JP's Observations of First Practice

JP had his first Coach Pitch Little League practice.  He loved it!  He loved Coach Josh, who he quickly identified as an experienced player and maybe "the best coach I'll ever have."  JP also noticed that during the infield practice taking grounders, some players couldn't throw the ball back to the coach.  Finally he concluded with a matter-of-fact statement that, "Some of my teammates aren't athletes."  True.  Many of these young players are sweet kids, bravely attempting to learn one of the toughest games out there...and having a blast.

Casey at the Bat

This President's Day holiday weekend kept us busy with company, baseball practices, and enjoying the gorgeous Arizona weather at our favorite park.  After all were tucked in bed last night, I read Twitter, eager to hear all about the first day of Arizona Diamondbacks practice.  I was happy to read that shortstop Stephen Drew, after a horrific injury last season that we witnessed happen, took grounders and felt well.  I was happy to read ALL the hopeful news.

Today, with the sun shining and Spring Training in mind, the boys and I read Casey at the Bat.  This "we can't wait until spring" reading has become one of our favorite traditions.  This year, Aiden read the poem with much gusto imitating the mighty Casey (think Tim Tebow and Green Eggs and Ham) while the rest of us cheered, booed, and cried as the fans.

Right now there is plenty of joy in our home, somewhere in this favored land where the sun is shining bright.  The band is playing and hearts are light.  Adults are laughing and children shout.  Because as of yet, not one of our favorite Diamondbacks has officially struck out.

Baseball Mom Text

I just received this text from a baseball mom friend:

Major score: 2 baseball bats, 5 batting helmets, 3 pairs of cleats, complete catcher's gear with 2 pairs of shin guards.  Guess how much????

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

$20!

******

baseball gear + smoking deal + bragging rights = happy mom!

6 Year Old Tryouts?

I nearly missed getting John Paul to his tryouts.  Our family has been away from Little League for a few years so I'm out of the swing of it (pun intended.)  My older boys never tried out at this age and I'm still a little confused about why tryouts were held for 6 year old players.  We actually would have completely missed the tryouts if we hadn't stumbled upon them because we were at the field to watch our older friends play.

With a rush of adrenaline, borrowed bat & helmet, and sneakers made for style not baseball, John Paul took the field.  He made all his fielding plays, catching grounders and throwing to second.  His batting was great as was his run to second. Fifteen minutes and we're done.

I hope he lands on a fun team with great coaches.  I hope I don't make any more errors (couldn't resist.)

Top 10: Dbacks FanFest 2012

The Arizona Diamondbacks did right by 25,000  fans, and vice versa, at FanFest 2012.  Here's my top 10 list:

10.  Free admission.  Can you believe that?  Even if they charged a buck, they would make a mint!  D-backs management is smart.  Give to the fans and they'll give back to the team.  No doubt.

9.  Being with my husband and JP, a little threesome.  Our older boys were playing ball and our daughter was at the ASU Alumnae baseball game.

8.  Perfect weather.  Having lived through the heat of the 2011 All Star Game in AZ, I appreciated the sunshine and 80 degrees.  Spring (training) is right around the corner.

7.  Going on the Club House tour.

6.  Meeting Anthony Synegal, the Account Executive who has served our family for some time now with group ticket sales.  Look him up.

5.  Gerardo Parra pitching to JP.  JP got a home run.  Parra should stick to the outfield:).

4.  Baxter signing JP's hat.  Baxter is a top-notch mascot!

3.  Having a great seat at the filming of Fox Sports Arizona's Grace and Sutton interviewing coaches and players.  (Check out my pics on twitter.)

2.  Getting Daniel Hudson's autograph in the Digital Clubhouse.  I'm not much of an autograph collector but he.was.right.there! If you aren't following @dhuddy41 on twitter, do.

1.  Saying "Hi" to Ryan Roberts and wishing him well as he headed into the Club House at the same time our family was entering.  He asked, "Excuse me", which was awfully polite of him seeing as we were fans in *his* house.  And I have proof - the whole 3 minutes is on my phone:)

Thanks, Dbacks.  See you at Spring Training and Opening Day!  

Tournament Win!

Club ball is the rough-n-tumble wild west of youth baseball.  Last summer Ian's Muddogs team, after a great run, closed shop.  Ian went looking for another team and was happy to find a new franchise, the Wizards.  In January his coaching staff and most players left the franchise, went solo, picked up a handful of players from another team, and formed The Heat.  Yep, enough change and drama to make a reality show... and a mom go pale.

After months of ups and downs for Ian, and only in their second tourney together, this past weekend his team won the  championship!  And they did it the right way; with good sportsmanship, sacrifice, filling individual roles, and a team effort.  Oh...and their pitchers were on, defense was nearly without error, base running was smart & aggressive, and their bats were hot!  

My kid?  It was a privilege to watch him.  He dug deep, contributed when it mattered most, and was grateful for the opportunity.  My favorite moment?  When Ian's head coach put an arm around his shoulder after a rough patch.  I don't know what the coach said, but I do know that they both smiled and moved on...to become champions.  

         

Support Cory Hahn

Word travels quickly in baseball circles.  Last spring I heard about a player being severely injured while playing for ASU early in the season.  Quickly our family learned that the player was paralyzed from the waist down from a spine injury after sliding head first into second base, a freak accident.  I remember losing my color and fighting back tears.  That could be my boy.

As a mom watching my boys play, I feel like a mom to all these young men who play the game, have big dreams, and work so hard.  Rationally we tell our boys that eventually the day comes when every player, no matter how great, leaves the game.  But emotionally it is utterly shocking and gut-wrenching to watch a young player's dream shattered in a second.  It is impossible to know what long, hard recovery lies ahead, but most decidedly it will demand every ounce of their determination and guts, virtues honed playing baseball.

It's a year later and I read this article, Paralyzed ex-O.C. star fights through challenges and I see that Cory Hahn is back at ASU.  I was blessed to read his story, look at his slideshow, and see an opportunity to help:

Monetary donations are being accepted to assist the Hahn family with medical expenses. Checks made out to the “Cory Hahn Fund” can be mailed to Mater Dei High School, 1202 W. Edinger Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92707.

Congratulations to Cory and all who have supported him.  My family is cheering for you!

D-backs FanFest 2012 Tomorrow

Tomorrow my husband and I are taking JP to D-backs FanFest.  Aiden and Ian can't join us because the former has JV practice and the latter has an early tourney game.

 I see the irony that the baseball players in this family can't attend, and they are bummed.  I'll enjoy the perks of being only a fan!

Tryouts Over. JV Begins.

It's official.  Aiden made the JV team!  His acceptance letter begins:

Congratlations and welcome to the 2011-2012 Junior Varsity Baseball Team. You have earned the privilege of representing...

your high school. That sums it up! Congratulations to all players who made their team this season. My sincerest condolences to those who were disappointed.

High School Tryouts

Sure, the Super Bowl party was fun and the food was yummy. The game was exciting too. In that order.  But I woke up this morning dreaming of baseball.

After our usual morning routine of homeschool studies and breakfast, my three boys and I headed out to what may be the last lesson with our favorite hitting coach, Ralph, before he goes to Florida to work a Spring Training gig. Aiden especially wanted to see Ralph for last minute instruction.

High school tryouts begin today. Aiden has been through this before and is eager to do well. He played freshman ball last year with all its ups and downs. This year, he wants to improve his play and enjoy the ride more. If, as Earl Wilson said:

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.

then tryouts divide the suffering into three days. Two more to go.