FRIDAY FAVES, BASEBALL EDITION!

Good morning, friends!  It's our final Friday of July together!  It's so hard to believe just 2 1/2 short weeks from now my little guy will be in 6th grade.  Kings of the school, the coolest of cool.  And man is he feeling it.  He has made some new friends this summer and started his pubescent transcend into hell.  He smells bad almost all the time unless he has just stepped out of the shower (mostly because the man child never stops running and refuses to just CHILL).  He is orchestrating his first kiss with the help of his friends (god help me... that's a separate blog).  And he is at the convergence of three sports - baseball, football and basketball.  But for today... we will focus on baseball.

The Yankees are taking to the field tonight to hopefully clench the Championship.  If we succeed, it will be two years in a row.  I have blogged before about placing our kids in line with great influences but man have we hit the jackpot on this one.  This is our 6th year with the SAME COACH.  From t-ball to now.  And we're in a rec league that drafts.

We are one lucky family.

It's obvious that we love our coach as I slather him with compliments whenever I can.  But the biggest reward we have been given is not only drive, determination and heart is exemplified to our son every practice and every game, but honesty, trust and integrity.  You can't buy that kind of parental assistance.  Makes our job a whole lot easier.

So I'll kick off my faves with pics of my little guy.  I can't help myself.  We have an amazing photographer on our team that is taking so awesome shots and I can't help but take stock in them.

FAVE COACH PICS

From then to now.  Little guy's first year of baseball he won a fantastic award, the Blue Darter.  It was a great day... one we won't ever forget.  But what I remember most about that day is the pride our Coach had in our boy.  You can see it in his face.

2007 Blue Darter Award

Now they have become friends.  The talk specific details of a game... proper position, proper form and proper attitude.  Coach expects more of our little guy and little guy looks up to him more than I ever imagined he could.  It's an amazing relationship to watch, one that fills my heart with pride.

Taking position at first

FAVE PITCH

Little guy loves to pitch.  His Pooh even built him a mound in our basement which is just shy of the regulation length but close enough.  He throws balls every chance he gets into the backstop his Dad put up.  But this is when I love to see him most.  Last inning, pushing with all he has.  He gets a little nervous to start out but absolutely loves to close a game.  And thanks to his cousin Matthew, he has developed quite the great form.  I will say that I always feel like I'm going to throw up when he approaches the mound.  I wonder if that feeling will ever go away?

FAVE FUNNY

Run Forest, RUN!  When little guy gets his stride open wide that kiddo can truck it around the bases.  His flaw?  He watches the ball.  One of these days Coach will break him of that and teach him to run with pure abandon until he is told to stop.  For now though, he's been pretty lucky rounding them and getting home.

FAVE SLAM

Coop is almost an all or none kind of ballplayer.  He either slams the ball out far into outfield or he hits it straight to the first or third baseman getting out (or of course he does strike out from time to time).  When he is on a hot streak it is so fun to watch his enthusiasm as he approaches the plate.  He has told me in secret that he gets very nervous every single time he bats but you certainly wouldn't know that if you watched him.  I love to watch his at bats and the pride on his face when he does well.  He hit a home run earlier this week so let's pray for a repeat tonight!

FAVE PLAY

Although little guy loves the mound his real true position that suits him best is first base.  He is long and lean, moves quickly and accurately and can catch the ball most of the time.  Well, and it goes without saying that we have some fantastic arms on our team that can make that throw to first perfectly the majority of the time.  This pic has to be my overall fave - in action, catching a hit.  LOVE it.

FAVE TEAM

Winners of the regular season.  First seed in the draft for the playoff tournament.  Banging out game after game with spreads in two.  And now... the finale of the season.  Tonight's game is hopefully the end of our season.  But with the end always comes sadness.  Because the truth is, we love this team.  We love the parents, grandparents and friends that come watch in the smoking hot weather.  We love the little kiddos that run around playing in the dirt watching (or not) their big brother's play ball.  And of course, we love the coaches.  Without them, this team wouldn't be.  Greatness ALWAYS starts at the top, friends.

Yankees 2012 Championship Winners!

Yankees 2013 (Regular Season Ender)

Have a fantastic Friday, friends!!


Jen