Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts

Sunday, June 29, 2014

On to Orange Beach ... and more baseball!

So ... as if Cooperstown didn't provide enough baseball,
right after church, we washed up clothes, repacked and headed south to the beach!
This time it was Blaine's turn ... his team was playing in a tourney down there.

By we, I mean me, Becky, and the boys.  Bowdie had to stay home a few days to go to work.
I was so thankful that Becky was coming so that she could drive.
Because I was completely fried from our early morning flight!

So here we are ... packed and ready to head down for round 2!!


Monday, August 26, 2013

Taking the Plunge ...

So ... I was not expecting to write this post for at least another year.
But once again, plans that we set have changed.
Because we had said that we'd wait until Jarrett started 7th grade to consider joining a travel baseball team.
The rigors of that type of schedule weren't what we wanted to cope with until then.

But, when what appears to be a perfect scenario pops up on the radar,
then we've learned to grab it.

And one did.

But, oddly enough, not with Jarrett, but Blaine.

One of our good friends decided to coach the 11u travel team at our park.
And I have to say, if there's anyone else I want coaching one of my boys, besides Bo,
its him.
When he called Bowdie and said he had a spot on the team for Blaine,
we bucked it ... at first.
But then, after considering a lot of factors (such as coaching, influence, 
the boys on the team, long term relationships, etc),
we conceded to let him try out.

And so, of course, we couldn't let him play and tell his older brother no.
So Jarrett is now playing on the 12u team for our park as well.

The fall season was light ... Jarrett's team could only play Sunday tourneys
since several boys on his team play football too.

Blaine's team played in 4 or so tourneys and actually won 2 of them.

Both boys are growing and maturing as players and 
they are learning to play as team members.
It's been a challenge but so good and they are both loving it.

These are pics from Blaine's first tourney ...




He and his buddy David ...


Winners!

Jarrett at one of his Sunday scrimmages ...

Good form ... he's ready!

PLAY BALL!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Championship Game ... again!

Well, they did it again.
Bowdie coached his minor league team to the championship game.
Not that he didn't have help ...
couldn't have done it without the Matts -
Matt Pognant & Matt Larson!

Blaine was thrilled to be playing in the big game again!
Read about last year's game here.

The only difference between last season and this season was:
1.  Jarrett wasn't on this team (he moved up to majors, remember?)
2.  this team was undefeated in the regular season (last year's wasn't)

So, it was a big night!

Love these pennants for the back of the dugout!
SOOOoooo much better than a big hanging banner ... 
each player keeps their pennant at the end of the season.

Pregame pep talk by Coach Bowdie.
Serious stuff.

Warming up at short stop.
This was Blaine's position,
unless pitching or catching.



Loved this pic so much, had to blow it up a little bigger.
Look at that face.
Pure determination!

The game was close for the first couple of innings.
Then we pulled away.

Blaine came in and pitched the last 3 and 1/3 innings.
He struck out 8, had 2 walks and no hits.

Offensively, he walked twice and scored 2 runs.
He hit a hard line drive, but the pitcher snagged it and threw him out.

After the win - RELIEF!

Lining up for the medals ...

Getting his medal from the minor league director.


So proud of all these boys!
Once again, a great season with wonderful players and families!!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Jacob's First Hit!

This kid.

I can hardly take him.
With 2 older brothers that are pretty serious about baseball,
he's kinda a take-it-or-leave-it player.

Don't get me wrong.
He wants to win.
He wants to hit.
But I think he might be more about the social aspect!

Anyway, Bowdie had asked Jarrett to be Jacob's hitting coach.
Told him that he'd pay $1 for every hit Jacob got.

Jarrett worked with him.
Jacob didn't enjoy it.
Hits didn't come.
Until ....
dessert got involved.
I finally, on a whim, promised Jacob a DQ trip if he got a hit.

And guess what?
It totally worked!
The kid got his first (and only) hit of the season.

Yeah - he's totally motivated by ice cream.
Whatever it takes!

Here he is at third ... got so excited, 
forgot to snap pics of him at first!

He got the game ball!

Seriously, is that the sweetest smile or what?!

His buddies and team mates, Will & Nick, 
came with us to enjoy the treat!





Thursday, March 14, 2013

Have We Lost Our Minds??!!

Quite possibly.
This baseball season we will have all 3 playing.
In three separate leagues.
Which means 3 separate games on any given day.
When there's only 2 of us!

The phrase 'divide and conquer' is taking on all new meaning.

This is Jacob's first season playing.
He'll be in the PeeWee league.
He's not much for practicing 
and doesn't really have the 'eye of the tiger' that the other 2 have,
so this should be an adventure.

I'm thinking he's more pumped for the snacks than the games!

Here are some shots from his very first game ...

Warming up ... literally and figuratively!


Taking some soft toss from Daddy ...
(who is head coaching Blaine's team and assisting the other 2)

Umm ... yeah.
This is about what I expected to happen during the game.

Better.

Love to see him run off the field
and low five his daddy!

LOVE!!



He walked to first -

Buds ...

Snack!


So fun to play with his best buds,
Nick and Will.

Gonna be an interesting GREAT season!

Go Nationals!!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Just Doin' His Thang ...

Allstars is now officially over.
It was a packed June -
lots of scrimmages and tournaments.
I think Bowdie said the boys played somewhere
around 18 games total.
That's more than the regular season that's spread 
out over 3 months!!

I'll be honest:
it really threw our family (or maybe just me)
into a tailspin.

Dinners eaten at 4:30.
Dinners eaten at the park.
Dinners eaten at home,
with Bo & Jarrett leaving right after for practice.
Games ending close to 10 p.m.
Missing church on several Sundays.

But would I do it again?
Yes.
There's just something about seeing your oldest
doing what he absolutely, 100% loves.

L-O-V-E-S.

The team did become like a family in a lot of ways.
It gave us some valuable insight into the baseball culture.
It is definitely a community!

And it also confirmed that travel ball is NOT in our immediate future!

Here's J-man, just doing what he loves ...

Probably my favorite pic of him ...
loved the uniforms!







Here's a fun sequence of J making a play at short ...


'1 out!!'





Can you see the slight grin as he runs off the field?
Good inning with 3 quick outs!

The tongue has become his pitching signature!
Always out at the end of a pitch ...


We lost our last game.
He was unhappy -
we really worked on attitude during the season ...
being a good sport, win or lose.
He came a long way!



Here are his stats on the season:

BB
Hits
K
R
PA
OB
OB%
BA
Jenkins
11
20
3
23
51
33
0.647
0.500






GREAT memories.
Time well spent.


WAY TO GO DACULA MINOR BLUE ALLSTARS!