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31 replies

Last Season. Last State Tournament. Last Game. Last Pitch. Last Thought.

J junior5100+ posts
I've been waiting to get home to my computer for the last hour and a half.

Tonight my high school played in our last game together in the second round of the state tournament; which we lost. This experience made me realize a lot of things. During the last four years I have taken for granted the players and coaches I have been lucky enough to spend my wonderful high school career with. We played a good team and they flat-out beat us, and it hurt. We were down 8-1 in the top of the 7th and I came up to hit with 2 outs and ended the game on a ground out. It was the worst feeling I have ever fealt in my entire life. I had to walk into a dugout that was filled with a group of guys who were destroyed as I was.
This wasn't the hardest part though. I looked at the seniors and realized that 75% of them would never play the game of baseball again. I never really understood how fortunate I am to be able to go play college baseball and continue playing this amazing game. I saw the tears run down their faces and it hurt.
I just wanted this to be on here not only because this site has given me the chance to vent from timt to time, but also because I don't want other players to make the same mistake I did. Every day you get the chance to play the game of baseball with a team of guys you love, you need to realize one day it will be over. In the end it doesn't matter whether or not you got into fights or didn't like each other at one point. What matters is that at the end of the day you will stand side by side with each and every one of them and work until that last out is called.
I'm gonna miss this team, and I'm gonna miss high school baseball.

Play pitch by pitch. You can't lose a game on one pitch and you sure as hell can't win it on one pitch.

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G gotwood4sale10,000+ posts
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Your post, junior5, is testimony to why baseball is such a great game. At a young age you have seized an opportunity to learn much about life and much about yourself through the game.

Thank you for sharing your story. Much success to you in your continued pursuit of lessons and in your pursuit of life.

Your strong and admirable character is evident. To ask you to keep us posted isn't necessary because I'm confident that we will be hearing from you.

And by the way..."We played a good team and they flat-out beat us, and it hurt.". Everything I will be reading from you I will be able to trust and not wonder if it is true. Your statement is honest...and often times very difficult for competitors to admit. You have a good grasp on reality. That grip will serve you well junior5.




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Last edited by gotwood4sale
play baseballplay baseball1,000+ posts
What a heartfelt and heart-wrenching post, junior5.

What struck me was your acknowledgement that 75% of your team will not play again. Those 75% may have chosen that course or not, but all the same, the game of baseball has been a part of their lives for many, many years, and now, with that final out, it's not.

For the 25% remaining, it may have been their last game, too, although they don't know it yet. A lot can and will happen before next spring-- I hope they will have the same grace that you are exhibiting now.

Good luck to you, and to all of the boys (and girls) who move on to different schools and interests, with or without baseball (and softball).

Congratulations for a hard fought and hard played season. I would always tell my kids: Someone is going to win, why not you? The flip to that is that there are winners and losers in this game---some win and some lose. This time, in this game, someone else won.

Best wishes.
C catcher710+ posts
I too Junior5 can relate to how you feel. My senior baseball season has come and passed as well and I also sat in the dugout with pain and hurt. Down by two with runners on second and third I was left on deck. Seeing the right fielder catch the fly ball and knowing that I do not get one last chance to go out there and compete for my high school was extremely tough. Looking my fellow seniors in the eye as we walked off the field that day is something that I will never forget. Four years of playing together, which I thought would go on forever, was suddenly over. Me being in the same situation you are I get to play baseball another day. But to see the guys that never will is something I will always remember.
J junior5100+ posts
Hawk,
I'm going to Doane College in Crete, Nebraska.
YoungGunDad,
It means a lot that you would say that. I've read many of his posts since I was introduced to this site and he is someone I am thrilled to even be mentioned with.
Play baseball,
75% of my senior class won't play next year. We may have a couple more juniors play in college somewhere but we'll just have to wait and see.
Everone else,
Thanks for the thoughts. It was a rough night, but now it's time to get back to work and go out and have a good summer season.
Last edited by junior5
trojan-skippertrojan-skipper1,000+ posts
5:
My nephew played at Doane and he had a great time. They have a nice program there but let me tell you you better have every relative you know give you long underwear and thermal sweatshirts for your birthday and Christmas because you will find out what playing cold weather baseball is all about....

enjoy and keep us posted, good luck to your Tigers! (they've got sweet looking unis if that means much to ya)
J HJ H5,000+ posts
junior5- That sure was a great post, and one that many here can relate to. I'd like to point out one part of it though that caught my eye in particular...

quote:
I just wanted this to be on here not only because this site has given me the chance to vent from timt to time, but also because I don't want other players to make the same mistake I did. Every day you get the chance to play the game of baseball with a team of guys you love, you need to realize one day it will be over.


I don't know anything about you as a player or about your team, nor do I know anything about the experience that all of you had playing together over the last four years. The experience obviously meant a lot to you and your family. However, it is not "over". It is never over. Often times I look back on prior experiences that I have and realize that the time I spent with the people I spent it with can never be taken away from me. Much of a person's makeup and personality is based on the memories they have and the enjoyable times they've recollected in their lives. Your high school baseball experience is an example of a very important piece of your life over the past four years. You've matured enormously as a player and as a person. You've instilled ethics and values within yourself that will never cease to exist. You've created friendships that will last a lifetime.

With the sentiment you've expressed in your post, I can tell that you recognize the magnitude of the emotional aspect of baseball, or any other team sport for that matter. But I'd ask you to not think of it as an end to a facet of life, or an era. Your experience is just simply a guideline for other parts of your life, and the reminiscing you'll do in the future about the times you spent playing high school baseball will allow you to realize that it truly was one of the happiest and most memorable features of your young life.
Last edited by J H
J junior5100+ posts
JH,
I've read a lot of the things that you've posted on here and they are all amazing to read. It's great to see how people recognize you and what you post on this site. I completely understand what you're saying about the relationship I have with my teammates being with all of us forever. It's great to get a little recognition from someone I've grown to look up to. Thanks
J HJ H5,000+ posts
I'm nothing more than just another player man, I've just been doing it for a few years longer than you that's all. I speak the truth and express how I feel, just as you did. It doesn't take as much effort and intellect as everyone makes it out to be, just a bit of thought and a few visits to thesaurus.com to make it all sound sophisticated. What matters more than the fluffy stuff to make it sound good is the honest portrayal of your feelings. I hope a lot of people stumble across this thread and read your thoughts because I really think you've done a great job displaying how the events have affected you. Keep us updated into the future and let us know how the progress is. This is just a bump in the road, trust me.
G gotwood4sale10,000+ posts
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    "Give it a shot, it makes you sound so smart!"

I don't think I've quite got the hang of it...
    The unnecessary definite course of action belonging to succulent fragments let remain a large yet indefinite number of people, to a small degree, not in a straight or level position. = The superfluous policies of tender catches leave many slightly askew.




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jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
I came across this post tonight and have to say that junior5 5 knocked one out of the park on this one.
You turning into a man right before my eyes and I am very proud of you!!!!

To the other posters on this thread... Thank you for the kind words about my son!!!!

couple of thoughts on the last game... I was very lucky to witness the raw emotion junior5 had during and after that game. In some ways I am glad the team lost because I witnessed my son at his best when the outcome was the worst. He learned some valuble lessons and some perspective on what is important.
Backstop-17Backstop-17500+ posts
I happened to be watching ESPNU last night before the Nebraska-Creighton game and the program involved discussing Rosenblatt and the experiences there over the years.

One thing that stuck with me from Augie Garrido when discussing what it means to play in that stadium, paraphrased:

"Well, you don't know what it means for the kids who win that tournament and what that will do for their life. They will grow before your very eyes during the tournament. The winners will continue to be winners the rest of their life, no matter what line of work they will undertake."

Then he said something like this:

"It means even more to the guys on the team that come in 2nd place. Those guys will become winners too, only because they tasted the bitterness of defeat. They will remember the loss their whole life and never, never, never want to come in 2nd place again."

.

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