THe O's contingent did well last night!

The lone Pirate didn't get in the game, so we can't blaem the NL's defeat on the Pirates!

Furthermore.....3 more months to go!!!

Raffy made it! THey don't even mention his 8 Golden Gloves! He is a good guy and I was sad when he left Baltimore in the Albert Bell fiasco and glad when the Orioles got him back! The O's still need a pitcher, that Houston team in the National league looks overloaded with good pitching. They loose an awful lot of games for such quality pitching. I wouldn't mind seeing anyone of those three who made the all star team switch leagues and head to Baltimore!

<center><B>WARNING!
*Sentimental Dad-Type Post Follows*</B></center>
If you're still reading this, I hope you'll indulge me on the occasion of my 14-year-old Chris's final organized baseball game. His Pony League season has just completed, & he's 99% sure he's not moving on to Colt League. It's kinda sad for me---no, not coz I'm pushing my boys to be Major Leaguers, but coz it serves as another tangible marker of the passage of time. I still have one in Little League, but it's still gonna seem different.

What was great about Chris playing as a little kid was how delightfully oblivious he was to his accomplishments on the field. It seems like yesterday when he began as a 7-year-old, playing the OF. Once he told me that he'd rather play the infield, & I told him that he had to do his best in the OF & when the need arose, his coach would put the best outfielder in the infield. Sure nuff, midway thru the season they needed to move a 7-year-old in to play 3B for the last 2 innings of a game, & they picked Chris. His coach gave him a quick crash course on fielding a grounder. The 1st batter hit a one-hop smash toward 3B, & Chris fielded it just as he was taught--in front of the ball, glove down---& fired a one-hop chest-high strike to the firstbasegirl to record the out. His coaches ran halfway onto the field, pumping their fists, yelling "Awright, Chris!!" Then they stopped, looked around, & realized they had made spectacles of themselves & scampered back to the bench, almost Marx Brothers-like. On the way home, Chris asked why his coaches did that. "All I did was field a grounder & throw the guy out," he said. "Isn't that what a thirdbaseman is supposed to you?" "Yes," I said. "That's what a thirdbaseman is supposed to do."

When he was 8, one day he batted with the bases loaded & 2 outs in the 5th inning, with his team losing 4-2. The count ran to 3-2, as it does in all dramatic tales, when Chris smacked the next pitch over the RF's head for a triple to put his team ahead, 5-4. The next batter, Lucas, singled to score Chris & the team won 6-4. That night, I was talking to my dad on the phone when Chris walked thru the room & I stopped him & told him, "Tell Papa about today." Chris looked at me, confused, till I said, "Your game!" He nodded & told my dad, "Hi, Papa. Today I was on 3B & my buddy Lucas got a single to score me! Bye!"

By the time he was 9, he was pitching & one day he played against the team of M.G., a 7-year-old who I had coached in tee ball. M.G. was born with various disabilities, loved baseball & wanted to give it a try, but the best he could ever do was strike out. Chris struck him out twice on this day as well. On the way home, Chris told me, "Don't tell my coach this, but I went easy on M.G. I was trying to throw it slower so he could hit the ball & have fun." I kept his secret until now. I was prouder of that than any game-winning triple.

Now suddenly it's 5 years later, it's last Tues. night, & the 7-year-old whose baseball shirt was too big for him is now a tall soon-to-be 15-year-old whose team is playing in the semi-final game of the city's Pony League play-off series, with the winner to play in the championship game at PNC Park (where the Pirates play). The team fell behind quickly, 3-0, when Chris batted in the 3rd inning. He hit a tricky hopping ball to the secondbaseman, who had to retreat a little bit to catch it. Chris beat out his throw & his teammates yelled, "Awright, Chris! Way to get us started!" He moved to 2B on an errant pick-off throw by the pitcher. If this was a Hollywood script, this would have a happy ending, but Chris was stranded at 2B & by the time his team could rally, it was too little, too late, & they lost 4-3. Chris felt badly about making one of the final outs in the last inning.

In the car he looked out the window in silence as we headed to Rita's Italian Ice to meet the team. I thought about how fast 8 years can go. I thought about how I never interfered with his coaches or acted like his games were World War III, how I simply watched from behind the OF fence in silence, leaning forward with my elbows against the fence, how I hoped that had been the right approach. Suddenly he said, "I'll always love baseball."

Great story!!!

I coached my son's team. Every year I started our first practice telling the kids how little a chance of any of them - or anyone in their high school class - had of becoming a major leaguer. We were going to learn some basics and have a lot of fun and, when they get to be my age, maybe they'll be able to watch, understand, appreciate and love the game like I do.

I think it worked out. I know that my son now takes his son who'll be five in September up to see the Phillies - just the two of them.

Thanks, Steve! It woulda been fine with me if nobody even read that last post...Just the act of posting it was therapy!

Glad to find people that think like me on this. Sometimes I think the nuts outnumber the rest of us. I remember a few years back reading an article in Time about the thousands of dollars some parents spend sending their kids to baseball, basketball, soccer, etc. camps, in the hopes that the kids will win athletic scholarships to colleges & universities. Now I may not be a mathematical genius, but if they have that kinda dough to spend on camps, just put it in some mutual funds & that should take care of education. But nobody asks me these things...

ok, ya'll my 'puter is actin up, so
NEEVVVEER MIND!!

<center><FONT COLOR="#000080">--- Edited 1 times, lastly by aka ruthie on Aug 01, 2005 ---</FONT></center>

Joe, Oh YES what a wonderfully heartwarming story, of one VERY proud DADDY!!

Now, & for all time the two of you will enjoy this sport you turned him onto, but didnt shove down his throat! And remembering this & lots more like stories you were kind enough to share with us!

BTW, give Chris a hug from me, for 'goin' easy on M.G.'

AWRIGHT CHRIS!!!!!!!

Thanks for the kind words, Ruthie. Last Sun., we dedcided to go to PNC Park & watch the championship game, just to see what it woulda been like, but also coz we do enjoy the game. The families of each team sat behind the respective dugouts & cheered, while we sat behind home, in the middle of it all, taking it in. We had a great time. Woulda nice if it were our team, but it wasn't to be.....

Tomorrow afternoon (OZ EST time)I will be on a train halfway up the coast of Queensland and don't have a laptop so I'll have to post this now Joe.

2 2 go Joe (+ 1 Day)

deb, hope you have a wonderful journey! you will be missed by everyone!
HAVE WAAAAY LOTSA FUN!! BE SAFE!!!

Have a good trip! <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15>

Heeeyy Joe, only 2 more months!! I kinda figger you already knew that, but just in case.....

Joe, Where are you???? You haven't posted on Oct 13th. Hope everything is OK.

Thanks, Weezie, nice to be missed. I was on vacation in Erie for a long weekend so we could tour some colleges (yikes) with my daughter, & before that I've been too busy at some other boards where I hang out. I'm on the computer less than an hour a day, participate in waaaaay too many message boards, & just couldn't get to this one much lately. Good time to pop in & say hi to everybody. I'll get caught up around here sooner or later, but now it's on to some on-line banking.