Cooperstown Preamble

Taking Will to Cooperstown for the tourney this next week…here is a preamble:

Will does like the guys on the team, and the parents have been nice to me. The parents like Will because he’s played well, and the fact that they were desperate for a player to fill out the roster.
Had they not had an 11th player, they could’ve wasted their money (I’m sure they would’ve done something).

The parents don’t seem to mind that I’m staying in the barracks with the boys and other coaches…almost giving me assistant coach status. I'm amazed...I thought another dad would've already jumped at the chance. I have been keeping score in the stands, as usual. The parents seem to be more interested in what they are going to do, like trip to NYC, and plan team parties.

They do have some decent players…I was just expecting a travel team to be tons better than the rec teams Will has played on, but there’s not much difference. Seems like these boys are just busier, doing more athletic activities, perhaps less church stuff.

I haven’t had time to recap the weekend games…they won all three. The Jasper field was bigger, and the mound was 53’ instead of 50’, so it was easier on the hitters. Friday Will missed an inside the park grand slam, when the runner on first fell down before reaching home. They won 22-4.

Saturday AM they also won…Will had an amazing catch in center, and an inside the park HR. That afternoon they played at a smaller park in Ball Ground, with a 50’ mound. Will just missed hitting one out over the further RF fence. The same runner didn’t run, so Will got a single. It was a tight game, and Will came in to pitch for the first time with this team. The first pitch was lined back to Will, and he threw to first to double off the runner. After throwing a strike, the next pitch was grounded back to Will, and he threw to first for the out. Three pitches, three outs. He pitched 4 innings and gave up one run, against a ‘tough’ team.

Looks like we’re diving to Jefferson tomorrow night, and we’ll leave early from there Friday morning. We come back early next Friday…we could drive the whole way, but I’m trying to get my friends to meet us at RFK for the game. The Phillies and Orioles are on the road.