I Love Little League Baseball

[RedsBaron]

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.

[RFS62]

Beautiful stuff, RedsBaron.

[Jpup]

I look forward to the day that I can "make" my kids play baseball. Seriously. Nice post. I enjoy reading them. Keep us updated.

[redsandrails]

Very nice post. Little league baseball can be just as interesting to watch as MLB sometimes. (especially when your MLB is below .500 :bang: )

Milton got shelled for 11 runs? That doesn't surprise me. :evil:

[Mario-Rijo]

That's what it's all about, isn't it! Sounds like you may have a very good player there Baron, just make sure he keeps having fun. :thumbup:

[OldRightHander]

Milton got shelled for 11 runs? That doesn't surprise me. :evil:

:laugh:

[cumberlandreds]

Milton got shelled for 11 runs? That doesn't surprise me. :evil:[/QUOTE]

I thought the same thing! :D
Congrats to you RedsBaron! That has to be a very happy and fulfilling time watching your son play baseball. :)

[Blimpie]

Man, I feel for you knowing that your son's Little League days are numbered. My boy is six and made the T-Ball All-Star team (first team) and will be doing the traveling tournaments all month long. After that, he begins "Rookie Ball" this Fall (Coach Pitch).

I am kinda dreading his leaving the T-Ball field because the pressure now begins to mount exponentially from the parents and coaches from this level forward. Hang in there RedsBaron!

[RedsBaron]

Man, I feel for you knowing that your son's Little League days are numbered. My boy is six and made the T-Ball All-Star team (first team) and will be doing the traveling tournaments all month long. After that, he begins "Rookie Ball" this Fall (Coach Pitch).

I am kinda dreading his leaving the T-Ball field because the pressure now begins to mount exponentially from the parents and coaches from this level forward. Hang in there RedsBaron!
Thanks Blimpie. I have an eight year old son too (and a 14 year old). I'll probably be going to the Little League fields for another 5 years ( I hope so).
Meanwhile, my 12 year old has another game at 5:30 p.m. today!
And by the way, my 12 year old's coaches, and the parents of the other kids, have been absolutely great, pulling for (and helping) each other's kids. It has been a joy.

[lollipopcurve]

I know where you're coming from there, RB -- keep it rollin"!

[Blimpie]

Thanks Blimpie. I have an eight year old son too (and a 14 year old). I'll probably be going to the Little League fields for another 5 years ( I hope so).
Meanwhile, my 12 year old has another game at 5:30 p.m. today!
And by the way, my 12 year old's coaches, and the parents of the other kids, have been absolutely great, pulling for (and helping) each other's kids. It has been a joy.Our league (shout out to South Lexington Youth Baseball) also has great parents and coaches (both of which I represent), but I there are a few other local leagues that I won't name here that could use some self-policing.

I would rather be at these games than watch any game at GABP. I just hope that time slows down a little for me so that I can cherish the "younger years" while it truly is still a game. My son played five games last Saturday at a tournament and--even that--went by way too fast for me! ;)

[OldRightHander]

I am really jealous of you guys. I would love to have a son to watch play ball, but my wife and I have been married for almost four years and we've not been able to conceive yet. (not from lack of trying) Right now the only way that will happen is with medical intervention and a lot of money. I hope I get to have those experiences someday as well. Congrats to you all.

:beerme:

[Sweetstop]

As I remember it, on the day of a game everything else is a distraction you're just trying to get through so the game can start. Am I close, RB? Even though my son is almost 29 now, I can still bring back the excitement of his Little League All Star days. I remember one Friday picking him up at Kyle Macy Basketball Camp, where he had won the week's Best Shooting Score trophy, and then heading to an all-star game with a South Lexington team (same org. as Blimpie mentioned, older boys though). Fun times.

It's a feeling like no other...part of 'the best years of our lives'....Savor, RB.

[RedsBaron]

I am really jealous of you guys. I would love to have a son to watch play ball, but my wife and I have been married for almost four years and we've not been able to conceive yet. (not from lack of trying) Right now the only way that will happen is with medical intervention and a lot of money. I hope I get to have those experiences someday as well. Congrats to you all.

:beerme:
My wife and I went through that as well. Eventually, we decided that if we ever had the opportunity to adopt, we would. Two days later her doctor called, advising that one of his patients, an unwed mother, had decided to put her unborn child up for adoption. Ten days later, we were parents, with a beautiful three day old boy, who is now 14 and bigger than me.
We later had a second son the biological way, the 12 year old mentioned in this thread. Then, just when we thought we were finished with the baby routine, we had a second biological son, our 8 year old.
I love 'em all. I sincerely hope you get to have these experiences.

[gitrdunn44]

Good ol Little League. To tell you guys the truth, I am actually 12 years old and just finished my season. I had 472. average which was decent for our league. I also pitched a complete game shutout.

[RedsBaron]

As I remember it, on the day of a game everything else is a distraction you're just trying to get through so the game can start. Am I close, RB? Even though my son is almost 29 now, I can still bring back the excitement of his Little League All Star days. I remember one Friday picking him up at Kyle Macy Basketball Camp, where he had won the week's Best Shooting Score trophy, and then heading to an all-star game with a South Lexington team (same org. as Blimpie mentioned, older boys though). Fun times.

It's a feeling like no other...part of 'the best years of our lives'....Savor, RB.
You're right Sweetstop, and I do.

[RedsBaron]

Good ol Little League. To tell you guys the truth, I am actually 12 years old and just finished my season. I had 472. average which was decent for our league. I also pitched a complete game shutout.
Congrats. :thumbup: Hey, if you pitched a shutout, send your name in to the Reds. They need help.

[gitrdunn44]

Haha thanks man. I'm sure my 55 mph cheese would really fool some hitters. :D

[RedsBaron]

Huntington, WV (AP--Admiring Papa ;) )-Lavalette hung on to win a cliffhanger this evening, beating Ona 5-4.
We jumped out to a 2-0 in the first inning on a two run triple by our centerfielder. Our firstbaseman added a home run in the third, and we tacked on two more scores in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead.
Almost everything came unglued in the bottom of the fifth, as several Lavalette errors and a couple of Ona hits produced 4 runs to bring Ona within a run.
In the bottom of the sixth, the final inning, we still lead 5-4. Ona's leadoff hitter got an infield single. With two outs, an Ona hitter smashed a double to deep rightfield, but our rightfielder made a good throw to hold the lead runner at third. With the tying run at third and the winning run at second, and with me and several other dads too tense to breathe, our pitcher induced one of Ona's best hitters to pop it up back to the pitcher. WE WIN!
My own son didn't do much. He scored a run as a pinch runner early, but otherwise went 0 for 2. None of that bothers me in the least. :)
Did I mention I'm enjoying my son's Little League season a lot more than I am the Reds this year? :)

[RedsBaron]

Haha thanks man. I'm sure my 55 mph cheese would really fool some hitters. :D
You're already approaching Danny Graves-like speed. ;)

[gitrdunn44]

Your son and me= the nasty boys. I guess we need 1 more person though.

[gitrdunn44]

Would you like to be the veteran 2 round us out :evil:

[RedsBaron]

Would you like to be the veteran 2 round us out :evil:
I definitely qualify as a veteran. :help:

[RedsBaron]

Today we lost. We started off great, grabbing a 5-0 lead early over League 3 (an all star team from Huntington). However, in the fourth, League 3 scored 4 times, with a three run HR in the mix. The next inning, they scored two more in an inning that feautred some errors by Lavalette, both physical and mental (our pitcher forgot to cover home during a rundown). We lsot 6-5.
Not a great day for my son either: 0-1 at the plate, a groundout, and the scorer (that would be me) marked him down for two errors, an overthrow and a dropped flyball (would've been a nice catch, but he should've had it).
The kids seemed tired after four games in four days. They get tomorrow off and will play again Monday.
I still love Little League. You can't win 'em all, as the Reds seem determined to prove this season.

[gitrdunn44]

Too bad. Don't let him get his head down about the errors, even Adam Dunn makes them ;) . You guys will go get them Monday!

[Sweetstop]

Mmmm...sorry. :( They'll get 'um Monday. :thumbup:

[achilles]

I love it too. Some of my best memories.

[RedsBaron]

We lost again tonight, as lavalette went down to East Huntington 10-3. We actually hit the ball better than East Huntington did, but they were the best fielding team we've faced, turning two doubleplays even though we didn't have Sean Casey in our lineup; meanwhile we made a bunch of errors.
We are supposed to play again Wednesday evening, but if the rain we are supposed to receive from the remnants of Hurricane Dennis actually hits us, they may change our tournament into a single rather than double elimination tourney--if so, we are done.

[RedsBaron]

We're done. We lost in extra innings tonight to Ceredo-Kenova, 15-14. We lead 2-0, 4-1, and 8-3, before C-K tied the game 8-8 in the bottom of the fifth. Each team scored in the sixth, forcing extra innings. With two outs, we scored 5 times in the top of the seventh to lead 14-9, only to give up 6 runs in the bottom of the 7th.
We had 18 hits, but we also committed 10 errors.
My son scored two runs, but was 0 for 1 officially at the plate. He had one putout while playing leftfield.
The umpires blew several calls, and displaying rabbit ears, threw one fan out of the game for daring to question a call.
After the game, my son told me he was glad he had played all stars.
I still love the game. Our fall baseball league starts in September.

[Sweetstop]

If your son is glad he played on the team (and loves baseball as you do), then all is well.

[RedsBaron]

Well, I love football as well. Other than a stray post or two, I didn't have much to say here regarding my then 13 and 9 year old sons' baseball seasons this past spring and summer. They both did fine though. My now 14 year old got to play legion ball for the same guy who was my high school baseball coach, which was neat.
My now 14 year old son played organized football for the first time in his life this fall for his Wayne Middle School team. He did well playing defensive back and wide receiver. Anyway, tonight Wayne played Ceredo-Kenova for the county championship. In two overtimes, the Wayne Pioneers prevailed, 20-14.
It was funny in a way. My own son didn't get to play that much tonight, and logically I realize that there is no basis to say that the 13 and 14 year old kids are the Wayne team were any more deserving to win the game than the 13 and 14 year old kids on the C-K team. No matter---even though I graduated from Wayne High School 33 years ago, C-K was our biggest rival then, and beating them now was still sweet.
When Wayne scored the winning TD in overtime, and I knew my son had played on a championship team, I turned my face away from my wife, embarassed by the tears in my eyes. Illogical or not, I'm thrilled for my son--they won!

[RollyInRaleigh]

C-K was a juggernaut when you were in school, RedsBaron. Congratulations on defeating the "Wonders," and a championship season!

[RollyInRaleigh]

My son, Matt, finished up his regular season of fall baseball last night. We had a real good season, finishing 11-3. We still have a double elimination tournament to play. Matt pitched 2 innings last night with 5 K's.

He finished his first season of "kid pitch" with a .541 batting average, a .650 OBP and 17 RBI. He pitched 13 2/3 inning with 25 strikeouts and threw 61% strikes. I was real happy with his first season playing against older boys (10-11 year olds) with "live" pitching.

[cumberlandreds]

My son, Matt, finished up his regular season of fall baseball last night. We had a real good season, finishing 11-3. We still have a double elimination tournament to play. Matt pitched 2 innings last night with 5 K's.

He finished his first season of "kid pitch" with a .541 batting average, a .650 OBP and 17 RBI. He pitched 13 2/3 inning with 25 strikeouts and threw 61% strikes. I was real happy with his first season playing against older boys (10-11 year olds) with "live" pitching.

Congrats! I think your son should be in the Reds rotation next season. He sounds like he's much than what we have at the present. :)

[RedsBaron]

My son, Matt, finished up his regular season of fall baseball last night. We had a real good season, finishing 11-3. We still have a double elimination tournament to play. Matt pitched 2 innings last night with 5 K's.

He finished his first season of "kid pitch" with a .541 batting average, a .650 OBP and 17 RBI. He pitched 13 2/3 inning with 25 strikeouts and threw 61% strikes. I was real happy with his first season playing against older boys (10-11 year olds) with "live" pitching.

Fantastic!
Please tell Matt that my offer to be his agent is still open.

[RFS62]

That's awesome, Matt.

Still waiting on the autograph.