BASEBALL!

Our Eastern Gang live breath and eat baseball in the summertime.
Actually all the time.
 As it should be.
They are a family of four boys with a dad who loves baseball and a mom who gets them to all their games and practices on time, keeps their strength up, loves them, cheers for them, washes all their uniforms, keeps them organized (ok, so I was a baseball mom and I know what Becky does, I've seen her in action- should I keep on going?) 
The other day Hogan had a game that every baseball player should have once, when they are young.
I remember a few from my dad's coaching days.
There was that great day when James' team took the State Tournament after an unbelievable season and two grueling days.
And then this game for Hogan.
 How I wish I had been there to see it!
 But I heard the voices over the phone.
And James sent us this.
I hope this young man doesn't mind me sharing.
 He wrote about the game right after it happened.
 It is the game through the eyes of a 10 year old.
 It's beautiful.
 It says it all.


It Happened on July 24, 2011


By Branden Stauffer


"The 10A Team Harleysville was losing 6-2 in the top of the sixth. Dean leads off, hits a grounder to 2nd baseman, he bobbles it and Dean is safe. Branden is batting, I get hit by the 2nd pitch. So Dean is out 2nd, I'm on 1st. Dean and me do a double steal. Hogan is up with 1 out and hits a single. Dean scores, its now 1st and 3rd for Billy. Billy hits a single, I score, and its 6-4, still 1 out.


Brian smashes one to deep center, the center fielder catches it a step away from the warning track. Hogan tags up and scores and Billy gets to 2nd. 6-5 and 2 outs with runner on 2nd and Aaron up. Aaron has 1 ball 2 strikes, 1 more strike and the game is over. Aaron...rips a double down the left field line. Billy scores easily, Aaron gets to third on throwin error. 6-6 tied up with 2 outs and runner on third with Matt. Matt hits a fly ball that the shortstop catches in left field.


Bottom of the 6th we held the Lancaster Barnstormers so we went to extras. In the 7th, the Harleysvill Hornets and the Lancaster Barstormers had something going in their half inning but nobody scored. In the 8th we scored 3 runs in the pouring rain. Then in the bottom of the 8th we shut them down in the screaming rain. We win! I will never forget this moment in my life. This team beat us yesterday 11-2, and now today we beat them in the Berkshire tournament.


It was 2 hours long. We played 8 innings. Some of them were in the rain. We used wooden bats. Wow! Have you ever seen a better baseball game than this game?"




Well I've seen a few, but the words of a 10 year old boy describing them is something I haven't seen.
This was priceless.


I just have to interject here that the team had pretty much used all their pitchers, so the last four innings our grandson Hogan was pitching. His dad told him to just take his time and pitch slow balls right over the plate. They couldn't hit them. The other team didn't score off of our little guy (a grama does have bragging rights you know).


Summertime and baseball -
nothing better.