Some Things You Can’t Prepare For

Last Sunday we had a game. Just like any other weekend during the season. We had our ups and downs, but never expected what happened in the bottom of the 6th inning. We got the first out of the inning on a fly ball to Kevin in right field. He then threw the ball to our second baseman Rett, who in turn threw it back to our pitcher, Wesley. I was in the dugout and noticed that the ball had gone past Wesley. I didn’t think much of it but then Tanner yelled, “He’s having a seizure!” I then looked toward the mound to notice that Wesley had collapsed and was on the ground shaking. We all ran out towards him feeling helpless. It is one of the scariest sights that I have ever witnessed. It seemed like he was shaking for about 5 minutes, even though it was probably only for a few seconds. A couple of people called 911 and Wesley’s parents ran onto the field. I’m glad they were there even though it is something that no parent would ever want to go through. The fire department and ambulance finally showed up and checked Wesley out. He was really out of it and kept wanting to get up and pitch again. That shows the fighting spirit of Wesley. He’s a great kid who just loves playing baseball and we are lucky to have him on our team. We’ve been through a lot as a team over the years, but nothing compares to this. We found out later that he was doing all right and is supposed to rest for at least a month. It will be nice to have him present at our next game, although I know he would rather be out there playing. We have a couple of things planned for him, to let him know how much we care.

Being Brought Back Down to Earth

This will be a post to say that one day you are on top and the next you are humbled, especially in the game of baseball. Defense was our downfall this weekend, but despite that, we had a chance to win. All I ask of my guys is to play the best they can and things will take care of themselves. I know that no one tries to make mistakes but it happens to all of us. I think that all of my guys would agree that we can do better and we also know that it’s a long season and we will have our ups and downs before the regular season is over. As long as we get on a roll towards the end of the season, I’m sure that all the guys will be confident in their abilities and we can go deep in the playoffs. Time will tell, but right now we are licking our wounds in preparation for next weekend’s game.

Late Inning Moves = 2nd Win of the Day

I wish I could say that I knew all along that it would work out the way that it did. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. I was running through a couple of scenarios in my head, and that started with making a pitching change. Wesley had pitched a fantastic game and I wanted him to finish it, but his pitch count was approaching 100. If we were later in the season or in the playoffs, I might have let him continue. I would have felt really bad if I let him continue and hurt himself, knowing that it was the second game of the season. That pitching change allowed me to make a few other defense changes and set the wheels in motion for the 7th inning. Kevin came in and did a good job, but gave up a couple of weak hits and the other team scored 2 runs. I told the team at the beginning of the day that all I asked for is that they play hard and do the best they can. There are several new players on the team and I was a bit concerned about team chemistry. What happened in the bottom of the 7th inning told me all that I needed to know about the 2011 version of the Hooks.

Kevin started the inning with a line drive single to centerfield. Geoff then drew a walk on 5 pitches. This was exactly what we needed to do to start a rally in our last at bat. Jake then hit a single to drive in Kevin. This gave me the opportunity to pinch run for Jake, in order to bring in a faster guy I had on the bench. That player was Rett, who played shortstop all day. Due up next was Steven. A couple of players mentioned that I should tell him to bunt the 2 runners over to 3rd and 2nd. At this point with no outs, it was probably a good idea, but I decided to let him swing away. He hit a ground ball to the shortstop, who could have turned a double play, but he bobbled it and was only able to get the runner out at 2nd base. That was not the ideal situation, but at least we still had the tying run at 3rd. Due up next was John, who is one of my new players this season. John hit a hard line drive to right field and Geoff scored easily. What happened next was very fortunate for us, even though without it I think we would have pulled the win anyway the way we were hitting. The right fielder misplayed the ball and that allowed Steven to come all the way around from first base to score the winning run. Guys were very excited that we were able to pull out the victory and we all congragulated each other. After we told the other team that it was a good game, I told my guys that it was a great TEAM win and that EVERYONE contributed to the wins. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season and I’m very proud of all the guys on the team. It’s going to be a long season but it started out picture perfect.

It’s Almost the Beginning of the Season

Friday night and the countdown clock on the team website is at 1 day, 12+ hours. I have a good idea of who will be there, but now I have to think about strategy and making sure everyone gets enough playing time. It’s early in the season, so I don’t want my pitchers to throw too many pitches. We have a double-header so this will give me a good look at a few guys on the hill. I’ll have 2 different lineups for the games and move the guys around the field for defense. The only thing that can ruin my plan is rain. There is a chance of it, but hopefully it will hold off so that we can play. My guys are so ready to get out there and play again. November, the last time we played, seems like forever ago. Well, I’ll keep thinking about what I’m going to do during the game and get some good rest so I’ll be ready to play this weekend.