We are now approaching 10 consecutive months of weekly baseball. For anyone, much less a 10 year old, this is daunting. Rabbit is unique in his ability to focus and commit to a task. That said, he is still 10 and every once in a while acts his age.
This weekend we had a double header on Sunday. Saturday was a day of sloth around the house and then a great time with friends at the Chivas USA game. We got home after 10PM and went straight to bed. Woke up by 8 to be ready to go at 9. The Rabbit was tired. Seriously tired. He was coming off a mild cold and some major school work, so it was not entirely unexpected. I just had a feeling as we left that it was going to be a long day.
Game 1 was OK. He went 0-2 with 2 strikeouts without ever so much as making contact. He played his usual sparkling defense at first, but twice there was a major lack of communication that left a circle of three players staring at the ball with no one covering the bag to get an easy out. We had a quick break for lunch and I gave serious consideration to heading home and getting him a nap. But, since he was scheduled to pitch game 2 it was not really an option.
Game 2 he came in to relieve in the 4th inning with a 3 run lead. 2 errors behind him led to 2 unearned runs. He walked on 4 pitches his first AB, then 6 pitches his second AB. On the plus side, he did foul a ball off, his only contact of the day. In the 5th he stopped using his legs when he pitched. Because of this he was almost always behind in the count, leaving the ball up, and struggling with control. It is certainly degrees, and his "bad day" yesterday was eons better than a "bad day" 5 months ago, but he was struggling. More errors, wild pitches and a full count walk (a mortal sin if ever there was one) and he finished the fifth down 4 runs. He got the third out on a great pickoff move. He has been working hard on that and it was fun to see it pay off.
On the plus side, when he remembered to use his legs, bend his back, and throw like he meant it he could find strikes. It does seem silly to talk about the mental approach to the game with a 10 year old who watches Sponge Bob as much as he watches MLB. However, he seems to get it. I am wondering if he would do better with less baseball for a few weeks. But he wants to play every day. He wants to go to the park and work on flies, pickoffs and pitching. Maybe he needs a hobby to keep him away from his hobby. And maybe, no, this is a certainty, I am over thinking it. He is a kid, having fun. Isn't that enough?
2 0 0 0 2 2
Monday, October 27, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A little bit of quiet time.
We actually had a weekend off! It was amazing. Very strange.
This week had hitting on Monday, scheduled practice Wednesday, but Rabbit was not feeling well, and practice Friday. We will need to leave practice a bit early for a supper commitment, but that will be fine. We then have a double header on Sunday.
This past weekend we signed up for another (possibly final) Little League season. It was good to see some friends at the fields. We stuck around and watched a few fall-ball games. Nice to see the development of players I have known for 4 seasons now. Through it all we felt that we made the right choice by having Rabbit stay with Blue Wave for the fall season though.
Next month is fairly quiet, only a Big League Dreams tournament between now and Thanksgiving. The big calendar item is the Palm Springs tournament the last week of December. Strange to think we are already making our plans for it. The year moves very quickly.
This week had hitting on Monday, scheduled practice Wednesday, but Rabbit was not feeling well, and practice Friday. We will need to leave practice a bit early for a supper commitment, but that will be fine. We then have a double header on Sunday.
This past weekend we signed up for another (possibly final) Little League season. It was good to see some friends at the fields. We stuck around and watched a few fall-ball games. Nice to see the development of players I have known for 4 seasons now. Through it all we felt that we made the right choice by having Rabbit stay with Blue Wave for the fall season though.
Next month is fairly quiet, only a Big League Dreams tournament between now and Thanksgiving. The big calendar item is the Palm Springs tournament the last week of December. Strange to think we are already making our plans for it. The year moves very quickly.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
They are the Champions!
OK, so I gave it away already. Sue me.
The 10U championship game was scheduled for 3:15. Due to an extra inning affair on our designated field we did not get the first pitch across until after 4. We were the visiting team by way of a coin flip and had Jason the Ace on the hill. Jason and Rabbit both had 4 innings of eligibility left, everyone else on the team had 5. We were going to throw people out there until we found a good one! Luckily, we found a good one right away.
For this game Rabbit was moved to clean up, batting fourth. He came up with 2 out and a runner on third. On the first pitch he hit a hard single right down the 3B line driving in the first run of the game. He then stole second (much easier today, they were back on 60 foot basepaths instead of the 70 foot used by the 11U) and came around to score on a clean single by the next batter. We finished batting with a 2-0 lead and only allowed 1 in the bottom of the inning. In the second Rabbit was up again, 2 out, runner on third and 3 already across. He fought back, having been down 0-1 and 1-2. A 7 pitch at bat including 2 foul balls ended with a swinging strikeout. A good AB for certain, and after 2 innings we were ahead 5-1. After the third it was 5-3, and should have been much more. With two runners on and two out the opposing batter lifted a soft liner over the 1B bag. Rabbit on a full run made the play over his head saving at least one run. The umpire, opposing coach and his entire team congratulated him on a spectacular grab.
In the fourth Rabbit saw 6 pitches before walking. As was his custom, he stole second and third before coming home on another single. It was 6-3 after 4.
After Jason was done with his 4 innings the coaches had to decide between Rabbit and Will to close out the game. Luckily for my health they chose Will. He is a boy who can throw very hard and throws strikes. We allowed one in the 5th but only after scoring 3 in our half. It was 9-4 going into the last inning. By now, due to our late start, the sun was directly in the faces of the batters. They, and the catchers, were completely blinded. I am not certain but I do not recall many boys making contact. Rabbit missed 3 pitches in a row in his final AB and tells me he did not see any of them.
In the bottom of the last inning we let one run across, mostly from our catcher being blinded. But as had happened with us their batters could not pick up the ball. It would not have mattered as Will was throwing hard strikes. The game ended 9-5 with Bluewave winning the title.
Rabbit played stellar at first, and in fact played all 6 innings of the final game there. The team, only 9 boys were able to make the trip, really played well over the weekend. They have a lot to be proud of and are playing excellent ball together. It was an amazing weekend and Rabbit is still wearing his medal around the house. And why not, he earned it!
6 3 3 1 3 2
Welcome to Paso Robles, I hope you brought a jacket!
We got to Los Osos and my parents new vacation home in time for dinner Friday night and got Rabbit into to bed by 9. This was key since we needed to leave the house at 6:30 to be at the fields by 7:15. A good nights sleep was appreciated, and cut short by the alarms.
When we pulled into the fields complex it was 33 degrees outside. Fahrenheit! Yikes. We found our teammates and waited for the snack bar coffee to be ready. It was alarmingly cold. The boys were at least able to run a bit and warm up. By game time (8am) it was a blistering 40 degrees. Eeep. Rabbit started game 1 at first base. Their first two games were being played against teams from the 11U bracket. His first at bat, he was 5th in the line up, he was quickly down 0-2 before battling back 2-2. A swinging third strike left two runners on, but Rabbit knew what the pitcher had going. Boy did he ever. A 3 run second inning and we were ahead 3-0 after two. Rabbit led off the third and on the first pitch drilled a ball to center. If it had been 10 degrees warmer the ball would have skipped to the fence for an easy homerun. Instead it "lawn darted" and he was thrown out at 2nd on a questionable call. It was the hardest hit ball of the day and a great swing.
Before the bottom of the third Rabbit ran to RF and another boy went to the mound. A third boy, who had been warming up was sent to the outfield. The coaches then called Rabbit in to pitch. It was confusing and Rabbit never quite got his brain together before the inning started. Add in the fact he was again throwing from a 50 foot mound (46 is normal for 10U) and it went bad. Quickly. First play to him was a comebacker to the pitcher that he butchered, throwing the ball into the opposing dugout allowing a run. From there it got worse. In the third he gave up 5 runs, 4 earned with 1 k and 4 BB, including two on full counts. Starting the fourth it continued to spiral. Another earned run, another full count walk and after two outs the coaches took him out. A game that was easily winnable, against a team in a higher division, ended up a 5-3 loss.
Game 2 was against a much better team and we struggled early. Rabbit alternated between first and RF. His first AB was a 5 pitch walk from which he stole second and third and scored on a passed ball. His next AB was a sharp single and another stolen base. He came around to score as well. The game, which had been 11-2 at one point, ended up 13-9 with Bluewave putting the tying run on deck. Everyone was hitting and the team had a great final two innings in that game. It was now noon and we were done with games until 3PM Sunday. One of the families had brought an RV and the boys had hot dogs and chips together and then went to run around the park for a bit. After a while we headed back to Los Osos for naps and to get ready.
That afternoon we met several teammates at the beach in Morrow Bay for an impromptu whiffle ball game. A difficult task in 60 MPH winds, but a great time was had. Afterward we gathered at the house for burgers and movies. It was a great turnout and the boys really had a good time. As bedtime approached we were relishing the chance to sleep in on a game day for once!
When we pulled into the fields complex it was 33 degrees outside. Fahrenheit! Yikes. We found our teammates and waited for the snack bar coffee to be ready. It was alarmingly cold. The boys were at least able to run a bit and warm up. By game time (8am) it was a blistering 40 degrees. Eeep. Rabbit started game 1 at first base. Their first two games were being played against teams from the 11U bracket. His first at bat, he was 5th in the line up, he was quickly down 0-2 before battling back 2-2. A swinging third strike left two runners on, but Rabbit knew what the pitcher had going. Boy did he ever. A 3 run second inning and we were ahead 3-0 after two. Rabbit led off the third and on the first pitch drilled a ball to center. If it had been 10 degrees warmer the ball would have skipped to the fence for an easy homerun. Instead it "lawn darted" and he was thrown out at 2nd on a questionable call. It was the hardest hit ball of the day and a great swing.
Before the bottom of the third Rabbit ran to RF and another boy went to the mound. A third boy, who had been warming up was sent to the outfield. The coaches then called Rabbit in to pitch. It was confusing and Rabbit never quite got his brain together before the inning started. Add in the fact he was again throwing from a 50 foot mound (46 is normal for 10U) and it went bad. Quickly. First play to him was a comebacker to the pitcher that he butchered, throwing the ball into the opposing dugout allowing a run. From there it got worse. In the third he gave up 5 runs, 4 earned with 1 k and 4 BB, including two on full counts. Starting the fourth it continued to spiral. Another earned run, another full count walk and after two outs the coaches took him out. A game that was easily winnable, against a team in a higher division, ended up a 5-3 loss.
Game 2 was against a much better team and we struggled early. Rabbit alternated between first and RF. His first AB was a 5 pitch walk from which he stole second and third and scored on a passed ball. His next AB was a sharp single and another stolen base. He came around to score as well. The game, which had been 11-2 at one point, ended up 13-9 with Bluewave putting the tying run on deck. Everyone was hitting and the team had a great final two innings in that game. It was now noon and we were done with games until 3PM Sunday. One of the families had brought an RV and the boys had hot dogs and chips together and then went to run around the park for a bit. After a while we headed back to Los Osos for naps and to get ready.
That afternoon we met several teammates at the beach in Morrow Bay for an impromptu whiffle ball game. A difficult task in 60 MPH winds, but a great time was had. Afterward we gathered at the house for burgers and movies. It was a great turnout and the boys really had a good time. As bedtime approached we were relishing the chance to sleep in on a game day for once!
Monday, October 6, 2008
The weekend before the big trip
Rabbit was invited to play with the 11U squad this past weekend as a tune up to the Paso Robles Tournament that is this weekend. The 2 games (Sunday double-header) were against a very strong local team that had just won several major tournaments. Rabbit was excited to play and ready to go Sunday morning buoyed by the news of the Dodger's sweeping the Cubs.
Game one saw Rabbit at First Base and Right Field. He played excellent defense at both, recorded several outs, and two assists! One from first to third, the other from RF to third. After a bit the other team stopped running on his arm, it was a "proud Papa" moment to watch the Coach hold his runners at second. Rabbit's play in RF is hugely improved and he made several plays where he had to track the ball, get in position and come up throwing. All of his work shagging fungos is paying off.
To the shock of us all he started game 2. What was most surprising was that the pitching rubber is 4 feet further back. This meant Rabbit had to adjust his release and arm speed. In the first inning he was nervous, but scrapped through with one walk, zero earned runs and 5 ground balls. In the second inning he gained his footing, worked quickly and got out with no walks or earned runs, struck a hitter out and left with a tie game after two. At the plate he drew a walk, stole second and came around to score on a bang-bang play at the plate. He swears it was a hook-slide to the open side of the plate, I think he got lucky and fell away from the catcher. Either way, the run scored.
Monday at the cages, Tuesday another bullpen session, Wednesday practice then we leave Friday straight from school for Paso. This is going to be a blast.
Game one saw Rabbit at First Base and Right Field. He played excellent defense at both, recorded several outs, and two assists! One from first to third, the other from RF to third. After a bit the other team stopped running on his arm, it was a "proud Papa" moment to watch the Coach hold his runners at second. Rabbit's play in RF is hugely improved and he made several plays where he had to track the ball, get in position and come up throwing. All of his work shagging fungos is paying off.
To the shock of us all he started game 2. What was most surprising was that the pitching rubber is 4 feet further back. This meant Rabbit had to adjust his release and arm speed. In the first inning he was nervous, but scrapped through with one walk, zero earned runs and 5 ground balls. In the second inning he gained his footing, worked quickly and got out with no walks or earned runs, struck a hitter out and left with a tie game after two. At the plate he drew a walk, stole second and came around to score on a bang-bang play at the plate. He swears it was a hook-slide to the open side of the plate, I think he got lucky and fell away from the catcher. Either way, the run scored.
Monday at the cages, Tuesday another bullpen session, Wednesday practice then we leave Friday straight from school for Paso. This is going to be a blast.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Wow, where did that month go?
It has been a very quiet last month for several reasons. First off, the team only had one double header scheduled after canceling a tourney due to lack of players. Secondly, I have been unable to walk due to a foot injury. Add in school starting and all the assorted extra time there and we have been very light on baseball lately.
No excuses though, we are off to Paso Robles next weekend. This weekend Rabbit has been asked to play with the 11U team to get some innings in before the Paso tourney. Last weekend was a 10U double header on Sunday that went ok, but not great. Rabbit pitched two innings, 3 earned, 3 strikeouts, one walk. He left the ball up twice and got drilled both times. He looked pretty good for not having pitched in a month, but he needs to get back on the hill. Hitting he was 1-3 and also was HBP. Drove in a run and scored after stealing a few bases. As usual, finding the third out was a huge challenge for the group. Hopefully that will come easier in the future.
Tuesday of this week we worked on velocity. As I expected, he was throwing mid-forties with his fastball. Worked his arm rotation and taking a bigger step to try to get some more speed. By the end of the session (50 pitches) he had hit 50 several times on the radar. We will go again next Tuesday to see if the changes are sticking.
When not playing we are having a blast watching the Dodgers play in the playoffs. It is quite interesting watching Rabbit absorb a game these days. He is very aware of the hitters footwork, where the catcher's glove is and especially the pitch sequence. He is really seeing the game on an entirely different level.
No excuses though, we are off to Paso Robles next weekend. This weekend Rabbit has been asked to play with the 11U team to get some innings in before the Paso tourney. Last weekend was a 10U double header on Sunday that went ok, but not great. Rabbit pitched two innings, 3 earned, 3 strikeouts, one walk. He left the ball up twice and got drilled both times. He looked pretty good for not having pitched in a month, but he needs to get back on the hill. Hitting he was 1-3 and also was HBP. Drove in a run and scored after stealing a few bases. As usual, finding the third out was a huge challenge for the group. Hopefully that will come easier in the future.
Tuesday of this week we worked on velocity. As I expected, he was throwing mid-forties with his fastball. Worked his arm rotation and taking a bigger step to try to get some more speed. By the end of the session (50 pitches) he had hit 50 several times on the radar. We will go again next Tuesday to see if the changes are sticking.
When not playing we are having a blast watching the Dodgers play in the playoffs. It is quite interesting watching Rabbit absorb a game these days. He is very aware of the hitters footwork, where the catcher's glove is and especially the pitch sequence. He is really seeing the game on an entirely different level.
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