Moonlighting with the Braves

What a baseball weekend in Donelson for Joe, moonlighting with the 10U WNSL Braves for the June all-star season.  

As we drove to Donelson for the first of two games on Saturday morning, Joe and I discussed what my expectations were for him for the tournament.  

"I'm not worried about how you play.  Play hard, of course, and the rest will take care of itself."  I said.  Meet some new people.  Make some new friends.  Make a positive impression on your coaches.  What I really wanted to see, I told him, was leadership.  Vocal leadership.  "Play with confidence," I reminded him.  

Baseball, like life, is about confidence.  Searching for it until you find it.  Keeping it.  Losing it, then finding it again.  Confidence.  

I want my boys to live their lives with the confidence that comes from knowing who they are, being comfortable in their own skin, and believing in the process - the hard work - that prepared them for whatever moment they're in.  That's the secret.  It always comes back to confidence.

It was a different experience for me, watching all of Joe's tournament games from behind the backstop rather than coaching him on the field.  Not bad, just different.  In some ways, more stressful but in other ways, more relaxing.  

Predictably, Joe was, well, Joe.  Enthusiastic the entire weekend.  He quickly and easily - and confidently - blended in with his new teammates.  On Saturday, he played shortstop, third base, second base, first base, and pitched to close out the second game of the day, a victory.  After we made a slight adjustment to his batting stance - turning his back foot in, so he could rotate his hips more easily during his swing - he hit well.

Late in game one on Saturday, playing third base, Joe noticed Hendersonville's fans and players were yelling right as our pitcher prepared to throw a pitch.  He called timeout, walked to the mound, and with his glove covering his mouth - like they do it in the big leagues - had a conversation with our pitcher.  Talking with him later, I asked him what he was doing.  

"Telling him to ignore their fans and just pitch," he replied.  Remember, that's Joe, talking with a player - a pitcher - he barely knows and with whom he's playing in his second game.  That's leadership.  

One play, early in game 2 on Saturday, stands out as the defensive play of the weekend for Joe.  Donelson had a runner on first, no outs, when the batter hit a hard ground ball up the middle.  The Braves' shortstop at the time, Keaton - a left, of all things - fielded the ball cleanly, took a few steps to the bag, then turned to fire the ball to Joe at first base.  The throw was hard but short and Joe stretched off first base - keeping his right foot on the bag and his eyes on the ball - and cleanly picked the one-hopper out of the dirt, beating the runner by a half step for a double play.  

Big time baseball play.  A confidence baseball play that, by default, gave the entire team confidence.  Keaton pointed across the infield, yelled Joe's name, and said "Yeah!"  It was a moment, for sure.  A moment that effectively killed a rally.  A moment that instilled confident in the entire team.  A moment that told the Joe's teammates they could count on him.  A moment, maybe the moment, when Joe became a Brave, if only for the June all-star season.

The Braves won both games on Saturday, then followed that up with easy wins over East Nashville and Donelson, allowing one run in two games and gonging both teams.  Joe played well, with a triple in the first game and a key, two strike RBI single in the first inning of the second game.  

It was a nice tournament victory for the Braves, who gave up four runs in four games for the weekend.  After the final game - a 10-0 shutout of the host team, Donelson - the players for both teams lined up on the field, Donelson on the first base line and the Braves on the third base line.  The Donelson players got pendants and the Braves players got ring.  Yes, rings.

When the coach called Joe's name, so he could walk up to get his ring, his Braves' teammates shouted "Joe!"  I smiled.  Actually, I beamed with pride.  In a quick weekend of baseball, Joe had played with confidence, bonded with his teammates, and become an important part of the team.  That's Joe.  

The best part of the tournament for me, though, was the down time between games.  Joe and I relaxed in my truck, enjoying the air conditioning, while the ate the lunch I'd made for him in the morning, before we left for Donelson.  I had my giant, new Igloo cooler - my purse, according to Jude - packed with Gatorade, water, Red Bull (for me), and food.  After we finished eating lunch, we reclined out seats and listened to David Shoemaker's "Book of Wrestling" podcast from the Ringer, about the history of WWE.  Joe loved it.  

As we shared those quiet moments together, Joe and I, in between baseball games, I was reminded that this is what being a father is all about.  The "in between moments."  Together.  

It was a great weekend for Joe, and for his old man, too.