Today was the first game of Fall Baseball.  Both Matthew and Riley were excited to be playing.  Matthew was totally “on”  during the practice.  Yesterday someone had taken his helmet and we got a different one.  So I handed it to him and told him to bring it to the dugout and someone would realize that they had his.  It took me a few minutes to get to the bleachers and when I did, he ran up to me and said that he showed it to the coach and he had said that someone would figure it out.   When one of the boys told him to go to the batting cages, he ran to the dugout; put his helmet on, grabbed his bat and ran across the complex right to the batting cages (I didn’t even know he really knew where they were!). 

The team did great!  They scored 7 runs in the first inning and the 3rd out happened as Matthew was to be on deck.  So, he jumped right up there as the 2nd batter in the 2nd inning.  After 2 pretty wild swings, he totally connected with the next pitch and hit it to 3rd and easily made it to first base.  He “stole” both 2nd and 3rd on wild pitches and then was scored on a hit by the next boy.  He was sooooooo excited. 

In the next inning he went out into right field and he got one ball hit to him on the ground and made a great throw to 2nd to hit the cut off man.  He played left field the next inning and – though he didn’t have anything hit to him – was alert, watching the entire time.   After that inning the coach called me over to say he was going to put him in the in-field for the 5th inning – if that was okay with me?!  I was like – sure…let him try.  But the time started going by and the next at bat took a long time.

So, I was expecting that he would sit out in the fourth but as the coach assigned the places, he got to Matthew and another kid – and he looked at Matthew and walked him to 2nd and got the boy on 2nd to go out.  This was an inning with about 5 walks and 3 hit batters and the other team scored 5 runs – Matthew was ready but never had a chance to field the ball.  All the same, he came running off the field beaming from ear – to – ear. 

He ran up to me at the end and told me they WON!  (I know, I was watching).

So, tonight I wrote an email thanking the coach for be allowing Matthew to play both in the practice and the game – and this was his response…

“Matthew is a great kid and will continue to be an important part of our team.  I always enjoying coaching kids with heart over talent but today he definitely had both.   It will be fun to watch him and the team improve during the season.  Thanks for the note. ” 

So…I have cried twice today…it’s nice to have happy tears sometimes.

Categories: Baseball, Family, Single Parent, sports