PadresFan104 -> Off-Topic, but baseball related (6/2/2006 8:17:52 AM)
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Guys - Just wanted to share this. When I'm not working on ballpark files or my website for PureSim, I'm the coach of my youngest sons' Mustang division (9-10 year olds) PONY League baseball team (Giants). We finished the regular season last week, and I think we won 5 games out of 18. Well, the playoffs started this afternoon, with all 18 teams in a double elimination bracket format. The pairings were a random draw, but we happened to draw one of the toughest teams in the League, the Phillies. They have 5 kids going on to the All-Star's (3 All-Star teams for the Mustang division), and we have only 1. Our kids played great, and we even had two seperate "Bad News Bears" moments where our right fielder stuck his glove up found the ball on a pop fly, and another where the right fielder caught a fly ball from his knees. Just great stuff! Even so, we were still down 9 to 4 going into the bottom of the sixth. The most runs we had managed to score in any inning was 1, so it wasn't looking too good, but we did have the top of the order coming up. Our leadoff hitter started things off with a double, and our number two hitter followed up with a single. Our number 3 hitter also knocked a single into the outfield, scoring a run and making it a 9 to 5 game. Still no outs, and up comes our number 4 guy... Our number 4 guy, Ben, is our All-Star. Greatest kid you've ever met, with MAD baseball skills. Ben grounded out his first time up (not patient enough), and the Phillies pitched around Ben in the fourth inning, which bugged the heck out of me, but was probably the smart move for them at the time. Before his at-bat in the sixth, I told him to be patient. He watched two pitches go by and then BELTED the third pitch he saw long and deep and well over the left field fence for one hell of a clutch playoff home run. No outs, and we were only down 9 to 8. A walk and a two singles later, we had tied the game and we had runners on first and third with no outs. The Phillies finally bring in a new pitcher, and decide to walk the next batter to load the bases and bring up my son Danny. I told him I wanted him looking for a hit, but also to have a good eye. He worked the count to 3-0, and then fouled off a pitch about a foot above his head. Both myself and my other coach, along with most of the parents shreiked "NO!" when he did that, but I like the fact he was trying to win the game with a hit. Nevertheless, I reminded him that he needed to have a good eye and only swing if it was a good pitch. The next pitch was outside, and that was all she wrote! The comeback was complete!!! It was great, moreso becuase the coach of the other team is a bit of a blowhard, often yelling at his players in a not so nice way, while my co-coach and I are more laid back and encouraging. A few parents came up to us after the game saying it felt good to beat his team after the way he has acted all year. Anyway, the playoffs are far from over, and we may not make it all the way, but I've been coaching little league ball off and on now for about 8 years, and this is my first first-round playoff victory and I wanted to share the story. Little League playoffs for my youngest, birthdays for my middle sons, and Prom, 18th birthday and High School Graduation for my daughter. Toss in a little PureSim to relax, and this is a great, if not hectic, June!!! Al
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