Extra Innings

Bryan's game yesterday went into a 7th - and extra - inning.

It is remarkable how climactic those repeated victories feel. It's not about winning...it really isn't, though that's fun and rewarding. It's something "going your way". Something you can contribute to. A way to make yourself believe hard work pays off. A way to believe you have some control over things. It's an aside that it's a load of hooey, since lots of teams work hard, play hard, and still lose a load (if not all) the games. Trust me. We've been on 'em.

This team of mostly 10 and 11 year olds are good, no question, but they are no "phenomenon"...they've been down by 4 and 5 runs in the beginning of the 5th or even 6th (and final) inning, and somehow just throw a few great plays, and mesh for long enough to have a triple, or a few lighting-strikes of brilliance, and they race it up.

Yesterday was no exception. They were down for the first half of an 8AM game (trust me, that's not usually when kids excel at athletics...they are barely awake). The other team was playing well. Bryan's team woke up in the 3rd, and were a few runs ahead going into the 4th. In the 5th, they started to slip with a new pitcher in, and in this, this 6th game, 6th inning, things tied up, 6-6 (uh, see 6-6-6 in other random baseball amblings) we are now headed into Baseball Magic...and the story unfolds with a Mets victory - a ball being bounced off a shoe but considered "live" by the umpire, and an undefeated season goes one game longer.

Tonight they play the 7th game of 13, and one more victory this season will assure a AAA Nat'l Div championship. The question remains: Will they lose some of the "magic" if a title/honor is attained by the half way point in the season? Will they still "fight" for every game? Will their little bodies tip over with oversized egos? I guess we will see...My Bryan turns 11 tomorrow...would be nice to turn 11 with a swelled head.