We drove over Friday night after I got off work and didn't arrive at the Hilton Embassy Suites Downtown until about 10:30 p.m. with the time change. JP and I were beat, so we ate a late meal of Subway sandwiches, watched SportsCenter, then turned in for the night.
Saturday morning, JP took advantage of the complimentary breakfast while I went for a 5 mile run from downtown to campus and back. It's been a minute - as they say - since I've been on campus, so I was looking forward to running over and seeing what has changed. The answer, of course, is almost everything.
New buildings. New streetscape. A whole lot of construction but, strangely enough, very few students out and about on a Saturday morning. I ran back up Cumberland Avenue (aka "the Strip") and, similarly, it was hardly recognizable. Stefano's Pizza (1977) and Copper Cellar were still there but that was about it. There were new apartments everywhere, looming over the Strip, which was kind of depressing, honestly.
When it comes to college and your college town, I'm not sure if you can go home again, after all.
JP and I drove over the Seymour early Saturday afternoon for his first baseball game, which was at The King's Academy. He started and played a clean and confident second base. He hit well, going 2 - 2 with a pair of singles to left center field. The boys has one bad inning and lost a tough one to a Knoxville team, No Chance" by one or two runs.
After the game, we hustled over to campus for a game under the lights at Lindsey Nelson Stadium - home of the Vols - which was cool. The boys played the Tigers, an older, better team fro Virginia with the best pitching we've seen this fall. JP didn't start but pinch hit late in the game. Against an excellent pitcher, he struck out looking, ever taking the bat off his shoulder. Very unlike JP but he took a couple of outside fastballs for strikes, then was completely fooled by a curve ball.
In the last inning, however, JP made a nice play on a ground ball to shortstop, and threw a runner out at first by a half step. Nice. confident play, and a good one to end his night. I was glad he got to play on Lindsey Nelson field, even if it was only for an inning. The boys lost again but played the Tigers relatively tough.
Today, the boys played another No Chance team, also at The King's Academy, and lost 6 - 4 in a game they probably should have one. As has been the case, they had one bad inning and it cost them. JP played shortstop and struck out in his first to at bats, before singling sharply to left center (line drive) in the bottom fo the 7th inning. The boys rallied from a 6 - 1 deficit and had bases loaded with no outs but J.D. grounded into a double play and the last batter grounded out to the third baseman.
JP was 3 - 6 for the weekend. Good, yes, but I think he can hit better. It's something we're going to work on this winter with some private lessons. Joe, too.
So, now, it's back to reality. I've got a big week at work and JP's MBA soccer season is winding down. They're 7 - 0 and hoping to finish the season with the HVAC championship. Basketball tryouts are next week for JP and so it goes.
JP and JD.
JP. Lindsey Nelson Stadium in the background.
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