my life.

The batter was a wonderful young man with Down Syndrome in my son's class who courageously played Little League baseball. Great kid from a great family. I didn't know he was the batter. My son did. The first base coach was his father. He started to laugh and cry when his son got to him. It was his first hit. My son saw the boys reaction with his dad and looked over at me and smiled.

There are lots of lessons taught by baseball. Perspective is one. Compassion is another. My son had those concepts understood at 12. My best baseball memory was that day, when my son opened my eyes to the simple fact that there are sometimes things more important than a strikeout.

You have an awesome son. That is a great story.

My son's first season making the A team 10 yr old all-stars and in his first tournament, opened up with 7 consecutive hits before he made his first out.

Another was he playing in the Babe Ruth district semi-finals and went 5-5 with 9 rbi's including a grand slam and three doubles.

In high school on varsity during the county tournament, he went 4-5 including a 2-run triple 3 rbi, 3 for 4 in stolen bases and 4 runs scored in an upset win. Of course, in the newspaper is an action shot of him getting picked off at 2B The one time he got caught stealing that game.

I've got a few...

- Personally, making my Jr. High School team was really something I'll always remember... Up till that point I was kind of inexperienced, only playing 1 season of organized LL... But I got lucky and hit the only HR in Tryouts, and that, and some hustle, in all honesty got me on the team... Other personal things: Making High-School team...

- My son at age 11 has totally eclipsed my baseball "career" in his short existence... The memories that he's given me so far are incredible: Made 10u Cal Ripken "A" All-Star team as an 8-year-old, Started at SS and Led-off, Hit a HR as an 8-year-old... This past year as a 10-year-old: Hit 2 HR's in a playoff game off the league's best two 13-year-old pitchers, Made 12u "A" All-Star Team, and became their starting SS... Hit numerous HR's in 2008 but the 2 that standout are: a Walk-off 2-Run HR in USSSA, Hit a Grand-Slam in USSSA... Also, he fought back from a shoulder injury this past year as well... Last memory of 2008 - Made the 11u AAU "Juice" team (looking for hopefully even more memories this upcoming 2009 Spring season!)...

Great stories. I have loved reading every one of them.

My son was blessed to play for one of the best high school teams in the country. It was ranked as high as 5th in the nation by USA today.

At the end of May his team was 37-3 and had advanced to regional finals -- the last stepping stone to the state tourney.

In the final 3-game series, his team won the first game 9-1 and felt confident going into Game 2. In Game 2, they were ahead 4-2 in the top of the 7th with just 1 out needed to win, but their closer -- who had pitched a CG in Game 1 -- gave up 3 hits and they lost. In Game 3, they were tied at 4 in the 7th. With 2 outs and runners on first and third, their opponent hit a high fly, which the back-up outfielder missed. Game/series/season over.

Early in the season my son had struggled at the plate, so much so that his coach benched him a couple of times. But as the season wore on his bat got stronger and stronger. In the final series, he had 6 RBI and stellar defense, but the look on his face showed that he would have gladly traded his personal success for a team victory.

As he sat dejected in the dugout his normally-stoic coach sat beside him and held him for a while. Then my son got up and looked into the stands. He saw my husband, walked up to him, and collapsed not once, but twice into his arms in tears. All the pent-up emotion came pouring out, and he was pretty much inconsolable for half an hour.

A sad ending? Not really. Looking back, it was an unbelievable ride. And to see my son seek comfort in his dad's arms is a poignant memory I'll cherish forever.

As a freshman the boy was 5.2 117lbs. He made the J.V team and was a seldom used lhp. A bristling 72 mph fastball (on a good day) a get it over curve ball and a CU filled out the arsenal. Due to a virus that wiped out the starting pitcher that day he was afforded a start.

The consumate thumber he breezes through the first 4 innings. 3k's 9 ground ball outs. Innings 5 and 6, 3 more k's and 3 more ground ball outs. 7th inning 1st batter line shot to ss, 2nd batter strikout #7, 3rd batter, pop up to 1st base.... 79 pitches, 62 strikes, 17 balls, 7k's, no bb, no hits. Perfect Game.

The boy is mobbed on the mound. Fans on both teams are cheering the feat. Coach has his talk with the team and the kids are fired up. The coach gives him the game ball.

As the post game meeting breaks up and the kids disperse. The coach spends a few more minutes with the boy. As he walks back to the dugout to get his gear his head is hanging. We meet him at the gate I asked him what the coach had said. " He said that that was the greatest pitching performance he's every seen from a kid this age, but don't expect to many opportunities becuase he's really looking for power pitchers"

Transfered to another school for his sophmore year.

dswann, that sounds like your best AND worst baseball memory -- all on the same day!

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He said that that was the greatest pitching performance he's every seen from a kid this age, but don't expect to many opportunities becuase he's really looking for power pitchers"

That's an awful thing for the coach to say that day. Here's some perspective for him to relate too:

A friend's son is with the MLB team to play in the final exhibition games in their home stadium before being sent to AAA. It will be his fourth season since first being called up to AAA in another organization. The MLB GM tells him to keep plugging and he has a good chance to be called up.

The kid gets to AAA. He's not in the lineup. The manager tells him, "I don't care what the GM might have told you. I play the guys I want to help me win and keep my job. He hits .350 with power and never cracks the every day lineup, loses his stroke and finishes the year at .300 in about 250 AB's.

Favorite memory so far would have to be son's freshman year at junior college. When my favorite song came on the speakers, he turned from the dugout, found my eyes and smiled the brightest smile of smiles as we enjoyed a few seconds of a song. Really has nothing to do with baseball or me for that matter, but it was a moment when he took the time to think of someone else and knows that baseball is just one part of his life. Heart-warming to know that after all the years of placing so much focus on him, he maintains his humilty.

As my mother-in-law used to tell me, "an ounce of joy will go a long way with your children" and boy was she on the money.

These are great stories that have been shared.

Baseball played such a large part of our lives, that I honestly can't isolate one memory as the best. The moments that the game gave me between my son and I would have to stand out I suppose. That would include everything from the car rides to tournaments, college recruiting visits, car rides home discussing practices (which I always watched), watching him all winter putting together line ups when a kid right into college.... It gave me a connection to my son as well as a passion that I will enjoy the rest of my life. Baseball is good.

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That would include everything from the car rides to tournaments

I get well eyed every time I think of this. My daughter told me every time she got on a plane or a bus for a college road trip, she thought of our drives to travel tournaments. It's where we did the talking a lot of dads and daughters never get to do.

Gosh. I honestly don't know if I can legibly write a word after reading these incredible stories with my eyes puffed up from near-tears in them. I truly appreciate everyone of your stories. They are heartfelt and I needed to read these today badly.

Coach May....all I can say is wow...that HAD to be a spectacle to behold! Unbelievable.

LPHMom...that story will stay with your son for the rest of his life. What a trooper for going out and trying to play experiencing that kind of pain.

My Top 3:

As a player...when I made the LL team the first time I tried out. It came down to me and one other. When the coach handed the uniform to me he might as well have handed me a treasure of gold! I rushed home to put it on and parade up and down the neighborhood street (dirtroad) until I was sure everyone saw it on me! laughs

As a Dad...2 come to mind.

When younggun was 12yrs old and it was his second season playing, he got to play on a local fall ball team. He was told that since they had plenty of pitching that he might be used as a backup catcher. (it still cracks me up when I saw the expression on his face - A Catcher dad?! lol.) But he said ok as long as he could play ball. Well, things happened and the pitcher that was suppose to pitch got sick and another was out of town, etc. so they asked younggun if he'd like to pitch this game. Heck yes was his response! (over the summer he and I had worked out in the driveway on his pitching mechanics via dick mills pitching series so as to learn how to pitch correctly, etc.) 6 innings of pitching, 16 K's, 2 ground outs, no walks, not hits. A perfect game! I didn't even know what that was until someone told me after the game...lol.

3 years later he is playing in a league that the HS coach had put together for kids that were interested in trying out/playing for the JV. There were about 6 total teams with only 11-12 players each. Boys from the high school came out that might like to play, along with those who could. There was one boy who came that like the other on here had mentioned, had a deformity that made it impossible for him to throw, catch, etc. The other coach always tried to get him in at least 1 AB each game. When they faced us our young pitcher only knew 1 thing and that was to get every batter out. My son was playing 3B this game. I noticed younggun going to the mound when this young player stepped up to bat. A mound visit then jogged back to 3B. I noticed our pitcher lobbing it in and the boy swings and just happens to hit it down 3B line. Younggun makes a dive and "accidentally" goes over the ball, grabs it, and throws a low ball to 1B. The kid was hobbling as fast as he possibly could down the line. Safe! He stood on 1B and jumped up and down! The fans went crazy. I looked over at his mom and she was crying. The dad had a smile on his face that I'll never forget.

Last summer, 24 was playing on a Junior Legion Team. First week of the season, 24 is an unknown commodity to the coaches, a skinny left handed pitcher. Extra innings, tie game, playing the team that would win the league. Our pitcher who started the bottom of the 8th inning loses it in a hurry and loads the bases with two outs and gets pulled. In comes 24, who bounces half his warm up pitches. By the way, he sometimes has control problems. I can barely look. First pitch, hard fastball on the inside corner for Strike one. Next pitch, hard fastball in on the hands, batter pops it up foul. Inning over. Team pops out of the dugout to Welcome him off the mound. By the time he gets back to the bench, he has a new nick name-"Iceman". After that outing he comes a regular starter for the team.

By the way, the team he pitched against invited 24 to play with them in the national tourney at the end of the year.

I have enjoyed the stories.
For me too many memories.
1.when he was eight and he was drafted up to the minors,from farm, and the look on his face when we drove up the driveway and his dad was standing waiting to tell him.
2.Copperstown
3. all our baseball trips
4.travel ball and the great dinners and time spent with parents and teamamtes
5.when he signed his D1 scholarship(didnt go) but still great memory
6.his first homerun off a player now at Fresno state in the seventh inning to win the game
6.walk off homerun by his teammate to win the first in the history of his HS section championship(I will never forget the looks on those boys faces as long as I live
7.I am awaiting many more as his first college game is Tuesday we will see how it all unfolds

Back when my son was 11 and we were playing in the Sectional Championship game, he was the starting pitcher. He pitched all the remaining innings allotted to him and did a great job striking out many batters and just doing a great job. He hit very well and when finished off in his defensive position very well also. He just had a great game, with the team winning 3-1.

The neat thing was that at the conclusion of the game, his coach gave him the game ball, the opposing coach gave him a game ball, and the scorekeeper/announcer gave him a game ball, calling him "Charlie Hustle".

We did not advance beyond the next game but it was a great time.

That was pretty neat, I framed pictures of him pitching and hitting that day along with the 3 game balls.

Hitting his first home run as a 8 year old Rookie was very cool also...

1st College scrimmage this Thursday, I can hardly wait. Son starts at shortstop!

One more funny story.
Son is 8 years old and in a coach pitch tournament. Game goes into extra innings. The game was exciting as only an 8 yo game can be for a first time BB dad. The balance of world power was at stake!!
Two men (mini men)on and junior up to bat and I'm sitting on the top row of a 4 row portable bleachers.
Son hits a ball over the centerfielders head and I jump up to cheer and, that's right, I fall backwards out of the bleachers on my head. I do a Get Smart jump up and look around quickly and notice that only two little girls had seen me fall. They look like they think I'm nuts. I quickly run around the bleachers to see the winning run score.
Afterwords my buddies ask me what the hell happened, where did I go. I tell them and we all laugh our a s ses off. And will still do.

And that's basically how it all started for me.

I finally got to sit down and read through these stories. Thank you all for sharing!

Every story brings back memories for me as well.
Some things I haven't taken the time to reflect on in many years. All of the road trips and greasy spoons, hotels and motels, the highs and the lows. Truly each memory is a treasure and all of them still bring a smile to my face.

You know, there is one thing that keeps coming back to me though. An event that is timeless and beautiful in it's simplicity. I can close my eyes and replay it in my head like a wonderful slide show. From the first days of T-Ball through Little League. All during Travel Ball and High School. At the end of the day, after everything was said and done, my favorite thing was when my little buddy would walk up and say "Dad, how'd I do?"

We are blessed to be parents, especially parents that have the privilege of being involved with our kids and their pursuit of the greatest game on earth. Soak it in and enjoy the ride!

This is such a great thread, I laughed and cried my way through it. Thanks for starting it off, dswann!

fillsfan, I'm laughing out loud while typing, that was a very funny story.

OK2Go, great post... "my little buddy would walk up and say "Dad, how'd I do?" We are blessed to be parents..."



Julie

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We are blessed to be parents..."

And it is a great thread. Its getting closer everyone. Tuesday for my son. May God bless all the players and the families, keep them all free from injuries, allow parents from long ways aways to make it to some of their kids games, I have my list next to me with all the websters whos kids I know and where they attend school and I will be watching them througout the season.I hope its a fun, great season.

I am on the road for work and have missed most of my
sons games for the last year.I was home for a weekend last April and my 11 y/o hit his 1st and 2nd homers ever with me in the stands.Then on closing day with his team down 11-8 he hit a grand slam in the 6th.
My then 7 y/o played fallball in 07 and was the only
7 y/o on his team and had a bullit hit to him at third and he caught the ball and had the awareness
to step on third for a DP.He acted like no big deal
and his mom needed smelling salts for fear it would have taken his head off.

I have so many great memories it is hard to name one. I guess on of the best with my son was when he threw a no hitter, just one batter short of a perfect game. Wouldn't you know he hit a batter in the last inning!!
But one of my favorite Baseball memories not involving my son is a reminder of what we are all here for.
We had a kid on our 12u team that had never really played ball before. The coaches work with him a lot but he struck out every time at bat. Then in the last game of the season He hit a slow dribbler to SS
and he was out at 1st. But the look on his face when he was running back to the dugout was PRICELESS!!! He was so happy he had finally hit the ball! That single event made his whole season.

Here's one of my favorites:
Coached my son's LL 12 year old team. There were 7 teams total in our league, but the 2 best were mine and another team. We played each other twice that seaon. Both teams has good little players, most are now playing HS ball. First game, our opponet won 3-1. There was so much competion between our teams...It came down to the last game of the season between our teams...we had lost only one game and they were undefeated. This game was the talk of the league, there were so many people there we should have sold tickets. The game went a full 5 innings before anyone scored, as both teams had great pitching and defense working for them. Finally in the top of the 6th, the other team scored using a bunt, just couldn't execute that play to get the out. We're home team, last at bat with the 2,3, & 4 hole's up to the plate. They walk our first batter, we get him around to 3rd base with a steal and sac bunt. Now one out, tieing run at 3rd. My son is batting 4th, had only 2 stikeouts all season, and we're facing their #1 pitcher all game. He battles, but grounds out to pitcher, now 2 outs with tieing run still at third, our 5 hole hitter again battles to the end, only to pop out in center field...game over, our second lose of the season, our opponent goes undefeated. It was tears flowing after the game as our boys really wanted to win, but it was a great game...both of these team fielded our leagues all-star team and went on to win district that year...it was a terrific season and lasting memory...Blue Skies!

I'll share two, one as a spectator and one as a dad.

My son and I frequently attend ASU baseball home games. My daughter was getting jealous, so even though she was only 3, I told her she could come with us. It was a non-conference game against a weak opponent. In the first inning the ASU pitcher is a little loose and ends up walking a bunch and giving up a few runs. In the bottom of the first, ASU scores about 8 runs. First inning probably takes an hour. After the third out, my daughter starts packing up her books, toys, etc and putting them away. I ask why and she says, "Isn't the game over?". I say no, that was one inning there are 8 more. She gave me a look that I will never forget, especially now that she's a teenager and I get that look a lot.

Similar to BaseballDad1228's experience, my son is pitching an 8th grade game against a rival school. He's perfect through three (of six) and the other team starts subbing. After two outs in the forth, he starts lobbing the ball. I'm on the 3rd base side and the batter is right handed so I don't get a good look, but start to panic, is his arm OK, is he sick, what happened. He's lobbing the ball and the kid swings and misses at the first pitch, same with second. I'm having a seizure. He calls the catcher out for a conference. I'm wondering if I should have the coach check on him. Next three pitches are balls outside, I've dialed 9 & 1 on my phone, not sure if it was for him or me, next pitch is outside and the kid swings and misses. Cody looks ****ed. Inning over. He won't even look at me between innings, but next inning everything is back to normal. I need a medic.

After the game, he tells me the kid was 'special' and he was actually trying to let him get a hit. The infielders had prearranged that no one was to throw him out at first if he hit it fair. When it became obvious he wasn't going to hit the ball, he'd called the catcher out there to tell the kid they were going to walk him and not to swing. It all got ruined when the coach yelled, "Swing if its close" and the kid took a cut. He told me he really wished the kid could've walked, because he could've bragged to everyone that he was the only guy to get on base off him.

I still tear up every time I think of that story.

I'll share one more, favorite coaching moment.

We're in a 13U league, playing a team made up basically of the rival LL All Star team from the year before. We're down a couple runs, runner's at 2nd and 3rd and two outs late in the game. I'm coaching first, my buddy Steve is coaching third. He signals suicide squeeze, bunt goes down, other team panics and blows the play. After a steal of second, we're back to 2nd and 3rd again. He calls it again. Bunts to the first baseman and nobody covers. The other team's coaches are going insane, yelling and screaming. We get 2nd and 3rd again, he calls it again, it works again. The other coach comes out of the dugout, goes to the mound and is jumping up and down, bright red yelling and screaming about how they only have to get a simple out at first.

I jog over to third base and say, "Steve, you know there's two outs right?". He says "No way, there's only one" and asks the umpire who confirms the two outs.

Its been about three years, but we still laugh about the day he called three consecutive suicide squeezes with two outs and they all worked.

As a Player:

8U All-Stars, elimination game. In extra inning, 2 outs, down by one, nobody on. I hit a triple down the RF line, and I'll always remember the kid diving for it, and it hitting off of his glove into the side fence. I'll admit, I didn't look at my 3b coach once, I just kept running. The next kid hit a high chopping grounder through the 5-6 hole, and I scored. We wound up winning

As a spectator:

NLDS, Marlins v.s. Giants, down by 1 in the 9th. Pudge hits a walkoff line drive into CF, scoring Juan Pierre, and Luis Castillo.

And, in that same game, a guy got into a fight because he was mad that we brought in Braden Looper to pitch.

Oh, so many great memories, but a couple come to mind, and both when he was a little guy. His first HR, he was about 8? It was a grand slam. Another HR, he was about 12? It was a walk off 3 run game winner. Odd that I would remember these older moments. I just love watching him and his friends play the game - I even love watching them all practice (ugh, addiction to baseball, ugh).

quote:

Originally posted by JMoff:
I'll share one more, favorite coaching moment.

We're in a 13U league, playing a team made up basically of the rival LL All Star team from the year before. We're down a couple runs, runner's at 2nd and 3rd and two outs late in the game. I'm coaching first, my buddy Steve is coaching third. He signals suicide squeeze, bunt goes down, other team panics and blows the play. After a steal of second, we're back to 2nd and 3rd again. He calls it again. Bunts to the first baseman and nobody covers. The other team's coaches are going insane, yelling and screaming. We get 2nd and 3rd again, he calls it again, it works again. The other coach comes out of the dugout, goes to the mound and is jumping up and down, bright red yelling and screaming about how they only have to get a simple out at first.

I jog over to third base and say, "Steve, you know there's two outs right?". He says "No way, there's only one" and asks the umpire who confirms the two outs.

Its been about three years, but we still laugh about the day he called three consecutive suicide squeezes with two outs and they all worked.

I had a similar coaching incident - two strikes count on the batter - I gave the suicide squeeze sign intending to wipe it off - but used the wrong wipe off (we had changed our signs). Fortunately, the batter bailed me out with a great bunt single

To me it is tough to pick a memory that sticks out more than others. I would pick a play he made as a young player at 10 yo.
He was playing LF on a Rec team. A pop up occurred and the 3rb player was very weak. He raced in and as the ball popped out of the players glove he laid out and caught the ball inches off the ground.
Another in elite BB when he was 15 he pitched a one hitter against the top 16U team in Ontario. It was the 3rd game of a 4 game series and we lost the other 3 by a large margin. The teams were embroiled in a nasty confrontation just prior to his outing due to some nasty hits on their players. The parents of the other team had swarmed our dugout screaming at our players calling them goons, Once things settled down they got the 3rd game underway and after pitching 5 innings of no hit ball the crowd (both sides) got behind him. They were on their feet and my sister who lived in the Gateaus in Quebec was there. In the 7th with 1 out a player laid a bunt down and was soundly booed by all spectators. His coach took him out to a standing ovation by the whole crowd. It was very special to me. The GM from the other team came over to me in the 5th and asked if that was my son. We became friend for several years and always made a point of saying hello at tournaments. He had placed several players in MLB and US colleges.

This has been about 3/4 years ago. My wife had been diagnosed with Hodgkins and was undergoing chemo treatments and that meant losing her hair.

While most of her hair was gone, she had been able to hang onto the longer parts on the back of her head for quite some time. She had taken to "hiding" her condition by wearing all sorts of cute, girly ball caps that friends and family had donated to the cause.

I had been my son's baseball coach since he was 5 years old, and he was now 11 and playing travel ball. This particular weekend was Mother's Day weekend and time for the annual Mother's Day baseball tournament that we entered.

That Saturday morning, everything seemed to be going fine, until my wife got out of the shower with a towel on her head and tears in her eyes. She asked me to meet her in the bedroom, where she very tearfully showed me the thatch of hair that had previously holding precariously to the back of her head. It had come off in the shower, and she was now.....completely bald. She couldn't go with us.

My son and I left for the Saturday morning game with heavy hearts, but knew we had to do what we had to do.

In order to fully absorb the impact of this story, you also need to know about my 5 year old daughter. She was a VERY crafty, and artistic little 5 year old. There was very little she couldn't create or fix with scotch tape, scissors, and a stapler.

Just before first pitch, my cell phone rang, and my wife (this time with tears of joy) told me they were on their way, she'd explain when they got there.

Turns out, my daughter had taken that thatch of hair and stapled it into one of the cute, girly ball caps, complete with a little "pony tail" sticking out the hole in back.

My wife wore those hats.....just like that for about 6 months. Nobody but our closest friends ever knew.

We didn't do real well in that tourney, but she beat the cancer, and I was never more proud of my little family than that day.

sptsnt00

that is truly the best story. kids do the darndest things. i'm glad your family is healthy.

Friday May 16th 2008, its a warm sunny day at Wrigley field. As both parents get to watch their son win his 1st MLB Game. Lots of celebrating that night in Chicago!!

I have so many but here are 2...
My son's first tee ball game at 6 years old (he is now 15)and he crushes one that the entire herd of opposing players runs to get deep in the OF. I am busy watching the ball roll and then I glance up at my son - who is running out of the box toward 3B! He rounds the bases backwards. When I ask him about it on our ride home, he said "I was so excited I forgot where I was going."

The next one occurred as a 9 year old a few years later. Our AAU team was playing up against one of the best 10U teams in the state. They were beating us 3-0 going into the last inning and bring in their stud to close. We fight back to 3-2 through HBP, a K with an E2, and a couple of hits. At this point, I am doing the math...my son can get up with bases loaded and 2 outs if we don't tie or win it before then. Sure enough, he comes to the plate and he has had a rough day at the plate 2 K's in 6 pitches (Wouldn't you know it?). We talk and he is nervous. We talk about focusing on this moment - pitch to pitch. When he gets to a 2-1 count, I call timeout and tell him the pitcher is going to groove a FB and he better be ready. He does...he is..my son drives the game winning line drive over the CF's head. His confidence has grown since then. It often makes me wonder how he would have progressed if he "failed" there.

A couple of years ago, Coaching a small tournament 10U, playing against a strong leagues all star team, with only a couple of All Stars on our team.
We are down 1 run with no outs late in the game, I am on 1rst coaching, Son is at bat with a very fast runner on 3rd.
I flash the bunt sign to the 3rd base coach, who nods in agreement and signals the bunt sign, Son lays one down hustles all the way to first and is thrown out, but the tying run scores. Son is mad, he wanted to hit, I am happy he scored the run, I tell him great bunt way to go RBI etc., he gives me the classic line, Why do I always have to bunt, which he doesn't. I tell him he tied the game he is still mad, he jogs back gets his bat heads to duggout on 3rd base side. His teammates are going crazy patting him on the back , the fans are cheering for him, he goes into the dugout and then comes out and yells at me, "I am glad I bunted now!" We end up winning.
Just one of the few times Dad isn't always wrong type moments.

There are a few that really stand out. At age 10, 2B pitched 7 innings of a 12 inning game that the 11-12 Newton County all-stars won 2-1 to go to state. At 11, he hit a grand slam at Cooperstown. That was fun.

Two years ago, he got moved up to varsity as a 13-year-old, 5'5" 140 lb. 8th grader. In the first regular season game, a district away game, he got called in to pinch hit in the top of the 6th - his first official varsity AB. So he walks toward the plate, and the other team starts kind of making fun of him. "You have to be this tall to play this game," stuff like that. He responds by hitting a double over the left fielder's head. Awesome. Ever since then, he's hit very well against that team!

More recently, watching him play MIF at PG underclassmen. In good company, he looked like he belonged. And then he made me even more proud because he was disappointed with his performance - and as a result he has dedicated himself to getting stronger and faster. At the first HS practice last week, it showed.

More memories are in the making!

When he was 12, he was called upon to hold a 1-run lead in the top half of the last inning of a tournament championship. As you might expect, he gets in trouble and he gets the third out only after giving up the lead. Down one, they manage to tie the game, and load the bases with two out, and of course he's up. Before we even have a chance to pray for redemption, he rockets the first pitch against the left center field fence, missing a walk-off granny by about four feet. There have been a lot of fun moments since then, and we are hoping they will continue, but I don't know if we'll ever be able to replicate that smile as he stopped at second and headed to meet his team at home plate.

my son called after his first day of mini camp. i asked how it went? he said, " i could do this the rest of my life".

We should ask ourselves this question every year and write the answer in a scrap book. Someday this'll all be over and we'll need something...

Best Baseball memory - that's too hard to pick out with 4 grown men who all played ball growing up. Best recent memory was my youngest playing last summer in his final year of Legion ball. His team had 4 other kids who had played their first year of college and some good HS players. Of course we were missing some of the best area players as they were playing other avenues (both HS and after 1st year of college - I'm sure the other Legion teams also contend with this). All our college players had been at D3 schools. Anyway, in the first game of districts (at home) we were losing when the game got rained out (I was at work that night). They came back the next night to finish up the game - I will have to say that the other team lost the game rather than we won. This first game was a single elimination game. On to the real double elimination tournament. We lose our first game (2 hrs. away) and are put in the losers bracket. Next up we go to where the rest of the tournament was held (2 hrs away also - but near my wife's parents and many of her siblings). We win and continue winning. We beat many of the higher seeds. We played lots of games being in the loser's bracket. My son gets to pitch - he had only pitched a few innings the summer before in Legion in the last 2+ years. He does well pitching relief in several games. We're still running out of pitching. One of our catchers who had been hurting says he can play so the coaches in the championship game against the team we lost to at first put the other catcher who had been catching in to pitch; he tosses a shutout game. We play this team again and this time have a see-saw battle, but finally prevail and go on to the state tournament.
Best part? Hearing my son asking if his grandpa got to see him play and my 80 yr. old father-in-law being there for the games. His wife has been battling dementia for a while now. Several of the daughters help my father-in-law take care of her. So, my father-in-law got a needed break and enjoyed seeing his grandson play and my son enjoyed his grandpa seeing him play. Life is good.

Tim Robertson

as a coach (grad assistant at wcu)
down 6 runs in the socon championship. bottom of the 9th, and we come back to win on a grandslam by a kid who hasn't hit a homerun all year.

as a player, just playing, but striking out my older brother (in the one inning i pitched in my whole life)has to be up at the top

August 16, 2008 My son's PONY(14U) team won the PONY World Series with a 2 run walk off HR!

Son about 5 or 6. We are walking from the parking lot headed to Candlestick park to watch the SF Giants. I am fumbling with jackets, backpack and have both hands full. Son taps me on the leg. I knew what this means. I transfer everyting into my right arm and lower my left arm. He reaches up and grasps my hand. We walk to the entrance hand in hand. I can still feel that little hand. I will never forget it.

for me......being 5 and the only girl on the boys pee-wee league team. hitting a double in my first at bat.....i've loved the game ever since!

as a wife.....watching my husband bond with our son as coach/player throughout all the years of little league.

as a fan.....all the summer days spent at the ballpark with my boys.....any ballpark would do the little league complex, our high school field, or great american in cincinnati.

as a mom.....road tripping to mississippi for his first college visit/invite only showcase! it's rewarding to see his years of hardwork and dedication start to pay off!

Just yesterday....

My son had elbow surgery Nov 4th. The doctor told him yesterday he was cleared to play when HS practice starts next week (He's a Soph). It was as if a weight had been lifted off this shoulders as he made plans for all the things he has to do to 'catch up'....

That's great news Hawk19. May you have many more good baseball memories to look forward to!

My memories were many years ago when Willie Mays played. this was a clipping from the El Paso Times
newspaper.

Major Loop All-Stars Beat Service Nine
El Paso Times -
Big hits by the batters and some fine hurling by Connie Johnson of the
Chicago White Sox gained the touring major league all-stars at 6-2 victory
over the El Paso Service all-stars before some 2,500 fans at Dudley Field
Thursday afternoon.
Homerun clouts by Hank Thompson of the Giants, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee
Braves and Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs featured the hitting for the
visiting stars, who touched four El Paso hurlers for 11 hits. Johnson went
the distance and scattered eight hits – three in the seventh inning when the
locals got their first run – and struck out 12 batters – in a fine
demonstration of control.

Bob Williams, Ft. Bliss first-baseman, provided the big clout for the local
team with a solo homer over the left-field fence in the bottom of the ninth
inning. Mightiest clout of the game was Banks’ solo belt in the fifth
inning. The ball sailed high over the second-deck advertising sign in left
filed for one of the longest balls ever hit out of the park.
Thompson’s homer in the first inning was the only run off Starter Mel Work,
while Aaron’s two-run homer came with Junior Gilliam on base by an error in
the ninth. Aaron also had a triple in the three-run fifth inning.

quote:

Bob Williams, Ft. Bliss first-baseman, provided the big clout for the local
team with a solo homer over the left-field fence in the bottom of the ninth
inning.

I don't think any of us are going to be topping that memory any time soon Mays, Aaron, Banks, Thompson... and you played against them... awesome...

I gotta admit ...
If this were a game of "can you top this?" I'd be completely stumped.

Bob, that is very, very cool. I got to know Ernie Banks a little bit in my early 20s. He was my favorite player growing up, and I couldn't believe I actually knew him.

To play against those guys? Oh Yeah, that would qualify as a "best memory."

Thanks for sharing that.

quote:

Originally posted by gimages:
Son about 5 or 6. We are walking from the parking lot headed to Candlestick park to watch the SF Giants. I am fumbling with jackets, backpack and have both hands full. Son taps me on the leg. I knew what this means. I transfer everyting into my right arm and lower my left arm. He reaches up and grasps my hand. We walk to the entrance hand in hand. I can still feel that little hand. I will never forget it.

Gimages.. this is the most important, most beautiful thing ever written in the history of HSBBW.

Rob;

Thank you, however the story does not end. When the NY Giants moved to SF, I call Willie and requested his appearance at the new General Tire business I opened in Burlingame, California.

He agreed and this was my first promotion.

Later for my American Legion team I invited Tommy Lasorda our Legion dinner in Santa Rosa.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by Bob Williams:
Rob;

Thank you, however the story does not end. When the NY Giants moved to SF, I call Willie and requested his appearance at the new General Tire business I opened in Burlingame, California.

He agreed and this was my first promotion.

Later for my American Legion team I invited Tommy Lasorda our Legion dinner in Santa Rosa.

Bob

Lasorda is a fantastic public speaker. I heard him at his induction to the local sports hall of fame.

I want to second Bums' comment. Gimages quick story brings back memories that we all hold so dear, those of sharing this great game with our children.

Bob,
That story is one that precious few can tell but everyone can appreciate. Thanks for sharing.

There are loads of things that come to mind but perhaps the best was my son being the centerfold of his Senior Yearbook---in full uniform with his bat on his shoulder---sort of recognition for he being the first baseball player in his school to get a scholarship to a major Division I program

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
There are loads of things that come to mind but perhaps the best was my son being the centerfold of his Senior Yearbook---in full uniform with his bat on his shoulder---sort of recognition for he being the first baseball player in his school to get a scholarship to a major Division I program

Hope the staple was in the right place!

If I must.

As TRhit mentioned, there are a few things that come to mind, but I guess the one that stands out the most is fairly recent.

Son was probably the #5, #6 or #7 pitcher on a roster that was loaded with talented pitchers in the Summer of 2007. Two of them play for the Longhorns, one Ohio State and another Texas Tech. Anyway, many here are familiar with the Connie Mack World Series in Farmington New Mexico and how big of a deal it really is. That Summer the South Plains Regional was held at TCU and the young one played for a team called DBAT. It came down to game six with the winner take all to see who headed to Farmington. To Make a long story short(er), son got the start vs the Dallas Mustangs and pitched five and two thirds strong innings and got the 6-4 win. It (A) is the biggest game he had ever pitched in and (B) probably the proudest moment I have had of him as a baseball player. That particular day told me so much about my son that I truly believe no matter what else he accomplishes in his baseball career, nothing will ever top that day. There was something so special about that day!

Sorry if it seemed like a brag on the young one, but that by far is the best memory.

Kind of a good/bad/funny BB memory. In 1995, when GED10 was only 2, Benji Gill was the everyday SS for the Rangers and began the season red hot. He was hitting a ton.

We were watching a game on TV, me on the couch and GED10 on the floor, in front of the TV. Benji went yard. I jumped up from the couch and yelled "GET out!!!" GED10 turns around with big crock tears in his eyes and asks "why"??

Made me realize I was a little too intense over the game!

GED10DaD
loves catchers!

GED10DaD,

That's a good one!


Get out!!!




Reminds me of watching Mark McGwire mashing homers in '98 when infidel_son was 8. After studying McGwire for a while on TV, my guy says, "I could strike him out."

quote:

when infidel_son was 8. After studying McGwire for a while on TV, my guy says, "I could strike him out."

infidel,

Very funny! And you know what? Now, I bet he could!

Julie

Watching the commencement ceremonies as my son graduated from an elite college he would not have attended if not for his skills as a baseball player.

Seeing my guy belt homers on back to back AB's at cooperstown in route to a 5 for 5 day.

Seeing him go 3 for 3 with a HR and pitch a shutout against our crosstown rival.

I hadn't been to HSBBW in awhile when a friend reminded of the site again. I'm so glad he did!! It's now in my favorties and a reminder in my schedule to go check out weekly.

These are great stories!! I was talking to my son's future HS baseball coach one evening and mentioned to him that what I really love about the game of baseball are the stories. Everyone a precious memory to those involved.

My best moments so far, more to come....

Our 1st spring traing in AZ, my son is 9. (He's 15 now) We're walking up to the practice fields at the Angel's compound and a player in center field yells to my son to hold out his glove. The player (never caught his name)throws him a baseball over the center field fence. You should have seen his eyes light up. We've been either spring training or CWS ever year since. Just dad/son No mom no sister. Juat the guys.

This past summer Legion baseball going into HS. My son pitches a perfect game 5 innings, 11 K's

Thanks for leting me share!!

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.

As my son is about to start the games in his last HS season, I am reminded of the very first play in the very first "organized" baseball game he played in.

Tee ball, coed, all the kids take the field. At that age you put them all out there. A kid at each base, a pitcher, a catcher, and seven kids in the outfield picking daisies. The positions rotated every inning. Pure torture.

My son was at the pitchers mound to start off that first game, and Tess was on first base. My kid, of course, was all excited to play ball. He had been throwing and catching and hitting with me and his friends for a long time.

First kid takes the tee, and predictably hits the ball to the pitchers mound. My son fields the ball, turns and throws it to first.

Tess wasn't even looking. The ball (at that age a padded ball) hit her squarely in the nose.

Thus ending Tess's baseball career. No lasting damage, but her emergency room doc dad was quick on the scene.

Said Dad to Son: "Nice throw!"

quote:

First kid takes the tee, and predictably hits the ball to the pitchers mound. My son fields the ball, turns and throws it to first.

Tess wasn't even looking. The ball (at that age a padded ball) hit her squarely in the nose.

One of my favorite memories is also when my son played t-ball. He was also "pitcher" and had two or three ground balls hit to him in a row, threw them over to first base where they were all missed. The next time the ball was hit to him, he rolled the ball over to first base where the put out was made. I will never forget that. (We did tell him not to do that anymore.)

Tball memory,
Son a lefty playing 1st base.
No outs runners on 1st and 2nd.
Ball hit right at my son, and he catches on the fly and runs to 1st base on instinct.
Double play, now the runner on 2nd ran on the hit to 3rd.
The 3rd base coach is telling him to run back to second.
My son sees all this and starts running for 2nd.
Now its a foot race to the bag.
Son missed an unassisted triple play by an eyelash.
He would of threw it, but nobody there.
Anyway it was fun to watch.

EH

My best baseball memory for myself was a chance meeting with Ferguson Jenkins and the ensuing conversation about a mutual team mate. He knew him when they both pitched for Chicago and I knew him when I tried to comeback with a semi-pro team called the Lawton Pepsis before he made it to the Cubs. It was one of the best baseball conversations I ever had.

The best memory of my boys- 1)Several of the Oklahoma State players would stop by the house to play catch with my two sons during their grade school years. The smiles were irreplaceable. The game was still fun for all of them.
2)My middle son was working a home game as batboy. He was sitting in his designated corner of the dugout by the screen and was watching everything intently. Two players were able to sneak up on him and place two cone shaped water cups filled with shaving cream on top of his batting helmet while another two were able to place nice wads of gum on the points of the cone. The crowd down the third baseline began to notice what was going on and erupted when the plate ump requested more baseballs and when coach Ward saw what was happening. That was the only time I saw the man look terrified. My boy trots out to the plate and the PU pulls his mask off and bends over laughing. Coach Ward is chewing on the overachievers and trying to find me in the stands at the same time. I thought it was funny!! My son had no clue what everyone was laughing at until he got back to the dugout and they told him to take his helmet off. He thought it was funny too!

That's a funny story CoachO, thanks for the laugh.

Mine are hopefully yet to come. Maybe tonight, if 8U son's game don't get rained out.

as a player it would have to be always turning around and seeing my dad in the stands with his scorebook. he would never miss a practice or game. that taught me alot about being a dad and he didn't have to say a word.

as a coach we took a 10 yr old team from dallas little league to the elite 8. two years later we were in liberty city, mo at the super series world series. the next year everyone went their seperate ways to play for "professional" coaches. this time next year there will be 8 or 9 of those kids playing college ball.

as a dad its taking both of my boys to yankee stadium and fenway park in june of 2007. one month before my oldest son left for basics. theres nothing like baseball memories.

This is my very first post. A fellow coach told me about this site.
I've got 3 sons who play, hence the name, and I coach hs baseball. Last Saturday we had a home double header and my 6 year old came with me. When we got there he asked what I had to do and I told him to line the field. He watched the entire game from our dugout and I'd look back at him during the game and he'd be squeezed between two players whenever a lefty came up to protect him from a foul ball.

Between games he comes to me and says "dad, can I line the field? I watched you do it".

On the way home he said "Dad, today was the greatest day of my life" and I asked why, he says "because I got to sit in the dugout with you and the Bulldogs".

That night when I'm putting him to bed he says in real quiet voice..."dad, you're my hero".

3baseballsons, first of all welcome

What a great story , you are definitely doing something right. Good luck with the three sons!
Oops, and good luck to your daughter as well.

great post 3B and welcome to hsbaseballweb. it doesn't get any better than your son calling you his hero.

These are some great stories. They remind me of just why baseball is so special among all of the sports. Just to add my 2 cents worth, mine is the first time son pitched at one of the big national tourneys. At the time, he had not really had any exposure, and so was an unknown at this particular event, and up to that point, had been a rec/local aau player. Takes his warm-up pitches, has a quick chat with the catcher. Gets on the mound and looks up to see like 40 radar guns pointed at him!! He looked like he was gonna make a #2 right there!! He stepped off the back, adjusted his cup (guess it was time to see what you got down there), and proceeded to throw a CG gem against one of the top teams in the country. He had just turned 16 at the time, and after the last pitch (89 on the black), his fist-pump was probably one of the most pure moments of joy either one of us will ever experience.

Wow, 3B, that's a great story. My son will probably never say that to me, but I did see him walk on air last night.

2B hit his first high school home run - a GRAND SLAM!! His next AB, line single to right. He ended up 3-for-4, 5 RBIs, and was Player of the Game in the local paper.

He is the one with his helmet on, smiling.


Seemed like he was taller this morning. Awesome.

It doesn't get much better than that 2Bmom.
Congrats!!!

My best memory in baseball? Thats easy, last year my 9 year comes to bat in his first year of kid pitch. Its the last inning of a league game and we are down by who knows, 10 runs or something and hits a weak, bloop single over the SS. The toothless grin he showed off on first base was priceless.

3 weeks earlier in the boys first scrimmage ever against kids throwing live, his very first plate appearance, actually the very first pitch he ever saw(or didn't see) ended up knocking out 2 1/2 teeth. He went hitless his first 7 games after that, but stayed with it and that smile on first will stay with me forever.

I have blessed with so many great baseball memories it probably isn't fair...

I grew up in the Cincinnati area during the "Big Red Machine" era, that whole decade was a "best of" series of memoires for me.

For my oldest son... "The Pittsburgh Pirates select..."

For my youngest son (8th grader)... got a text from him yesterday saying "Dad I made the school team"

Both very different however both just as special to me. Yes I have been blessed; the baseball gods have been very good to me.

3baseballsons nice to have you on the site. Thats an awesome post.

There have been alot of great baseball memories over the years involving my son and other young men on different teams and at different levels, but about 3 weeks ago, I realized the memories that I cherish the most.

About 3 weeks ago, my son called and said he was on the college travel squad to Conway SC for 4 games. I couldn't miss this, so I loaded up the car and set off for the 5 hour ride to Conway. Wife was working, so I was by myself. About halfway thru the trip, I realized how many great memories I had of just the trips to baseball games. Those times my son and I just spent talking about baseball, girls, school, laughing and fighting.

Baseball brought my son and I closer, I made alot of mistakes in my life, and those trips gave me a chance to tell my son about each and every one of them and advise him how to keep himself out of those same situations. So far it seems to be paying off.

I will never forget our baseball trips!

I don't know if this is our "best" baseball memory. But it's one I'll always cherish.

Having won our league playoffs, we earned the berth in our 2003 LL Minors City Championship. My son had just turned 9 years old (he's a HS freshman now).

Priceless

Here's another one our family will always cherish. As much time as we spend on fundamentals, mechanics, BP, games, titles, All-Stars, etc., oftentimes it's the character traits that shine the brightest and make us the proudest.

As our son completed his Little League years, he was awarded our league's highest award (voted on by the Majors managers).

The [XYZ] Memorial Award, [Our] Little League's highest award, is presented annually to the Major League Player that best personifies determination, respect, good attitude, sportsmanship, hustle and the ability to get along with others. The recipient of the 2007 [XYZ] Memorial Award was...