So, when I left off, the semifinal game was getting ready to start. We were ranked 4 and playing the 1st place team, the team that beat us the night before. The difference between our coach and the coach of the opposing team was night and day. Where our coach was respectful and polite to the umps, this guy was cocky and rude. The ump called the start of the game at 5:05, and he decided to argue that his clock read 5:10. And it went downhill from there.
Since we were the lower ranked team, we batted first, and in the top of the first inning, our fourth batter took a fastball right to the kneecap. He collapsed (understandably so), and our coach requested a pinch runner because our fourth batter was supposed to catch in the bottom of the inning. The umps agreed, but when it came time for us to field, he was in no position to catch. Our coach went to explain to the umpire, who was extremely understanding about the whole situation.
The other coach flipped his lid and went off on a total tirade...so much so that he was ejected from the game. The parents on the other side of the fence were just as ridiculous, and they scraped together the money to request an appeal ($100) then said they were playing under protest. Whatever. The coach was supposed to leave the complex immediately, but after arguing with the official running the tournament for a good 20 minutes, he stayed by the flag pole and text his third base coach.
It was moderately better for a minute, but then the crap started. They accused our boys of cheating: of using rosin, of having something "tricky" inside a baseball cap (we have twins and they switched hats), of blocking the bag. Their first base coach told my kid he was cheating by blocking the bag, and he'd handle the situation by having his kids slide into first and break N's ankle. (Full disclosure: I didn't know this until WELL after the fact, and that's probably for the best.)
The game was super close, and despite their best efforts to rattle both the team and the parents, our boys pulled off a victory: 8-6. After the game, they took possession of the field so we couldn't play the final game. They threatened the umpires, then told them to expect to hear from their attorneys. What? Why? Is this the majors and I didn't realize it? Because, if so...I'm seriously lacking in the MLB swag department. Last time I checked, it was U13 baseball...
Anyway, we made it to the championship game, and it was back and forth the whole time. Some of the semifinal team stuck around to warn the other final team about all of our "tricks." Y'all, it was utterly ridiculous. The boys played so hard, and us moms were total wrecks by the middle of the game.
Thank the good Lord for sangria...that's all I have to say! Our team played like I've never seen them play before. As the 4th place team, we had the tops of the innings against the 3rd place team, and going into the bottom of the 7th (the last inning in U13), we were up 8-6. I cannot even begin to describe to you how amazing it was to see on of our boys catch that last pop-up at 2nd base. They totally came unglued and were jumping around, screaming. You never would have guessed they'd just played 5 games in 24 hours (2 of them back to back in some ridiculous temperatures). The parents were over-the-top excited, too (as was our newly acquired team mascot, Beau...mostly because he had free reign to run all over the field), and we all rushed onto the field to congratulate our team and applaud the guys who played such a good game.
Because even though the semifinal team was crappy, and these guys started off suspicious of us, they played some really excellent baseball, especially for having to play back-to-back-to-back. But you know what? This was huge for us. We needed this. I didn't know that our team had never won first place...but I DID know that this tournament was the first tournament we had ever played with this roster. Until this weekend, they'd played a handful of league games, but never anything this intense.
And they rocked it. They totally rocked it.
I also have to say...B found his calling on Sunday afternoon. One of the moms was kind enough to teach him how to run the scoreboard, and I never heard another peep out of him. He ran the board, cheered his brother's team on, and was so excited about doing both of those things. He even said, later this week, that he wished he could go to N's games this weekend instead of flag football. When I asked him why, he said, "Mom, N's team shows up and they're all in it to win it. My team never shows up, and if they do, there are only three of us who actually show up and don't jack around."
Love. Him. This new outlook has made baseball that much more appealing to him, and that makes me glad, too. I want both of them to be supportive of each other, and he gets dragged to a lot more baseball games than N does flag football games. In fact, B even rocked the scoreboard at the last league game on Thursday night. The team wound up taking second in their league for the season...but on Thursday night, still high off of their championship win (I'm sure), they left the only undefeated team staring at the scoreboard when they beat them 5-1, giving them their only loss for the season.
If that doesn't make you smile, I don't know WHAT will! And so, tomorrow morning, we do it all again...different teams, different fields, but the ultimate goal is still the same: Play good, solid baseball, be good sports, and take the team as far as they can while maintaining a high level of integrity. Also, these championship rings need some friends!
Aubs
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