Baseball Summer of 2016

Just hanging out on third waiting for a hit home.  

Will's baseball season wrapped up last weekend and I regret not writing about it as the season went along.  This was his first year playing in AAA and he had a few new changes to learn compared to last year's AA season.  The biggest change was no more pitching machine.  This was the first year of kid's pitching.  So lots of walks, strikeouts as the season progressed and a bunch of hit by pitches.  It was definitely exciting.  Players in AAA can also steal one base per play, except no stealing home.  Will was good at listening to his base coach and scampering to the next base on a wild pitch or even just a strike.  He got a little speedy over the winter and it was fun to see him zipping along the base path.  

More hanging out.  It was easiest for me to get pictures of him on third plus I was also pretty invested in the games (irrationally so?) and too nervous/loudly cheering/being irritated with the other team's parents to take many pictures.  Yes, I know it's a game.   

Will played on the Indians again this year and he had a great coaching staff, including his dad who managed the dugout.  Will played just about every position except first base and pitching.  He was pretty excited to play catcher and he improved a lot as the season went one.  I can't say I was crazy seeing him behind the plate but luckily catchers have tons of padding and once he even caught the ball before it could whack the umpire in the face so there's that....  

Will's hitting improved as the season went on, too.  He had a pretty good eye for judging pitches and he'd get on base with a walk quite a bit.  He got hit by the pitch a few times.  In one particularly close game, he was up to bat and the pitch came right at him but he ducked.  I found myself stifling back a yell along the lines of "just get hit by the pitch!  It'll be okay!"  Yes, in hindsight I felt weird about instructing my beautiful 9-yr old to go ahead and get hit by a ball coming in pretty fast but in relaying that story to a co-worker who's son plays high school baseball, she told me that those coaches tell the kids to "wear it" meaning 'get hit by the pitch.'  I told Will that if he heard mom say "wear it" he'd know what to do.  Yes, I also feel weird typing that here but baseball is a complicated game and sometimes you just have to get on base.  Or something like that.

"Wear it" Will!  But only if it's not coming at your face or brain.  

The baseball season ended last Saturday when the Indians lost in the semi-final round of the tournament.  They finished with a record right around .500 but they had some great games and it was a nice group of kids.  Football season is right around the corner but Will is still in the front yard with his mitt, throwing a tennis ball up against the house.  We sure do like our baseball.  And our baseball player.

Baseball sister who wants to try her hand at softball next summer.  Stay tuned!