Crown Season Leaders: Pitching

Wins & Losses: Will 7-0, Ray 5-1, Andrew 5-1, Casey 3-0, Braeden 2-0, Adam 2-4

ERA: Casey 1.75, Will 1.80, Andrew 3.50, Ray 3.84, Adam 5.39 (minimum 20 innings)

Walks & Hits per Innings Pitched: Andrew 1.44, Will 1.46, Ray 1.76, Adam 1.84, Casey 2.40 (minimum 20 innings)

Games: Andrew 14, Will 12, Adam 11, Ray & Casey 10, Franklin & Braeden 4

Innings: Adam 36, Will 35, Andrew 34, Ray 27, Casey 24, Braeden 9

Innings per Game: Adam 3.3, Will 2.9, Ray 2.7, Andrew 2.43, Casey 2.40, Braeden 2.3

Batters Faced: Adam 190, Will 163, Andrew 154, Ray 134, Casey 95, Franklin 39, Braeden 36

Pitches Thrown: Adam 743, Will 636, Andrew 573, Ray 507, Casey 373, Braeden 145

Pitches per Batter: Andrew 3.7, Ray 3.8, Will & Adam & Andrew & Casey 3.9, Braeden 4.0

Strikeouts: Will 46, Andrew 34, Casey 32, Ray & Adam 30, Braeden 9

Strikeouts per Regulation Game: Casey 9.3, Will 9.2, Ray 7.7, Andrew & Braeden 7.0, Adam 5.8

Strikeouts per Batters Faced: Will & Casey 0.3, Adam & Andrew & Ray & Braeden 0.2

% Strikes: Casey 64.3%, Will 58.5%, Andrew 57.9%, Braeden 56.6%, Adam 56.4%, Ray 52.5%

1st Pitch Strikes Resulting in an Out: Casey 78%, Will 77%, Braeden 71%, Andrew 69%, Adam 66%, Ray 65%

1st Pitch Strikes Resulting in a Hit: Will 13.2%, Casey 13.4%, Braeden 14.3%, Ray 18.8%, Andrew 21.2%, Adam 24.1%

Ratio of Groundouts to Air Outs: Will 2.14, Andrew 1.35, Adam 1.33, Ray 1.00, Braeden 0.88, Casey 0.83

% Weakly Hit Balls: Will 78%, Braeden 76%, Ray 74%, Andrew 71%, Adam 70%, Casey 69%

% Swing & Misses: Casey 26.2%, Will 25.3%, Ray 22.6%, Andrew 20.8%, Braeden 20.7%

Zero Walk Innings: Will 20, Adam 19, Andrew 18, Casey 17, Ray 12, Braeden 6

Runners Left on Base: Will 39, Adam 30, Ray 36, Andrew 23, Casey 12, Braeden 5

Crown Leaders: Fielding

Assists

42…Will (3B, SS, P, C)

39…Franklin (2B)

34…Perry (SS)

28…Casey (3B, SS, P)

26…Patrick ( C )

12…Andrew (P, 3B, OF)

10…Adam (P, CF)

09…Nathan (OF, 2B, P)

08…Ray (P, 3B, OF)

08…Ryan (2B, OF)

07…Braeden (1B, RF, P)

Putouts

163…Patrick ( C )

127…Braeden (1B, RF, P)

049…Charlie (1B)

041…Franklin (2B)

029…Will (3B, SS, P, C)

Total Chances:

201…Patrick ( C )

143…Braeden (1B, RF, P)

089…Franklin (2B, P)

080…Will (3B, SS, P, C)

In GameChanger, first-baseman and catchers have the most chances and putouts. Will (3B, SS, P, C), Franklin (2B), and Braeden (1B, RF, P) finished the season with the same number of errors. Patrick, the catcher, had the most.

Crown Team Leaders: More Batting

Walk to Strikeout Ratio: Will 2.25, Ray 1.62, Casey 1.5, Franklin 1.42, Perry 0.80, Adam & Braeden 0.70

Plate Attempts per Walk: Casey 5.2, Franklin 5.4, Ray 5.5, Patrick 6.3, Will & Eric 6.4, Braeden 7.4

Plate Attempts per Strikeout: Braeden 5.2, Perry 6.3, Franklin 7.7, Casey 7.8, Adam 8.5, Nathan 8.9, Ray 9.0, Patrick 9.5, Will 14.4

Stolen Bases: Patrick 18, Will 13, Franklin & Adam & Braeden 9

Batting Average with Runners In Scoring Position: Eric 550, Casey 520, Nathan 455, Will 429, Franklin 421, Braeden 417

Quality At Bat Percentage: Nathan 526, Andrew 500, Will & Braeden 487

Hard Hit Balls: Braeden 32, Will 26 (judgment call by GameChanger scorekeeper)

Pitches Seen: Will 463, Braeden 436

Pitches Seen per Plate Appearance: Charlie 4.2, Will & Perry & Ryan 4.0, Andrew & Caleb & Eric 3.8, Nathan & Braeden 3.7

Seeing 3 or more Pitches after 2 Strikes: Will 10, Nathan & Casey & Braeden 7

Plate Appearances Seeing 6 or more Pitches: Will 26, Braeden 23

Sac Fly RBI: Ryan 3, Will & Andrew & Casey & Braeden 2

Grounded Into Double Plays: Perry & Adam 3, Braeden & Patrick & Charlie 1, Will 0

Crown Team Leaders: Batting

Games: Braeden 33, Will 31

Plate Appearances: Braeden 119, Will 115

At Bats: Braeden 99, Will 90

Hits: Braeden 41, Will 39

Singles: Adam 29, Will 25, Braeden 23

Doubles: Will 10, Braeden 8

Triples: Nathan 6, Will 4, Ray 2, Braeden 1

Home Runs: Braeden 9, Perry 2, Will 0

RBI: Braeden 45, Franklin 25, Ray 24, Nathan 22, Perry &  Patrick 20, Will 19

Runs: Braeden 34, Nathan 32, Will 29 (see note).

Hit by Pitch: Patrick 12, Will & Franklin 5, Ray 4, Nathan & Perry & Ryan 3, Braeden 2

Reached on Error: Franklin 6, Will & Ryan & Andrew & Nathan 4, Braeden 3

Walks: Will 18, Braeden 16

Strikeouts: Braeden 23, Charlie 18, Eric & Sam 13, Franklin 12, Ryan & Adam & Patrick & Perry 10, Nathan 9, Andrew & Ray & Will 8

Batting Average: Casey 474, Eric 438, Adam 436, Will 433, Nathan 424, Braeden 414

On Base Percentage: Casey 579, Will 539, Franklin 538, Nathan 506, Braeden 496

Slugging: Braeden 788, Nathan 712, Will 633

On Base + Slugging: Braden 1.284, Nathan 1.218, Will 1.172

Reached Base: Will 66, Braeden 62 (H+BB+HBP+ROE)

Balls In Play: Will 82, Braeden 76

NOTE: Due to the many times Will pitched and caught throughout the season, Will was replaced by a courtesy runner more times than most of the other players. This decreased the number of runs he scored. More often than not, Will remained on first base, and was only replaced once he advanced to second or third.

Batting leadoff, Will had fewer RBI opportunities than most of the other players. Braeden batted third in the order. As these numbers bear out, the main difference between the two seniors’ statistics are Braeden’s home runs and strikeouts.

HSWS Tournament Stats

Down in Florida Will, Adam, and Franklin were named to the Home School World Series All-American team. They were deserving choices.

Batting leadoff, Will was Crown’s most productive hitter, reaching base 15 times…the most on the team. He scored the most runs, had the most extra base hits, and did not strike out. Will also pitched three games in five days, allowing just one earned run in seven innings of work…without his best stuff.

Adam had Crown’s highest tournament batting average, drove in seven runs (including one game-winner), and was the second most productive hitter. Like Will, he pitched seven innings.

Franklin’s team-leading eight RBI’s all seemed to come in clutch situations. He drove in at least two game-winning runs. During the tournament Franklin also led the team in on-base percentage.

Nate also had a fine tournament. Like Will, he collected eight hits (two triples) and scored eight runs. On Thursday Nate pitched three shutout innings to earn the Game One win. In Game Two he went 4 - 4, with two hits from each side of the plate.

Tournament Stats:

WM: 8 hits, 2 2B, 2 3B, 3 RBI, 8 runs,HBP, 2 ROE, 4 BB (32)

AN…10 hits, 2B, 3B, 7 RBI, 6 runs, ROE, 3 BB, 3 K (27)

NS…8 hits, 2 3B, 5 RBI, 8 runs, HBP, ROE, BB, 3 K (25)

FR…8 hits, 8 RBI, 6 runs, HBP, 3 BB, 3 K (23)

BL…7 hits, 2B, 4 RBI, 6 runs, HBP, ROE, 3 BB, 4 K (19)

CD…5 hits, 2B, RBI, 3 runs, ROE, 3 BB, 3 K (11)

WM…15 RB, 421 BA, 542 OBP (RB = reached base)

AN…14 RB, 556 BA, 619 OBP

FR…12 RB, 533 BA, 632 OBP

BL…12 RB,  388 BA, 500 OBP

NS…11 RB, 400 BA, 455 OBP

CD…9 RB, 385 BA, 500 OBP

WM…7 IP, win, 6 hits, run, 7 BB, 4 K, HBP, 1.28 ERA

CD…5 IP, win, BB, 5 K, HBP, 000 ERA

BL…6 IP, 2 wins, 5 hits, run, BB, 5 K, HBP, 1.50 ERA

NS…3 IP, win, 2 hits, 4 K, 2 HBP, 000 ERA

AN…7 IP, 9 hits, 8 runs, 7 BB, 3 K, 10.29 ERA  

2012 Living Science Graduation

This past Saturday we attended the Living Science graduation, where we saw several good friends and long-time students.

Jason Bourne – Southern Poly - spoke. Jason’s sisters attended LS, and his mom helps out a lot.

Nathan Braswell – Georgia Tech – read scripture. Nathan’s mother Amy went on all the LS trips. Little sister Jessica attends Veritas. A family of redheads.

Holt Davis – gap year. Holt and his mom went to the beach with us and the Hurts. Holt played basketball with Will, and baseball against him. His dad Mike is a big sports fan. Sister Marykathryn graduated from LS, and performed in the first LS skit I wrote.

Matt Ellis – Reinhart – sang. Matt rocked red Nike high tops to graduation…matching his red hair. Plays in Set Sail From Fiction with Joel, and is a hilarious actor and skit-writer. His dad is a fun guy, and his mom Pam went on all the LS trips.

Mary Clayton Gilbert – Oklahoma - sang. We’re good friends with the entire Gilbert family…especially Will.

Elizabeth Hanson – college – spoke. Sister Alyssa graduated with Will, and wrote Elizabeth’s speech. Sister Emily went to the beach with us and the Hurts. Dad Craig is a sports nut. Mother Denise was my buddy on all the LS trips.

Elin Hill – theater – honored parents. My shoe-loving buddy. Mom Kari went on my last Expedition. Brother is Matthew’s buddy.

Marshall Howell – Royal Holloway in England. Attends North Point. His parents went on many trips. Mother Allison hammed it up in several of my skits.

Haley Hurt – Union – spoke. Long time family friends.

Matthew Leiner – Kennesaw – spoke. 6’5”…played Barney in LS Expedition Skit (and Captain Willy). His parents were on my first LS trip, and several others. Dad has lost 40 pounds, and looked great. Mom flies for Delta.

Laura Martin – nursing – spoke. Big sister Kate showed off her college boyfriend at graduation. Mother Traci ran the kitchen crew on all the LS trips, and dad Bil usually tagged along as well.

Mary Meder – nursing – recognized teachers. Father went on Anna’s zoo trip with me. Sister Christine starred on one of my LS skits.

Wesley Pherson – Bob Jones – spoke. His father went on many of the LS trips with me.

Brianna Saylor – physical therapy – spoke. Redhead. Fellow Switchfoot fan. Big sister Jessica was in my skit.

Grace Toso – cinematography – played piano. On one LS trip I fixed her beloved ring. Always wears her hair short. Hilarious sister Joanna graduated with Will. Brother attends Berry. Mom has gone on a trip or two.

Jarrod Winkler – Universal Tech (NC). Rode in our LS East Cobb carpool. Dad drove on a couple of LS trips with me. Attends ECPC.

On The Go

It’s been crazy for me ever since last Thursday. The Switchfoot concert was quite memorable for Matthew. He knew the band would hang around and perform an after-concert, so we milled around after the show. The lead guitarist picked him up and swung him around, then he got his picture taken with the three main band members. Then the frontman performed for the 75 or so that hung around…Matthew was right at his feet. It didn’t break up until after 12:30 am.

Saturday I went with the kids to the Living Science graduation. MC sang, and Haley Hurt gave a heartfelt speech. Saw her grandmother and uncle, who I hadn’t seen in a long while. Also got to catch up with lots of Living Science folk…I hadn’t been up there in a year. The dad who runs a CiCi’s had lost 40 pounds, and narrowly missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

Sunday I took M down to Passion. Anna stayed home to study, and Will went to a party at MC’s.

W and M picked up C at the airport late yesterday afternoon, then A and I met them at the OK Café. Ceil had a great time, and brought back lots of chocolates and other foodstuffs (she had to check her bag). She sat in first class on the way back…since they were flying standby, she wasn’t able to sit with her aunt on the way over, or on the way back. She took lots of great pictures…I may post some on FB.

Arrived at work this AM at 6:45. Only then did I realize I’d left my laptop at home. Drove home and went in at 7:20…no one was up yet. Got back here at 8:10…so I lost an hour and a half at work.

Work had been busy, but its getting better. The chicken lady has been off since last Thursday, but she returns tomorrow.

ONE Unassisted Triple Play? Yawn

Not long ago the number one play on ESPN's Top Plays was a Sandy Springs six-year old who turned an unassisted triple play. The AJC also ran an article, along with the following video.

http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/6-year-old-turns-435038.html#.T6wGEXhT1qI.email  

The most special thing about this play: it was caught on video. While only a dozen or so UTP's have been pulled off in the major leagues, I'm sure several occur every year in Little League.

I've often mentioned how Will pulled off an UTP when he was eight or nine. The very next inning he had an unassisted double play (and narrowly missed tripling off the runner on third). Then Will pulled off a SECOND unassisted triple play six years later.

The AJC opined how tough it would be for a six year-old to turn an UTP. I disagree. The older and wiser the players are, the harder an UTP becomes.

The story made me think. I had actually forgotten about a THIRD triple play Will had pulled off...during his second or third season at Mt. Paran, on the tiny Shetland Field. He was only six or seven. As was the custom, dads helped out by instructing on defense by standing in the outfield. On offense, other dads coached all three bases. I was one of those defensive dads.

Playing infield with the bases loaded, Will caught a grounder and stepped on second base to force a runner. Then chaos ensued. The confused base-runners didn't know whether to run or retreat. Will ran around like a kid in a candy store. First he ran to third and tagged out that runner. Then he ran back to second and tagged that runner (though he was already out). Then Will continued traversing the bases, chasing down the last runner between first and second. Unassisted triple play!

Only one problem: when the play began, there was already one out.

The six year-old Sandy Springs boy has been playing baseball for three years...ever since he was four. Many similar kids will burn out on sports by the time they reach middle school. But if he sticks with it, perhaps in another ten years he'll be fortunate enough to turn a second UTP.

Then he'd still be one unassisted triple play behind Will.

Switchfoot After Concert

Long after the concert Jon Foreman sang a few songs for the 75 or so who hung around for that very treat. Note Matthew right in the middle of the foreground with his back to the camera, in the grey T shirt. 

May 10 Trivia: A Long Night

As I approached the coffee shop a police car roared past me. A wreck down by the river had bottlenecked traffic, and Land of a Thousand Hills was nearly empty. I chatted with Bama’s leader at the next table, and Erin asked why I wasn’t sitting with him. She thought I was one of those old Bama dudes! We started late, giving Will and Joel time to arrive…as well as Jon Maiocco and his friend. Janie.

1. What city is referred to in the title of the TV show “Sex in the City”? I was the only one with an educated guess: NYC. Five points.

2. What is the second lightest element, often used to fill balloons? Joel answered, but even I knew: Helium. Three points.

3. What exercise routine uses the position “downward facing dog”? Joel correctly answered YOGA. Earlier I’d shown Joel a Ken Jennings tweet, how it would be funny to pronounce Avengers like scavengers. Then I told Joel I thought the answer could’ve been Pilates…but pronounced it Pilots. He had a good laugh. One point.

4. What food’s main appeal, according to scientists, is that it melts in the mouth at almost human body temperature? Erin said to not make the question harder than it was. We settled on chocolate. Three points.

5. What is by far the most famous painting in the Louvre? The Mona Lisa. I had to tell Erin that Ceil had been at the Louvre just the day before. Five points.

6. What had 1919 people reached the top of by 2003? Mount Everest. One point.

7. Who was the last Beatle to marry? He was also the only Beatle whose first marriage did not end in divorce. Tough question…was it a trick? Hurt had said John wasn’t actually married. Had Paul’s first wife died? We guessed John. It was Paul. Only a one point miss.

8. What was the official name of the 1991 Persian Gulf War? Will didn’t believe me, but it was Operation Desert Storm. Three points.

9. In the movie “The Fight Club” what bathroom product is sold by the character named Tyler Durden? Jon knew: Bar soap. Five points.

10. Name the author of the following children’s books:

…One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish…Easy…Dr. Seuss.

…The Giving Tree…Sal Silverstein. I said Glenn Beck.

…The Hungry Little Caterpillar…I knew: Eric Carle.

…Matilda…Jon knew: Roal Dahl.

…Goodnight Moon…Margaret Wise Brown.

We got 3 of five. At halftime our 32 points placed us five behind the leaders perfect score. Bama only had 29. Haley and Margaret joined us, as well as Michael and his young female friend. Since that put us over the eight person limit, Jon abandoned his friend and hung out at Xanna’s table.

11. Which planet boasts the tallest mountain in our solar system? We settled on the correct answer: Mars. Four points. After answering nine of the first ten questions right (and 3 of the 5 halftime two-pointers), we were in decent shape. Little did we know, that was our last correct answer.

12. Which artist designed the iconic Rolling Stones tongue and lips logo? Peter Max came to my mind, even though the Stones logo was really his genre. Seemed like there was another famous artist from the early sixies, but I couldn’t think of him: Andy Warhol.   

13. What is the hardest bone in the human body? After the question was asked, I immediately turned to Michael and pointed to my jaw. But since the four Living Science students had all studied anatomy, I deferred to them. Joel went with cranium. It was the jawbone. A six point miss.

14. What year did the famous Chicago Fire take place? We didn’t know. 1871.

15. As feline describes lion-like, what name describes bear-like? We didn’t know. I told a meandering story of how the big and little dipper constellations are also known as the big and little bears. They’re also known as Ursia Major and Minor. Then I mentioned bruin, which is what we answered. It was ursine. Another six point miss.

16. Through how many states does the Appalachian Trail traverse? Will answered 15, which included Alabama. There are fourteen.

17. What is the name given to wool that comes from a rabbit? Even Haley didn’t know…Angora.

18. Prior to 1949, what was the four-letter name for Thailand? I answered Laos, but it was Siam.

19. What sport is most often featured in John Irving’s novels? I thought it was boxing or baseball, but it was wrestling  Only one team had a worse second half. Had we not missed on those two 6-point questions we would’ve been in second place. At least there were three teams behind us.

20. In order, list the five largest planets in our solar system. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Earth. I had written down the first four in that order, but on our answer we flip-flopped Uranus and Neptune. I had thought Mars wasn’t that big, but Joel felt strongly about the red planet. When Earth was announced he muttered “Well I’m an idiot!” Only then did I hear Michael say he knew the order from reading the Magic School Bus.

Erin’s musical theme was old school hip hop, like the Fresh Prince. Evidently a Beastie Boy had died.

Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman, with Matthew.

Priceless Switchfoot Memories

Attending the May 11 Switchfoot concert in Chattanooga will be a memory Matthew will remember for a long time. Going in I had several concerns, but in the end it turned out to be a great evening.


M had wanted to go to the Tuesday Switchfoot concert in Athens. That concert started earlier, though it was cheaper. Getting there would’ve been problematic, and I really didn’t need to leave early. Ceil had left for Paris earlier that day, Will’s baseball banquet was that evening, and M had school the next morning. So Tuesday was out.

I wasn’t so sure about Friday, either. The concert didn’t start until nine. Tickets were more expensive. Will was tied up with MC’s graduation festivities, so Anna would have to stay home alone. She said she didn’t mind, and I rented her two movies. She had her prom, and Will has his Florida trip. So I took Matthew.

Left work a little before five, scampered home, changed, and Matthew and I drove off at 5:41. Just getting to the interstate took forever, but after that rush hour traffic wasn’t too bad. After a quick Taco Bell run in Dalton, we were parking at the Chattanooga Choo Choo parking deck before 7:45.

At Track 29 the doors opened at eight, and the que ahead of us wasn’t too long. M spotted his small group leader ahead of us, and went up for a quick chat. The rustic venue billed itself as an equal to Atlanta’s Tabernacle, but to me it was a far cry. It did provide a sufficient concert space. We walked up and took our place near the middle of the stage, about twenty feet from the stage. Not bad.

The Rocket Summer, the warmup band took the stage at 8:38. They were ok. After a short break to set up the stage, Switchfoot strode on stage just over an hour later. In the small venue, Switchfoot put on a better show than in the larger park in Marietta. Matthew wanted me to take pictures, and I did.

I decided to video a song, and it turned out to be the one that frontman Jon Foreman decided to take a walk through the audience. Incredibly, he walked straight to us. Matthew was able to give Jon a quick hug as he walked past. I didn’t think the evening could get more memorable. Little did I know, the memories had only just begun.

After a two song encore, the concert ended shortly after eleven. The crowd dispersed, and it was good to get outside into the cool night air. Matthew knew that Switchfoot often hung around and performed impromteau after concerts for devoted fans. Like us, there were several that stuck around. Weary from standing for over three hours, it was great to sit down…against a fence next to the tour bus. A Track 29 employee said it had been the most well-behaved concert he’s worked.

As lead guitarist Drew Shirley made the short walk from the venue to the bus, Matthew greeted him with outstretched arms and boldly said “give me a hug!” Caught up in the moment, the 28 year old Californian hugged Matthew…then picked him up and swung him around several times. Even more hilariously, as Drew put Matthew down he exclaimed “Sorry…now that was weird!”

Later Drew came back out to sign autographs and talk to the fans. I snapped a couple of pictures of him with Matthew, but they didn’t turn out well in the darkness. Drew said he wasn’t going to pick Matthew up again. Bass player Tim Foreman also came out to talk, and I was able to take flash photos of him with Matthew. Unknown to those gathered, Jon Foreman was taking an un-noticed stroll around the adjacent parking lot, with a hood over his head. The crowd thinned, and I was able to take a better snapshot of matthew and Drew.

When Jon joined the fun, Matthew made a beeline to him. Everyone gathered around him, but Matthew was the first to get his picture taken with him. I felt like it took me forever to snap the picture. Like Drew and Tim, Jon was very gracious with all the fans. All three made it a point to ask each fan their name.

After a short while Jon retreated to the bus, but quickly returned with his guitar. He walked through the gate, took a right, and strode purposely to the adjacent parking lot. Just as purposefully, Matthew made it a point of walking along right next to him. In the middle of the parking lot he stopped, and the crowd of 75 or so sat around him in a circle. “I’ve never done one of these in the round before” he joked.

With Matthew right at his feet, Jon strummed his guitar and sand several songs. I fiddled with my iPhone a little too much, beause the camera refused to work. I was missing some great shots. I finally figured out I could take pictures using Twitter. But Jon ended the sweet time at 12:35…just as the tour bus cranked up in the background. Matthew was finally ready to go home.

After a long stop through a slow McDonalds drive-through, we made it home just after 2:30 am. Wired, Matthew couldn’t sleep. He had quickly sent out several of the prized photos on social media, and reported a flurry of likes. Quite an evening to remember.

Emily, Anna, Brittany, Bo, Will, and Josh take in the Braves batting practice last Saturday night. Bo was a hotshot middle infielder for the Crown middle school team. Will's dad Lindsaey Acuff grew up at SPdL and worked with Steve Norman. This fall Josh will quarterback Northview High. 

Dwarf House: A Rare Disappointment

Late Thursday I took Matthew to the Dwarf House after his appointment. He got a milkshake, and I ordered a fried sweet potato pie. They make them to order, but I didn’t mind waiting. I was surprised to learn they cost $2.70. When I got it, it was pretty greasy…but good. Not much larger than the Varsity’s pies, which have shrunk over the years.

I know how some of those Hardees are…that really gets my goat as well. It’s supposed to be FAST food. If you have to wait 20 minutes, it ought to taste like the Dewy Destin. Then they put a higher priority on drive thru customers, and treat those who take the time to park and come inside like second-class citizens.

Matthew went to do yardwork with Will and Joel Friday…should be interesting.

Tonight Matthew and I are driving to Chattanooga for a Switchfoot concert. Won’t arrive back home until 1 am or so.

Saturday we’re going to the Living Science graduation. Mary-Clayton is singing, and Haley Hurt is one of the speakers. Supposedly Alyssa wrote her sister’s speech. Alyssa is at West Point, and can’t attend.

ROAD TRIP!

Last Thursday Ceil was feeling guilty about sending Will down to Florida without a parent for support. A teammates’ dad wasn’t crazy about having to make the drive alone, so at the last minute I signed up to ride with him. We had a great time, and I was able follow their fourth straight comeback win on my phone. Friday they lost the semifinal game…they should have won. Saturday they won the consolation game for third place…Will had two triples and a double. We got back around 1:30 am Sunday morning.

When Will’s teammate bowled over the catcher Friday, I joked that he won the Bronko Nagurski Award. A mom said we should come up with funny awards for all the players. I did, of course, and emailed it to her. Monday night she made me read them at the banquet, and it got a big response. Before that most of the people thought I was just the quiet guy who keeps score.

All these hit batters have been interesting. Hitting Bryce Harper is similar to the new Grisham book. I’m enjoying Ball Four, but I’m not exactly devouring it. The stories in Ball Four are interesting, but hardly controversial these days. Stories about some big names like Mantle and Pepitone…and faces from baseball cards, like Marty Pattin and Steve Barber. Yesterday Ebbetts Field Flannels announced on Facebook that they gave Bouton the Amarillo minor league cap he wore in 1959.  

Ceil emailed around 4 am Wednesday morning, saying they were headed to the Louvre. That afternoon she emailed a photo of her eating French bread. The sun was shining, so the weather was good.

Wednesday night Will cooked burgers and hot dogs and French fries.

Nice / funny that Will made the little FB announcement. Now he’s back from Florida, and he’s getting everything set up for UGA. He signed up for orientation, and he’s working on his housing. Signing up so late makes him a low priority, though he’s talking to a couple of friends about rooming with him.

Down in Auburndale Florida last week, Will delivers while Andrew patrols third base.

Season Ending Awards

For those of you who didn’t stick around for the HSWS awards ceremony (and you know who you are), here are some of the awards you may have missed…

ADAM…the “Take One for the Team” Award, for knocking in a crucial run while breaking his beloved bat. RAY only placed second in the category, since his bat was still under warranty. Those bat warranty jokes always get a laugh.

PATRICK is all mad because he came in third in the “Take One for the Team” category. Sorry, Patrick, next time you’ll have to try harder…I mean, you only got hit by ELEVEN pitches! I know, it was really twelve…I just wanted to make sure you didn’t have a concussion. Patrick never saw a pitch he couldn’t be hit by. We were going to tell Patrick that he was just one away from the national high school HBP record, but we were afraid of what he might do to break it. He’d probably jump out front of the trophy. When…I mean IF…Patrick grows up, he’s going to have a lucrative (if not short) career collecting insurance for jumping out in front of ambulances. Maybe I shouldn’t give him any ideas.

NATHAN SHETLER has a new superhero nickname…from the movie “The Incredibles”: Can you guess? No, not Dash. Not Mr. Incredible. His nickname: Violet. Look at him…he’s blushing! And for getting four hits in one game, Nathan wins the Eric Hinske Slugger Award.

ANDREW…for being put at a position he hadn’t played all season…for the most crucial defensive inning of the season, and then making the season-ending double play, Andrew wins the Eric Hinske Backup Award, for being the best third-string first baseman.

CHARLIE V…The best second-string first baseman award. Also Charlie won the Eric Hinske Best Goatee Award. Coach Broussard came in third. Second place went to that dead monkey we saw on the way home. Fourth place goes to Eric Hinske.

BRAEDEN wins the coveted Eric Hinske Golden Spikes Award. Not for his base-running, but for his always spotless cleats. Of course, Braeden also won the Freddie Freeman best first-string first baseman award.

SILAS…best JV first baseman. He beat up all the others.

BO WINN…best middle school first baseman. Sorry, I promised my man Bo a shout-out. Stand up, Bo! Like Silas, Bo beat up all the others. OK, has everyone had enough first-baseman jokes? I hope you’re not tired of the Eric Hinske jokes.

CASEY…for his service on spring break, Casey receives the Billy Graham Evangelism Award. For his HSWS play, he gets the Bronco Nagurski Award. Unfortunately, the Nagurski Trophy just crushed the Graham Trophy into a thousand pieces. There’s a lady from Raleigh that’s pretty upset about it. Sorry, Jana…Casey has to sit out next year’s banquet. All kidding aside, Casey had a great HSWS. On the weekend he batted .500 AND pitched 5 innings of no-hit ball…striking out 5 while walking just one. Sounds like he deserves the Babe Ruth Award as well.   

CHARLIE W…for the best performance after staying out too late the night before, the Max McGee Award. You young guys will have to look it up. Or not. Mrs. Brooks also gives him the Eric Hinske Big Eater Award. By the way, Mrs. brooks and Smith win the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for cooking and cleaning up after as many as eight boys (including Mr. Brooks and me).

ERIC…looking at my scorebook, Eric played great down in Florida. Eric didn’t strike out, didn’t make an error. What…he didn’t go? Still, he deserves the Eric Hinske namesake award.

HUNTER…the HSWS is upset that you missed the awards ceremony. I mean, everyone else was there! Kinlaw? Kinlaw? Norman? Norman? It would’ve been funny if we had a player named Bueller. You young guys will have to look it up. Or not.

FRANKLIN…it’s a good thing Franklin left the HSWS awards ceremony quickly. He wore Casey’s number one jersey, and some of the Raleigh players were looking to put a hurtin’ on him. Instead they jumped another maroon number one…from that poor Houston Thunder team. Franklin won the Academic All-America Award, for completing the most schoolwork down in Florida. I was going to give Franklin the Most Valuable Player award for all his game-winning hits, but his dad was more proud of the Scholar Award.  

RAY…the Academy Award for Ray’s dramatic removal of his batting gloves. Also the Tim Tebow Award for doing everything short of Tebowing whenever he got a big hit. I think a demonstration of both would be in order!

RYAN…the Best Dressed Award, for being the only Crown player in full uniform for the HSWS awards ceremony. Coach Broussard came in third, for also correctly wearing his full uniform to the ceremony. Will came in second, for accepting his award in sandals.

SAM…in the best-looking player named Norman category, Sam tied for second-place.

CALEB tied Sam for second-place, for the best-looking player named Norman. First place went to their mom. She was added to the roster after she dealt with that Raleigh mom. I just hope Elise can bunt.

NATE ACKERMAN…first place in the bat tossing contest. Nate, if you ever play first base, I have another award for you.

WILL…second place in the bat-catching contest. Next time wear a mask. Coach Broussard won first place. Will also won the Shetler sister’s Old Man Award, for the way he wears his baseball pants. Will set the HSWS record for the most triples in one game…2-2/3. If his pants hadn’t been sagging down so much, he might’ve had that third triple. I’m also happy to announce that Will is returning next season…to be the Algebra Tutor.

TANNER…for ferrying around a minivan load of players all week in Florida: Tanner wins the Soccer Mom Award.

COACH LANE…for blocking the first baseman so he couldn’t chase down the pitcher’s errant throw, allowing Adam to make it all the way to third…the Jerry Kramer Block of Granite Award. I must be in a rut….that was my second old Green Bay Packer reference.

COACH ROSEMOND: The Presidential Medal of Honor for successfully putting together a record breaking season out of this rag-tag group of boys. He probably deserves the Purple Heart as well.

The Crown  Knights pose after thier last regular season game, at East Cobb.

Agony of Defeat

After four straight late-inning come-from-behind victories, the magic finally ran out on Crown’s run to the Home School World Series championship, as they lost 10-9 in the semi-finals to the Raleigh Warriors.

Down 2-0 and 3-1, the Knights came back to take the lead. After Raleigh scored seven runs in the dreadful fourth inning, Crown responded with five runs, and it looked like another comeback was in the making.

After the Warriors starting pitcher was replaced in the top of the sixth, the first six Crown batters reached base. Bases-loaded walks by Patrick and Franklin made it a one run game. With no out, the bases were still loaded, and Raleigh brought in their third pitcher of the inning. Down just one run, Crown had Ray, Sam, and Will lined up to hit. The three had already reached base seven times in the game. Will had twice reached on errors, singled and scored, and was hit by a pitch in a key situation.

Earlier in the game Crown failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities…
…Will was caught stealing just before Braeden doubled.
…He and Franklin couldn’t convert two tough first-inning grounders into outs. Both runners scored.
…Will just missed tagging out a runner at third on a triple.
…on Sam’s second inning pop fly, Ray took off around the bases, failing to realize there were was only one out. Raleigh converted the easy double play. In the next inning both Will and Nathan singled.

The fourth inning was the worst…
…Shortstop Casey dove and just missed making a great catch on a fourth inning line drive.
…tiring in the Florida heat, Adam walked the number seven and eight hitters in the order, loading the bases with no out.
…Sam couldn’t track down the number nine batter’s wind-blown pop fly that landed just inside the right field foul line. The runner scored from third.
…the leadoff batter lined an RBI single up the middle…just out of the reach of pitcher Adam and second-baseman Franklin.
…a wild pitch plated the third run of the inning.
…Franklin made a great play on a slow grounder, but Braeden dropped the throw at first base. Still no outs and four runs had scored.
…Casey came in to relieve Adam on the mound. He walked the first batter he faced, once more loading the bases. Then came the play that almost broke Crown’s back…
…the next batter hit a sharp grounder back to Casey on the mound. Should’ve been a quick, disheartening 1-2-3 double play. Instead it was Casey who was disoriented. He looked to first, then second, before finally making the correct play: he threw home to force the runner. By then it was too late to throw the batter out at first. But Patrick tried anyway.

Normally the catcher will step into fair territory and throw to the first baseman, avoiding the hustling batter. That’s what Braeden was expecting. Instead the force at home took Patrick back into the left-hand hitter’s batters box. Patrick turned and fired to the right of the batter, on the foul side of first. With Braeden’s view of the throw blocked by the batter, the throw sailed past first, far down the right field foul territory. By the time Sam recovered the ball and threw it in, two runs had scored and the batter stood on third base. Casey retired the next two hitters, but the damage was done: Raleigh led 10-4.

Had any one of the above plays gone Crown’s way, they most probably could have come back and won. To Will’s credit, he once more played a great game. In addition to reaching base all four times, he made a nice catch of a popup in foul territory.

Casey also played well. Playing shortstop in Perry’s absence, his great plays kept Crown in games all week. Casey has led the team in hitting all season, and played well wherever the team needed him: third, left, short, or pitcher. On the trip down I learned that on his spring break mission trip to Europe, Casey had personally led 15 people to the Lord. Great kid…and perhaps the best hitter on the team.

I had also noticed what a fine player Raleigh’s catcher was. He hadn’t allowed a single passed ball or wild pitch the entire game…or stolen base. Also named Will, is also batted without gloves. In the first inning he shortened his swing and lined a RBI single to center. Later he drove in another run with a sacrifice fly. Someone said he may sign to play at Covenant College.

This brings us back to that fateful sixth inning. The third pitcher turned out to be a buzz saw, striking out Ray on three well-placed strikes. Sam had been on deck, but instead Charlie came up to bat. I didn’t realize it, but the strategy was soon obvious. Charlie squared to bunt, and Casey raced down the line from third…the suicide squeeze was on.

Charlie had successfully pulled off a great squeeze bunt a few weeks ago. He had missed on a squeeze bunt earlier in that same game. Tragically, the Raleigh pitch came in low, and Charlie missed on the bunt attempt. Barreling down the line, Casey was a dead duck. He took the direct approach, and ran right through Raliegh’s catcher Will. It was a shocking, violent collision. The Raleigh crowd erupted, but the umpire immediately called Casey out…and threw him out of the game.

Catcher Will leaned up and glared at the Crown bench. Hurt, he was led off the field. Casey tried to apologize, but the umpire said to wait until things calmed down. Two pitches later Charlie struck out, ending the inning. Will Murphy stood in the on deck circle, having been robbed of a chance to win the game.

At first I thought the game was over. The Warriors rejoiced as they flew off the field. As is my custom, I recorded the ending time of the game in my scorebook: 4:47.

But mercifully the umpire decreed “ten more minutes.” Will raced to the mound and started directing traffic. A shortstop was needed, so Nate fielded the position. As soon as Patrick donned his catcher’s gear, Will told the umpire he was ready. The inning started, but it was all in vain: the umpire called the game…at 4:53.

Meeting on the mound: Casey, Coach Rosemond, Will, Braeden, and Patrick discuss strategy last week.

Statistical Analysis

The Crown Athletics website proudly displays individual baseball records. I’m not sure this is a good thing…people like me can go in and find fault with them.

The baseball records currently on display are up to date as of the end of the 2011 season. Most categories list career and individual season records. Will played in 2010 and 2011. If his career total for a certain category is list AND one of season totals is also listed, its easy to determine the total for the season not listed. For instance, the records show he had 43 career hits, with 28 in 2011. Using simple subtraction, that means he had 15 hits in 2010.

The 2011 statistics were compiled on the GameChanger website. The 2010 stats were kept by an assistant coach no longer affiliated with the team. I’m not sure where those statistics are now.

What raised my suspicion was the batting average category. According to these Crown records, Will batted .527 in 2011, placing him second in Crown history. His Crown career batting average is recorded as .381. This seems low, considering the .527 average. Likewise, his On Base Percentage was .603 for 2011 but only .489 career.

Using the statistics available to me, I calculated Will’s 2010 batting average. According to GameChanger, Will had 55 at bats and 68 plate appearances in 2011. Based on the rules of math, here are his statistics…

YR……H.…AB..AVG…OB..PA…OBP

2010…15…59…254…27…71…380

2011…28…54…527…41…68…603

TOT…43..113…381…68..139...489

Did Will only hit .254 in 2010? I suppose this is possible. In both years he missed the same three weeks of games while leading Living Science trips. If he played in a similar number of games, the similar number of plate appearances (71 & 68) and at bats (59 & 54) would be correct. The walks and/or hit by pitch totals (12 & 13) are also similar.

I didn’t dig out my scorebooks, but I dig search my blog for 2010 Crown recaps. Seems I did write about at least 13 hits, including two home runs. Based on my usually positive stories, it appeared Will did struggle at the plate that spring.

On a related note, it was interesting to observe the official scoring decisions at the Braves game Saturday night. In particular, when how an outfielder misplayed a ball, allowing the batter to take second or third.

Two Monday Wins

Monday Will’s team won their first two games in Florida…both in exciting fashion.

Down 4-2 entering the next to last inning, Crown scored six unanswered runs to beat Hendersonville NC. The Knights only managed four hits, and Will had one of them: a double.

Will played flawless defense at shortstop and third, throwing out three runners at first (plus two more in the second game).

In the nightcap Crown trailed Temple Texas going into the bottom of the sixth, 1-0. Crown had only managed two hits, and the Temple pitcher had retired 10 of the last 11 batters. After allowing one 2-out run in the first, Will pitched three straight scoreless innings…keeping Crown in the game.

Leading off the sixth, Will walked on a full count and stole second. Nathan singled, but Will was held up at third. Braeden and Adam struck out, but Casey walked to load the bases. Little Franklin’s single to right scored Will with the tying run and Nathan with the go-ahead run.

MVP Watch: Like Will, Braeden also pitched three scoreless innings. Will put the ball in play all six times, but the big first baseman was 0-6 for the day. He wore the collar in game two, striking out all 3 times. Braeden did steal two bases, but got tagged at third on a ground ball to the pitcher.

Brittany, Emily, & Anna