We have had about 4 weeks off. It has been nice, but very hectic with all the holiday activity. Rabbit picked up a new OF glove for Christmas and a few warm-up jackets. We are having fun getting it all broken in. The addition of the MLB Network on January 5th has our house buzzing with thoughts of baseball.
We had practice on Wednesday night. For the first time we are seeing some of the inherent drama of travel ball. Rabbit plays with the 10U (age 10 and under) group. The 11U group is splitting, and may be forced to play up a division in the 12U brackets to be sure they have enough players. This is not always a bad thing, but the way some players moved, and how and when it happened has left some parents interested in the future of having two separate 11U teams. It is very easy for me to be philosophical about it since I am not directly affected, but I do understand both sides. I try to remind myself that the boys are just 10 and 11. We try to stick with the 2 basic rules. First, are you having fun? Second, are you getting better? However, it is a large commitment, both in time and money and with a scarcity of both right now I want to be sure that we are in the best possible position.
Another thing that we are seeing is that some players are leaving the team for various reasons. Some want to only play Little League or Pony, some want to play other sports, some parents are unable to pay the fees in the current economy. This is making for a dynamic group of players. Not a problem at all, but it is clear that they play their best when they play consistently together.
Rabbit finished 2008 hitting a hair over .400 for Blue Wave (a monumental achievement given his past history) with two home runs and an on base percentage over .500. He is playing excellent defense and has great moments on the mound. And then he scares the heck out of everyone. Wow, he must be 10. We are very pleased with the coaching and the organization. Blue Wave was the right fit for us to get started with.
Looking forward: We have more Blue Wave, Little League, and OC Flyers to keep us busy from now until September. I have truly missed baseball over the past month. I scour the websites for Hot Stove information. I Tivo MLB Network shows for later. I am diseased. But that is not news to anyone who knows me.
Practice tonight and a tourney at the end of January. We will miss LL tryouts because we are out of town. We may miss the make-up date because of the Blue Wave tournament. I am OK with that. Little League will be the "fun stuff" this year. A chance to spend extra time with his friends. This is supposed to be fun after all.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Monday, December 15, 2008
As the year draws to an end
We had two games on Sunday, with the luxury of knowing that regardless the outcome of the early game we were in the championship final. This was a great opportunity to give players a look at different positions and rest some arms. Rabbit, however, stayed at first. It is quite comforting to see him there.
The game started at 7:45 am, and it was 36 degrees when we pulled into the parking lot at 6:50 am. This needs to stop! We were visitors and batted first. Rabbit drew a walk on 7 pitches and was sent to second by the coach who was trying to catch the defense napping. No such luck, he was out at second. Blue Wave scored three in their half of the first and then got the opponents 1-2-3 in the bottom half. Rabbit played much better defense and recorded 2 of the three outs. His next at bat was a 4 pitch walk where he came around to score. Third trip was an 0-2 single into LF and another steal. His approach at the plate is amazing. Even down 0-2 he is still dangerous. In the bottom of the third (we were ahead 11-2 by then) Rabbit made 2 great defensive plays, including a pop up over his shoulder. After the previous days shaky defense it was great to see him play so well. His final at bat he was robbed of extra bases, and possibly a home run, by a great leaping grab. Even though it was an out it was hit where he wanted it to go, and hard. The team coasted to an easy 14-5 victory.
We headed home as the final game was not until 3:45. We got a quick rest in, some lunch, and then headed back to Chino. After watching the warm ups and first inning I told my wife I expected us to lose 12-4. Sadly, I was eerily prescient.
Things started off with us going 1-2-3 in the top of the first. 2 of those outs were on stunning defensive grabs. We were inches away from having a great inning. We only allowed one in the bottom of the first. Rabbit, still at first and still batting clean-up, got an infield single to start the second. He came around to score after a few steals. We were tied at 1 after 1.5 innings. Then the wheels started to fall off. You could see it coming. Some poor decision making about when and where to throw the ball, coupled with a few misplayed balls let 5 runs in. Even when we scraped 3 of our own together in the top of the third they responded with 2 in their half. By now Rabbit was brought in to finish the game and lost his composure. It was cold again, the sun had gone down, and was maybe 45 degrees on the field. Rather than checking with the umpires or coaches he decided on his own that he could not blow on his hands to keep warm. This dramatically reduced his ability to grip the ball. He opened the 4th inning with 6 straight balls, and I could see his shoulders slump. It took about 4 batters to find his groove. Once he did, he got 3 of 4, but by then 4 more runs had crossed. At the plate he finished with a strikeout and a walk and the final was Blue Wave on the short end of a 12-5 score.
As disappointing as the loss was, it was very heartening to see this team win three games in a weekend for the second tournament in a row. It also marked their fourth finals appearance since June. There is still a ways to go, but the team is getting better by leaps and bounds.
4 2 2 0 2 1
The game started at 7:45 am, and it was 36 degrees when we pulled into the parking lot at 6:50 am. This needs to stop! We were visitors and batted first. Rabbit drew a walk on 7 pitches and was sent to second by the coach who was trying to catch the defense napping. No such luck, he was out at second. Blue Wave scored three in their half of the first and then got the opponents 1-2-3 in the bottom half. Rabbit played much better defense and recorded 2 of the three outs. His next at bat was a 4 pitch walk where he came around to score. Third trip was an 0-2 single into LF and another steal. His approach at the plate is amazing. Even down 0-2 he is still dangerous. In the bottom of the third (we were ahead 11-2 by then) Rabbit made 2 great defensive plays, including a pop up over his shoulder. After the previous days shaky defense it was great to see him play so well. His final at bat he was robbed of extra bases, and possibly a home run, by a great leaping grab. Even though it was an out it was hit where he wanted it to go, and hard. The team coasted to an easy 14-5 victory.
We headed home as the final game was not until 3:45. We got a quick rest in, some lunch, and then headed back to Chino. After watching the warm ups and first inning I told my wife I expected us to lose 12-4. Sadly, I was eerily prescient.
Things started off with us going 1-2-3 in the top of the first. 2 of those outs were on stunning defensive grabs. We were inches away from having a great inning. We only allowed one in the bottom of the first. Rabbit, still at first and still batting clean-up, got an infield single to start the second. He came around to score after a few steals. We were tied at 1 after 1.5 innings. Then the wheels started to fall off. You could see it coming. Some poor decision making about when and where to throw the ball, coupled with a few misplayed balls let 5 runs in. Even when we scraped 3 of our own together in the top of the third they responded with 2 in their half. By now Rabbit was brought in to finish the game and lost his composure. It was cold again, the sun had gone down, and was maybe 45 degrees on the field. Rather than checking with the umpires or coaches he decided on his own that he could not blow on his hands to keep warm. This dramatically reduced his ability to grip the ball. He opened the 4th inning with 6 straight balls, and I could see his shoulders slump. It took about 4 batters to find his groove. Once he did, he got 3 of 4, but by then 4 more runs had crossed. At the plate he finished with a strikeout and a walk and the final was Blue Wave on the short end of a 12-5 score.
As disappointing as the loss was, it was very heartening to see this team win three games in a weekend for the second tournament in a row. It also marked their fourth finals appearance since June. There is still a ways to go, but the team is getting better by leaps and bounds.
4 2 2 0 2 1
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Being a good teammate ... and playing for a good team.
We were back at Big League Dreams again after several months. And we were there early. Call time was 7:15 on a gray, misty morning. It was cold to be certain. The game was at 8am and Rabbit got the ball as starter. Having him start always makes me nervous, but it is particularly terrifying for games starting before 10am.
In his two innings of work (standard fare for the first day of a tourney) he allowed 5 hits, one walk (did not come around to score), two strikeouts (including a devastating change-up) and one earned run. And also six unearned. It was frustrating. We could see the team struggling to not fall into bad habits of giving up on games. We were down 4-0, 4-3, 7-3 and 8-4 in this game. Back in July we would have started packing up because the mercy rule would have been inevitable. But a funny thing happened on the way to the loss. Rabbit, after a mediocre turn on the hill and another error at pitcher walked his first two trips and singled sharply in his third at bat. For this tourney he was hitting clean-up, a tip of the cap to his vastly improved hitting of late. He also scored twice, including the bottom of the last inning winning run! Blue Wave scored the last 5 runs of the game to prevail 9-8. While it was not a thing of beauty, it was a win we most likely would not have achieved earlier in the year. The team was starting to believe that they can win games. It is fun to watch.
After a quick lunch we played again at noon. For game 2 Rabbit was back at first and still hitting fourth. His first AB was an 8 pitch pop out to second. A very nice AB and while not the perfect result, a good effort. In the bottom of the second (we were visitors, so hitting first) with 2 outs Rabbit brutally misplayed a routine ground ball into a two run error. It was ugly. He took the next two batters off before finally getting back into the game. It was frustrating to watch, but also it was only 2-1. We were still in it.
His next at bat was a four pitch strike out with two good swings and one horrible one. He was still angry. He will learn to shorten his memory. It is ok to be aggressive, but don't swing angry! He played better at first after the error and came up again against the ace pitcher in the 4th. After opening 2-0 Rabbit took a cut that scared me. It was the most violent swing I can recall from him in quite a while. Even though he missed the ball he knew that if he hit the ball, it was going to go far. At 3-1 the pitcher made a mistake. Rabbit laced a ball just fair down the LF line. All of his extra running paid off as he was halfway between 2nd and 3rd before the LF even caught up to the ball at the fence 338 feet away. He came in, standing up, with his second Blue Wave Home Run. We were sitting on the 1B side and could see his smile as he rounded 3rd and came across. A great moment.
Later on defense he turned another 6-3-2 double play, throwing a perfect strike to the catcher who blocked the plate like a pro. The boys had come from behind, again, and won 7-6. This team has now won 5 of their last 6 and is starting to believe. All the boys were hitting. To be sure, there were many errors and miscues, but none of the hopelessness, or haplessness, from previous tournaments. The team walks differently now. Not a swagger but a contagious confidence that they can play with, and beat, any team they face. It will not always be this good, but for now it is going well.
Oh, and one last thing. In the third inning of the first game I heard the coach call him "Rabbit." He has earned it.
4 3 2 1 2 1
In his two innings of work (standard fare for the first day of a tourney) he allowed 5 hits, one walk (did not come around to score), two strikeouts (including a devastating change-up) and one earned run. And also six unearned. It was frustrating. We could see the team struggling to not fall into bad habits of giving up on games. We were down 4-0, 4-3, 7-3 and 8-4 in this game. Back in July we would have started packing up because the mercy rule would have been inevitable. But a funny thing happened on the way to the loss. Rabbit, after a mediocre turn on the hill and another error at pitcher walked his first two trips and singled sharply in his third at bat. For this tourney he was hitting clean-up, a tip of the cap to his vastly improved hitting of late. He also scored twice, including the bottom of the last inning winning run! Blue Wave scored the last 5 runs of the game to prevail 9-8. While it was not a thing of beauty, it was a win we most likely would not have achieved earlier in the year. The team was starting to believe that they can win games. It is fun to watch.
After a quick lunch we played again at noon. For game 2 Rabbit was back at first and still hitting fourth. His first AB was an 8 pitch pop out to second. A very nice AB and while not the perfect result, a good effort. In the bottom of the second (we were visitors, so hitting first) with 2 outs Rabbit brutally misplayed a routine ground ball into a two run error. It was ugly. He took the next two batters off before finally getting back into the game. It was frustrating to watch, but also it was only 2-1. We were still in it.
His next at bat was a four pitch strike out with two good swings and one horrible one. He was still angry. He will learn to shorten his memory. It is ok to be aggressive, but don't swing angry! He played better at first after the error and came up again against the ace pitcher in the 4th. After opening 2-0 Rabbit took a cut that scared me. It was the most violent swing I can recall from him in quite a while. Even though he missed the ball he knew that if he hit the ball, it was going to go far. At 3-1 the pitcher made a mistake. Rabbit laced a ball just fair down the LF line. All of his extra running paid off as he was halfway between 2nd and 3rd before the LF even caught up to the ball at the fence 338 feet away. He came in, standing up, with his second Blue Wave Home Run. We were sitting on the 1B side and could see his smile as he rounded 3rd and came across. A great moment.
Later on defense he turned another 6-3-2 double play, throwing a perfect strike to the catcher who blocked the plate like a pro. The boys had come from behind, again, and won 7-6. This team has now won 5 of their last 6 and is starting to believe. All the boys were hitting. To be sure, there were many errors and miscues, but none of the hopelessness, or haplessness, from previous tournaments. The team walks differently now. Not a swagger but a contagious confidence that they can play with, and beat, any team they face. It will not always be this good, but for now it is going well.
Oh, and one last thing. In the third inning of the first game I heard the coach call him "Rabbit." He has earned it.
4 3 2 1 2 1
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Time to take a deep breath
The schedules have opened up just in time for the holidays. Rabbit looks to have one last tournament this year. It is nice to have the break, especially with the chaos of impending holidays.
On the baseball side of things Rabbit is excelling beyond our dreams. He is hitting well (8 for his last 16 with several extra base knocks), pitching nicely and fielding very well. By far the biggest change comes from his confidence. He plays from pitch to pitch, with a short memory. It is OK to strike out, just get a triple next time up. It is OK to allow back to back line drive doubles so long as you find a way to get out of the inning. He has learned that there are many ways to be a good teammate. You do not have to do everything perfect. He can be as valuable with his glove as he is with his bat some days. This is baseball on a whole different level than I expected from 9 and 10 year olds.
On the personal side I cannot believe the change in my son. He has seen the highest highs and lowest lows. He has won and lost and been responsible for both. And more than anything, he wants to play more. It is still fun, and that is most important to me. When he plays after school with his friends it is always baseball. On XBox it is always baseball. He takes the game seriously, and treats it with respect. This will be, I hope, a passion for him for years to come. We are already planning our summer trips to watch more ball being played. This is amazing.
Times are tough for families now, and the costs associated with this activity can be staggering. I figure, by rough estimate, we have spent almost $4,000 this year between equipment, fees, instruction, tournaments and travel. That is not insignificant. Luckily some of that is "up front" costs that we will not need to pay annually. And we are making sacrifices, all of us, to keep doing the things we love. We are so fortunate with the team he is on and the coaches he is working with. This group of boys is amazing to watch. I look forward to seeing what happens in 2009. If I had to guess, we will win some, and lose some.
On the baseball side of things Rabbit is excelling beyond our dreams. He is hitting well (8 for his last 16 with several extra base knocks), pitching nicely and fielding very well. By far the biggest change comes from his confidence. He plays from pitch to pitch, with a short memory. It is OK to strike out, just get a triple next time up. It is OK to allow back to back line drive doubles so long as you find a way to get out of the inning. He has learned that there are many ways to be a good teammate. You do not have to do everything perfect. He can be as valuable with his glove as he is with his bat some days. This is baseball on a whole different level than I expected from 9 and 10 year olds.
On the personal side I cannot believe the change in my son. He has seen the highest highs and lowest lows. He has won and lost and been responsible for both. And more than anything, he wants to play more. It is still fun, and that is most important to me. When he plays after school with his friends it is always baseball. On XBox it is always baseball. He takes the game seriously, and treats it with respect. This will be, I hope, a passion for him for years to come. We are already planning our summer trips to watch more ball being played. This is amazing.
Times are tough for families now, and the costs associated with this activity can be staggering. I figure, by rough estimate, we have spent almost $4,000 this year between equipment, fees, instruction, tournaments and travel. That is not insignificant. Luckily some of that is "up front" costs that we will not need to pay annually. And we are making sacrifices, all of us, to keep doing the things we love. We are so fortunate with the team he is on and the coaches he is working with. This group of boys is amazing to watch. I look forward to seeing what happens in 2009. If I had to guess, we will win some, and lose some.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Mercy, Mercy.
As mentioned previously, Rabbit was starting our semi-final game. With all 6 innings available he was scheduled to go as far as needed. He chose the economic route.
The very first batter (we were home, so in the field first) grounded back to the pitcher. He totally vapor locked and neither tagged the runner nor threw the ball to first. One pitch, runner on first, E1. No worries. He picked the kid off on his first throw over. I believe the word I am looking for is bamboozled. Next batter again taps to pitcher. Again Rabbit cannot find the handle. Two pitches, runner on first. And again, he picks the kid off. The coach was stunned. The poor runner had no idea what just happened. Next batter singles sharply. He never took a lead of more than 1 step. Every pitch Rabbit made to the plate the coach was screaming "back" to his runner. It was amusing. It was also the last runner the opposition got all day. A 3 pitch strike out ended the inning. 9 pitches, 3 outs.
In his first at bat Rabbit struck out looking at a pitch most of us felt was up and out. Oh well. In the second inning they went 1-2-3 in only 11 pitches. We broke the game open in our half of the inning scoring 9 times, including an RBI infield single by Rabbit. 10-0 after 2. Another 1-2-3 inning in the third (only 6 pitches this time) and two more scored by us in the bottom of the third led to a 12-0 mercy win. The boys carried the momentum from yesterday through to today. They were a force. Rabbit pitched a one-hit shutout over 3 innings on 26 pitches. That was the effort he had needed for a while now. He retired 9 of 10, including the final 7 in a row. What a tremendous boost.
Then they went to lunch.
In the championship game we played 2 1/2 innings of solid, decent ball. Then the wheels fell off. After making 4 errors in the first 3 games of the tourney (including Rabbit's back-to-back errors to open game 3) we had 7 errors in the third inning alone. Rabbit was responsible for 3 more today, including 2 on the same play. The boys were tired and behind, and just gave up. After such a dominant performance it was a let down, but fairly understandable. After his double error inning Rabbit was due up third. The first two kids were retired quietly and Rabbit watched ball 1 go by. He said he heard a voice from the other teams stands say to just throw strikes, that he would not swing. Bad advice. Once again, he destroyed a ball. I got a good look at the CF number as he walloped a triple on the way to scoring for the second time that game. Alas, the damage was done. And even when he came in for mop up he was throwing strikes, but the defense which had been so sharp was unable to cleanly field balls. A 16-6 final put them out of their misery.
It was a down ending to an amazing set of games. For the first time ever this team won 3 games in a weekend. Also this was the first tourney that I can recall winning by a mercy margin twice, much less three times. I am excited to see their confidence grow and watch them build from here. It was a great weekend for 3 1/2 games. We will gladly focus on that!
3 2 2 1 1 1
The very first batter (we were home, so in the field first) grounded back to the pitcher. He totally vapor locked and neither tagged the runner nor threw the ball to first. One pitch, runner on first, E1. No worries. He picked the kid off on his first throw over. I believe the word I am looking for is bamboozled. Next batter again taps to pitcher. Again Rabbit cannot find the handle. Two pitches, runner on first. And again, he picks the kid off. The coach was stunned. The poor runner had no idea what just happened. Next batter singles sharply. He never took a lead of more than 1 step. Every pitch Rabbit made to the plate the coach was screaming "back" to his runner. It was amusing. It was also the last runner the opposition got all day. A 3 pitch strike out ended the inning. 9 pitches, 3 outs.
In his first at bat Rabbit struck out looking at a pitch most of us felt was up and out. Oh well. In the second inning they went 1-2-3 in only 11 pitches. We broke the game open in our half of the inning scoring 9 times, including an RBI infield single by Rabbit. 10-0 after 2. Another 1-2-3 inning in the third (only 6 pitches this time) and two more scored by us in the bottom of the third led to a 12-0 mercy win. The boys carried the momentum from yesterday through to today. They were a force. Rabbit pitched a one-hit shutout over 3 innings on 26 pitches. That was the effort he had needed for a while now. He retired 9 of 10, including the final 7 in a row. What a tremendous boost.
Then they went to lunch.
In the championship game we played 2 1/2 innings of solid, decent ball. Then the wheels fell off. After making 4 errors in the first 3 games of the tourney (including Rabbit's back-to-back errors to open game 3) we had 7 errors in the third inning alone. Rabbit was responsible for 3 more today, including 2 on the same play. The boys were tired and behind, and just gave up. After such a dominant performance it was a let down, but fairly understandable. After his double error inning Rabbit was due up third. The first two kids were retired quietly and Rabbit watched ball 1 go by. He said he heard a voice from the other teams stands say to just throw strikes, that he would not swing. Bad advice. Once again, he destroyed a ball. I got a good look at the CF number as he walloped a triple on the way to scoring for the second time that game. Alas, the damage was done. And even when he came in for mop up he was throwing strikes, but the defense which had been so sharp was unable to cleanly field balls. A 16-6 final put them out of their misery.
It was a down ending to an amazing set of games. For the first time ever this team won 3 games in a weekend. Also this was the first tourney that I can recall winning by a mercy margin twice, much less three times. I am excited to see their confidence grow and watch them build from here. It was a great weekend for 3 1/2 games. We will gladly focus on that!
3 2 2 1 1 1
Saturday, November 22, 2008
And for at least one day, they played baseball
An odd title, but by far the most accurate phrase to describe what I saw today.
This morning we returned to the area of our first tournament, Moreno Valley. It was at that tournament that we made it into the finals and Anthony helped to showcase his love of playing 1B. Through some fluke of scheduling our first game was not until 3PM! This was amazing, we could sleep in, have a nice morning then go to a tourney. No more 6AM for me. No sir!
When we arrived at the complex we were able to watch one of our future opponents win a game. They looked good, but we have played better historically. I checked at the host table and saw that the team we would be playing first had been the victim of a "Mercy" rule in their first game. You can never judge a team by their first result, so we were cautious in our hopes. When the other team scored first we were concerned, but it was only one run. We then ran off 13 unanswered runs before finishing the game as 14-2 victors ourselves. Rabbit struck out first, then walked, both on full counts. He is firmly cemented at 1B now, and played every out there today. He also stole a few and came around to score. The usual.
Game 2 was to determine if we were either the 1, 2 or 3 seed. This was very important. The one seed would play at 1PM, and if victorious, then again at 3PM. The 2 seed would play at 11AM, and if victorious, again in the championship at 3PM. The third seed would play at 9AM (ensuring a 7AM departure, blech) then if a winner there, 1PM, and if successful 3PM. A lot was on the line, not the least of which was my ability to sleep in a tad.
Rabbit again was at first and batting 5th. The first three innings were amazing. Both teams were making plays, throwing strikes and very focused on the game. We were luckily able to string together some runs and start to build a lead. It was a while before we noticed that we were still shutting them out in the 4th inning. By then Rabbit was 2-2 with 2 runs and some amazing plays at first. The usual stretches, getting to balls that he should not have been able to get to and acting as a captain in the infield. The communication was excellent and everyone was sharp. The result was a decisive 9-1 win and securing of the 2 seed.
Back to the title for a second. These kids are 10. For 7 innings today (the length of both games figuring the mercy shortages) they played like pros. They all focused and executed with amazing precision and dedication. 2 errors in 7 innings. 4 walks allowed. Getting lead runners. Make good throws to the correct base. They were a joy to watch. They played way above their level. Their maturity and dedication was amazing. I have paid money before to see much worse baseball than I saw today. Hopefully they remember this and play as well tomorrow!
Speaking of tomorrow, Rabbit gets the ball for the semi-final. All he needs is outs. He is ready, and due, for a great outing. Hopefully the team can continue on this path. It is fun to see what is happening to this group right now. However, as we know too well, one bad day erases months of progress. We will keep our fingers crossed.
3 3 2 0 1 1
This morning we returned to the area of our first tournament, Moreno Valley. It was at that tournament that we made it into the finals and Anthony helped to showcase his love of playing 1B. Through some fluke of scheduling our first game was not until 3PM! This was amazing, we could sleep in, have a nice morning then go to a tourney. No more 6AM for me. No sir!
When we arrived at the complex we were able to watch one of our future opponents win a game. They looked good, but we have played better historically. I checked at the host table and saw that the team we would be playing first had been the victim of a "Mercy" rule in their first game. You can never judge a team by their first result, so we were cautious in our hopes. When the other team scored first we were concerned, but it was only one run. We then ran off 13 unanswered runs before finishing the game as 14-2 victors ourselves. Rabbit struck out first, then walked, both on full counts. He is firmly cemented at 1B now, and played every out there today. He also stole a few and came around to score. The usual.
Game 2 was to determine if we were either the 1, 2 or 3 seed. This was very important. The one seed would play at 1PM, and if victorious, then again at 3PM. The 2 seed would play at 11AM, and if victorious, again in the championship at 3PM. The third seed would play at 9AM (ensuring a 7AM departure, blech) then if a winner there, 1PM, and if successful 3PM. A lot was on the line, not the least of which was my ability to sleep in a tad.
Rabbit again was at first and batting 5th. The first three innings were amazing. Both teams were making plays, throwing strikes and very focused on the game. We were luckily able to string together some runs and start to build a lead. It was a while before we noticed that we were still shutting them out in the 4th inning. By then Rabbit was 2-2 with 2 runs and some amazing plays at first. The usual stretches, getting to balls that he should not have been able to get to and acting as a captain in the infield. The communication was excellent and everyone was sharp. The result was a decisive 9-1 win and securing of the 2 seed.
Back to the title for a second. These kids are 10. For 7 innings today (the length of both games figuring the mercy shortages) they played like pros. They all focused and executed with amazing precision and dedication. 2 errors in 7 innings. 4 walks allowed. Getting lead runners. Make good throws to the correct base. They were a joy to watch. They played way above their level. Their maturity and dedication was amazing. I have paid money before to see much worse baseball than I saw today. Hopefully they remember this and play as well tomorrow!
Speaking of tomorrow, Rabbit gets the ball for the semi-final. All he needs is outs. He is ready, and due, for a great outing. Hopefully the team can continue on this path. It is fun to see what is happening to this group right now. However, as we know too well, one bad day erases months of progress. We will keep our fingers crossed.
3 3 2 0 1 1
Sunday, November 2, 2008
A single game on Sunday
The earlier reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated.
A one game friendly matchup with the Lake Forest Dodgers had us heading South at 7:30 am the day after a Halloween party. Again, never let it be said that I do not love my son. Even with "Fall Back" it was plenty early.
Rabbit started at first and was hitting third. We were visitors so he got up early, with a runner on third and one out. Second pitch he hit a perfect ground ball to the 1B for the easy sacrifice RBI. He looked comfortable at the plate, much better than last few times up. In the field he made his usual strong showing, another error-free game. Most importantly the communication between the fielders was excellent. At one point they actually turned a great play when Rabbit fielded the ball and the 2B had come over to cover. Very slick for a group of 10 year olds.
Second AB and Rabbit was down 1-2. The second strike was a swing so horrible he stepped out of the box and shook his head. He was not watching the ball, not rocking his weight, and not ready to hit. Whatever he shook loose on that swing paid off. The next pitch he drilled. Hard. Like adios senor pelota. The best sight a hitter can see is the center fielder's number. And it was getting smaller. 2 run home run, his first HR with Blue Wave. A great feeling and well deserved high 5s from his teammates. In his third at bat he walked on 5 pitches. At 3-0 the pitcher made a mistake that Rabbit fouled off into the parking lot. The next pitch missed the plate by more than a foot.
After that walk he stole second and came around on a triple to score his second run to go with three batted in. A great confidence boost after a rough outing last time. The team struggled though and made it close before winning 10-9. It was a good win and a great effort.
On the way home we talked about how it was nice for Rabbit to be the one to pick up his friends and help them out. Lately he has felt like he had not been helping the team as much as he would have liked to. It was finally his turn to help out with the bat.
Speaking of bats, got him a wood 30" bat for the cages. It is much heavier than his travel team bat. He swears he is ready to become a cage rat and swing until he breaks it. At $12 a pop, I am OK with that. Next step is finding a bat for Little League next year, and then see about a new OF glove.
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A one game friendly matchup with the Lake Forest Dodgers had us heading South at 7:30 am the day after a Halloween party. Again, never let it be said that I do not love my son. Even with "Fall Back" it was plenty early.
Rabbit started at first and was hitting third. We were visitors so he got up early, with a runner on third and one out. Second pitch he hit a perfect ground ball to the 1B for the easy sacrifice RBI. He looked comfortable at the plate, much better than last few times up. In the field he made his usual strong showing, another error-free game. Most importantly the communication between the fielders was excellent. At one point they actually turned a great play when Rabbit fielded the ball and the 2B had come over to cover. Very slick for a group of 10 year olds.
Second AB and Rabbit was down 1-2. The second strike was a swing so horrible he stepped out of the box and shook his head. He was not watching the ball, not rocking his weight, and not ready to hit. Whatever he shook loose on that swing paid off. The next pitch he drilled. Hard. Like adios senor pelota. The best sight a hitter can see is the center fielder's number. And it was getting smaller. 2 run home run, his first HR with Blue Wave. A great feeling and well deserved high 5s from his teammates. In his third at bat he walked on 5 pitches. At 3-0 the pitcher made a mistake that Rabbit fouled off into the parking lot. The next pitch missed the plate by more than a foot.
After that walk he stole second and came around on a triple to score his second run to go with three batted in. A great confidence boost after a rough outing last time. The team struggled though and made it close before winning 10-9. It was a good win and a great effort.
On the way home we talked about how it was nice for Rabbit to be the one to pick up his friends and help them out. Lately he has felt like he had not been helping the team as much as he would have liked to. It was finally his turn to help out with the bat.
Speaking of bats, got him a wood 30" bat for the cages. It is much heavier than his travel team bat. He swears he is ready to become a cage rat and swing until he breaks it. At $12 a pop, I am OK with that. Next step is finding a bat for Little League next year, and then see about a new OF glove.
2 2 1 3 0 1
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