Final Baseball Weekend

Will’s team split two Saturday games, ranking them 5th in the tourney. Sunday morning Will was to pitch against the rival Prowlers when the rains came. This was an extra tourney, and many Wildcat players were out of town. They picked up other players, but they were thin on pitching. Will came in and struck out the only batter he faced. He reached base 3 out of 5 times…single, double, HBP. Once he slid in spikes high to break up a double play.

He was kicking himself for not making a few tough plays at shortstop, but they wouldn’t have made a huge difference in the 9 – 0 loss. With the bases loaded and one out he made a diving catch of a line drive, and got up and stepped on the bag for the inning-ending unassisted double play.

Guy with a son on Will’s team worked at Home Depot for 22 years, then started his own company exporting from China…his business recently went under.

Stayed up late Saturday to watch the Maddux love-fest, which you know I’m all about. He pitched well…didn’t realize he has 20 straight seasons of 13 or more wins. Simpson commented it looked like he could go several more years. Chopped one down on the plate that Chipper couldn’t handle barehanded, then when Morton wasn’t looking over got a good jump and swiped second. Would’ve been close had the throw been on the money. After the third out was made Chipper patted him on the butt. Maddux’s 11th career SB…I figured he was the oldest-ever pitcher to steal a base.

Went to Macon late Sunday…then I forgot some stuff I had for my dad.

Friday we went over to a friend’s to watch the video of this comedian with a hit song…”Cletus, Take the Reel”…which is on YouTube. Hawkins is his last name.

Was Lance Niekro the son of Joe Neikro? Other father / son combos…the Alomars and Boones and Berras and Felders and Tony Gwynns. There are lots of father/son combos that are little known…Encarnarcion? Billy Ripkin?