STRIKE!

Just popping in for a quick hello.

I have spent last night and all day today and this evening on the baseball fields with Jared. He and his teammates having been throwing that ol' ball around, swinging that ol' bat, catchin' those ol' "pop-flies", and having a blast!

They won Friday night's game at a close score of 9-7. Every inning had a leader change! It was a nail biter.

Our first game of Saturday was.... well.... for lack of a better word.... pathetic. The opposing team had their ducks in a row; and although all of the boys on our team were playing, they were basically playing on their own. They didn't play as a team for the first time all season, and it showed! With an 11-0 loss, I marched to the dug out and told them to slap some smiles on their faces, to stop lookin' like they were gonna cry, and to get out there and have some actual FUN! One boy named Jake immediately had the right idea and grinned at me from ear to ear. I told the boys to take a lesson from him! hahaha. I gave Jared's pitiful-oh-boohoo-I-didn't-play-very-well face a big ol' smoochie and told him to cheer up! He told me I wasn't allowed in the dug out, but I told him SOMEBODY had to pump them up!

Second game was amazingly different. They played more organized. They encouraged one another more. They had a lot of fun. They won the game 11-1.

Sometimes it depends on the attitude of the team you're playing. In the game which they lost, the other team played a little dirtier than most, and they were out there to win it. It was a little intimidating for the boys, I think. The second game that we played today, the opposing team was much more light-hearted and out there to have fun.

Jared was playing the position of back-catcher, and one of the boys on the team charged at Jared at home plate, knocking Jared completely flat on his back. The umpire gave the boy a warning; but what really impressed me was that the next boy up to bat turned and asked Jared if he was OK. Jared told me later that two or three other boys on that team asked if he was all right.

THAT'S SPORTSMANSHIP!

And THAT'S what it's all about, folks!

It made it a much more fun game. I'm not saying that statement just because we won the game. I would much rather lose to a team who's out there to have fun and play a good game of baseball as opposed to a team who's out there to win at any cost. Our guys suffered a few injuries from today's first game, but they managed to keep their mouths' shut and carry on. Good boys! Cheers to you!

So, now we return to the fields Sunday morning at 8:30am. Yucka! Too early for my liking. This means we have to leave the house by 7am. This means I have to be up prior to 6:30am. This means I will need extra coffee tomorrow. This means I will need an extra nap sometime tomorrow. hahaa. Did I mention I am not a morning person??? Who let this kid sign up for baseball anyways????

And now, it's after 11pm and way past my bedtime. Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, & wise wish he could have another nap.

Hopefully I'll get some pics downloaded for y'all soon. I'm way overdue on that.

..... for it's ONE, TWO, THREE STRIKES YOU'RE OUT at the oooool' baaaaaall gaaaaame!!!!!