Last pitch

It's great that your son and your family got to enjoy a championship.  All four years of my son's HS career ended in a postseason loss.  Not a fun result, but a great ride getting there. 

Here's a pic of him and his 2 closest senior teammates after his final HS game.

In more recent news, the kid is spending the last weekend of his sophomore playing career holed up in a hotel room, having been quarantined by campus health officials for having hoof and mouth disease. Also not fun!

Understand.  2019 pitched in playoffs yesterday.  Pitched 5 2/3 and was pulled due to pitch count and being able to come back this week if we continue to win.  He gave up only his second home run in 4 years yesterday.  Not his best stuff but his team got the win.  Now he must hope they win one Monday to get back on the mound.  Have made it to final 6 in state.  I hope it was not his last mound trip of high school but at least the team won.  It is tough but not the end of the journey just a step in it.

Thanks for sharing the story and the message, Stayfocused.  When it hurts that bad, we know it was that good! 

My last one had a similar ending (several years back).  Several young men who had been friends for life, realizing suddenly that this was the end of a chapter.  I think that moment hit them much harder than graduation.  You don't get this in travel ball.

Like JCG, son's HS career ended up with post season losses each year. His senior year team was ranked first in state at different times. In an early round state game, and as home team, they are batting in bottom of last inning, trailing 2-1. Son gets up with 2 outs..I'm thinking this could be it with him at the plate. As it turns out, he battled and sent a 1-2 pitch over second base for a hit. I'm thinking..they aren't possibly going to run him to get him in scoring position, are they? I think he was more of a decoy at that point hoping that P would throw ball away on several pick-off attempts. #3 hitter pops up to SS and the game ends. That meant that the boys season was over, but they went to work on field just like the end of any other game. I was sad, but knew he would play in college, and I could get to many games. Looking back, I was definitely sadder than he was when his HS soccer team was eliminated in state tourney. I knew that was the end of the line. for him on "the pitch." 

As a teacher at the school, I went to a baseball game this past Friday. Some of same parents were there as son's teammates have younger siblings on the current squad.

stayfocused posted:

2019 played his last high school game last night.....team lost two out of three to end state playoff hopes.   Not sure if it’s harder on me or son.   Most of the seniors have been together since they were 9 on a travel team.  The families are close and have spent a lot of time together over the years.  I think that is what I’m going to miss the most. My sons friends and my friends are the result of this journey. Dang senior year is an emotional roller coaster!  If I could give any advice to a dad with a young son who loves baseball it would be to cherish every moment, and spend just as much time and energy on developing positive relationships for your son and family as you do on practicing baseball.  Do not put all your eggs in one basket!   Make sure your son has lots of interests and friends.   Son had a great season, won a State championship last year, but struggled a little last night and was pulled in 5th, which makes the sting a little tougher.  End of this chapter and look forward to college ball.  Anybody have any memories from your sons last high school game?  Love high school baseball!  

Memories?  Yes!  However, not the one we had been hoping for.  Son's last HS game was in the opening round of the state tournament his senior year (2012).   They had won the district championship (son hit a rbi double with 2 outs to tie the game in the 7th - went on to win in the 8th), and battled through the regionals to qualify for the state quarterfinals.  With our ace pitcher on the mound (6th round draftee) the team trailed 2-0 going in to the 6th.   Our ace pitcher (also a 5 tool player) hit a towering HR shot to get the team on the board in the top of the 6th.  A few hits and errors later we now led 3-2.  Held the opposing team to no runs in the bottom of the 6th.   Top of the 7th we do nothing.   Bottom of the 7th coach puts in a relief pitcher.  127 pitches by the ace was enough.  Got one out.  Next batter walks on a borderline pitch.  Next batter drives a tailing liner into RF which the RF'er dove for and missed.  Runner on 1B just barely beats the relay throw home.  Game tied.  Next batter hits a soft liner over SS.  Runner on 2B scores.  Game over.  Utter silence from our bleachers. (I'm almost in tears as I type this even though this was 7 years ago - I have vivid memories still)

We wait patiently for the team to exit the dugout.  Son is the last one out.  First he hugs his mother, his sister and then me.  I can hear him crying softly.  I remind him he played well and it could have gone either way and that he still has Legion ball and a JuCo team is waiting for him come August.  I think that was the toughest and hardest loss.   It was the furthest the team had advanced in 25 years and they had expectations of playing for the state championship.

Son went on to play 2 years of JuCo ball and 1 year at the D2 level.

It still brings a bit of a pang in my heart when I drive by a field with a game in process.  We occasionally take in a HS game.  Wife and I do miss it.   From the time he started LL to his last D2 game spanned about 15 years.

Thanks for sharing guys.  Nice to hear your stories. 

Here's my dilemma.  I have twin HS seniors, one plays softball the other baseball.  Of course, every game is on the same freaken day, including the upcoming playoffs.  No way I want to miss the last game for either child.

My daughter's softball team isn't as good as our baseball team, and there's a very good chance they will get eliminated in round 1.  My son's baseball team, on the other hand, is expected to make a deep run. My son is the #1 pitcher and should pitch game 1, unless coach wants to take a chance and save him.

So, do I go to daughter's game, to see her final game and hope baseball wins, missing my son pitch?  What if baseball wins game 1, but then lose game 2, that means I miss his last HS start?  What if softball pulls an upset? Ugh, think I'm gonna lose in some scenario. 

Last year I chose baseball over softball, softball lost so I missed her last game. But now that she's a senior, I don't want that to happen.

Love my twins, but boy have they twisted us up in pretzels during these years...but wouldn't have it any other way.

CTBALL wow it sounds like you have quite the predicament.  Good luck on that decision.  Keep us updated on how it all turns out.  

Very few kids end their high school year or career with a win. Mine didn't either. Just enjoy it while you can, it all goes fast, really fast.  

The last high school game is still vivid in my memory, just last year. It was the second game of the day. We had to go on the road and win twice to advance. He started on the mound the first game and was dominant, completely shut them down. In his last two high school years in the playoffs, they didn't lose a game that he started on the mound, he was money. The second game it just wasn't meant to be. It was close for a majority of the game, but the other team blew it open bottom of the 6th, they were just more of a complete (and mature) team than we were. When it was over, everyone left the seniors alone in the dugout. It was their time, to deal with it as they saw fit. They stayed there for 5-10 minutes. The rest of the team was waiting on them when they got through. Then it was the parents turn. He grabbed me and laid his head on my shoulders and sobbed. I just reminded him that he had a heck of a high school career, that I was proud of him, that while it was the end of high school ball, he had college ball to look forward to. It wasn't enough, but it was all that I had to offer.  

What was extra special about the senior year was that he got to play it with his first cousin who was a Freshman, who also has a career ahead of him past high school. It was the first time they had ever played together. They're close, and they enjoyed every minute of it, even though it didn't end like they wanted it to. Someone snapped a picture of them. Love these two kids.

My mind has lingered on the "last ______" a good bit this season.  Son is a HS junior.  Last season I recall several players on his HS team making the choice between the college they wanted to go to, and trying to stay in the game.  Some choices from the outside seem easy; UT College of Engineering vs a mid level Juco tryout for a so-so HS player.  Some a little more difficult;  TAMU School of Business vs a full JUCO ride.  One kid who could have been a good "get's outs" type D3 pitcher chose to work with his dad in real estate than college altogether.

This go round, I'm planning the last summer travel for my son.  Also, even more on my mind, is friends kids that are seniors getting eliminated from playoffs.  Just a time of transition.  I think it is tougher on the parents than the kids.

Except for the team that wins state, all HS kids end with a loss.

I have more memories of his second last game.  District semi's against the #1 team in the state.  Son started on the mound.  Had a 2 run double in the top of the first then scored to put us up 3-0.  11K's, 1 walk and 2 hits on the mound and we won 4-0.   Lost two days later to a league team we had already beaten twice to end his HS career.  Tough loss, but he still talks about the big win in the semi finals.  Easily his best day even on the mound.   Highlights are still available on YouTube....I still watch it once or twice a week.....in fact, I'm probably going to watch it again right now lol

Dammit, you guys are bringing back faded memories.  The field happened to be the most significant battleground for my youngest son and I to go through the challenges of a father/teen son relationship.  There was the added complexity of simultaneously going thru a coach/player relationship.  At the same time, we were both working hard on helping the team reach goals they had never come close to reaching.  And, the senior group was a particularly close group of friends, about to realize that a big change was going to happen and they would largely part ways and each venture out away from their small town nest.

He and I went through MANY highs and lows leading up to the moment.  The team came off a great season where they won a tough league title, had a home playoff game and excitement and anticipation of a playoff run.  Things fell apart late in one inning and suddenly it was over.  Afterward, the players lingered in disbelief on the field, then congregated on the infield just sitting, hugging, laying, crying, seemingly forever.  Then it was our turn.  Son and I hugged and cried for a long time.  This was very rare for us.  Just not the way either of us are wired.  Seems like every minute of the journey flooded through that hug, along with the realization that this was our youngest and last.  We had come a long way.  It hurt real bad and felt real good at the same time. 

Dammit you guys.

If you have HULU, watch the movie UNDRAFTED- the ending made me cry my eyes out as that is my son and I (including the video) at the end!

24fan posted:

Very few kids end their high school year or career with a win. Mine didn't either. Just enjoy it while you can, it all goes fast, really fast.  

The last high school game is still vivid in my memory, just last year. It was the second game of the day. We had to go on the road and win twice to advance. He started on the mound the first game and was dominant, completely shut them down. In his last two high school years in the playoffs, they didn't lose a game that he started on the mound, he was money. The second game it just wasn't meant to be. It was close for a majority of the game, but the other team blew it open bottom of the 6th, they were just more of a complete (and mature) team than we were. When it was over, everyone left the seniors alone in the dugout. It was their time, to deal with it as they saw fit. They stayed there for 5-10 minutes. The rest of the team was waiting on them when they got through. Then it was the parents turn. He grabbed me and laid his head on my shoulders and sobbed. I just reminded him that he had a heck of a high school career, that I was proud of him, that while it was the end of high school ball, he had college ball to look forward to. It wasn't enough, but it was all that I had to offer.  

What was extra special about the senior year was that he got to play it with his first cousin who was a Freshman, who also has a career ahead of him past high school. It was the first time they had ever played together. They're close, and they enjoyed every minute of it, even though it didn't end like they wanted it to. Someone snapped a picture of them. Love these two kids.

 

Your photo reminded me of this one, which I had not seen in years so I had to go dig it out of my old emails.  This was taken after the final game of my son's freshman season, when our closer (currently doing well in MiLB) blew a save for maybe his first time ever.

When my son was a HS frosh playing Varsity, I initially had mixed feelings, but that changed during the season. One factor was having the privilege of watching the senior facing away from the camera play. He was one of most talented HS players I ever saw, and definitely the fiercest competitor. I think my kid, facing the camera, would say he respected and learned as much from that senior as anyone else he ever played with or for and helped turn him into a team leader in his own right in subsequent years.  Sadly the kid's playing career didn't last much longer, as he was plagued by shoulder issues in college.

Like most both kids senior year ended with a post season elimination loss. My son has always been the “Don’t be affected by peaks and valleys” kid. The first year his team won the conference his approach was “Isn’t it what we’re supposed to do?” He even gave the opposing catcher/travel teammate a brief hug before jumping on the dog pile at home plate.

Conversely he wasn’t outwardly affected by getting eliminated senior year in districts. While two of his best friends were baseball players his bigger inner circle was more from other sports. His attitude was he was about to start four more years playing at an even higher level. 

Then there’s my daughter. She was traumatized by losing at states. Calmly telling her she has four more years of softball coming up was like throwing gasoline on fire. She snapped and started crying. It wasn’t about losing. The core of the team was five seniors who turned around a program as freshmen. They had been leading team dinners every Friday night during the season since they started playing together in 7th grade. My daughter was upset they were all going their separate ways to continue playing.