Friday morning, I woke up with an unfamiliar feeling. A feeling a hadn't felt since the morning of the state championship finals vs. Giles County in Lawrenceburg for JP's Dodgers, four years ago.
I was nervous.
Not for me, of course, but for JP. Coach Martin had held JP back so he could pitch him against a strong David Lipscomb squad in the first round of the HVAC tournament on Friday night. JP was excited to get the start in a big game. I knew he felt like he needed to carry the team for them to have a chance to win.
It's been an up and down season, as I knew it would be. With such a young team, that was to be expected. There is a big difference in the maturity level of seventh graders and eighth graders and I know that was challenging to Coach Martin. All the more reason, I think, for JP to feel like he needed to pitch well and go deep into the game.
And that's exactly what he did.
JP and David Lipscomb's pitcher were evenly matched and it was clear, early, that it was going to be a low scoring game unless one team broke it open with a big inning based on walks or errors. Both pitchers were throwing well enough that it was going to be difficult for the other team to generate any real offense. Neither team threatened early.
I could tell JP had his good stuff from the beginning of the game. A lot of hop on his fastball and good control. He had his curve working well enough to keep batters off balance, too, and even struck a kid out looking on an 0-2 curve ball. 12 o'clock - 6 o'clock, like his guy, Clayton Kershaw. Slow and sweeping. He didn't his curve as much, really, as he was spotting his fastball so well that he was able to keep David Lipscomb's hitters off balance.
Probably the most impressive part of his outing was that he completely kept David Lipscomb's first four hitters in check. They are baseball players, particularly the shortstop (#27), who hit a 320' home run to deep left field in the game at Pitts Park a couple of weeks ago. While he didn't overpower the top of their lineup, he induced multiple popups and fly outs early in counts, which kept his pitch count low. To that end, JP had at least two five or six pitch innings.
I always tell the boys that the most important thing a pitcher can do is keep the batter off balance. That doesn't mean, necessarily, striking out a bunch of hitters. What it does mean, though, is to pitch under control with good control, spot your fastball, work the outside of the plate, and force hitter to ground out weekly or better yet, to hit fly balls. In other words, trust your defense and let them do their work for you.
By the fifth inning, it looked like JP was tiring a bit. He gave up a hit or a walk - I forget - but got out of the inning with no further damage. The sixth inning was more of the same. As I recall, they leadoff batter walked on four pitches, never a good sign. The next batter bunted a ball down the first base line - a good baseball play in a scoreless game - and beat it out for a hit when Gavin (at first base) and JP both tried to field the ball, while the second baseman failed to cover first base.
Trouble. Men on first and second, no outs, the number eight batter in David Lipscomb's lineup at the plate. JP got ahead, early, and threw a fastball on the outside half of the plate, which the batter popped up in foul territory just behind first base. Gavin drifted back and made a nice play to catch the foul popup near the fence just past the infield as David Lipscomb's players and fans jeered in a futile effort to distract him.
JP noticed that the runner on first base had strayed off the bag, so he scrambled over to first base. Gavin saw him and tossed the ball to JP to double the runner off first base in what was a veteran, thinking man's baseball play. Gavin and JP are good friends and the leaders of the team, so it was good to see them make that play. Two outs, runner at second base.
JP quickly got ahead of the batter in the nine hole. He threw a fastball on the outside half of the plate, again. To the hitter's credit, he got enough of the ball to hit a pop up down the right field line behind first base. The right fielder - who probably was playing too deep - charged in and dove for the ball but couldn't quite get it. It bounced off his glove just inside the foul line and the run easily scored. 1-0 David Lipscomb.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, David Lipscomb brought their shortstop in to close the game - old #27. He throws hard. The boys were overmatched against him when he closed out the game with the bases loaded in the 7-4 loss at Pitts Park. One of the parents had a radar gun at Friday's game, I later learned, and he was hitting 75 mph.
JP was leading off and took a first pitch fast ball for a strike. The pitcher threw a curve ball in the dirt, which JP laid off of for ball one. The next pitch was a fast ball. JP absolutely smoked it to left center field. I was thinking double and he was, too, as he took a giant turn around first base. The left fielder fielded it cleanly and discretion being the better part of valor, JP returned to first base with a leadoff single.
Now, here's where it gets tricky. I would have had JP stealing own the first pitch, as he's not been thrown out stealing all season long. Instead, JP stayed put and the next batter tried twice to bunt him over but couldn't get a bunt down. With two strikes, he hit a ground ball to the left side and forced JP at second base. The same boy quickly stole second and MBA had a runner in scoring position.
With two outs, Gavin - a lefty - poked a base hit thorough the left side of the infield. Coach Martin waved the runner home - I would have, too - and the left fielder made a perfect throw to nail him at home by couple of inches. Inning over.
When JP came out to pitch the seventh inning, I was surprised, even though I knew his pitch count wasn't high. As was the case against Ensworth, the adrenalin was flowing, as JP's fastball had some real pop as he warmed up. I knew he wanted to finish the game and I loved it.
David Lipscomb's batters were overmatched - and I don't say that lightly - and JP got out of the inning with five pitches. I was stunned. I walked back to where Jude was standing and gave her a kiss. I think we both had tears in our eyes.
I watched as JP walked off the field at 42nd Street for what was likely the final time as a middle school baseball player. Coach Martin met him, stopped him for a long moment, and with his arm around him, congratulated him on a stellar pitching performance.
I continued to watch as JP sat down on the bench and his teammates, one at a time, lined up to congratulate them. One after the other, they walked up to him, and patted him on the back or shook his hand. It was an emotional thing for me to watch as a father. I wondered what JP was feeling at that exact moment. Relief. Pride.
David Lipscomb retired MBA in the bottom of the seventh inning and just like that, the season was over. JP's middle school baseball career was over.
It was a great baseball game between two even matched, well coached teams. Really, a pleasure to watch.
It was such a blessing, for me, to watch JP compete - and lead his team - like he did Friday night and, really, all season. It was exactly the type of season I wanted him to have playing for Coach Martin. I was, and am, so proud of him.
These are the days.
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