Wednesday, May 20, 2009

The best team in the majors.

Well, the Dodgers are still winning. But this is not about them. This is about the Santa Ana NW Little League Major Bruins. After a 2-5 start they rallied hard, winning 10 of 11 to win their division. Rabbit played a big part and finished the season as a starting pitcher and batting clean up. What a tremendous accomplishment. The team has really played well of late and hopes to carry some strong momentum into the ToC and City Tournament schedules. His coach has also alerted us to the fact that he will nominate Rabbit for the 11U All Stars and even suggested that he may take him for the 12U team. Quite the recognition for a kid playing up a level.

Hitting has come back down to earth, but we noticed a slight change in the stance. Upon correction he was back to hitting the ball hard and picked up 4 RBI in his last 3 games. His pitching is great right now with a real zip on the fastball. Additionally, the change-up is un-hittable and keeping the front elbow high has really added to the movement of his other pitches. Of all things, it is his defense at 1B, usually his strong suit, that has been suffering. We spent some extra reps on the bag and are making the adjustments. For whatever reason he does not like to get the ball into the webbing of the glove, but rather trap the ball against the "paddle" edge. A few more reps and he will be back to his usual sparkling defense.

Travel ball gets serious this weekend with a 3 day tournament. We have the potential between City Tournament and Travel to play 9 games in 3 days. YIKES! The reality will be much more reasonable. I am astonished at Rabbit's progress in the last 12 months. Mostly, I am amazed he still has the same enthusiasm and drive. Even more so were that possible. It is fun to be a part of his world as he grows. I do need to remind myself that he is still 10. It is very easy to forget when he handles himself so maturely.

Summer plans are shaping up nicely. Flyers start in 3 weeks, road trip to ABQ looks like the end of July, and NCAA regionals coming in the next two weeks. Throw in a Dodger game or 3 and we are set for a few months. While not everything is perfect, who cares. The game is still fun, and he is improving daily. It is hard to believe it has been a year already since I started this project. I cannot wait to see what the next 12 months bring.

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