Dodgers Forever

Saturday afternoon, smack in the middle of a crazy busy sports weekend, Joe's Dodgers took the field at Warner Park for a 2:15 p.m. game against the D-backs.  Through an unusual and, in some ways, unfortunate set of circumstances, the D-backs have become what the Dirtbags were to JP's Dodgers.  Rivals to be sure but not always of the friendly variety especially as it relates to the head coaches.

The D-backs didn't put their best of what Oliver Davis has turned into an Ensworth all-star team on the field, which was disappointing.  Simms, their best pitcher, was hurt and watched from the dugout.  Oliver's son,  Preston, was gone, too, probably at soccer.  Henry Stout - one of my all-time favorites to coach - was gone, too.  I think there was a bit of a let down for Joe's Dodgers when they realized most of their former teammates would not be playing.

The game was sloppy and disjointed.  Neither team fielded well.  Neither team hit well.  There were lots of mental errors.  The best player on the field, by far, was the D-backs catcher, Henry Singleton.  He was 2 - 3 with a booming double to the left field fence in his first at bat.  He was outstanding defensively, blocking ball after ball that his pitchers threw in the dirt.  

I want to say a little more about Henry because he deserves it.  Other than Porter Weeks, I don't think I have ever coached a boy who struggled so much, early, but worked his ass off to become a solid, if not spectacular, baseball player.  Henry made himself into an excellent defensive catcher - in Matthew Moore's category at the same age, maybe even with Matthew - through hard work, repetitions, and sheer desire and determination.  

Much like with Benton Wright on JP's Dodgers, Henry's bat is catching up to defensive ability.  He struggles for years to hit the ball with power but his hard work in the cage has paid off, as it almost always does.  Now, he makes solid contact and hits with power.  It's great to see.

Also, other than my boys, I'm not sure I've ever enjoyed coaching a boy more than I enjoyed coaching Henry Singleton during out time with the D-backs.  Polite, earnest, hard working.  On top of that, he plays piano, acts, and is a good student at David Lipscomb.  The total package, in much the same way Ram Chitale is on Joe's Dodgers.  I see big things ahead for Henry Singleton in the future.  He's a credit to his parents, for sure, and this dad, Matt, is one of the best men with whom I've coached.  Matt would have fit right in with Chris, Will, Tony, and Randy - my assistant coaches with JP's Dodgers for so many years - and that's high praise.

In the bottom of the last inning, the Dodgers led by five runs.  Because of the ridiculous five run max per inning WNSL rule, the best the D-backs could do was tie the game.  I left Keaton in to finish it, telling him all he needed to do was throw strikes.  Of course, he walked the first batter on four pitches then, after a mound visit by me, hit the next batter on the first pitch.  Two runners on, no outs. 

Joe was my "in case of emergency, break glass" pitcher.  It was an emergency, so I brought in Joe to close it out.  It was a big moment for him, and me, because Joe's not always been as poised or had the pinpoint control on the mound that JP had at the same age.  Still, we weren't going to tie the D-backs, and I wanted Joe to have an opportunity to step up.  

And, in the end, that's exactly what he did, but not before he foolishly tried to pick a runner off second with two strikes on the batter and threw the ball into centerfield, allowing two runs to score.  Then, he struck a batter out only to have out catcher, Daniel, throw the ball into right field after dropping a third strike.

The bottom line, though, is Joe worked out of a jam.  With runners on second and third, up by two, Joe struck out a batter for the second out.  He got ahead of Henry Singleton - who up to that point was 2 - 2 - the sawed his bat off and got a softly hit ground ball to second base.  John Spencer fielded the ball like a champ and threw out Henry at first base.  

Game over.  12 - 10 win for the Dodgers.  

The biggest thing for Joe, though, was that when everything seemed to be unraveling around him, he kept his poise, reset and really, really focused.  Suddenly, with the game on the line, Joe's velocity increased significantly and his control was outstanding.  He dialed in and threw strike after strike.  The D-backs hitters were overmatched, with the only hit Leo's slow roller to shortstop.  I was really, really proud of Joe.

When he gets angry - on the basketball court, the soccer pitch, or the baseball field - his intensity level rises and he take his game to another level.  As I told him after the game on the ride to another baseball game in Gallatin with HBC, he's got to find a way to access that anger, that intensity, every time he competes athletically.  That's the missing piece for him, I think.  It's in there.  He's just got to find a way to get to it regularly.

In the handshake line after the game, I congratulated all of the D-backs players, particularly the one whom I coached and had been bantering with throughout the game.  Leo, Parkes, Saltzman, Henry Singleton.  Oliver Davis didn't acknowledge any of the Dodgers he coached for two years other than to tell them "good game" in the handshake line like they were players on another team he had never met before.  I wasn't surprised.

As Oliver and I approached each other in the handshake line, we fist bumped and without looking me in the eye, Oliver said, "good game, coach." 

It wasn't a particularly good game but I'm happy that Joe's Dodgers got the win in the season finale.

If this is the end of the line for the Dodgers - and I have every reason to believe it is - what a great way to go out.  Joe on the mound, closing out the win against the D-backs, with our players celebrating after the last out.

Dodgers forever.