Baseball ~ In the Most Delightful Way

The Spring began with me feeling a little bit of sadness that after eleven years, this would be our first Spring with no baseball.  After countless hours spent at itty-bitty t-ball through the little league games of young men, Alex is done playing baseball.  There are parts of it I was glad to be done with, but of course I was going to miss parts of it too.

Then came the decision from Beth that she would play baseball on a co-ed Y team with her friend, Maddy.  We have only had two practices, one in down pouring rain, and these two are the only girls on the team.  They stick together.  And the team name?  The Mariners!  (Which you know thrills me to no end...and it makes the cheering so much more simplistic for my brain.  If in doubt, yell out "Go, M's!" and you are saying the right thing.)  Maddy tried hard to get the team name to be the Pugs, after her beloved dog, but alas the Mariners won out.

So today was the first game of the season.  It did not disappoint.  It was everything a co-ed Y baseball game should be!  Lots and lots of cheering from both sides, regardless of which team did something cheer-worthy:  like run to the right base or run off the field with great enthusiasm.  Everyone hits each inning, so there were opportunities aplenty for running the bases, which seems to be what baseball is all about to these kids. 

Maddy was a hitting machine, swinging at the first pitch and sending the ball blazing into the infield.  Apparently "keeping your eyes on the ball" is overrated.  Beth followed Maddy, of course...these girls have to stick together.

The hitting was equally impressive from Beth.  But her forte proved to be speeding around those bases, ponytail flapping in the breeze behind her.  Never mind the fact that Maddy was already on a base that Beth was speeding to.  No problem.  Maddy just politely moved to third base.  And when Beth showed up there a few seconds later?  Maddy just sprinted for home, Beth again right on her heels.  They crossed home plate seconds apart, to the sound of as much laughter as applause.  Yep, these two sweet friends stick together.  When I asked Beth after the game why she kept running, she said, "Well, I noticed they just kept throwing the ball around to different places, so I kept running where they weren't throwing the ball."  There's some great baseball philosophy for you.  Brad happened to be video taping that whole scene, so it is now preserved forever.

Another highlight of the game was watching Maddy do a stellar job of playing catcher.  She rocked that spot...especially when she found her groove: propped against the backstop.

Another highlight of the game?  The much-loved base race.  The kids never tire of the base race!

And perhaps the biggest highlight of the game?  SNACK TIME!! 

Welcome back, baseball.  Just when I thought I was going to miss you, you burst back into my life in the most delightful way.