The rain never came. I did keep looking at those dark gray skies, begging them to open wide and save us, but all we got were some occasional sprinkles. And yet, it still turned out ok, better than ok... it was a really good day at the ballpark.Oscar got on base three of the four times he was up to bat. (It helps that the coaches pitch in Single A and it turns out that there are no strikeouts.) On his first at-bat he hit the ball solidly to short on the 3rd pitch and made it to first with time to spare. We were stunned. On his second at-bat, it took quite a few more pitches but he finally made contact. He was out before he could make it to first, but he didn't know and kept going till he reached the base. He took the news well, though, and trudged solemnly back to the bench. A teammate met him partway and gave him the special Blue Jay's handshake. That's when I teared up. No arguing, no "private conversations". A whole lot of respect for the rules of the game. Comforted by a teammate. Wow.
Defense was a little trickier. Oscar played third base in the first inning. Paul stayed nearby on the sidelines, coaching him along. He watched all the balls go by, but he watched all the balls go by. He was down and ready at every pitch, and managed to sometimes get his foot on base when a runner was heading his way. Paul helped him orient his body so he could keep that foot on and still look for the throw. He was starting to look like he understood, and he was definitely focused.
I didn't see the whole game -- Abe's game was on the adjacent field so Ruby and I were moving back and forth. Paul said Oscar started to lose steam around the 4th inning, but he hung in there! When the game was over I asked Oscar how it went. He grinned wide and said,
"It was a challenge, mom. Yeah, it was hard and fun. It was a real mix of all of those three things -- challenging, hard and fun!"
He was practically bouncing down the sidewalk as we were talking. If you know Oscar, you know he doesn't bounce, but that is how happy he was. I'm so proud of that kid and his wonderful spirit. Keep it up Oscar, keep it up!
wow. for you and oscar.
ReplyDeleteLove all these posts. That picture of the boys together in uniform is priceless! I'm so glad I got to see Oscar's first hit -- and it was pretty fun watching Abe STEAL HOME TWICE, too. Hooray for the Hills!
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog. Your writing is lovely and clear; I enjoy the way you name your feelings and tell what is in your heart.
ReplyDeleteThe baseball pictures are adorable, and I'm so glad that they are enjoying it! I look forward to reading more about you and your family. God bless you.
I have really grown to love watching my boys play sports -- and this is a stretch for me as I'm one of three girls and hated athletics my entire life. There's something so simple about little boys, though, and I so appreciate that. Thank you for your kind words -- I love reading about your own family...
ReplyDeleteHi Mary, I returning your comment here becaue I cannot find a good way to respond to comments on my blog. I'm glad you are reading, I added yours too. It's nice to connect with local families! I'd love to know the friend of the friend of the friend connection if you even figure it out. I'm fascinated by how people find my blog and I can't seem to imbed a guest book. I keep trying, but can't get it onto the blog.
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