we win again

Well, that's two in a row now for us. Two tournament wins. Granted, we did kinda back into the winners circle with this one. Up 3-1 in fifth inning of the championship game, Mother Nature couldn't find it in her heart to let us finish the game and it was called. A win is a win is a win, though. We'll take it.

The boys can be proud of themselves for two things this weekend. One being the comeback win in the semi-finals. We were down 3 runs going into the bottom of the 7th and they could have easily laid down and conceded the victory, knowing that our goal is a victory in August, not June. Prior to the inning they huddled in the dugout with no prompting from the coaches. We still don't know what was said, but whatever it was it worked. It was a great display of playing for one another. They rallied to tie it and send the game to extra innings. Two innings later we ended the game on a walk-off single.

They can also be proud of their display of sportsmanship in receiving the championship trophy. After hoisting it above their heads for a few seconds they toned things down with the other team looking on. They congratulated each other in a subdued manner, respectful of their opponents. That is the way winning teams celebrate. And that is the way teams who have bigger goals in mind celebrate.

Now it gets a little more serious for us with a series of games against some tough opponents and the District Championships in July.

Congratulations Guys!!

record to date: 12 W, 3 L

home sweet home

There really is no place like home. And by home, I mean home field. After almost 2 years of waiting we finally have a park we can call home. Monday night marked our first chance to try out the new digs. While it doesn't have the ghost of players past like Yankee Stadium it was good to get on the field.

A very big THANK YOU goes out to all those that made this facility possible.

44 days and counting until the Canadian Championships begin!

baseball dads

Baseball dads - everyone who has ever played has them. The one's who bought your first glove, bat, and ball. The one's who played catch with you on a Saturday. And the one's who coached you, not necessarily because they were experts on the game, but because they just wanted to be there. Whatever the case may be, they all deserve a big thank you.

I can recall my dad throwing a plastic ball to me while I did my best in my uncoordinated kindergarten days to hit it with a plastic bat. Or the 5am wake up calls in high school to go take batting practice before school started. And the years he spent coaching me.

Most major moments in my life can in some way, shape or form, be traced back to baseball. Birthdays were always spent at a Blue Jay game. I'm sure bar mitzvahs would have been to if I was Jewish. I can probably tell you what I was doing every time the Blue Jays won anything of significance. And the one common thread through all of them has been my dad. He was there for all of them.

So, thank you dad. Thanks for the bat, the ball, the glove, and the memories.

Bernie Williams - Take Me Out To The Ballgame

the big red machine

This past weekend marked what we hope to be the first of many tournament wins this summer. We played nice in that we invited them to come to Ancaster. We didn't play nice in that we beat everyone! I did feel somewhat cheated though. I have a 20 yr old score to settle with High Park from my Little League days and we missed playing them. Alas, I will sit and simmer until we see them in about a month at the District Championships.

Victory is always fun, but when you can silence an over zealous grandma in the process? EVEN BETTER!! Now, I realize I have been away from Little League baseball for some years so maybe I missed the era where it transitioned from cheering on your son/daughter/grandkid to trying to get into the collective heads of the opposing team. Such was the case with the fan club of one of our opponents. Without divulging what was said, I will say that it lacked class. Support these kids for all the time they put into this, regardless of the colour of their jersey. Don't tear them down.

If there is one lesson to be learned, it is the baseball gods do not look favourably upon said lack of sportsmanship. They, along with a late inning comeback, helped us send that team packing.

Next up for us on our road to the nationals is a tournament in Hamilton at the end of June.

Our record to date: 7 W, 3 L

baseball is love

The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love.

Those that know me know that there are very few things in this life that I do at a high rate of speed. Some years ago there was a hurricane named Hurricane Nate to which a friend replied, "Don't you mean Glacier Nate?" Touche.

Baseball, of course, is not a game of speed. It is a game of nuances and the unseen. To sit and simply watch is to miss the point. It is a game to be absorbed and appreciated under the glare of the summer sun. Kids play it and adults who still wish they were kids play it.

Growing up, I can remember pouring over the stats in the Saturday paper until I had most of them memorized. And Sundays were for popcorn and scoring the Blue Jay game on TV. These days I drive by parks at night and see them lit up and, like a moth to a flame, I rubberneck. Baseball stadiums are my Disney World.

I have been to the cathedrals of the sport - Cooperstown, Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium, and Fenway Park - and didn't care if I ever came back. I walk out of the tunnel to my seat be it right next to the action or off in the far reaches of the park and stand in awe. Field of Dreams, my favourite movie, so eloquently represents this. Undeterred by all those around him who suggest he is certifiably nuts, Kevin Costner watches a cornfield full of his heroes play a game no one else sees. And that's what keeps me coming back for more. Whether it's a professional who makes you say, "how'd they do that?" or the Little Leaguer standing on first who just drove in the winning run and you're smiling right along with them. Each time it's something new.

Everybody has their passions - mine just happens to be a game.

we are family

Coming from an average sized family as I did, fielding an entire baseball team proved to be very difficult. My mom, as wonderful as she is, was never quite able to master the art of playing pitcher, catcher, and fielding all four infield spots at the same time while my dad, my brother and I roamed the outfield.

Fast forward to the summer of 2010 and I have been able to fill in the glaring holes in my familial defense with 12 new recruits. And as if by some divine Octomomian intervention they all happen to be 11 or 12 yrs old. Add 5 coaches into that mix and we are indeed one big family. We are a family brought together by our love of the sport and desire to accomplish something special this summer.

My newest family members are:
Simon Ranger #3
Matthew Grabstas #5
Liam Gallagher #11
Ben Miller #14
Adam Delfabbro #19
Brandon Chong #25
Justin Mignardi #27
Anthony Marzanek #33
Riley Gray #34
Mark Szostak #77
Caleb Radley #94
Justin Stephenson #98
Dave Whalen C
Andrew Thompson C
Mike Furdal C
Bill Gallagher C

on the road to the canadians

Consider this my first foray into the online world of self disclosure. Bear with me as I figure out this new method of spilling my brand of general nonsense.

For those not in the know I heart baseball - a lot. My playing days are over and I've since turned to coaching. I am an assistant coach of the Ancaster Cardinals that is hosting the Canadian Little League Championships in August. My intent is to use this as part update, part blog, part diary, and part whatever else I decide to tell you as our team of parents, coaches, and 12 incredibly talented boys journey along the road to this once in a lifetime tournament.

If they made baseball advent calendars I would probably have one for this.