2005 has been another disappointing season of Reds baseball. It has been very difficult to have many positive posts about the Reds this season. But I still love the game, and I absolutely love Little League.
My 12 year old son is in his final Little League season. After a good regular season, which included his first home run, a grand slam no less, he's playing all star baseball. All star baseball is the first time I've ever pushed him to play any sport, but he's now glad I did.
His team (Lavalette, WV) began tournament play last night. We really don't expect his team to go all that far. They have some good hitters, but not much pitching (sounds like the Reds, doesn't it?). Last night they played Hite-Saunders, whose all star squad years ago clobbered my final Little League all star team. Last night, my son's team defeated Hite-Saunders in four innings, 25-3. My son was 2 for 2, with a double, an RBI, and 4 runs scored.
This evening my son's team played a tough Milton team. Milton's pitcher early on was virtually unhittable and Milton grabbed an early 2-0 lead. My son went in as a pinch ruuner in the second and, after a stolen base and a wild pitch, scored Lavalette's first run. Similar "small ball" eventually tied the score a couple of inning later.
Going into the top of the sixth and final inning it was still tied, 2-2. With the bases loaded my son walked to force in the go-ahead run. He later scored. That was good, but better was his second at bat of the inning. Milton had brought in a lanky kid who quickly blew two fastballs by my son. I frankly expected him to fan, but he hung in there and hit a hard grounder to short. One bad throw later we had two more runs and a crazy dad (that would be me) cheering him on.
In the bottom of the sixth, a Milton hitter lined a basehit to centerfield. The centerfielder (that would be my son) narrowly missed throwing out the batter before he reached first. No matter-the next hitter struck out and Lavalette won, 11-2.
Man, this is more fun for me than watching the Reds or going over the latest crazy lineup card used in Cincinnati.