Blackwater
04-16-2016, 10:34 PM
Just got back from the two BEST ball games I think I've EVER seen! No, it wasn't the pros, or even college. I don't care much for pro or even college sports these days. It was my grandson's high school regional playoff games. He was the only Freshman to make the Varsity baseball team last year, and he played almost all of almost all the games last year. This year, he's matured and more confident. He had several years of coaching from retired pro, McKay McBride, who was a pro pitcher, and who was known as one of the better hitters among the pitchers as well. I don't think I ever really realized just how much that training really meant until tonight. He plays for my old Alma Mater, too, which spices things up, and maybe makes the intensity of my "investment" in the games more understandable.
I played baseball, and some basketball, but never had the wind for basketball, really. Then, my Sr. year was our first year of varsity football, and I played, and we went 0 & 10 for the season, which I think kind'a warped my mind when it comes to losing. Me an' ol' Al Bundy! Yeah! And I can wear as big a grin as ol' Al when I and some of my buddies who played recall those (now humorous) days!
Anyways, we got an early lead in the first of their 2 games, at 5-0. Then our pitcher got tired, and Tatnall got 5 runs pretty quickly over 2 innings! Then we got 3, and thought we might have it, when Tatnall got 3 of their own! It came down finally to them being up 10-8 over us, and it was the bottom of the 7th and final inning! We HAD to score! We were at 2 outs and 2 of our men on base when my grandson Cole came to bat. The runners advanced to 2nd and 3rd bases on a passed ball. Then the count came to 3 and 2 on Cole! You could cut the tension in the air with a knife! He fouled off 2 more pitches, just to keep us aghast, I think! Then he hit a very hot line drive that the pitcher just touched with his glove and it shot past the 2nd baseman's glove by not much more and into right center field, scoring the 2 runners from 2nd and 3rd! Now the game was all tied up with Cole on 1st. He stole 2nd, and then 3rd on another passed ball. It was really hot today, and ball fields are hotter than anywhere else I've known, and everyone was tired, and playing from somewhere deep within them!
THIS, my friends, is what REAL sports are all about! Young men learning how to deal with dire straits and learning how to handle pressure and angst!
The batter was at 3 and 2 in the count, and hit another line drive that fell into the hole in right center field, scoring Cole and winning the game for my old Alma Mater!
And not to be satisfied with that, the 2nd game was JUST as edgy and hard fought as the 1st, and we came out wining that one by one run, too! So I'm just flat drained, and feel like a wet wash rag looks!
It was just flat inspiring seeing these young men on both teams giving it their all, through significant exhaustion, see-sawing scores, and the simple will to not be denied the win on both sides. I was really awed by the character all these fine young men displayed tonight, and though I'm ecstatic about my grandson and my old Alma Mater's wins, I can't not feel bad for such a valiant group of young men as Tatnall displayed this evening. Most of us who remember way back in the ice ages when we played, probably know how they had to have felt, but I think those guys, except for the Sr.'s of course, will be back next year with a vengeance! We'd better be ready when they do, too, because they had some fine players and they made some great plays and actually got a few more hits in both games than our guys did. Our guys just came through when they HAD to, and that's really how they won both games.
Such displays of character really humble grandpas like me. So many talk about how kids today are so rotten! Well, not ALL of them are, I can assure you! And seeing them in action and displaying their finest, is a wonderful thing to behold. So yeah, I'm pumped, and humbled to boot! Haven't felt this good in quite a while!
I know some of you guys must have similar stories about your own kids or grands, and I'd like to hear them. And don't be bashful about it, even if it's not PC to do it. I just don't care, and neither should you, really. It's SO good to have this kind'a pride in our replacements in this life! Let's hear your own stories about the young and how inspirational they really can be. I'm tired of all the haranging about how "bad" they are, so please chime in. I think it matters. If nothing else, it counters some of the cynicism that's so rampant among us today.
I played baseball, and some basketball, but never had the wind for basketball, really. Then, my Sr. year was our first year of varsity football, and I played, and we went 0 & 10 for the season, which I think kind'a warped my mind when it comes to losing. Me an' ol' Al Bundy! Yeah! And I can wear as big a grin as ol' Al when I and some of my buddies who played recall those (now humorous) days!
Anyways, we got an early lead in the first of their 2 games, at 5-0. Then our pitcher got tired, and Tatnall got 5 runs pretty quickly over 2 innings! Then we got 3, and thought we might have it, when Tatnall got 3 of their own! It came down finally to them being up 10-8 over us, and it was the bottom of the 7th and final inning! We HAD to score! We were at 2 outs and 2 of our men on base when my grandson Cole came to bat. The runners advanced to 2nd and 3rd bases on a passed ball. Then the count came to 3 and 2 on Cole! You could cut the tension in the air with a knife! He fouled off 2 more pitches, just to keep us aghast, I think! Then he hit a very hot line drive that the pitcher just touched with his glove and it shot past the 2nd baseman's glove by not much more and into right center field, scoring the 2 runners from 2nd and 3rd! Now the game was all tied up with Cole on 1st. He stole 2nd, and then 3rd on another passed ball. It was really hot today, and ball fields are hotter than anywhere else I've known, and everyone was tired, and playing from somewhere deep within them!
THIS, my friends, is what REAL sports are all about! Young men learning how to deal with dire straits and learning how to handle pressure and angst!
The batter was at 3 and 2 in the count, and hit another line drive that fell into the hole in right center field, scoring Cole and winning the game for my old Alma Mater!
And not to be satisfied with that, the 2nd game was JUST as edgy and hard fought as the 1st, and we came out wining that one by one run, too! So I'm just flat drained, and feel like a wet wash rag looks!
It was just flat inspiring seeing these young men on both teams giving it their all, through significant exhaustion, see-sawing scores, and the simple will to not be denied the win on both sides. I was really awed by the character all these fine young men displayed tonight, and though I'm ecstatic about my grandson and my old Alma Mater's wins, I can't not feel bad for such a valiant group of young men as Tatnall displayed this evening. Most of us who remember way back in the ice ages when we played, probably know how they had to have felt, but I think those guys, except for the Sr.'s of course, will be back next year with a vengeance! We'd better be ready when they do, too, because they had some fine players and they made some great plays and actually got a few more hits in both games than our guys did. Our guys just came through when they HAD to, and that's really how they won both games.
Such displays of character really humble grandpas like me. So many talk about how kids today are so rotten! Well, not ALL of them are, I can assure you! And seeing them in action and displaying their finest, is a wonderful thing to behold. So yeah, I'm pumped, and humbled to boot! Haven't felt this good in quite a while!
I know some of you guys must have similar stories about your own kids or grands, and I'd like to hear them. And don't be bashful about it, even if it's not PC to do it. I just don't care, and neither should you, really. It's SO good to have this kind'a pride in our replacements in this life! Let's hear your own stories about the young and how inspirational they really can be. I'm tired of all the haranging about how "bad" they are, so please chime in. I think it matters. If nothing else, it counters some of the cynicism that's so rampant among us today.