Last night's HBC game on Field 20 in Cooperstown Dreams Park was one I will remember for eternity.
I'm a realist when it comes to my boys' athletic abilities. Always have been and always will be. I'm honest, but encouraging, with them, because I think it's important to shoot straight. If I can't honestly assess where JP or Joe is in a particular sport and tell them what they need to work on, who can?
On this HBC 12U Cooperstown team, Joe is one of the youngest and smallest players on the team. He's competitive and a gamer, no doubt, but he needs to get bigger and stronger. His hitting needs work, to be sure, and that's what it's going to take for him to get where he needs to be offensively. A lot of reps and a lot of work. On this roster of 12, he's probably number 10. That's just the reality and it's just for now, not always. Where he goes from here, in baseball, is largely up to him and will be dependent on the work he is willing to put into getting stronger and better.
In yesterday's early game against a team from Arizona, Joe started and played left field. He didn't have any fly balls hit his way, although he fielded every base hit cleanly and hit the cutoff man with the throw every time. In a 17-8 loss, that's something.
At the plate, he continued to struggle. He got on base on an error by the third baseman on a ball he didn't hit particularly well, scored the first run for HBC. Joe's last at bat was even less memorable. He struck out looking on a low and outside pitch when he absolutely knew the umpire was calling low strikes. The tough part, too, was in the last at bat he was facing a kid who wasn't big but threw harder than anyone he has seen all season. Really hard. Joe's front foot was tapping as the kid began his motion, an indication that Joe was scared and leaning out rather than in, which is no way to hit a baseball. Now, he wasn't the only one, but there it is.
Joe left the early game a little defeated, I know. He was down because he so wants to contribute to this team in some way other than being a good and supportive teammate. I felt for him and wondered, albeit briefly, if I had made the right decision to include him on this team. My conclusion was that even though he's struggled, the overall experience of being here, in Cooperstown, with the boys was good for him. Also, I think playing with and against higher calibre players may motivate him to put in the work he needs to get better.
I preach to the players I coach, all the time, that baseball is like life. There is always another at bat, another pitch, another game. In life, until the very end, there's always another day.
In the nightcap against an overmatched team from North Carolina, Joe started again in left field. Sill no fly balls and only a couple of balls hit his way. HBC jumped out to an early lead. Joe's first at bat wasn't a good one, as he struck out swinging against a pitcher that wasn't throwing very hard. He walked the next time up, which is fine, although I was dying for him to hit the ball.
Thankfully, on a beautiful spring evening in Cooperstown under the lights, Joe's night changed with one at bat. With HBC enjoying a huge lead, Joe singled sharply to left center in his third at bat, plating a run. It was nice to hear the parents cheering for him, as they realize, I'm sure, that he's been struggling a bit. His fourth and final at bat was a good one, too, He singled deep down the left field line, again with the bases loaded, plating yet another run. On the night, 2-3 with 2 RBI's. Not too bad for the Kid 2.0.
What happened next was what I'll remember, though. Coach Brian brought Joe in to pitch the last inning. There was no danger, or course, with a 21-4 lead. As Joe was warming up, a couple of the dads murmured, "Damn, he throws pretty hard." "He's a pitcher," I said.
Then, for reasons known only to him, Joe tried to pitch from the windup, in a game, for the first time ever. As I saw him clearly going to the windup, I thought, "what in the hell is he doing?!?"
Sure enough, he threw a fastball and drilled the boys he was pitching to right in the left shoulder. As the boy ran slowly down the base line, I could see he had tears in my eyes. Maybe it makes me a bad person, but I smiled with pride that Joe, significantly smaller than the batter, threw hard enough to hit him and make him cry.
Joe threw a first pitch strike to the next batter. Then, on the second pitch, also a fastball down the middle, the batter hit a ground ball shot right back at Joe. With confidence, Joe made nifty play to field the ball, spun and threw a seed to the shortstop, Tucker, for the force at second base. Tucker whipped the ball to first base and the boys had rolled an unlikely 1-6-3 double play. The dads clapped and nodded their heads approvingly.
I laughed. That's Joe.
Joe threw two fastballs for strikes to the next batter, both of them swinging. Then, on the third pitch, also a strike, the batter grounded out to Cavari at third base. Ballgame.
Afterwards, it was special to see the other HBC players congratulating Joe on his pitching. Joe looked bigger, if that makes sense, likely because for the first time he felt like he had contributed to the team's success. Coach Brian was ebullient after the game, recounting the players' nicknames for Joe.
Broadway Joe. Joecephus. And so on.
It was a big night for Joe. He needed it and I'm so glad he go it. A few of the boys decided to stay at their parents' hotel after the game but Joe wanted to stay in the barracks with Coach Brian, Coach James, and. the guys. It was then, at that moment, when I was sure Joe was right where he needed to be.
In Cooperstown in early June, playing baseball, and living his life.
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