"Take Me Out to the Ball Game"

We saved the best for last.  After seeing the sights of Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown and Washington DC, we got down to business.  Heading north to Philly, to watch some baseball. 

"Baseball, to me, is still the national pastime because it is a summer game.  I feel that almost all Americans are summer people, that summer is what they think of when they think of their childhood.  I think it stirs up an incredible emotion within people."
~Steve Busby


Watching these boys play is pure pleasure.  They love the game.  They have fun, they are busy, they are close to one another. 

"The other sports are just sports.  Baseball is a love."
Bryant Gumbel

Taylor is a freshmen and is playing on the junior varsity team.  Can't believe how he's grown.  He's also very smart.  (hey it's ok for grama's to go on and on about grandson's)

"There have only been two geniuses in the world.  Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare."
Tallulah Bankhead

Jack is our lefty.  Fun to watch him pitch and hit.  Although he can switch it up.  His determination will take him wherever he wants to go. 

"Don't tell me about the world.  Not today.  It's springtime and they're knocking baseballs around fields where the grass is damp and green in the morning and the kids are trying to hit the curve ball."
Pete Hamill

Hogan plays all sports as if he were born to play that particular sport.  Yet, he chooses baseball.  He loves the game and it shows.  He's fun to watch because the knowledge of the game is just in him.  He takes the game seriously, yet there's always a smile on his face.

"Don't forget to swing hard, in case you hit the ball."
Woodie Held

Luke always swings hard, and seldom misses.  He loves to play catch.  I love to watch as he rips that catchers mask off and is ready for any play.  He's always ready for anything. 

And then there's the spectators.  James and Becky are constantly on the go.  They keep their boys on schedule, uniforms clean. Up at five for early morning seminary, off to school, homework, then off to the various ballfields for practice, games.  They pull it off.  James actually does have a full time job, and Becky is running (literally) from morning to night.  They are amazing. 
I'm so grateful, we get to jump into their lives each spring and take part in all they are doing. 

"It's root, root, root for the hometeam,
if they don't win it's ashame.
Cause it's one, two, three, strikes you're out
In the old Ball Game!!!!!"

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.