Not gonna happen. Down 11-3 with only four innings left to play. We came back and won once already this season down 8 runs, but this is the playoffs. Not our day. The team we pull for will regroup and play again Saturday in a “win or go home” contest”. Our turn to hit, only 12 outs left. First batter gets on base, then the next, then there’s a line shot in the gap to score both. We chip away with 5 runs, then our defense suddenly wakes up and gets our defense out of jam, limiting the damage to one run. The bottom of our lineup keeps the rally going, with great baserunning. Our weakest hitter legs out an infield single & crashes into the first baseman, drawing blood. No time for a sub, gotta get bandaged up & get back out there. Within 2 innings, we’re now up 13-12. Alright! Time to lock this down! But then our defense lets us down and we go from 1 up to 4 down in only one ½ inning. Down to 6 outs. We gave it a good run, heck, we even took the lead back, but we certainly can’t survive another surge like that. Only we did. The bats remained hot & another 5 runs got tallied in the home half of the inning. All we need are three outs to cap an amazing comeback. Again. First guy up rips a double. Ugh. Next guy lines to the SS, who flips back to second to double off the runner. Then another infield fly lands safely in the glove of our SS and it’s over. 18-17. We hoot and holler and hi-five each other watching the players excitement over another remarkable comeback. The highs and lows of the sports fan.
The aforementioned recap would have been amazing enough if you were watching the Braves or your favorite MLB team on TV or perhaps at the ballpark. Or perhaps your local area minor league affiliate, or even perhaps your alma mater. As it turns out, none of those would be correct when citing the source material for the story.
What you just read was my view last night of my eight year old son’s little league postseason tournament game. And it may have been one of the most nerve-wracking fan experiences I’ve ever been a part of. My son’s team has made it a habit of pulling out remarkable comebacks this year, including last night. They stand only a couple of games away from winning the league championship. As a fan, I’ve know that this only ratchets up the excitement of what may come, but also how badly it could end (think 2012 SEC Championship Game, 1993 World Series Game 6, etc). The kids have been great, and are learning a lot about baseball and life.
We all get nerves watching our favorite teams play. I’m an unapologetic fanatic of UGA, Philly pro sports teams, and anyone playing the Gators or the Dallas Cowgirls. I have seen plenty of amazing and electric sporting events in my (almost) 38 years on planet Earth. Many have even been in the company of one of the founders of GRH. But watching your kids in completion (sports, dance, debate, etc.) takes your level of investment in the event to a whole other level. Especially if they are young. You can’t really make a big deal about a booted ground ball or a strikeout. They know they messed up, but they’ll keep battling. No need to pile on. But you are there for them, not only as a parent, but as a fan. It’s why I love sports. And it’s why I can’t wait to get back out there Saturday to cheer them on (trying my best not to toss my hat down in disgust when things go wrong).
An update: I happen to know that Josh's son won the Championship on Saturday. Congrats Zachary! You too, Josh.
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