The Dirtbags have been our measuring stick. Our one true rival.
Coached by Pat L., a former high school athletic director who has become a good friend of mine, the Dirtbags had the edge on us in the early years. We won occasionally but more often than not, they beat us.
Our boys knew most of the boys on their team and were close friends with a few of them. Same with the parents. All of which, of course, made for more intense baseball games. The boys on both teams - and the parents and coaches, too - seemed to want to win those games just a bit more than the other games.
The games were always intense. Pat L. and I are competitive, protective of our players, and, at times, emotional. On one occasion, years ago, when the boys were eight years old, we went nose to nose in an argument after a game at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ. I had called him out for something he did or said during the game and he didn't like that. He didn't back down and I didn't back down, which is pretty typical for each of us. We worked it out, of course, and probably became better friends afterwards.
I love Pat's son, Will, and another one of his stalwarts, J.D. Both of those boys have played basketball with our boys, J.D. for several years, in fact. Great, great kids and great competitors. Winners all the way around, really.
A couple of years ago, though, things shifted, and the Dodgers began to beat the Dirtbags more often than not. I'm not really sure why that happened but I can remember the game when it did. It was a close game, in the spring, at Warner Park on field 3. I had to leave early to coach the Junior Dodgers - Joe's team - on field 2. Midway through Joe's game, while I was pitching - it was coach pitch baseball - several of the Dodgers came running up to tell me they beat the Dirtbags. Damn, I was happy for them.
A couple of years earlier, when the boys were eight years old, we were leading the Dirtbags in the final game of our end of season tournament at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ on field 2. With the bases loaded in the last inning, one of the Dirtbags hit a ball back to our pitcher, probably J.P., who threw him out in a play at first base that wasn't even close. Coaching third base, Pat L. yelled "Safe!" after which the umpire, all of 17 years old, panicked, and called the baserunner safe. I, of course, was livid, and told the umpire as much.
We tied that game. I guarantee you that every one of my coaches remembers the end of that game as vividly as I do.
Another time, when the boys were 10 years old, on field 3 at Warner Park, J.P. hit a line drive rocket right back at J.D. when he was pitching for the Dirtbags. I think it was the hardest ball I've ever seen J.P. hit. It happened so fast. J.P. swung, the baseball jumped off his bat, hit J.D., and J.D. fell to the ground crying. It was terrifying. Fortunately, the baseball hit him in the arm and, to his credit, he finished out the inning.
Last season, in the Cal Ripkin all-star district tournament in White House, TN, the Dodgers beat the Dirtbags twice in the finals to come out of the losers' bracket and win the district title. The first game was close and several of the Dirtbags' players yelled at our pitcher from their dugout - especially Benton - which I thought was particularly bush league.
After our boys held on to win the first game, I tried to talk to Pat L. to see if we could agree for our teams' players to act a little more respectfully toward each other in the second game but he wasn't having any of it. "Let the boys be boys," he said. My thought, of course, was that particularly since our teams are from the same league and the boys are friends, the boys should cheer for their teammates and not against each other.
Game two wasn't even close, as the Dodgers drilled the Dirtbags to win he district title. It was a sweet victory, no doubt.
Last Monday, in the last game for the Dodgers before the Fourth of July holiday, the boys played the Dirtbags for the first time in this abbreviated season. Sadly, several of their longtime players are playing travel baseball, including Will and J.D., so it wasn't the same. The intensity wasn't there. Our boys were flat before the game started.
The Dodgers got out to an early lead, 5 - 0, I believe, with Porter on the mound as the starter. J.P. hit a ball hard to left centerfield for a single in the first inning. The Dirtbags nicked him for a couple of runs without hitting a ball out of they infield in the second inning.
I brought Benton in to pitch in relief in the third inning and he struggled with his control. He gave up a run in the third inning to make the score 5 - 3, then the wheels fell off in the fourth inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, I pulled Benton and after my pitching coach, Tony, and I talked it over, I brought in J.P. from centerfield to pitch.
Here's the thing about J.P. - on the baseball field, no moment is ever too big for him. I've never hesitated to bring him in to pitch in a tight game, because he's so even keeled on the mound. His control is almost always good. Win or lose - and he's done both - he's always believed in himself enough that I knew it wouldn't crush him if failed. And, in those kind of moments, he's certainly succeeded more than he's failed. Monday night was no exception.
On the first or second pitch, J.P. induced the batter to hit a routine ground ball to Turner at second base. Perhaps because he was distracted by the runner running in front of him, Turned booted the ball and as it rolled into right field, two runners scored, and the score was tied at 5. J.P. struck out the next batter, if memory serves, and the boys were out of the inning.
I was pissed, because the team we had on the field was much, much more talented than the Dirtbags' team. And yet, here we were, tied at 5 in the fourth inning. Frankly, at that point, I thought it might doe the boys well to lose the game, so I could emphasize how important it is to be ready to play every game no matter who the opponent is.
In the top of the fifth inning, our boys rallied. Turner got a huge two strike single to center field to drive in a couple of runs. He as 2 - 2 for the game which was huge, because he's been scuffling a bit. Elijah had a key hit, as well. Although we had two boys thrown out at home trying to steal on passed balls (Cooper and Nico) and a third thrown out at home trying to score from second base on Porter's single (Benton), we took an 8 - 5 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning, short on time.
J.P. struck out the first batter, then retired the next two batters in order to end the game. He calmly walked off the field after the last out, cool as a cucumber. "Just like Tom Glavine," Tony said.
I was proud of him. He led by example, which is just who he is. I'd like J.P. to be a bit more of a vocal leader and we talk about that a lot. I've got to let him be who he is, though. And who he is, I think, is one tough hombre on the baseball field. A silent assassin who burns with a competitive fire within that can, at times, be hard to see. It's there, though, and I love that about him.
Seeing the Dirtbags out on the field - good boys, everyone one of them, with good parents - I was nostalgic for baseball games gone by and baseball seasons gone by, fall and spring. My time with the Dodgers is running out, I think, as the boys begin to play middle school baseball.
This season has been a strange one because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It started so late and we've practiced so little. Now, we're going to cram nine games into three weeks to finish out the season.
Still, I'm so grateful to have this season with the Dodgers, even if we're near the end of the line. To be able to be around these boys and their parents is special. When we're on the field together, I can forget, just for a little while, about what's going on in the world. I can forget about losing my mom and Carley. I can - almost - forget about this terrible virus.
So, here's to the Dirtbags and here's to the Dodgers. A rivalry I won't ever forget.
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