Tuesday nights might be my favorite night of the week this fall because it's the night the Dodgers practice baseball. We practice on Sunday, too, but there's just something special about being outside, on the field, practicing when no one else is at Warner Park.
Our 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. slot is a little bit late but, actually, it works out well for our family because Jude an I are typically trying to be two places at once immediately after work. Last night, for example, I had a hearing in Court - on that went extremely well for my client - then I rushed to get my haircut, ate grocery store sushi in the Publix parking lot, picked up Huck for practice in Franklin, rushed to get Joe from goalkeeper practice at Hillwood High School, then pulled into the parking lot at Warner Park right at 7:30 p.m. Run, run, run.
And I wouldn't have it any other way.
I know these time are fleeting. For example, it was a joy to have a chance to spend a few minutes with Huck, whom I've coached, off and on, for three or four years. Such a sweet, earnest boy. He's also gotten stronger, earlier, than the other boys and turned into a damn good hitter. His throwing and catching need work but he can get there if he wants it badly enough. As I told him during our drive to pick up Joe from goalkeeper practice, he has a gift that most boys his age don't have - the ability to barrel up a ball and hit it hard and with power. Bat speed, too.
Huck is an emotional kid, too, but I like that. Joe is emotional in a different way. It comes from a desire to excel and a desire to win with the other side of the coin being extreme disappointment when faced with a lack of success. The hard part, of course, is that baseball is a game of failure. The best hitter make outs 7/10 times. That's why mental toughness isa prerequisite for success in baseball.
Still, as I also told Huck, I'll take 12 Huck's, 12 Joe's, or 12 Benton Wright''s on a baseball team anytime. Boys that are competitive and have a burning desire to play well and to win. You can't put that in them but you can mold it and redirect it in a positive direction. That's my belief, anyway.
As we arrived, Coach Mike had the boys doing a good catch play warmup drill. Throwing and catching five balls in a row with five pushups if the ball hit the ground. After five completed throws, the boys took five steps back, and so on, until they were long tossing. The boys looked pretty good. Mikey, John, Henry, Trey, Ram (Novak Chitale), Huck, Nico, and Joe.
Our infield practice was suspect, as throwing the ball to first base with accuracy and consistency continues to be an issue for some of them. I often wonder how JP and his teammates compare to Joe's group of Dodgers at the same age. It makes me sad but I don't remember much about how JP and his group actually played at the age. Sometimes, I wish I had video of the games but it's hard to get that when you're coaching on the field.
All of the boys hit well, which was encouraging. Hitting has been stronger than I expected this fall. Perhaps it's because we're taking live ball batting practice twice a week at practice on Tuesdays and Sundays, along with batting cage work before games.
I ended practice by playing the trash can game. Two groups in the outfield, evenly divided, led by Coaches Ben and Mike. $5, then $10, ten $20 if anyone could throw a baseball from left/center or right/center field into the trash can, which was laying down with the opening pointed toward them. I stole this game from Oliver and the boys love it. No one was able to throw a ball into the trash can but it was a fun way to end practice.
As the boys packed up and began walking to the parking lot, I smiled as I heard them talking and laughing. A few shouted "Goodbye, Coach Phil."
Coach Phil. Those two words mean everything to me.
I stopped and looked around the field to try and preserve the moment. A beautiful, early fall night. Our lights on field #2 the only lights on at Warner Park. Tuesday night practice in the books. I know this is all coming to an end too soon for me and I didn't want the night to end. I wanted to freeze that moment on the baseball field forever.
I took a quick video on the field, with the lights still on, as Joe and Nico carried my bucket of balls and the rest of my gear to my truck for me.
Then I shut the lights of on field #2 and walked in the dark to my truck, where Joe was waiting.
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