Little League Death March
Emmett's Little League team was scheduled to play four games this last Memorial Day weekend, and Emmett managed to play five.
Friday, La Loma Park, 5:30 game vs. Yankees
La Loma is the backup ball park for Albany Little League. It's tucked up in the Berkeley Hills and frankly it's one of the most beautifully situated baseball fields I've ever seen. It has a sheer rock cliff rising up eighty feet behind home plate, and is surrounded by steep, hilly park woodland. Beyond the outfield fence the hill drops off again dramatically, so you can see Berkeley and Oakland beyond through a stand of trees. Much wildlife there and flowering plants. Emmett spotted a quail in the bush. La Loma is also where Emmett pitched the first time ever, throwing two shutout innings as part of the Angel's first win of the season.
So this is our second time at La Loma this year. Nathan pitched and he was a little shaky. He's regressed a little as a pitcher. He doesn't trust his arm (which is strong) and is worried about hitting batters. Emmett had a good game, especially at the plate. He blasted one over the centerfielder's head and ripped two other shots through the infield. Really hard hit. Emmett got doubled-off third base on a line drive and (according to our third base coach, Rob) it was a bad call. Emmett was crying a little afterwards with frustration, but he came back and took it out on the ball.
By far the most gratifying aspect of coaching this year, has been watching our players learn how to handle their hurts and their frustrations and fears. Even more than them developing their skills and confidence. Every single one of our players has been plunked pretty hard at the plate. Not one of them has come out. I usually walk them down the first baseline into right field and talk to them and get them to calm down, and by the time we get back to first base they're ready to steal. The umps in our league are all teenaged baseball players earning a little summer money, so the umpiring can be maddeningly inconsistent. We've had called strikes on pitches that bounce in front of the plate, or soar over the batter's head. It can be very frustrating for young kids who are just learning the strike zone and learning to hit the frequently wild kid pitching they face. You can tell they just feel like it's SO UNFAIR when they get called out on a pitch way out of the zone. Or worse, they get one of those calls and then start swinging at everything high low and outside. And it is unfair, but that's a part of baseball. Learning how to deal with the unfairness and bad calls and the tough breaks but also learning that you'll get your share of lucky breaks too and it tends to even out.
We wound up losing 7-2, but the mood was good afterwards, and Emmett and I lingered on the field in the twilight, just playing a little extra catch on that beautiful field while we could.
Saturday, North Field, 3:00 game vs. Orioles
This was the big game of the weekend. We face the Orioles next weekend in the first round of our Double-A post-season tournament, and it's the only bracket that's close to competitive. Tim and I emailed back and forth all week about how to rig the lineup for maximum effect. We wanted to win this game and make a statement. Then Nathan showed up with his index finger wrapped in a bandage - he'd sliced it open that morning and was unavailable. Great.
There are three main fields in Albany Little League. There's the Single-A field right behind Emmett's school. Then there's North and South Field in University Village nearby. North Field has a dirt infield and narrow dugouts. It's where we play most of our games. For today's game the wind is strong and swirling the infield dust around in dramatic gusts. It's a Dust Bowl game.
Noah started and pitched two strong innings. In the first they had a runner make it all the way around to third base, just beating a throw from Emma at catcher to Eli at third. Eli had the ball, but the tag was too high and the runner slid under it. Noah stranded him. In the second, they again got a baserunner who stole second. The baserunner tried to steal third, but Emma threw it down to Emmett and he laid a perfect tag in the dirt to get the out. We got nothing off their first pitcher, who went two, stranding baserunners at third each time. We've contracted a terrible case of silent bats with several of our hitters watching three called strikes go by. It's discouraging. Josh G. in particular is having a hard time staying in on the pitches. But Emma and Ellen are also frozen.
Emmett came out and pitched the third inning. He hadn't pitched in three games so he was a little rusty at first. He struck out one, then he went to four balls on the next batter and their coach pitched. It was a sharp, high-bouncing comebacker that Emmett fielded cleanly and threw the runner out at first. The next batter got on with a squibber. Emmett struck out the last batter and they trotted off the field. Score was still zero-zero in the top of the fourth when Eli battled his way on with a dribbler that he beat out to first. He stole second and third, and came home on Emmett's sharp hit into right field. We were up one nothing in the top of the fourth.
Emmett came out and pitched the fourth, 1-2-3. We got nothing in our at bat in the top of the fifth. For the first time all season, Tim had a pitcher go three innings. Emmett came out for the bottom of the fifth and was stronger than ever, striking out the side. Boom boom boom. I don't think they got a foul tip. The Orioles are used to winning; they have the best record in our league. Now they were pouting and crying in the dugout about every call, and berating their own teammtes on the field after an error. Aidan looked at me quizzically, "Their players are really kind of bad sports." "They're a little petulent today," I agreed.
Score was now 1-0 in the top of the sixth (and last) inning. They got two outs on us right away. We got one baserunner on, and over to third (Eli, I think) and John came up to bat. Now John actually has decent eye-hand coordination and can get the bat on the ball. But he's still very baseball newbie in many ways, and gets confused with the strike zone, and runs around to the wrong place at all times when he's playing the field.
So, let me set the scene: two outs, one run game, our last at bat in the top of the sixth, runner on third. John is at the plate. He hasn't had a hit in about four games. He's slender, blond, cheerful, emotionally labile and completely fey. John goes to two strikes looking pretty hopeless. Then he fouls one off. Then he fouls another off. And then he pokes a shot out into right field and we score a run. Then Aidan gets a knock. Then Emmett comes up and knocks them both in. Noah - who's been struggling at the plate - also gets an RBI. Suddenly it's 5-0, and we go to the bottom of the sixth. All started with John's two-out rally! Woot.
We had Eli come out to pitch the last inning. Eli's throwing harder now and finally pushing off his back foot. I think he's actually been more effective than Nathan has been over the last third of the season. But he's hittable compared to Noah and Emmett.
Our team starts wool-gathering. The Orioles smash a shot past a completely oblivous Josh GW at short, past a completely daydreaming Emma in left field. We've got two outs, but they score two runs and have another runner at third. The Orioles are making a lot of noise in the other dugout as they rally and we're looking shaky on defense all of a sudden. Eli gets behind in the count, and tosses a very slow pitch belt high to the batter just to get one over. The batter yanks a hard line drive down the third baseline. It's clearly going for extra bases when BAM it's in Albert's glove at third base. Third out, game over! Angels win.
It was definitely Emmett's best game of the year, as he contributed with pitching, hitting and fielding. But the thing that really lingered in your mind afterwards were the unlikely saving contributions from John and Albert.
Sunday, South Field, 12:30 game vs Padres
South Field is the nice field. It has a grass infield and cool, large shady dugouts and it's right next to the Snack Shack.
Padres are the most hapless team in our league. Wayne is their coach and he's a long time veteran of the league and really enjoys teaching the skills, so he'll take on a fair number of project players on his team every year. They've got more 8 year olds than any other team, and are smaller than any other team. On top of that, their three best players are absent, two of them are on the tournament team and playing in Sacramento. I'm managing because Tim is also in Sacramento watching his oldest son, Nick, compete in that same tournament.
It's the longest, dreariest win in human history. We're baking out there on the field. There are hardly any parents in attendance. None of their pitchers can throw a strike, so every one of our batters faces coach pitching and absolutely tees off. We score and score and score some more. Their catcher can barely throw it back to the pitcher, much less down to second. We stop stealing third base as a courtesy. The only thing memorable to me is that Emmett made two excellent plays at shortstop, throwing people out at first from deep in the hole. Josh GW pitched two innings, and was wild but effective. Nathan was back in the lineup and pitched two innings also, again looking a little shaky, but at least throwing mostly strikes. Emmett got nailed hard in the back while batting, right above his hip. He cried a little, but walked it off, came back and stole second and third and scored.
The Yankees showed up for their 3pm game and invited Emmett to help them out since they're shorthanded. Emmett's eager to play. JZ goes off to late lunch with two of her friends who came to watch, and suddenly I'm stranded at the field without a car and no desire to sit in the hot bleachers and watch another game. I walk to the nearest pub. It's hot. The pub is closed. I walk and walk and walk and finally get to another pub all the way in Berkeley. I have a beer finally and call JZ to collect me and take me back to the field. I'm sunburned and my knees are aching. We get back to the field. JZ is scheduled to work at the Snack Shack from 5:30 to 8:00pm. I wait for Emmett's game with the Yankees to finish. He ends the game running his best friend Preston down in a pickle. We go off to get some gelato and leave JZ to her snack shack duties. We come back at 7pm and she's waiting for us. There were no games at 5:30, so the fields were empty so they closed the shack. She was sitting on a bench reading her book just waiting for us to return. We've now spent 8 hours at the Little League fields and I am officially feeling burned out about baseball. I have no desire to play the Padres again on Monday.
Monday, South Field, 3pm game vs. Padres
Ugh. I don't want to be here. We arrive an hour early for warmups as always. I'm felling this is somewhat redundant at this point as all we've done all weekend is play freakin' baseball. Fortunately, I see that the Padres have reclaimed their better players. We have a wacky lineup for our last game, letting everybody play a position they haven't played all season that they've wanted to play. Albert is pitching the first. Both Tim and I are a little scared about this. Albert is big and solid, and he throws very, very hard. As hard as Noah and Emmett and Josh GW. But one out of every five of his pitches goes completely ape-shit wild. We envision a succession of bleeding and broken Padres.
Emmett is catching and he looks listless. Missing pitches that he normally catches. I think he's fried from his double header yesterday. But Albert is good! Albert is throwing at much less than his top speed but he's mostly throwing strikes. He strikes out the first batter. He gets one strike on the second batter, went to four balls, then the coach came out and struck out his own player (this happens often enough now that coach-pitch doesn't really even feel like an advantage). Then Albert gets the last out. 1-2-3! He's beaming. A beaming Albert is a fun thing to see. The game is close through two innings, and it's much more fun than Sunday's game. Emmett pitched the third inning. He's got no zip on his fastball, but his reputation seems to have preceded him, since the Padres are helping him out and swinging at just about everything. A fairly unimpressive 1-2-3. Emmett also has a lackluster day at the plate, hitting two ground outs and beating out an infield bloop. I think he's tired. Before Monday's game I think he was 14 for 14 (incuding his game subbing with the Yankees).
Ellen plays one inning at first base - a significant step for her after her ball fear. She misses the one ball thrown to her, but it bounces off her glove. Just a misplay - not her ducking the throw. Emma also plays an inning at first base. We break it open in the later innings and win 12-2, but it was still fun and relatively well played. Before the game, Tim had taken Josh G and Noah aside to work on their swings, to get them out of their respective slumps. Instant results: Josh has two hits in game for the first time in forever, one into right field on the fly. And Noah triples deep into the park and comes around to score on an overthrow. Eli also had a magnificent triple. Most of our "triples" are doubles with an overthrow, but this one is deep in the gap, and past their outfielder. As Eli approaches first I'm yelling, "Take two! Take two!" he makes a beautiful cut and I glance out to centerfield. They still haven't got the ball. "Take Three! Take Three!" I yell, and he turns on the jets, rounds second and slides into third just ahead of the throw. Man, triples are gorgeous.
And that's the end of our regular season. Next weekend it's a sudden elimination tournament and we play the Orioles on Saturday. If we can beat them again, we play again on Sunday. If we win that game, we play in the Double-A championship the following weekend.