One of These Things is Like the Other

This morning, Joe played a baseball game at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ at 8:30 a.m. on field 1.  It had been quite a while since I'd been to HHCC for a game.  Mostly, those fields are used for the younger boys - the Wookies (4 - 6, coach pitch) and the Rookies (7 - 8, matchine pitch).  

Some of my fondest memories are of games on fields 4 and 5 - the Wookie fields - w/JP and, later, Joe.  Dodgers and Junior Dodgers.  Those were the days, for sure.

Today is Steeplechase Day at Warner Park, so we ended up with an early game against the Padres - a 4th grade team - on field 1 at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ.  

Our boys weren't ready to play.  Oliver and I never should have started his son, Preston, at pitcher, because  it was readily apparent he had no energy and just wasn't ready.  We should have started Bennett.  Bennett wanted the ball to start and was pissed when he didn't get it.  I love that about him.  End result, the Diamondbacks got smoked, 20 - 0.  By far, our worst game of the year.

Now, there are some reasons for that.  We had three boys from Diamondbacks 2 playing for Diamondbacks 1 because there was a soccer game at 11 a.m.  Our best nine players can play with the Padres - I think, anyway - but we're not good enough to beat them.  Yet.  There's a big difference between third and fourth graders.

Joe played shortstop early and, for the first time, I saw JP in him.  In the first inning, he fielded a ground ball cleanly and threw out the batter at first by a step, just like JP.

In the second inning, with a runner on second base and one out, a hard ground ball was hit to Joe at shortstop.  He moved to his left, fielded the ball cleanly, took a quick look at the runner at second base, then fired a seed to first base and got the batter by a half step.  

Just like JP at age 10.  Honestly, it was uncanny.  It was like watching a movie I had seen before.

Confidence.  Situational awareness.  Ability.  Talent.  

All of that and more.  Yes, it was only one play.  However, that one play spoke to me and told me a lot about where Joe is as a baseball player and as a 10-year old boy.  

He's a leader, which is what I want.  He's comfortable in his own skin, which is something else I want.  He wants the ball hit to him, which I love.  

Big brother.  Little brother.