I will forever have a love-hate relationship with travel sports. Mostly hate, actually, because it's such a racket.
This morning at Drake's Creek in Hendersonville, I will watch Joe play in what very likely will amount to a C +, or B - (if they're lucky) baseball game. In other words, this will be a recreational league-level baseball game in which the parents of players on both teams have paid $2,500, give or take, so their sons can play "travel baseball." Few of these boys will play high school baseball and none of them will play college baseball.
Our guys, 13 and 14 years old, are undersized. Somehow, all of Joe's "travel" baseball teams are undersized. As I look at the other team, which has much bigger boys, I feel confident in predicting a blowout. Joe's team will be gonged early is my guess.
Recreational baseball has been ruined by travel baseball, which is a shame. I could write a book about it and, maybe, someday I should.
POSTSCRIPT
In game one, a 5 - 3 loss, Joe pitched four scoreless innings in relief. He struck out three, walked one, and only gave up one hit. There were some hard hit balls but his defense played well behind him. Although he's lost at the plate right now, he had a two strike, RBI single to right in his last at bat.
The Cannons lost game two badly, 13 - 4.
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