I Believe in the Church of Baseball...

[Kevin T.]

Getting jammed sucks. Oh well.

There's so many bats out there now its nuts. The DeMarini's are getting more and more popular. The D1, D2, and D3 national champs all use DeMarinis. The Vexxum has a lot of flex and is more geared toward contact hitters. The Voodoo is stiffer and is nice for big power guys. Easton is still big with the Stealth and now the composite Stealths. Also, each Stealth model has a Regular flex or Stiff flex variation. Louisville Slugger's Exogrid is another popular one and their Dynasty and Omaha are still popular. Rawlings has the Plasma and the Big Stick. Nike just busted onto the scene with the Aero and another one. There's so much new stuff out, with double walls, aerodynamic end caps, carbon nanotube technology, composite materials, etc

The fence is so enticing, but more righties actually hit balls over it than lefties. Often, they fight off a curveball or are late on a fastball but get enough on it to just clear the fence. Left center is more my thing. Hit a ball in that gap and it'll roll on the Field Turf the length of the football field. You gotta run 360 ft, but it's almost always a home run.

As for the game, it doesn't show batting average wise, but I got on base twice, got a run in on one of them, and hit the ball hard when I did swing the bat. All this while not getting a good pitch to hit. Getting jammed happens. It's being able to work around that and still be productive that matters.

[Kevin T.]

Bad game today. We didn't come ready to play. They did. They came in the first inning and hit our ace hard. They only got 2 runs out of the inning, but they set the tone and controlled the game from then on. We scored 1 in the bottom of the inning, but it was 6-1 going into the bottom of the 7th. Some life finally sparked, but too little, too late. A two run homer and a RBI triple put us with men on first (tying run) and third with 1 out. Back to back strikeouts to end the game. They came into our house and walked all over us. Embarrassing.

Went 2 for 4 from the clean-up spot. Their pitcher was a tall lanky kid who threw in the mid 60s. The off speed threw me off in my first at bat. A little bit anxious and I pulled it enough that the first baseman was able to make a play on it to his right and get the force at 2nd. FC. 2nd at bat: double to left center. If their outfielders weren't playing extremely deep it might have been more. Still, they knew how to play our field and did a good job. 3rd at bat: hit a long fly ball to left of center. Again, with the outfielders playing deep, the CF was able to make a play on it. I hit it hard and hit it far. They made a play. 4th at bat: Up with 1 out in the 7th. Down 6-3, runner on 1st. Hit a triple to left field. Stumbled going around 1st base and pulled something in my left thigh as I saved it. Might have been able to leg out a HR if I didn't stumble, but whatever, bad break.

Finished 2 for 4 with double, triple, RBI.

Lackluster performance by the team. Got a talking to by the coach afterward and then another senior and I spoke up in the huddle. We better come ready to play tomorrow or else there's some seniors who are ready to explode. As a senior class, we have kids who have stepped up to be leaders. We're sick of this lackadaisical attitude. We're not a good enough team to just show up and play. We need to be the dirt dogs - hustling out every ground ball or fly ball or pop-up, giving up our bodies in the field, just giving 110% all the time. That's the only way we'll win ball games. We don't have a team on our schedule that we can blow out on any given day or that can blow us out. All of our games will be close and it's those hustle plays that will make the difference.

This week will effectively decide our season. We're starting to get tension on the team, with kids complaining about playing time and each other and arguing stupid stuff that a team can't have. There's 3 of us who are going to get people listening this week and set the tone for the rest of the season.

[RedLefty]

You really are an opposite field guy! Nice game -- you did what you could.

Sounds like the seniors are leading appropriately.

[Kevin T.]

Another bad game. The bats finally woke up, we batted around in the 4th inning, and put up 10 runs...and still lost because we somehow forgot how to play defense and had 6 errors. A lot of unearned runs. They had, at one point, scored 9 runs on just 5 hits. Pathetic. The only high I can take out of this is that we showed signs of life and playing as a team. We were down 6-1 and had a 7 run inning to make it 8-6, but we gave up 3 runs in the next inning to go down 9-8. A 2 run homer put us up 10-9, but a double, an error, and some timely hitting by them put them up 11-10 for good.

Very questionable calls by the umpires today, but I can't blame them for the loss. The home plate umpire didn't call the same zone for both teams and punched out our 3 hitter 3 times on pitches that nearly hit the kid. Base umpire said the tying run for them got his hand in diving back into 3rd base when he was out by a mile. I could bitch and complain about their calls all day, but it comes down to us not making simple plays, like hanging on to the friggin ball or fielding an easy ground ball. This is a make or break week for us. We're 0-2 so far. We need to finish 2-2 to save the season. We have a monster week next week against some of the top teams in the area. We need momentum going into next week.

Went 1 for 3 with a RBI. Swung at a bad pitch to hit in my first at bat and got jammed again with a weak grounder to first. 2nd at bat got up with the bases loaded and got nailed in the bottom hand. It pinched the skin against the knob so I have this big blood blister that's in the worst spot and bruising all over the bottom of my hand. 3rd at bat I struck out for the first time this year. Got down 0-2 and fouled off like 3 pitches before I foul tipped a curveball and the catcher hung on. 4th at bat I hit a solid single to right and scored on the next pitch as our 5 batter hit a HR. He had a big day: 5 RBIs.

Tweaked my hamstring again so I'll have to play it safe today during practice and just play through it on Friday and Saturday. I want to chop off my entire left leg at this point.

It's frustrating. We didn't come ready to play, again. We finally woke up so hopefully the bats will stay alive for a while. We haven't been getting production from the bottom of our lineup. It's been all 1-5 hitters. Our 8 hitter hit a pop-up homerun over that short right field fence, but that was it really. We need more kids to go up there and get on base to set up the hitter at the top. It's make or break time.

[Kevin T.]

Ugh. 16-0 L. 1 for 2 with a single. It's pathetic how, aside from maybe 3 of us, nobody cared that we got mercy ruled by one of our rivals.

[RedLefty]

Dang. You need a 31yo on your team? I actually never played high school ball, so maybe I have some eligibility left.

[Kevin T.]

We need players who actually care about the game and want to play. Our entire program on all three levels has that problem where a bunch of kids just show up and go through the motions. We weren't able to get all 3 aspects - hitting, pitching, and fielding - going at the same time during any game this week.

Lost 8-7 today. We blew a 6-2 lead. Our starter went out and pitched good enough for the win. Worked around a lot of walks and a few hit batters to keep them to 2 runs. We finally got some offense and then our pitching imploded in the 6th, with 2 kids giving up 5 runs. Only scored one in the bottom of the 7th.

Went 1 for 4. 1st at bat: RBI double down the first base line. 2nd at bat: E4. Hit a rocket to the right of the second baseman that went through his backhand attempt. 3rd at bat: Pop up to center. 4th at bat: struck out swinging.

I'm trying to do too much at the plate and I know it. I swung at bad pitches in my last 3 at bats. I know what I have to do. I just gotta settle down and be better with pitch selection. The swing is there, it's choosing when to use it that needs some tinkering. I'll be fine.

The team needs to step it up. We're still getting nothing from the bottom of the lineup and some other key spots that were expected to contribute. Went 0-4 this week and the hardest week on our schedule is coming up now. We need our ace to go out there on Monday and prove that he's an ace. We need that shot of confidence.

[Kevin T.]

Ugh. We totally outplayed the #17 team in the state today, but ended up with a 7-6 loss. Another 1 run loss. 4 out of our 6 losses are by 1 run and another is by 2. 3 unearned runs after a bad error by our LF. 2 outs, kid hits a pop up between short and left field. Our SS is under it, but yields to the LF calling him off. The kid didn't know our SS was camped under the ball and tried to make a running catch and missed it. 2 runs score and another scores a batter later. There's your ball game.

Went 3 for 4 with an RBI. First at bat: ground ball off the end of the bat or the handle to the right of the 1B who made the flip to the pitcher. Second at bat I just threw the bat out there on an outside pitch and managed to hit it a bomb that got a nice ride from the wind. RBI double. 3rd at bat: another double, this time to left center. 4th at bat, single to left. I was the tying run on 3rd with 2 outs when our 6 hitter flied out to right field. Really, really tough loss, but we're finally showing some character and spirit and other kids are finally starting to get hot. We'll have to bounce back against another good team on Wednesday.

[Kevin T.]

Lost yesterday's game 5-3. Had a 3-2 lead going into the 6th, but gave up 3 in the bottom half to blow it. Went 1 for 3 with a pop-up off a jamjob, ground out to first, and single to center.

The team finally broke through today with a 13-4 win. Our 6 hitter hit 2 home runs in a single inning and our #2 and #3 guys added HRs of their own. I went 1 for 3 with an RBI. RBI double my first at bat, walk my second at bat, struck out swinging in my 3rd at bat, and popped up to second in my last at bat. I fouled a pitch off my foot during my 2nd at bat which was annoying but not that bad. Then, stealing 2nd base, I got nailed in the back with the throw. It wasn't that hard of a throw, but it hit me right on the bone toward the top of my shoulder blade. It hurt like crazy for the rest of the game and obviously affected everything. I didn't try it out throwing the ball hard; I didn't have to in the game and I actually threw the warm up ground balls right handed. It really hurt when I swung the bat too. I can't use it as an excuse for the strikeout, as I just swung at two bad pitches. On the last at bat, my left hand just flew off the bat as soon as I made contact because it hurt. Oh well, ice tonight and take it easy on the shoulder during practice tomorrow. Hopefully, it'll be less of a problem for the game on Saturday.

I've been out of it the past 2 games. I've gone 1 for 3 in both games, which isn't that bad, but I haven't hit the ball well and my at bats haven't been high quality at bats. My two hits have been a soft liner to center and a pop up double that fell in in left. The other times, I have been jammed or chased bad pitches. Facing a very very slow pitcher today really threw off my timing and I never once was comfortable in the box. Yesterday, I stupidly stood way too close to the plate and got jammed on an inside pitch my first at bat. Had to battle with two strikes in my second at bat and ending up fighting off a curveball down to first base. Sometimes it's a curse being able to hit almost any pitch, no matter where it's pitched. While most kids foul off those types of pitches, I'm the guy who puts them into play. Sometimes it works out well and finds a place to land. Other times, it doesn't. I'd rather take my chances on the hits falling in.

I have some work to do in the cage tomorrow. I've got to find that comfort again in the box and get back to what I've been able to do all season long. Hopefully the one coach will be there tomorrow so we can work on it together. If not, I'll find a way.

We're facing a very good team on Saturday, but we know we're capable of being a very good team ourselves. Of our 7 losses, 4 are by 1 run and 2 are by 2 runs. Other than one game, we've played with the top teams in the area and have often held a lead. Hopefully today springs us off on a good run.

[Kevin T.]

Lost 8-5, but showed some good character. Defense played sloppily for the first two innings and we found ourselves in a 8-0 hole. Staged a comeback, but fell up short. Our pitcher and 3 batter hit a 3 run home run to make it 8-3 in the 3rd inning (I think). Next inning, the guy leading off ripped a double to left center and the guy after him followed with his 4th homerun in 3 games. 8-5. In the 6th, we had runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs, but our leadoff popped out to end the threat. Got the tying run up to the plate in the 7th, but couldn't break through.

I went 1 for 2 with 2 walks. First at bat: 4 pitch walk. 2nd at bat: struck out on an outside fastball. It probably was ball 4, but the umpire had called the same exact pitch both a strike and a ball in the same at bat so I had to try and get it. Couldn't get to it. 3rd at bat: walked. 4th at bat: Got up 2-0, it got to 2-2, worked the count full and fouled off a pitch before fighting off a pitch into left field for a single.

This week, we played teams that play serious baseball. Most of the teams we face don't have good enough pitching to effectively pitch around the big hitters. We faced the 3 best teams on our schedule this week, who have the pitching to get the job done. It was an adjustment having to deal with being pitched around. I haven't gotten a pitch that I could drive in a while. It's been mostly working the count and either drawing a walk or getting the bat on the ball on a hittable pitch. The good news is that our 5 and 6 hitters have been on fire lately. So, me getting on base = me being out there for them to drive me in.

My confidence hasn't been there for the past few games. It's all a mental thing. My last at bat was one of those break through at bats, like the one I had during my last preseason at bat. They brought in this big, hard throwing righty. The kid was about 6'2" and legit BIG. Had a very over the top arm angle and used his length effectively, so the ball was zipping in there pretty nicely. Being able to work the count and battle and get a good situational hit was a big lift.

4 more games next week, looking forward to a big week for the team.