I work swing shift so I didn't get to see many of my sons games. He was a good pitcher on a not so good team.We lost most of our games but he was always dominate on the mound.So that our team would not be ten run ruled my son would pitch the first 3 innings (6in per week max,2 games a week) he would strike out everyone until he left after the 3rd. Then the other team would take care of us.It upset me at times that the coach would use him this way but I understood why. It was his last game and he was sick with the flu and the coach let him pitch the whole game. I came at the end during my lunch and he had just finished pitching,our team was behind,we were the home team.I asked him what happened, he said I'm sorry dad I did my best but the team made to many errors.I asked how did you do he said I struck out most of them (he had 15ks) as he looked at me I could see the sweat not from the game but from his fever and relized what a tough competitor he was and said thats ok you did your best.
I will always be indebted to both my kid’s teams for the opportunity to bond with them on those long car rides. The time with them playing baseball and softball has been truly the best years of my life. There are so many other memories that it’s difficult to choose from, but here are two of the most recent memories with my son and the game of baseball.
We came on to the baseball scene late, ignorant of the showcase/recruiting process. In the middle of his Junior season he became one of the team’s best pitchers. His team went on to win the title for their district and he was asked by a Legion coach to join their team for the summer. At the Legion games, other parents asked what showcase team he was on. Showcase team? At the end of the summer we scrambled around to try and find one but as you can imagine, by then most were pretty much all set with their rosters. We did find a team though that was willing to give him a tryout. The tryout would be the real deal though playing at a tournament at ECU! We found out the day before that he was invited.
ECU is a two hour drive from our home and the first game was at 8:00am at a high school (nearby ECU). Up at 4:30am, he tried to sleep during the drive but he was too excited. We were early and he paced around, so ready to get on the mound. The other teammates had never met him before yet they were wonderful, welcoming him even though they had several good pitchers already. We were winning for most of the game but in the 6th, we almost lost it. We were now only one run up and the bases were loaded. This is the point in which most coaches put him in as he throws the batters off just enough to bring us back into safety. Being a lefty doesn’t hurt either. It’s VERY nerve-wracking as a parent to know that your kid will almost always be the one that gets put in at this point, but he somehow thrives on it and I’ve learned to trust his abilities. And yet the coach still didn’t put him in. He let the pitcher get to a 3-1 count on a lefty batter and THEN put Sidearm Son in! He ran up to the mound and threw a couple of warm up pitches. I love this point in the game because you can see the looks coming from the other dugout as the players start to wonder if they can hit this weird pitch. His first pitch is a fastball, low and just on the inside. Strike! The batter gives a look to his coach like “What the heck was that?”. The second pitch was a nasty curve and, after only two pitches, inning over. The whole team came out of the dugout to congratulate the new kid on the block and show their appreciation for getting them out of a jam. He went on to help the team be undefeated that tournament pitching relief or closing. Unfortunately, there were few scouts at our games and a rainout on Sunday prevented him from showing his stuff to his desired schools. But as he got in the car at the end of the weekend, he turned to me with a sheepish little smile on his face and said, “Momma, I think I made the team”.
The second memory is how I felt after reading one of his scholarship applications. He worked so hard on it and except for a few typos (spelling is definitely not his thing) I thought it was written well. The scholarship is for community service work. Every year, Sidearm Son runs a free clinic for the Boy’s Club of Raleigh. He founded the clinic and does all the organization himself. He ended his application with the following story:
One day while umpiring at one of the club’s little league games, a young boy was very upset because his team lost. I thought he showed potential and I was concerned with him being so upset over losing a game. When I asked him what was wrong, he told me that this was his last game before he had to move away. I told him that losing was part of playing baseball and that because he had so much potential, he’d have plenty of other chances. I brought a smile to his face when I told him I’d be looking for his name one day in the Majors. After I said that, the little boy gave me a look that I will never forget. It was a look of hope, possibilities and dreams. As he ran to his family, I realized how much one small gesture can make a huge difference.
We came on to the baseball scene late, ignorant of the showcase/recruiting process. In the middle of his Junior season he became one of the team’s best pitchers. His team went on to win the title for their district and he was asked by a Legion coach to join their team for the summer. At the Legion games, other parents asked what showcase team he was on. Showcase team? At the end of the summer we scrambled around to try and find one but as you can imagine, by then most were pretty much all set with their rosters. We did find a team though that was willing to give him a tryout. The tryout would be the real deal though playing at a tournament at ECU! We found out the day before that he was invited.
ECU is a two hour drive from our home and the first game was at 8:00am at a high school (nearby ECU). Up at 4:30am, he tried to sleep during the drive but he was too excited. We were early and he paced around, so ready to get on the mound. The other teammates had never met him before yet they were wonderful, welcoming him even though they had several good pitchers already. We were winning for most of the game but in the 6th, we almost lost it. We were now only one run up and the bases were loaded. This is the point in which most coaches put him in as he throws the batters off just enough to bring us back into safety. Being a lefty doesn’t hurt either. It’s VERY nerve-wracking as a parent to know that your kid will almost always be the one that gets put in at this point, but he somehow thrives on it and I’ve learned to trust his abilities. And yet the coach still didn’t put him in. He let the pitcher get to a 3-1 count on a lefty batter and THEN put Sidearm Son in! He ran up to the mound and threw a couple of warm up pitches. I love this point in the game because you can see the looks coming from the other dugout as the players start to wonder if they can hit this weird pitch. His first pitch is a fastball, low and just on the inside. Strike! The batter gives a look to his coach like “What the heck was that?”. The second pitch was a nasty curve and, after only two pitches, inning over. The whole team came out of the dugout to congratulate the new kid on the block and show their appreciation for getting them out of a jam. He went on to help the team be undefeated that tournament pitching relief or closing. Unfortunately, there were few scouts at our games and a rainout on Sunday prevented him from showing his stuff to his desired schools. But as he got in the car at the end of the weekend, he turned to me with a sheepish little smile on his face and said, “Momma, I think I made the team”.
The second memory is how I felt after reading one of his scholarship applications. He worked so hard on it and except for a few typos (spelling is definitely not his thing) I thought it was written well. The scholarship is for community service work. Every year, Sidearm Son runs a free clinic for the Boy’s Club of Raleigh. He founded the clinic and does all the organization himself. He ended his application with the following story:
One day while umpiring at one of the club’s little league games, a young boy was very upset because his team lost. I thought he showed potential and I was concerned with him being so upset over losing a game. When I asked him what was wrong, he told me that this was his last game before he had to move away. I told him that losing was part of playing baseball and that because he had so much potential, he’d have plenty of other chances. I brought a smile to his face when I told him I’d be looking for his name one day in the Majors. After I said that, the little boy gave me a look that I will never forget. It was a look of hope, possibilities and dreams. As he ran to his family, I realized how much one small gesture can make a huge difference.
And so that I don’t play favorites…
My daughter has been on a travel softball team for a year now(her first travel team). She also played up on a local rec league during the fall. But during this past season, her confidence level wasn't yet in line with her skills. Because she's a solid hitter, the coach put her as leadoff batter even though she was only 12 and the rest of the team was 14-16 year olds. Her now favorite game:
During the second inning we were down by one and there were runners on 2nd and 3rd. She had a great hit that went over the centerfielder's head and because she's so fast, made it all the way home. So a three run homerun! But wait, it gets better.
Game is tied with the clock at only 3 minutes left of play(it’s rec ball remember). Bases are loaded with two outs and who gets up to bat? Of course my kid. Why is it always my kid?! After five pitches(two foul balls), it was a full count. The next five pitches were all foul balls. She was in one of the toughest spots for a kid to be in. But she looked like a fighter out there and really battled! The last pitch was definitely a ball and she never should have swung. She hit the ball and it looked like yet another foul ball. But she ran anyway. The ball went over third base and by the time it dropped just inside the foul line, she was already rounding first and then it rolled all the way to the fence! Everyone on the bleachers was standing cheering as she rounded the bases. When she got to 2nd base I looked hard at her and realized she wasn't going to stop for nothing. She kicked it in high gear all the way home. An inside the park Grand Slam!
She was so pumped that as she lay her head on the pillow that night I had to tell her to stop talking, take a deep breath and go to sleep.
My daughter has been on a travel softball team for a year now(her first travel team). She also played up on a local rec league during the fall. But during this past season, her confidence level wasn't yet in line with her skills. Because she's a solid hitter, the coach put her as leadoff batter even though she was only 12 and the rest of the team was 14-16 year olds. Her now favorite game:
During the second inning we were down by one and there were runners on 2nd and 3rd. She had a great hit that went over the centerfielder's head and because she's so fast, made it all the way home. So a three run homerun! But wait, it gets better.
Game is tied with the clock at only 3 minutes left of play(it’s rec ball remember). Bases are loaded with two outs and who gets up to bat? Of course my kid. Why is it always my kid?! After five pitches(two foul balls), it was a full count. The next five pitches were all foul balls. She was in one of the toughest spots for a kid to be in. But she looked like a fighter out there and really battled! The last pitch was definitely a ball and she never should have swung. She hit the ball and it looked like yet another foul ball. But she ran anyway. The ball went over third base and by the time it dropped just inside the foul line, she was already rounding first and then it rolled all the way to the fence! Everyone on the bleachers was standing cheering as she rounded the bases. When she got to 2nd base I looked hard at her and realized she wasn't going to stop for nothing. She kicked it in high gear all the way home. An inside the park Grand Slam!
She was so pumped that as she lay her head on the pillow that night I had to tell her to stop talking, take a deep breath and go to sleep.
Please allow me to add one that is not regarding my offspring.
When I ran our local LL, one year at our tryouts, we had a young man you had a medical and mental deficiency that would have kept most , if not all 12 years olds from trying out.
The young man did his thing and now I had a problem---I feared for his safety if he played, his ability was that bad--The next day I phoned the town folk and asked what do we do and I was informed that legally we could not deny him participation. It came to light that his Dad had a similar situation in HS and was named manager of the HS team so he could participate.
I phoned the parents and informed them of my situation and my thoughts regarding his safety--I offered to take him on our team with my son and other boys that myself and my coaching staff would not make the boy uncomfortable. They asked could they call back in abit after we talked---I said sure take your time--they called back within a half hour and he was a member of our team--his health precluded him from playing but in a few games---we managed to get him a few a few at bats in the right situations and he GOT A SINGLE-- we won the league title and and we had the trophy event at my home he was the first one there and he arrived in full uniform.--
To this day I still can see his grin and I recall seeing him thru his HS years where he was a key element on the HS radio station and every time we ran into each other he always had a grin a "Hi Mr. Rizzi" for me
When I ran our local LL, one year at our tryouts, we had a young man you had a medical and mental deficiency that would have kept most , if not all 12 years olds from trying out.
The young man did his thing and now I had a problem---I feared for his safety if he played, his ability was that bad--The next day I phoned the town folk and asked what do we do and I was informed that legally we could not deny him participation. It came to light that his Dad had a similar situation in HS and was named manager of the HS team so he could participate.
I phoned the parents and informed them of my situation and my thoughts regarding his safety--I offered to take him on our team with my son and other boys that myself and my coaching staff would not make the boy uncomfortable. They asked could they call back in abit after we talked---I said sure take your time--they called back within a half hour and he was a member of our team--his health precluded him from playing but in a few games---we managed to get him a few a few at bats in the right situations and he GOT A SINGLE-- we won the league title and and we had the trophy event at my home he was the first one there and he arrived in full uniform.--
To this day I still can see his grin and I recall seeing him thru his HS years where he was a key element on the HS radio station and every time we ran into each other he always had a grin a "Hi Mr. Rizzi" for me
great story TR...
I have so many its really hard to come up with the best but I would like to start with this one.
A few years back I had a player on my HS team that I had coached while he was also a youth player. He always had alot of potential , tall , strong , great arm. But he always lacked self confidence for some reason. No matter what I tried to do he always seemed to be down on himself and get down on himself really easy.
When he was a soph in hs this player approached me and said he needed to talk to me. He began to tell me he didnt enjoy playing baseball. He said his Dad was constantly putting pressure on him to live up to the ability of the better players on the team. He was constantly comparing him to other players on the team. And he was sick and tired of feeling this pressure. He told me he simply wanted to quit baseball.
I asked the player if I could talk to his Dad. The player said I could but it wasnt going to matter he just wanted to give up baseball and be a normal kid. I talked to the Dad and told him I wanted him to leave his son alone. I wanted him to let his son enjoy baseball. I wanted him to trust me and take my advice or his son was going to quit baseball. The Dad was shocked and said "Coach I had no idea. I will put this in your hands and trust you."
About that time of the year my son was getting ready to head down to Fort Myers for the PG underclass nationals. I spoke to this player and asked him if he would reconsider quitting right now and take some time to think it over. I asked him if he would like to go to Florida with me and my son and have some time away. He said he would. I then got on the phone with Jerry Ford with Perfect Game. I told Jerry I needed a favor and I needed him to allow this player to attend. I told him the player was legit and I would appreciate it very much. Jerry allowed this player to attend and we set off on the trip to Ft Meyers.
It was a wonderful trip. We talked the whole way down. We hung out at the motel and did many other things during the trip. But the topping on the cake was when this young man had a tremendous showing at this event. He made the top prospect game and was simply oustanding. He came away from the event with a renewed love of the game. Confidence he had never had before.
He went on to have a tremendous hs season for us and a tremendous hs career. He got several offers from college programs and turned into a heck of a player. This past summer his brother was killed in a drive by shooting. I had to make the trip to the funeral home and stand in line to shake the families hands and offer my condolences. When I walked up to this young man standing there by the casket that held his brother he said "Coach thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for not letting me give up on myself."
All I could think of at that moment was thank you Jerry Ford for giving a young man a chance. Thank you for caring more about young men and this great game than simply making a buck.
A few years back I had a player on my HS team that I had coached while he was also a youth player. He always had alot of potential , tall , strong , great arm. But he always lacked self confidence for some reason. No matter what I tried to do he always seemed to be down on himself and get down on himself really easy.
When he was a soph in hs this player approached me and said he needed to talk to me. He began to tell me he didnt enjoy playing baseball. He said his Dad was constantly putting pressure on him to live up to the ability of the better players on the team. He was constantly comparing him to other players on the team. And he was sick and tired of feeling this pressure. He told me he simply wanted to quit baseball.
I asked the player if I could talk to his Dad. The player said I could but it wasnt going to matter he just wanted to give up baseball and be a normal kid. I talked to the Dad and told him I wanted him to leave his son alone. I wanted him to let his son enjoy baseball. I wanted him to trust me and take my advice or his son was going to quit baseball. The Dad was shocked and said "Coach I had no idea. I will put this in your hands and trust you."
About that time of the year my son was getting ready to head down to Fort Myers for the PG underclass nationals. I spoke to this player and asked him if he would reconsider quitting right now and take some time to think it over. I asked him if he would like to go to Florida with me and my son and have some time away. He said he would. I then got on the phone with Jerry Ford with Perfect Game. I told Jerry I needed a favor and I needed him to allow this player to attend. I told him the player was legit and I would appreciate it very much. Jerry allowed this player to attend and we set off on the trip to Ft Meyers.
It was a wonderful trip. We talked the whole way down. We hung out at the motel and did many other things during the trip. But the topping on the cake was when this young man had a tremendous showing at this event. He made the top prospect game and was simply oustanding. He came away from the event with a renewed love of the game. Confidence he had never had before.
He went on to have a tremendous hs season for us and a tremendous hs career. He got several offers from college programs and turned into a heck of a player. This past summer his brother was killed in a drive by shooting. I had to make the trip to the funeral home and stand in line to shake the families hands and offer my condolences. When I walked up to this young man standing there by the casket that held his brother he said "Coach thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for not letting me give up on myself."
All I could think of at that moment was thank you Jerry Ford for giving a young man a chance. Thank you for caring more about young men and this great game than simply making a buck.
Coach - Your posts will never cease to amaze me! Another wonderful story.
Best baseball memory (so far) is of my 13 year old son playing in an out-of-state travel team tournament on Father's Day a few years ago. He had not been hitting particularly well. On the drive to the tournament, my wife asked me what I wanted for Father's Day. My response, I want my son to hit the ball like he can. Later that day, two runners on, and my son comes to bat. He took the second pitch over the 300' sign in left center into a 20 mph headwind. I cried I was so happy!
There are several baseball memories I cherish and really thankful for regarding baseball.
When RR23 Jr was....
12yo Our first Championship together in Little League with me Coaching. This paved the way to me helping coach his All Star team.
13yo PONY.. Grand Slam on Father's Day.
14yo Going to the PONY WEST Zone with me helping coach again and just falling short of getting to the World series losing to the eventual PONY World Series Champs Long Beach.
15yo Making Varsity as Freshman. 1st PG tourney/showcase which he did reasonably well. Thanks to Mr. PG Staff as well as the rest of HSBBWebbers for all your advice.
16yo TODAY Martin Luther King...Too bad I was not there to witness HIS FIRST.... firsthand. This is Priceless.
MLK WOOD BAT TOURNEY
Enjoy!!
RR23
When RR23 Jr was....
12yo Our first Championship together in Little League with me Coaching. This paved the way to me helping coach his All Star team.
13yo PONY.. Grand Slam on Father's Day.
14yo Going to the PONY WEST Zone with me helping coach again and just falling short of getting to the World series losing to the eventual PONY World Series Champs Long Beach.
15yo Making Varsity as Freshman. 1st PG tourney/showcase which he did reasonably well. Thanks to Mr. PG Staff as well as the rest of HSBBWebbers for all your advice.
16yo TODAY Martin Luther King...Too bad I was not there to witness HIS FIRST.... firsthand. This is Priceless.
MLK WOOD BAT TOURNEY
Enjoy!!
RR23
Ryanrod, that's pretty cool. Congratulations to your son!
Yesterday was the first day of practice for returning varsity players, and tryouts for everyone else. Because of the size of our school, there is no age minimum to try out. I suspect that this was a big day for some of these boys, and the beginning of their best baseball memories. They are just too cute. (2B is the "big" one).
Yesterday was the first day of practice for returning varsity players, and tryouts for everyone else. Because of the size of our school, there is no age minimum to try out. I suspect that this was a big day for some of these boys, and the beginning of their best baseball memories. They are just too cute. (2B is the "big" one).
Thanks 2bMom.. Good Luck to your son this spring. Definitely the Big Boy!
RR23
RR23
Way to many memories as player. As parent...my daughter was in her first year of softball when she was five. She is a much older seven now. She loves playing and practicing. It was t-ball and coach pitch. She was struggling hitting the ball when the coach pitched it to her. She got so frustrated she was almost in tears. She would see the other girls hitting the ball well. My daughter is very determined little girl so I was surprised by her frustration. In my daughter last at bat of the day, She took two swings and missed. I stand behind the plate for the pitches. She looked at me and her expression said it all. I could feel her not enjoying the game for the moment. I told her it was ok and swing as best she could. The next pitch she crushed the ball passed all the players and circled the bases. I was so happy for her. She had the biggest smile on her face as she crossed home plate. My wife walked up to me and said I don't know who was happier my daughter or me. It was a small moment in life but such a good one.
BillBill: Now that's good baseball!
My favorite memory is my son pitching the championship game for LL district, winner to state. He got the final out (pop up) and from there they went to state. Son got his first HR there too, it looked like a pop up but kept going much like his HS homers do. We had a great time, got to know some really nice parents too. Fantastic weather and priceless memories. He'll have them for life and to show his children, all on videotape. My second best was coming late to his last HS game, seeing we are up to bat, runner on second, I'm now approaching outfield area and I hear this ball hit hard and watching it sailing away. Thinking it must be son, and by golly there he is rounding the bases tieing the game. We ended up losing, but what a way to go out. I sure wish my dad could have seen our son, he would be so proud.
My favorite memory (so far) came from a loss. My sons 10 year old year of LL he played minors. I had always coached his teams (and still do) and every year I would pick a "project" player. That year we had a 12 year old young man who had experienced some unbelievable turmoil in his young life. Tall and skinny with glasses, this young man had marginal ability but outstanding character. He took on a natural leadership role that was great to see. All year long he refused to wear his glasses while he hit. I'm not sure how, but he managed to hit quite well (.420 or so) without the benefit of decent vision. Fast forward to the semi-final game of our local TOC's. We are down 2-0 in the bottom of the 6th and I manage to convince him that he really should try hitting with his glasses on. He goes up to bat and smokes the first pitch over the CF fence. First ever HR. Not a dry eye in the house. I'm glad I was wearing sun glasses while coaching 3B. We lost that game 2-1. Turns out that was his last AB in baseball. He has moved on to other things. That was 4 years ago. I still see this young man at his current HS. When he sees me, I get a high 5 and a smile. There are a lot of reasons why I love baseball but the way the game keeps paying you back has to be pretty high on the list.
Dave
Dave
I've added one before, but by far the most recent has been an unsolicited compliment from a highly respected rival HS coach, working the Texas Tech Catcher camp over the holiday break.
It's nice to know (as a parent) when someone else values your child as a player and as a young man!
GED10DaD
It's nice to know (as a parent) when someone else values your child as a player and as a young man!
GED10DaD
Walk off suicide squeeze in a 0-0 game in the tenth inning. Won us a tournament!
Also, when a was a freshman, I broke my catching hand in practice and i was out for two months. I was a back up so it didnt kill the team. but anyways, I came back for the last two weeks of the season. My first at bat i got A hit, than again in the next at bat. I reeled of 8 hits in a row in three games. it was aamzing.
Long story - Sorry. I updated the post and it moved to the end....
Five years ago, my then 10 year old son had played AAA travel ball for 2 years, playing up. We moved to an area that was heavy Little League, with a park right down the street. We were told he could play with the 11-12 yo's but as practices began they changed the rule and kids had to play with their age. So after playing 10U travel ball he had to repeat and play 10U LL.
It was a brutal season. He picked up a lot of bad habits because he could hit the ball and run all the way around the bases. At least we had a short season (14 games?) and all-stars to look forward to. My son was playing with some of his classmates for a change (his school was 25 miles from where we previously lived) and having fun.
We had planned well in advance to go out of town to a family event, so he missed the first of three weeks of practice for all-stars. When we got back he practiced hard. When the tournament started he sat. Coach used the missed week as the reason.
After the third game he started to get 2-3 innings a game and 1 at bat - and made a huge contibution, playing catcher, to the team. He got a double or triple every time, hitting the ball deep. The other teams also learned not to steal on him. Our SS could catch the ball and my kid could throw it. We battled back from the loser's bracket to play the perenial champions for the championship.
For the championship game my son started and played the entire game at catcher and went 4 for 4. Still in the bottom of the 6th with us up by two runs the other team rallied. An couple of errors had help them score a run and load the based, so our team was feeling very dejected.
Based loaded, two out, their star hitter up to bat. We were at their stadium so the other famillies were rocking the bleachers, anticipating a win.
The other team was overconfident. After each pitch the baserunners were a little slow in getting back to their base. Without our coaches knowing my kid signalled to the SS and on the next pitch threw down to 2b, nailing the daydreaming baserunner on a close play at second. Game over.
All of the sudden the bleachers were quiet. Our kids were estatic as they ran off the field. Almost no one knew what happened - not our coaches and very few of our fans or theirs. There were a lot of people asking "what happened?" One coach told me later they thought they missed something and that somehow the other team had won. Once everyone realized what happened our fans erupted in cheers. The coaches hoisted my kid and the SS on their shoulders, celebrating the victory. Our park sent a team to the state tournament for the first time in 8 years.
Two more things: My son earned two unofficial nicknames: One of his teammates overhead a coach telling another parent that my son had 'brass balls' for throwing down to second in such a tight situation. I know, maybe not really a compliment but he became 'BB' to his teammates. He kept his hitting up during the state tournament and his new nickname was thankfully changed to OBP (On Base Percentage)with a little prodding from the coaches because he finished the state and district tournament with almost a .900 OBP.
All of this was especially sweet because my son overcame some 'haters' during the tournaments, but I won't dwell on that.
Five years ago, my then 10 year old son had played AAA travel ball for 2 years, playing up. We moved to an area that was heavy Little League, with a park right down the street. We were told he could play with the 11-12 yo's but as practices began they changed the rule and kids had to play with their age. So after playing 10U travel ball he had to repeat and play 10U LL.
It was a brutal season. He picked up a lot of bad habits because he could hit the ball and run all the way around the bases. At least we had a short season (14 games?) and all-stars to look forward to. My son was playing with some of his classmates for a change (his school was 25 miles from where we previously lived) and having fun.
We had planned well in advance to go out of town to a family event, so he missed the first of three weeks of practice for all-stars. When we got back he practiced hard. When the tournament started he sat. Coach used the missed week as the reason.
After the third game he started to get 2-3 innings a game and 1 at bat - and made a huge contibution, playing catcher, to the team. He got a double or triple every time, hitting the ball deep. The other teams also learned not to steal on him. Our SS could catch the ball and my kid could throw it. We battled back from the loser's bracket to play the perenial champions for the championship.
For the championship game my son started and played the entire game at catcher and went 4 for 4. Still in the bottom of the 6th with us up by two runs the other team rallied. An couple of errors had help them score a run and load the based, so our team was feeling very dejected.
Based loaded, two out, their star hitter up to bat. We were at their stadium so the other famillies were rocking the bleachers, anticipating a win.
The other team was overconfident. After each pitch the baserunners were a little slow in getting back to their base. Without our coaches knowing my kid signalled to the SS and on the next pitch threw down to 2b, nailing the daydreaming baserunner on a close play at second. Game over.
All of the sudden the bleachers were quiet. Our kids were estatic as they ran off the field. Almost no one knew what happened - not our coaches and very few of our fans or theirs. There were a lot of people asking "what happened?" One coach told me later they thought they missed something and that somehow the other team had won. Once everyone realized what happened our fans erupted in cheers. The coaches hoisted my kid and the SS on their shoulders, celebrating the victory. Our park sent a team to the state tournament for the first time in 8 years.
Two more things: My son earned two unofficial nicknames: One of his teammates overhead a coach telling another parent that my son had 'brass balls' for throwing down to second in such a tight situation. I know, maybe not really a compliment but he became 'BB' to his teammates. He kept his hitting up during the state tournament and his new nickname was thankfully changed to OBP (On Base Percentage)with a little prodding from the coaches because he finished the state and district tournament with almost a .900 OBP.
All of this was especially sweet because my son overcame some 'haters' during the tournaments, but I won't dwell on that.
Mine comes from Omaha -- 2006.
The day before (Fathers' Day), Robert had pitched a complete game shutout against Clemson (sorry, TPM); but, as thrilling as that was, it's not my favorite memory.
Instead, my favorite memory comes from the evening of the day following the shutout; as he and I sat WAY down the third baseline in Rosenblatt Stadium watching two of the other 7 teams play. As we sat there on a perfect evening, the sun setting in a magenta sky behind us, we talked...about a lot of things. The game before us, our time in Omaha, and shared memories of the past were all discussed.
In addition, we talked with the many college baseball fans around us; fans from quite a few schools...some represented that week, others not. Swapping tales, sharing recollections, communing in college baseball's cathedral.
It was a baseball evening to remember.
The day before (Fathers' Day), Robert had pitched a complete game shutout against Clemson (sorry, TPM); but, as thrilling as that was, it's not my favorite memory.
Instead, my favorite memory comes from the evening of the day following the shutout; as he and I sat WAY down the third baseline in Rosenblatt Stadium watching two of the other 7 teams play. As we sat there on a perfect evening, the sun setting in a magenta sky behind us, we talked...about a lot of things. The game before us, our time in Omaha, and shared memories of the past were all discussed.
In addition, we talked with the many college baseball fans around us; fans from quite a few schools...some represented that week, others not. Swapping tales, sharing recollections, communing in college baseball's cathedral.
It was a baseball evening to remember.