Oh, today was a glorious day for baseball! It was, however, ridiculously chilly. We had to be at the ball fields at 8:30 on Saturday morning for N's double-header, and I just KNEW it would warm up in no time.
I was an idiot.
It. Was. Freezing. My dad, who never gets cold, even put on a hoodie...and left it on almost all day. The Giants (N's team) were the visitors for both games. I was totally apprehensive about this game for one major reason: The boys haven't practiced hitting off a kid pitcher at all this season. For some of the boys, it's the first time they've played baseball at all, or the first time they've played kid pitch baseball. I'm not the coach, but I do speak my mind (imagine that) and I think it was highly detrimental to NOT practice hitting off of a kid pitcher. I also think there should have been more practice with pitchers and catchers instead of 20 minutes the night before the game.
Maybe it's just me. Anyway, the boys had a slow start, and were down by several runs by the time we got to the third inning of the first game. But, y'all? N caught for the entire first game, and he did a great job. Something else that's new this season is the ability to steal home. N's used to that being against the rules, so he's gotten into the habit of throwing to second on a wild pitch, and it never failed...each time he'd do that, they'd score. He figured it out pretty quickly though, and in the third inning, they'd closed the gap to two runs when he strapped on his gear. There was a wild pitch, and as the runner was sliding towards home, N scooped up the ball and threw himself on home plate, tagging the runner out!
I was screaming like a fool, and I wasn't the only one! It was a great save! They lost, but it was a respectable first showing, for sure. I think it gave them a better idea of what to expect. The highlight of the game, aside from N's tag out at home plate, was the coach of the opposite team. He was yelling to his players about stealing bases (loudly) and giving away all of his secrets, all the while yelling, "TRUST ME! JUST TRUUUUUST ME!" My dad and I (and a lot of other parents) were laughing so hard. It was a fun time!
The second game, N started on third base, and wasn't that thrilled about it. You could tell. He volunteered to catch again, but his coach wanted to let someone else try. "Someone else" was not a fan, so after I left, N went back to catching...and I bet that's where he'll stay for the remainder of the season. His coach even gave him one of the catchers mitts to hold onto and use. N thinks he's keeping it. I told him "No way," but he's determined.
As for B's game...well, if any of y'all are local and want to come see a game, I'll send you the schedule. Oh, wow. That was a riot! The boys on both teams were just so fun to watch, and there are four boys on the team that have the same name or similar names (the two B's and two boys whose names both start with "L" that are sooooo close!) so that makes for total hilarity. My dad took some great pictures! B got hit on the top edge of his cleat his first time at bat (coach pitch), and the second time, he managed to bust out a double! He was so excited, and the kids on his team (well, the ones who knew what was going on), were so excited. Our catcher even ran and caught a pop fly on the foul line. I don't think it was on purpose, because he was super surprised...but it was a ton of fun!
This coming week we have games on Friday and Saturday...plus practice on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Oh boy! I'm tired just thinking about it!
Aubs
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