Our first game on Friday was against a team from Albuquerque, NM. In chatting with a parent from their team I heard that they were 0-3 on the week so far and felt like they were not playing well. They came out strong in the first and pushed a run across. In our half of the first we got four hits. It was great to see the hitting carry over from yesterday. Sadly, between baserunning blunders and other frustrations, 4 hits and 7 batters produced only one run. Rabbit was due to lead off the second, batting eighth.
First pitch he saw was a ball, barely high. I would have called a strike, but it was not my decision. The next pitch was a strike. Rabbit was given the sign "Dead Red" meaning swing hard through the zone, regardless of location. The pitch was very low, and he missed the ball by a mile. Two next pitches were balls and he was 3-1. Dead Red again, and it was. Fastball, belt high, inner half. Gone. It jumped off the bat. First thing I saw was the CF number, then the fence, then the base ump circling his fingers. Over the fence for a home run! His first time ever hitting out of a park. The ball hit a light pole in the RF power alley and bounced back in. The other team threw it in, but by then he was already making his way around the bases to be mobbed at the plate. Simply amazing. What a way to break out of a slump!
The plate ump gave him the ball and I cannot recall ever seeing him smile like that. I was jumping around like an idiot, disbelieving what I just saw. I called his mom, grandparents, Blue Wave friends, everyone I could think of. It was stunning.
Next time up, brimming with confidence, he ripped a double down the RF line, fair by 3 feet. He was seeing the ball great today, and had 6 bases in 2 AB to prove it. Third time up he had a 2 RBI single. That was in the last inning, and with one out we figured he was done for the game. 3 hits, 3RBI, 2 runs, amazing. However, the team batted around that inning, and he stepped up needing a triple for the cycle. Bases loaded, major Hollywood drama time. Rather than a cycle he had to merely settle for another 2 run single. His line for the game went 4 3 4 5. An unreal accomplishment. The game ended with a comfortable win for Mizuno.
For game 2 the coach reversed the order, 9 hitter leading off, 8 hitting second, etc. Rabbit, previously hitting 8th, was the second batter. As he walked up to the plate the opposing catcher calls out "power hitter, move back!" Hilarious. He stung a ball to first that almost snuck through, but a good play got him out. Second AB was a pop up to right center field. He had just missed it. The game was moving along, and the boys were not that interested it seemed. Rabbit had started, and was very mediocre. He looked like he had not pitched in months. He was aiming the ball and nibbling, not throwing like the power pitcher he needs to be.
We were down 5 or 6 late in the game when Rabbit got his final AB. With runners on second and third he stroked one down the RF line. The 1B had him played perfectly, back on the grass and shaded to the line. It still nearly took his glove off. The bat was working, it had been a very good day.
We went back to the hotel for swimming pools and pizza parties. We would have to wait until almost 11pm to find out our seeding and opponent for the next day. Regardless, the boys had played well, occasionally great, had hit well all day, and were ready for all comers.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Spring Training - 1/3
We left Orange County early Thursday morning and settled in for what was a remarkably comfortable drive to Phoenix. We got in town with plenty of time to get checked in, unpack a bit and stretch. After a quick gathering to get some new jerseys for the weekend we were off for game 1. It is a good thing that the first game did not mean anything, because the boys sure played that way. With only nine of them making the trip we would need everyone to be focused and playing well. We had no reserves, we were playing with what we had. Well, in game 1 we had nothing. No concentration, no hitting, no progress. It looked like our first game in months. Frustrating, but a real relief that it would have no bearing on our seeding later on. To be fair, we did start an eight year old and then threw a boy who does not pitch, ever. However, the bats took the game off.
Game 2 was against a team from Calgary, Alberta. We were curious how they had been practicing over the winter. The answer is, they had not. I think, and after speaking with some of the parents I believe, that the boys were making the journey to have some fun, thaw out, see some MLB Spring Training, and maybe get an inning or two of baseball in. They were in no danger of winning the tournament, and they knew it. This was a Little League team that not been on a field for months. The good news is that our boys started to hit. Often. Hitting is contagious and we were starting to see production everywhere. Even Rabbit only had one swing where he failed to make contact. He was now 0-11 but looking better. After the games we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the next days games. We had split on day one, mercy win, mercy loss, and were looking forward to better results on Friday.
Game 2 was against a team from Calgary, Alberta. We were curious how they had been practicing over the winter. The answer is, they had not. I think, and after speaking with some of the parents I believe, that the boys were making the journey to have some fun, thaw out, see some MLB Spring Training, and maybe get an inning or two of baseball in. They were in no danger of winning the tournament, and they knew it. This was a Little League team that not been on a field for months. The good news is that our boys started to hit. Often. Hitting is contagious and we were starting to see production everywhere. Even Rabbit only had one swing where he failed to make contact. He was now 0-11 but looking better. After the games we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the next days games. We had split on day one, mercy win, mercy loss, and were looking forward to better results on Friday.
Monday, March 8, 2010
More games, more rain
We had a weekend tournament scheduled as a final tune up before we head to Arizona. It rained. Hard. We got one game in early, and got pounded. 13-3 loss. Rabbit absolutely crushed the first pitch he saw and it barely went foul. After that, four wide ones were quickly issued. The defense was a confused mess. I was actually a tad concerned, but remembered what the coach had told me. Saturday was when we learn, Sunday is when we play our best. The idea is that the kids have to make their own decisions, right or wrong, during pool play. This helps them learn the lessons and make the adjustments. There was minimal coaching during the game, but a very detailed conversation afterward that covered the game. Still, it was a 10 run loss and I was a bit concerned, mainly I needed a nap.
I got my nap, and felt much better. We were about 80% sure that Sunday would rain out, but we got very lucky. Sunday at 6:30 am we got the news that the games were on, and it was now a one day tournament. The previous days result had no meaning or bearing. A fresh start. I got to the fields to help prepare the grounds at 7 am. There was 4 inches of standing water all the way from home plate to first base. A few rakes, a sump pump, and several hundred pounds of dry dirt later we were ready for first pitch at 8:15. I am getting pretty good with a rake and shovel these days. The 11U team didn't play until 9am so we had a chance to prep the field a little more and I was quite impressed with how it came out. As expected, with brand new grass and 5" of rain in 10 days, the infield was slow. But it looked nice, held up great, and best of all, no bad hops!
Our first game was against the same team that had rolled us up the day before. The game was tremendous, close all the way through, and ended up as a 5-4 loss in 7 innings. Rabbit made two Gold Glove plays at first, backhanding line-drive shots to save runs. He was having a good game in the field, but was horrible at the plate. 0-3, 3 strikeouts, only made contact with one pitch the entire game. It was a fun game to watch, and a marked difference from the day before. The coaches were much more involved, as expected, and the boys responded well. Blue Wave had played this same team 4 weeks ago and been destroyed by them. When Mizuno lost on Saturday I was concerned, on Sunday I knew what this team could do. Game 2 was at 1 pm and we got off to the dreaded slow start. 1-1 after the first inning, but the boys looked like they were in glue. Some defensive lapses and a few pitches left up in the zone and we were down 8-2 in the fourth. Not the finish we wanted. The boys rallied though, and pledged to play better for the last 3 innings. And they did. The defense tightened up nicely, but base running mistakes choked any momentum the offense could garner.
In the sixth, it finally happened, Rabbit got the ball. I was nervous, to be sure, since this was his debut with the new team and he had not thrown off a mound in over a month. Add in the fact he had a throwing error and was working on a Platinum Sombrero for the day, and I was not expecting much. Shows what I know. He faced the 2-5 hitters in the sixth. One hit, 1 strikeout, no walks, no runs, and a well fielded 1-3 putout. In the seventh he struck out the first batter he faced, allowed back to back infield singles, then struck out the side. A great outing, even with the distraction of pitching in the rain. Once again he had a very bizarre day where the opponents were swinging at pitches way out of the zone and taking strikes right down the middle. I don't think he threw 50% of the pitches in the zone, but got 4 ks in 8 batters.
Overall we were pleased with the team and the way they played. They turned some double plays, made some good (and bad) decisions and are much more aggressive at the plate. But, they are also playing much better competition than Blue Wave was seeing. I think Rabbit belongs at this level and will contribute. His defense and pitching showed well this weekend. His hitting, as always, will take the most work. We wanted a challenge, we wanted an opportunity to get better. This looks to be a good home for now.
I got my nap, and felt much better. We were about 80% sure that Sunday would rain out, but we got very lucky. Sunday at 6:30 am we got the news that the games were on, and it was now a one day tournament. The previous days result had no meaning or bearing. A fresh start. I got to the fields to help prepare the grounds at 7 am. There was 4 inches of standing water all the way from home plate to first base. A few rakes, a sump pump, and several hundred pounds of dry dirt later we were ready for first pitch at 8:15. I am getting pretty good with a rake and shovel these days. The 11U team didn't play until 9am so we had a chance to prep the field a little more and I was quite impressed with how it came out. As expected, with brand new grass and 5" of rain in 10 days, the infield was slow. But it looked nice, held up great, and best of all, no bad hops!
Our first game was against the same team that had rolled us up the day before. The game was tremendous, close all the way through, and ended up as a 5-4 loss in 7 innings. Rabbit made two Gold Glove plays at first, backhanding line-drive shots to save runs. He was having a good game in the field, but was horrible at the plate. 0-3, 3 strikeouts, only made contact with one pitch the entire game. It was a fun game to watch, and a marked difference from the day before. The coaches were much more involved, as expected, and the boys responded well. Blue Wave had played this same team 4 weeks ago and been destroyed by them. When Mizuno lost on Saturday I was concerned, on Sunday I knew what this team could do. Game 2 was at 1 pm and we got off to the dreaded slow start. 1-1 after the first inning, but the boys looked like they were in glue. Some defensive lapses and a few pitches left up in the zone and we were down 8-2 in the fourth. Not the finish we wanted. The boys rallied though, and pledged to play better for the last 3 innings. And they did. The defense tightened up nicely, but base running mistakes choked any momentum the offense could garner.
In the sixth, it finally happened, Rabbit got the ball. I was nervous, to be sure, since this was his debut with the new team and he had not thrown off a mound in over a month. Add in the fact he had a throwing error and was working on a Platinum Sombrero for the day, and I was not expecting much. Shows what I know. He faced the 2-5 hitters in the sixth. One hit, 1 strikeout, no walks, no runs, and a well fielded 1-3 putout. In the seventh he struck out the first batter he faced, allowed back to back infield singles, then struck out the side. A great outing, even with the distraction of pitching in the rain. Once again he had a very bizarre day where the opponents were swinging at pitches way out of the zone and taking strikes right down the middle. I don't think he threw 50% of the pitches in the zone, but got 4 ks in 8 batters.
Overall we were pleased with the team and the way they played. They turned some double plays, made some good (and bad) decisions and are much more aggressive at the plate. But, they are also playing much better competition than Blue Wave was seeing. I think Rabbit belongs at this level and will contribute. His defense and pitching showed well this weekend. His hitting, as always, will take the most work. We wanted a challenge, we wanted an opportunity to get better. This looks to be a good home for now.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Why am I even surprised by rain anymore?
It is spring, and it is raining. Just like every year. Why does this surprise me when it has been like this forever? The downside is we keep raining out practices and games. Rabbit has not played in a game since February 15 and is itchy. He is really enjoying the new team and is trying his best to get caught up with the way they do things. We have a tournament scheduled for this weekend, but heavy rain is forecast for Saturday and Sunday. Boooo!
In exchange for lower (or no) monthly fees I have been doing my yard work on the weekends. We re-sodded two infields and put in sprinklers on 3 fields. Man was I sore. It was quite impressive though to see the finished result. I cannot wait to see the team play on the improved fields. After this weekend our next scheduled tournament is March 18-21 in Phoenix. We will leave Wednesday after school and head straight out. Should be a blast.
I got an e-mail from the Little League asking if Rabbit would be interested in playing LL around his travel schedule. They made it very clear that they understood that his travel team took priority and that they were hoping he could help fill out a very thin roster. I will ask him about this later tonight. While it would be nice to play with his friends, we made a conscious decision to not play LL this year for many reasons. As I read back my posts, I find it harder to endorse the idea. That being said, I know how much he misses playing with his buddies. It is up to him.
Spring Training is in full gear, games are already going, and we have already been to our first college game of the season. It is a great time of year, if we could only get the rain to stop!
In exchange for lower (or no) monthly fees I have been doing my yard work on the weekends. We re-sodded two infields and put in sprinklers on 3 fields. Man was I sore. It was quite impressive though to see the finished result. I cannot wait to see the team play on the improved fields. After this weekend our next scheduled tournament is March 18-21 in Phoenix. We will leave Wednesday after school and head straight out. Should be a blast.
I got an e-mail from the Little League asking if Rabbit would be interested in playing LL around his travel schedule. They made it very clear that they understood that his travel team took priority and that they were hoping he could help fill out a very thin roster. I will ask him about this later tonight. While it would be nice to play with his friends, we made a conscious decision to not play LL this year for many reasons. As I read back my posts, I find it harder to endorse the idea. That being said, I know how much he misses playing with his buddies. It is up to him.
Spring Training is in full gear, games are already going, and we have already been to our first college game of the season. It is a great time of year, if we could only get the rain to stop!
Monday, February 15, 2010
The end of an era
Wow, that seems overly dramatic for what just happened. Rabbit played his last tournament with Blue Wave this weekend and starting on Tuesday the 16th he joins Mizuno full time. The tournament took place over Valentines Day weekend and we figured we were safe making dinner plans for Saturday night. Nope. They played at 6pm and 8pm that night. Think about that a second. They scheduled youth baseball (most of these kids do have parents after all) for Valentines night at 6 and 8pm. Sheesh. We made arrangements for Rabbit to stay at a teammates house for the night and went to dinner. I got text updates every inning. I have become that which I loathe.
It turns out we picked a good set of games to miss. 2 losses by mercy, and not too much positive. Rabbit threw one inning, and left the ball up. Against a good hitting team that is trouble, and he got pushed around a bit. At the plate it was an equally rough night, 0-3 with an RBI fielders choice. Time to wipe the slate clean and come back Sunday with a renewed vigor. Well, that lasted about two innings. They lost game 3 13-5. The one great positive was that they staved off an early mercy ruling by rallying for 5 runs and extending the game. This was a great rally that involved all of the players and helped remind the boys that they can score runs. Sure, we were 0-3, but we were not the last seed, and we had a chance to play a little closer competition in the playoff rounds. In fact, the three teams that beat us finished with the 1, 2 and 4 seeds for the whole weekend. Ouch.
We ended up playing Sunday night at 6. The team we played was another annoying softball chanting squad. Lots of screaming, poor sportsmanship, and some pretty pathetic gamesmanship. Oh well, we never responded. It was a relatively close game, but we never looked like we believed we could win. In fact, it was 4-4 in the third inning and the boys looked like they were down 8. We scored our 5 runs with hits. We then walked in 4 runs, and allowed another 2 on errors. It was frustrating, another good opportunity for a win slipped by.
On the plus side, Rabbit was amazing at first base all weekend. In the last game we counted four outs he saved with amazing stretches and great plays. It was particularly a good effort since Steve Garvey was sitting in the stands. He was there to watch his grandson (we assume it was his grandson, but the kid was wearing number 5) play for the other team. After a particularly great play I looked over to see him applaud the grab. That was a cool moment in time.
So we are done. I put away the Blue Wave hat. We wash the jersey and hang it in the closet instead of putting it on the gameday pile. The coach said some very kind words to and about Rabbit after the game. He said some nice words to us as well. It was much more emotional than I expected it to be. After 2 years we ended Blue Wave on a down note, but full of great memories and amazing progress. We are excited for our future, and the games to come. But we will always look back fondly on Blue Wave, and Coach Louis, and Jordan.
I will remember "I could have died from having so much fun" in Moreno Valley. Winning their first tournament in Paso Robles, Hitting his first HR in Lake Forest, Throwing a 45 pitch 5 inning complete game. And a Vegas trip where he went 9-13 against the best pitchers in the Western US. But more importantly, I will remember his growth, as a player, a leader and a teammate. He is a damn good kid, and I have many people to thank for that.
Pitchers and catchers report this week. Perfect timing to start fresh. Our own "spring training" if you will. In March we are off to Arizona for a great tourney. Then who knows what the summer brings.
It turns out we picked a good set of games to miss. 2 losses by mercy, and not too much positive. Rabbit threw one inning, and left the ball up. Against a good hitting team that is trouble, and he got pushed around a bit. At the plate it was an equally rough night, 0-3 with an RBI fielders choice. Time to wipe the slate clean and come back Sunday with a renewed vigor. Well, that lasted about two innings. They lost game 3 13-5. The one great positive was that they staved off an early mercy ruling by rallying for 5 runs and extending the game. This was a great rally that involved all of the players and helped remind the boys that they can score runs. Sure, we were 0-3, but we were not the last seed, and we had a chance to play a little closer competition in the playoff rounds. In fact, the three teams that beat us finished with the 1, 2 and 4 seeds for the whole weekend. Ouch.
We ended up playing Sunday night at 6. The team we played was another annoying softball chanting squad. Lots of screaming, poor sportsmanship, and some pretty pathetic gamesmanship. Oh well, we never responded. It was a relatively close game, but we never looked like we believed we could win. In fact, it was 4-4 in the third inning and the boys looked like they were down 8. We scored our 5 runs with hits. We then walked in 4 runs, and allowed another 2 on errors. It was frustrating, another good opportunity for a win slipped by.
On the plus side, Rabbit was amazing at first base all weekend. In the last game we counted four outs he saved with amazing stretches and great plays. It was particularly a good effort since Steve Garvey was sitting in the stands. He was there to watch his grandson (we assume it was his grandson, but the kid was wearing number 5) play for the other team. After a particularly great play I looked over to see him applaud the grab. That was a cool moment in time.
So we are done. I put away the Blue Wave hat. We wash the jersey and hang it in the closet instead of putting it on the gameday pile. The coach said some very kind words to and about Rabbit after the game. He said some nice words to us as well. It was much more emotional than I expected it to be. After 2 years we ended Blue Wave on a down note, but full of great memories and amazing progress. We are excited for our future, and the games to come. But we will always look back fondly on Blue Wave, and Coach Louis, and Jordan.
I will remember "I could have died from having so much fun" in Moreno Valley. Winning their first tournament in Paso Robles, Hitting his first HR in Lake Forest, Throwing a 45 pitch 5 inning complete game. And a Vegas trip where he went 9-13 against the best pitchers in the Western US. But more importantly, I will remember his growth, as a player, a leader and a teammate. He is a damn good kid, and I have many people to thank for that.
Pitchers and catchers report this week. Perfect timing to start fresh. Our own "spring training" if you will. In March we are off to Arizona for a great tourney. Then who knows what the summer brings.
Monday, February 1, 2010
5 games, 3 cities, 2 teams, 1 weekend
It would be an understatement to say that we had a busy weekend. Saturday morning Rabbit played with his new team, Mizuno, at 9 am. We got to the park at 8am and I helped with field maintenance while the kids warmed up. Helping out at these tournaments takes the place of a monthly fee. It is a trade that seems fair and we spend all day at the field anyway, so might as well get something in return. They wanted Rabbit to start, to see how he throws. We had to decline because I knew Blue Wave was going to use him extensively as a pitcher this weekend. It turned out to be a good decision.
Rabbit walked twice, just barely missed a pitch that became a pop-up and played his usual stellar defense. In fact, they had him play first all 6 innings. And he hit second. Same situation, just a different uniform.
After the game we came home to pack up and switch uniforms. We were off to Chino Hills. Game times were 2:30 and 6:30pm. In our most recent Blue Wave tournament we finished 15th out of 16 AA (low level classification) teams. This weekend there were 15 teams, ranging from AA to Majors. Our first game was against a team that we were unfamiliar with. They were big, warmed up well, and looked like a force. Rabbit was given the start and was all business when he took the mound. He struck out the first three batters on 12 pitches. It was a dominant performance. Blue Wave did not score in the first, but was swinging the bats well. In the second Rabbit retired the side on 14 pitches, allowing one hit to go with one strikeout. In the third he struck out two more stranding another hit and a walk. In the top of the fourth (we were visitors) we finally broke through for three runs. Rabbit faced one batter in the fourth, a walk, and was pulled to keep his pitch count low. The team rallied behind their pitchers and played tremendous defense. It was amazing to watch, including two diving catches in the outfield. We pushed one more across before finally ending the game in a 4-0 shutout win. Our first shutout in quite a while. It was a total team effort, with everyone participating and playing their best. This team was desperate for a win, and they got a good one early.
We got a quick meal and got back in time to watch our next opponent finish their game. They had a 7 run lead and were still running (stealing bases) and trying to bait throws. They also were using fake bunts to distract pitchers. I think that is fairly ridiculous, and extremely poor sportsmanship when you are clearly ahead of an overmatched opponent. Add in the fact they chanted and screamed like a T-Ball team and we were not too impressed. We played them tight, continuing our great defense, and held a 5-3 lead going into the last inning. As in the earlier game the sportsmanship was terrible. They would shout at our pitcher mid windup despite several warnings from the umpire. The coaches both openly questioned ball and strike calls and called the umps "incompetent." At one point, Rabbit was playing first and a player knocked him over diving back to the bag. While they were both on the ground the player wrapped up his legs so he could not get up to make a play.
The opponents scored three in the top of the last inning and were cheering like they had won the World Series. The parents were as bad as the kids and were taunting everyone they could find. We needed to get at least that one run back. We had two quick outs in our half of the inning, then they walked our lead-off hitter. Rabbit was now up, and desperate to shut the kids, coaches and parents up. Right before the second pitch to Rabbit, the opposing coach told his pitcher to ignore the base runner, focus only on the hitter. Bad advice. The runner stole second, then took third on the overthrow. While the other team was busy, quite literally, pointing fingers and arguing over who made the mistake, our runner took off for the plate. He scored easily and we were tied. They melted down and walked Rabbit. As he was on first they threw over 3 times before a pitch crossed the plate. Then, the pitcher balked about as bad as I can recall seeing at this level. He broke his hands, moved forward, then backed off and threw to first. Rabbit was already half jogging to second when the throw went to first and he got tagged. The umpire let it stand. It was a curious play, to be certain. But, we were well past time limits and everyone wanted to get out of there. We wanted a chance to play this team again and shut them down once and for all. Be careful what you wish for.
We got a hotel room in Riverside for the night since we knew, most likely, we would be playing at 8am. We were, against the same team. We were the 5 seed (out of 15) and were in the Championship Bracket. A remarkable turnaround. And we were not going to lose to that team no matter what.
Got to the field at 7:15am and were itching to get going. It was very cold, but none of the boys seemed to notice. We were the lower seed (they were 4 we were 5) so we were visitors, and were at bat first. We got just the start we needed. Our first four batters all scored before a single out was recorded. We led 4-0 before they even picked up a bat. They got two in the bottom half of the inning, and then everyone calmed down and we had a scoreless second inning. In the third, we put up 5 more. We were ahead 9-2. The cheering stopped, the parents went inside the snack bar, and the coaches had nearly packed it in. Our pitcher started to struggle, but just barely. Once the bases were loaded our coach pulled our starter and asked Rabbit to get the two outs to end the inning, and the threat. It took him a batter or two to get settled. Two runs crossed, now 9-4, and one out. Rabbit did a funny thing. He stepped off the mound, took a breath, and drew a line in the sand. He struck out the next two batters all but ending the game. We pushed one more across and they got a few late, but the game was never as close as the 10-7 final indicates. We had won a game in the championship bracket. This was amazing, made even sweeter by beating a team that we really wanted to beat.
Our reward was a game with the number one seed in the entire tournament. We played them very tight, and it was 4-1 after three innings. We were close, but were unable to find a second run to get us back in the game. At the end we ran out of pitchers and stamina. The game ended 9-1 in 5 innings. We had finished third, out of 15 teams, and won two games for the first time in a while. The boys had much to be proud of, and a good idea of where they need to be headed. It was a harbinger of how this team can be good when they all work together, and it reinforced that you win with defense.
All that said, we are leaving Blue Wave on February 15th. Coach told all the parents and players at a post game meeting. He said some very nice things about Rabbit and we were pleased by the support from everyone. It is a great group of families. We will miss them. However, our next challenge awaits with Mizuno, and we look forward to getting started with them.
Rabbit walked twice, just barely missed a pitch that became a pop-up and played his usual stellar defense. In fact, they had him play first all 6 innings. And he hit second. Same situation, just a different uniform.
After the game we came home to pack up and switch uniforms. We were off to Chino Hills. Game times were 2:30 and 6:30pm. In our most recent Blue Wave tournament we finished 15th out of 16 AA (low level classification) teams. This weekend there were 15 teams, ranging from AA to Majors. Our first game was against a team that we were unfamiliar with. They were big, warmed up well, and looked like a force. Rabbit was given the start and was all business when he took the mound. He struck out the first three batters on 12 pitches. It was a dominant performance. Blue Wave did not score in the first, but was swinging the bats well. In the second Rabbit retired the side on 14 pitches, allowing one hit to go with one strikeout. In the third he struck out two more stranding another hit and a walk. In the top of the fourth (we were visitors) we finally broke through for three runs. Rabbit faced one batter in the fourth, a walk, and was pulled to keep his pitch count low. The team rallied behind their pitchers and played tremendous defense. It was amazing to watch, including two diving catches in the outfield. We pushed one more across before finally ending the game in a 4-0 shutout win. Our first shutout in quite a while. It was a total team effort, with everyone participating and playing their best. This team was desperate for a win, and they got a good one early.
We got a quick meal and got back in time to watch our next opponent finish their game. They had a 7 run lead and were still running (stealing bases) and trying to bait throws. They also were using fake bunts to distract pitchers. I think that is fairly ridiculous, and extremely poor sportsmanship when you are clearly ahead of an overmatched opponent. Add in the fact they chanted and screamed like a T-Ball team and we were not too impressed. We played them tight, continuing our great defense, and held a 5-3 lead going into the last inning. As in the earlier game the sportsmanship was terrible. They would shout at our pitcher mid windup despite several warnings from the umpire. The coaches both openly questioned ball and strike calls and called the umps "incompetent." At one point, Rabbit was playing first and a player knocked him over diving back to the bag. While they were both on the ground the player wrapped up his legs so he could not get up to make a play.
The opponents scored three in the top of the last inning and were cheering like they had won the World Series. The parents were as bad as the kids and were taunting everyone they could find. We needed to get at least that one run back. We had two quick outs in our half of the inning, then they walked our lead-off hitter. Rabbit was now up, and desperate to shut the kids, coaches and parents up. Right before the second pitch to Rabbit, the opposing coach told his pitcher to ignore the base runner, focus only on the hitter. Bad advice. The runner stole second, then took third on the overthrow. While the other team was busy, quite literally, pointing fingers and arguing over who made the mistake, our runner took off for the plate. He scored easily and we were tied. They melted down and walked Rabbit. As he was on first they threw over 3 times before a pitch crossed the plate. Then, the pitcher balked about as bad as I can recall seeing at this level. He broke his hands, moved forward, then backed off and threw to first. Rabbit was already half jogging to second when the throw went to first and he got tagged. The umpire let it stand. It was a curious play, to be certain. But, we were well past time limits and everyone wanted to get out of there. We wanted a chance to play this team again and shut them down once and for all. Be careful what you wish for.
We got a hotel room in Riverside for the night since we knew, most likely, we would be playing at 8am. We were, against the same team. We were the 5 seed (out of 15) and were in the Championship Bracket. A remarkable turnaround. And we were not going to lose to that team no matter what.
Got to the field at 7:15am and were itching to get going. It was very cold, but none of the boys seemed to notice. We were the lower seed (they were 4 we were 5) so we were visitors, and were at bat first. We got just the start we needed. Our first four batters all scored before a single out was recorded. We led 4-0 before they even picked up a bat. They got two in the bottom half of the inning, and then everyone calmed down and we had a scoreless second inning. In the third, we put up 5 more. We were ahead 9-2. The cheering stopped, the parents went inside the snack bar, and the coaches had nearly packed it in. Our pitcher started to struggle, but just barely. Once the bases were loaded our coach pulled our starter and asked Rabbit to get the two outs to end the inning, and the threat. It took him a batter or two to get settled. Two runs crossed, now 9-4, and one out. Rabbit did a funny thing. He stepped off the mound, took a breath, and drew a line in the sand. He struck out the next two batters all but ending the game. We pushed one more across and they got a few late, but the game was never as close as the 10-7 final indicates. We had won a game in the championship bracket. This was amazing, made even sweeter by beating a team that we really wanted to beat.
Our reward was a game with the number one seed in the entire tournament. We played them very tight, and it was 4-1 after three innings. We were close, but were unable to find a second run to get us back in the game. At the end we ran out of pitchers and stamina. The game ended 9-1 in 5 innings. We had finished third, out of 15 teams, and won two games for the first time in a while. The boys had much to be proud of, and a good idea of where they need to be headed. It was a harbinger of how this team can be good when they all work together, and it reinforced that you win with defense.
All that said, we are leaving Blue Wave on February 15th. Coach told all the parents and players at a post game meeting. He said some very nice things about Rabbit and we were pleased by the support from everyone. It is a great group of families. We will miss them. However, our next challenge awaits with Mizuno, and we look forward to getting started with them.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Spring Training - and "What Happened Since October"
Well, let us get the big news out early. We have left Blue Wave as of the end of February. After Paso we really slowed down and if I recall correctly we only played in 3 tournaments over 3 months. There were many more opportunities, but we were very busy with family commitments over the holidays. Of the team that went to Paso, only 4 boys are left on the roster, including Rabbit. This is the nature of the beast at this age group I guess, and I do not envy the task that the coach has in integrating new players on an almost weekly basis anymore. The bottom line was that we were ready for a change, and as I reread my previous entries it appears to be a long time coming.
That being said, I want to be perfectly clear. Blue Wave Baseball, and especially Coach Louis, made Rabbit a better player. His progress was dramatic and his love of the game grew. I have nothing but positive things to say about our time there. If you have a son looking to play travel ball I wholeheartedly endorse calling them to arrange a tryout. So why leave if everything was so great?
Our decision was twofold. First, Rabbit had really grown rapidly as a player and leader, but that was slowing quickly. With the influx of new talent, and the natural process of bringing those players up to speed, he had plateaued. There is always something to learn and many ways to improve. But there was a sense that we were relearning the same lessons. And occasionally that repetition became frustration. To be sure, it was more on my part than Rabbit's, but it was real. Secondly, Rabbit does his best work with a goal ahead of him. Much like joining a LL Majors team last year. His desire to prove he belonged at the higher level motivated his work, and improvement, and he rapidly improved almost every aspect of his game. His new team is a AAA squad, Blue Wave is a AA squad. Rabbit will fight for at bats, innings of defense, and opportunities to play. We are hoping that this will spur another burst of improvement and love of the game.
So, we have tournaments each of the next 3 weeks with Blue Wave, and then we will be off to Mizuno Elite OC. We can only hope that our experience there will be as beneficial as it was with Blue Wave. However, knowing Rabbit, and the way he handles himself, I think we will do just fine.
That being said, I want to be perfectly clear. Blue Wave Baseball, and especially Coach Louis, made Rabbit a better player. His progress was dramatic and his love of the game grew. I have nothing but positive things to say about our time there. If you have a son looking to play travel ball I wholeheartedly endorse calling them to arrange a tryout. So why leave if everything was so great?
Our decision was twofold. First, Rabbit had really grown rapidly as a player and leader, but that was slowing quickly. With the influx of new talent, and the natural process of bringing those players up to speed, he had plateaued. There is always something to learn and many ways to improve. But there was a sense that we were relearning the same lessons. And occasionally that repetition became frustration. To be sure, it was more on my part than Rabbit's, but it was real. Secondly, Rabbit does his best work with a goal ahead of him. Much like joining a LL Majors team last year. His desire to prove he belonged at the higher level motivated his work, and improvement, and he rapidly improved almost every aspect of his game. His new team is a AAA squad, Blue Wave is a AA squad. Rabbit will fight for at bats, innings of defense, and opportunities to play. We are hoping that this will spur another burst of improvement and love of the game.
So, we have tournaments each of the next 3 weeks with Blue Wave, and then we will be off to Mizuno Elite OC. We can only hope that our experience there will be as beneficial as it was with Blue Wave. However, knowing Rabbit, and the way he handles himself, I think we will do just fine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)