PLAY BALL

Today is August 2nd and by all accounts, we are starting the dog-days of summer. Well, that's what the big leaguers call it. In my house it's more like the bored-days of summer. Baseball season was over in June and the Fall Ball season doesn't start again until September. Those of you who may not know us too well should understand that in our house full of girls, Andy and I put baseball right up there below God and Family in the pecking order of things that are important. Andy has quickly become motivated to not only be the best baseball player in the world but also historian and statistician. He is constantly studying books, baseball cards and anything he can watch on baseball. For instance...Did you know that Mickey Mantle's number when he played high school basketball was 14? I would have had no clue or interest in that until the other day when Andy proudly gave me that little bit of trivia. Why would that be important to him? 14 is his number, the same number he has worn for a few years other than all-star teams. I guess #14 has become pretty important to him and he will search any famous player that shares his love for baseball and of course, the number 14.

REWIND........It's February and draft day. I'm coaching again so Andy knows he will be on my team...at least he's pretty sure he will be picked by me and the other coaches who have worked together for a few seasons! So we finally have a team put together and there are several kids returning to the team from last year. That's always easy as a coach because you know what to expect from them and their parents. I remember telling Andy who was on the team and he was getting more excited for the season to start but there was one thing he was dying to know...what was the team name? Now please realize that this was February and for the last five months Andy had never gotten over the fact that the Rockies had beaten the Padres in a one game playoff to see who would go to the post-season. Before the draft I asked Andy what team he wanted to be and he said, "anything but the Rockies". Yep, you guessed it, we were officially members of The Rockies. Remember there is no crying in baseball, son.

The season started off well but it was evident that about half the kids were really determined to play hard and do their best while the other half were probably there to goof off or maybe their parents wanted some free babysitting. I guess that's the way it goes at times. The day the uniforms came in I was pleased to find that there was a #14 but I didn't tell Andy that. We usually line the kids up from shortest to tallest and hand them out starting with #1. For some reason we had an extra jersey as there were only 13 kids on the team. Andy was happy to get his number and while I try not to be partial as a coach, this was one time when I was thrilled to help my son out.

After trying the kids out we had pretty much determined which players would play at which positions. Andy was to be the starting shortstop on the days he was not pitching. Speaking of pitching, Little League had revised their rules on pitching this year and we would have to hold to a very strict pitch count for the players. I am all for this rule to protect the kids but it does bring challenges to coaching especially when you only have two or three kids that are solid pitchers.

As the season went on we began to have more and more fun as the kids got to know each other and their coaches better. Andy was quickly becoming one of the best pitchers in the division and he recorded his first "No Hitter" on May 8th. This was quite an accomplishment and the game ball is now sitting on his trophy case along with the rest of his baseball treasures.

I guess being a coach of your own son presents many challenges if you let it. I've been blessed to have a son who is not the center of attention but quietly goes out and does his very best. The other players really look up to Andy and he had a few moments during the season when he let his feelings towards his teammates really be known. At one point he asked if he could talk to the players and after talking to the other coaches we decided it would be a good idea. I was so proud of Andy watching him out there on the field conductiong his own private meeting. It was amazing to see the response of the team and for me to watch my son turn into this very strong leader was truly an answer to prayer. Andy has never been a very aggressive kid, choosing to usually watch and listen and not blaze his own trail in most things. Don't get me wrong, he's no a follower but until this year he's never been a true leader. That all changed this year in baseball. He didn't demand respect from his team, he earned it by his play on the field and his attitude in the dugout. If someone needed encouragement, Andy was always there. If someone was screwing around and disrupting the team, Andy would call them on it. In doing so, he had become the leader of the team and the one that each of the players could trust and count on. What a blessing to see my son do so much without having the pressure put on him to do it. This came from his complete desire to be the best baseball player he could be.

We didn't finish the season in first place but I am so proud of many of the boys. I saw most of them raise their ability to play the game to a new level and more importantly, I watched many of them develop their sense of sportsmanship and trust in each other. They had fun, gave it their best and that is far more important than how many runs we scored.

It was often said by many people this year that Andy showed an unbelievable ability to control himself while pitching. He didn't have the velocity that a few of the other players in the league had but he could throw strikes almost every pitch. He wouldn't let one bad pitch affect the next. He wouldn't let a runner on base rattle him. He had quickly learned that as a pitcher, you didn't have the luxury of overthinking or beating yourself up for a mistake. He played with composure and a very even keel...not getting too up or too down. Sure, there were times when he would get into a jam out there but I knew he was relying on not only his ability to stay calm but his faith that God was with him always. He knew and understood that God was with him when he won and when he lost, too. One of the greatest things about the whole season was my ability to go out on the field while Andy was playing. Prior to each game the two of us would take a knee right on the pitcher's mound and pray together. Andy had come to trust that God would be there with him during each and every game. He didn't pray to win or strike everyone out, he prayed that he'd be safe, have fun and do his very best. God truly did bless Andy this year in giving him the confidence he needed to play very well, keep him protected throughout the season and to have the time of his life.

I am so proud of the season Andy had and the lessons we both learned. I was blessed to spend so much time with my son doing something we both love and right before my eyes, he had developed into the strong leader I had always prayed he would be.

The last game of the season was the all-star game and Andy had another wonderful baseball experience. He started at 3rd base and made one of the best plays of the season and he was also the winning pitcher in the game. He has that game ball, too.

Great season #14.....you have something special and I hope and pray you never lose your passion for this game. It's bound to break your heart more times than not, but the journey is well worth it

Until next season...

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