The Thundersharks

Through happenstance and good fortune - something we haven't had a lot of during the pandemic - Joe found himself playing baseball this spring and summer for the Diamondbacks and, this fall, for the Thundersharks.  Same team, different name.  Most importantly, same coach - Oliver Davis.

Last spring, I reluctantly decided not to coach the Junior Dodgers because of the pandemic.  Three or four families were not going to allow their boys to play and I was on the fence, too.  I just didn't think I could keep the boys safe based on what we knew, thought, and believed at the time.  

I ran into Oliver in what can only be described as a chance meeting one evening last spring at Green Hills Park, behind J.T. Moore MS, after an early season Dodgers' practice.  He asked if Joe could play with his group - the Diamondbacks - in the WNSL Rookie (machine pitch) League.  They already had played a game but he knew they would be short on players in the coming weeks due to family vacations and other conflicts.

I asked Joe if he wanted to play with the Diamondbacks and, without hesitation, his eyes lit up, he smiled, and yelled "YES!"

It's difficult for me to put into words how much it's meant to Joe, and me, to be a part of the Diamondbacks/Thundersharks, last spring and this fall.

Joe is one of the older boys, at 8 +, and he's taken on a real leadership role on the team.  He encourages other boys, helps position them, and helps them keep up with the number of outs, the score, etc.  He works hard at being a good teammate and friend.  

Joe and Oliver's son, Preston, have really hit it off.  Several times, we've stayed late after practice so Joe and Preston could get some extra work in.  Joe's become friends with Henry, Matthew, William, and others, too.

For me, being able to contribute on the field in a hands on way has been rewarding.  I had completely forgotten what a great age this is for boys playing baseball - 7 and 8 - and how much I love coaching boys that age.  

Fall baseball in the Rookie (machine pitch) League at WNSL might be my favorite.  Why?  The boys have adapted to the pitching machine and almost all of them can hit it regularly.  It's not as competitive.  There are still coaches on the field - and running the pitching machine - so there's more teaching and a focus on development.  Also and perhaps most importantly, there's still an innocence about the boys at this age.  Winning is not everything.  For them, what happens after practice is as much fun as what happens during practice.  

This group of boys and families is really, really special.  As I've said, it reminds me so much of my Dodgers' group when those boys were 7 and 8.  Having been through it before and knowing what is to come, hopefully - many more practices and games on many more fields - there's an optimism for me about this group.  I hope it stays together and I hope Joe is a part of it.

So many dads are on the field, just like in the glory days of the Dodgers.  Practices and games are run so well, in large part because Oliver is so organized and because so many dads are willing to help.  

In a relatively short period of time, I've grown to love these boys - Cannon and Andrew (twins), Jack, Patrick, John, Henry and Henry (not twins), Pike (Joe's longtime buddy), Preston, Matthew (maybe the best 7 year old baseball player I've seen - a 5 tool player), Parkes, William, Luke ("the Punisher"), Roman (my guy, a first time player with little athletic ability), Westin and, of course, Joe. 

Joe has fit in seamlessly with this group and to see him so excited to play baseball every weekend or to go to practice on Tuesday evenings, so joyful, is a beautiful thing.  Last Sunday afternoon, after playing two games Saturday and two games Sunday, we arrived home and Joe asked JP if he wanted to go out in the backyard and throw the baseball.  And they did, much to my delight.

Joe needed the Diamondbacks/Thundersharks and you know what?  I did, too.  More than I possibly could have imagined.