End of Baseball

Well, only for one of my boys. Today was the end of the beginning of my middle's baseball career. He had a great game today batting well all three innings and getting on base all three times.

Our hitting coach finally got him hitting the ball down the third base line so he could get his little legs moving fast enough to make it to first. He's left-handed, so the whole process of the coach pointing toward third base without the defense understanding how to make the adjustments, and him scooting his feet around home plate to get the ball to go in that direction almost always brings me to a belly laugh. After giving the ball a ride, he predictably drops his bat, turns to run to first, gets to first, and points to second as if to say, "that base over there is mine too". This is all done with the biggest smile his face can produce.

Sometimes he will hold his bat under his arm while making the necessary adjustments on his batting gloves. The funny part about that is that he doesn't wear batting gloves. He has learned that from watching baseball on TV. He'll even twirl his bat around and point to the outfield fence like he was the Bambino.

I will always miss this first year of his, hopefully, long and exciting baseball career. It would be sweet to see him really take an interest in the sport. He seems to like soccer a lot as well, so maybe well try that again. He hasn't played on a soccer team for a while now, so I think he may be ready again.

So, farewell baseball, till we will meet again next February.