An area HS travel team pulled in a bunch of college players, divided into a couple of teams, and started a series of doubleheaders at Principal Park this week, which is where our minor league AAA team would play if they were playing. Son signed up to pitch for them, so we went up to the first game Friday. Ten of his college teammates were playing as well. SO EXCITED for some actual baseball.
Get there, very safe. All staff wearing masks. Park that seats more than 10,000 has zip tied off seating groups of two to six around the park. Now allowing about 2,000 in. Everything is touchless.
Son went 3.3 innings, struck out 5. Then it started to rain. Then one of his coaches comes out of the dugout and signals for play to stop. Medical personnel head for the dugout. A group of adults run from the stands into the dugout. Players come out and congregate on the field, a couple seem to be crying. We can't see anything.
Turns out, one of the boys had a major seizure in the dugout related to a previous injury. Ambulance came and took him away. By that night he was, thank god, out of the hospital. Teams agreed unanimously to stop play.
A total mixed bag of emotions — joy at seeing the game we love, satisfaction with son's performance, and total panic over health of a player.
Son will play with Northwoods league beginning July 4. We'll see how it goes. He's going to commute on days when he pitches rather than stay with a host family, but we're just starting to sort out what that's going to look like.