The Stork Stops Here: Joe Takes the Hill

For Joe, baseball season is in full swing. He's playing for the 12U Gray squad at Harris Baseball Club, a tournament team. When he doesn't have HBC games, he's also playing for the WNSL Braves with several of the boys from the Junior Dodgers and my fall WNSL team, as well. A lot of baseball, which is the way he likes it.

It's interesting, too, because on the HBC team, Joe is one of the younger and smaller players. He bats lower in the order and generally plays right or left field. He hasn't pitched yet, although the tournament season is just getting under way. I'm not concerned about that - at least, not yet - although he throws harder and more accurately than a few of the other boys who have pitched. He'll get his chance on the mound for his HBC team and because he's Joe, he will rise to the occasion. I have no doubt about that.

On his Braves team, Joe bats second or third, plays shortstop or pitches. He's the most consistent pitcher on the team and he's getting innings, which is partially why I'm not too concerned if he pitches for his HBC squad early in the season.

Earlier this week, I filled in for my friend, Scott, and coached the Braves against a solid Orioles' team. The WNSL Orioles actually are leftover remnants of the Lions, a St. Matthews's team from years past that broke up after half of the team opted to play tournament, or travel, baseball. Still, the Orioles have a good team and their starting pitcher was one of the better 12 year olds I've seen in a while, including in the HBC tournament games.

He was tall for his age with a very nice, smooth delivery from the mound. What really impressed me was how he gained great leverage by fully striding off the mound toward home plate with every pitch. That led to a lot velocity and the ability to keep the ball down. A good combination for a 12-year old pitcher. Hard to hit, too. The Braves scratched out a run on him, though, when Joe scored after getting on base on an error when he hit a hard ground ball to shortstop, then stole second base and got to third on a passed ball.

I started Joe at pitcher and he was on, for sure, against a decent to good hitter. It's funny but unlike JP, Joe tends to grunt when he pitches, like he's an older player exerting maximum effort on every pitch. Not loudly or obnoxiously, but audibly. He's so much like JP was at that age on the mound. Pretty good velocity for a boy who is not too big and very good control. He also thinks about what he's doing, situationally, and moves the ball around in the strike zone. For example, if he's up 0-2 on a bigger boy, he'll climb the ladder on the next pitch or two and try to get him to chase.

Joe pitched three scoreless, and hitless, innings, allowing only one baserunner, a boy he plunked in the leg after being ahead of him, 1-2. No one hit a ball hard against him and I could have thrown him one or two more innings but I wanted to get a couple of the other boys some work. Joe is a gamer, like JP, and I love that about him. No situation is too big for him, particularly when he is pitching.

As I did with JP, I sat on my bucket of baseballs outside the first base dugout while our boys were in the field and Joe was pitching. When there was a runner on first base and I wanted Joe to throw over, I removed may baseball cap. Joe has a nifty, quick move to first base, just as JP did at that age. His throws over were accurate, too.

Big Mike, who followed Joe on the mound, struggled with his control and gave up 4 runs in what ended up as a 5 - 4 loss for the Braves. Bennet gave up the go ahead run on a passed ball in the last inning, which is the way it goes sometimes.

This weekend, it's all sports all the time. JP plays for the MBA JV squad in the tournament against Ensworth today at 4:30 p.m. (at CPA) and Joe plays Armada soccer at 7:30 p.m. in Bellevue. Tomorrow, JP will have another baseball game at CPA and Joe will play two games in Lavergne for HBC. Sunday, Predators' playoff game and more baseball for Joe.

And I will love every minute of it.