Eli leads off while Adam steals 2nd

I have to give a lot of credit to the D-Rays. They are a well coached and very experienced team. They have a lot of super league players that came up with incredible hits and plays. And all of that is positive because we made them make some incredible plays. The score would indicate a blowout, yet we were in the game mentally every inning and every pitch. Our bats were alive and the D-Rays’ second baseman came up with a few lined drive shots that would have been big producers against most other teams.  Their shortstop/pitcher also had to make some great plays.

ELI’S COMING - Those of us in attendance will permanently have etched in our minds the late-in-the game play from Eli. I know that I have replayed it in my mind at least a hundred times. The batter popped up a foul ball about 4 feet towards the 3rd base side but in foul territory at which time Adam jumped up and threw off his mask and had no idea where to even look for the ball.   I was about to yell to look up when out of nowhere came this flash from the pitching mound. Saying anything would have caused a sure collision between he and Adam. At a full run, Eli came running towards the ball and with an unbelievable dive, he flew horizontally at least 8 feet with his arm fully extended at about 12 inches off the ground to catch the ball just before it hit the ground. As he snagged it he continued to slide face first towards the fence right in front of our fans. 

Eli displays the type of dedication and commitment that makes all of this time involvement worthwhile. Off the field, Eli just a normal guy. He is well liked, funny, and just a joy to be around. On the field he is totally committed and inspiring to his fellow players, coaches, and our fans. It was such a payoff to all of us watching his incredible play. And while most players would either be unaware that a play like that could even be attempted, or way too cool to give all their effort to catch an apparently out-of-reach pop-up so late in a game that had already been decided, Eli taught us all to keep giving it our best effort no matter what the scoreboard says. All I can keep saying is “That was incredible!” At-A-Boy Eli!

Nathaniel in the batting cage

NATHANIEL’S GLOVE - Once again Nathaniel came up with a big right field early-IN-THE  game catch that left us all wondering if it was really in his glove. Playing right field in these late evening games at the City Center is so tough with the afternoon sun. At-A-Boy Nathaniel!... I must also add that in his last at bat Nathaniel watched the ball coming straight at his face when he finally couldn’t stand in the box any longer and ducked at the last second.... “Strike Three” was clearly heard as the ball curved back over the plate. He looked white as a ghost heading back towards the dugout. Those of you that have never faced a curveball will never appreciate the fear that it instills. All I can say is to never give up and confidently get back in the batters box and give it another try. Failure only comes to those that give up and never try it again... Keep it up Nathaniel.

GRUMPY COACH - I overheard the comment “Why is Coach Chuck always so grumpy.” Knowing Chuck and respecting his love for the game, I know that Chuck just wants each boy to raise his level of play and be the best that they can become. It may sound gruff and a bit on the grumpy side, and I can understand how the young men may take it badly. I am glad that I am not the one who has to make all of the tough decisions or else I might just be a grump, too. It is often difficult to take the time to give the equal praise during the games, and as coaches we will work harder to improve on that. What we have in Coach Chuck is a man who is dedicated and is really giving a great effort in pulling the most from our boys. At-A-Boy Coach Chuck!

JOSH COMES UP BIG - Josh came up big with a huge hit and two great catches in center field. Each time he chased them down with great confidence in his stride. Both catches prevented huge rallies. At-A-Boy Josh!

DOUBLE PLAYS - We had two great double plays in the game. The first was a great catch in right field that allowed for the throw to first to get out the runner who never believed that we would make such a catch and throw. I can’t remember whether that was Dylan or Nathaniel that made the catch, but it was incredible. The second double play came as Eli got the ball hit down the first base line and he threw out the runner at first while Brian took the ball and threw it home to get the runner sliding hard into home. Adam had great position 1 foot in front of the plate and the runner never even touched the plate. At-A-Boy Team!

MATT SPEWS... AND SPEWS... AND SPEWS - This game will long be remembered for Matt’s ability to spew throughout our dugout. Tuna fish and pickles will never quite look so appealing again. I was certain that it was pineapple, but in a flushed facial sweat, Matt assured me that it was pickles. Needless to say, Matt did not start at third base. Instead, he was laid down onto the soft summer grass and left to rest it off. Whether it was just a dose of bad food or the stress of his older sister weighing hard upon him we, do not know. He was able to come into the game to bat and even play an inning of infield. I am glad that we weren’t needing him on the mound and that we could hide the fact that he wasn’t at 100%. He was relieved later in the game when big Matt showed up and let Bubba know that all was going to be well at home. I find it amazing just how resilient these boys are as they try to juggle the pressures of home, family, school, scouts, and then of course, baseball. Way-To Spew-Matt!

Matt sprawled on the grass	Our smelly spew filled dugout

Coach Leavitt & Little Joey

COACH WIMP - Late in the game, I grabbed the catcher’s glove and headed behind the plate to warm up Eli while Adam got suited up. Being unprotected by anything other than my glove is scary as Eli releases the ball. The speed and zip is incredible. The ball moves from right to left as it approaches. This means that you think the ball is going to hit you in the heart and before you know it, it is about to strike you in your left pants pocket. I missed that one but luckily deflected it from hitting my torso. I got back down and Eli delivered another one that hit the dirt immediately in front of my feet. I jumped upward and luckily the ball skidded safely beneath me and to the backstop at which point the opposing team’s fans heckled me for letting the ball get by me.. This happened just as Adam was walking up to take over the position and I gladly handed him the glove and loudly wished him the best of luck behind the plate. I have to give Adam and Matt props for their efforts behind the plate. Our pitchers are still finding their targets and yet they are throwing fast and hard. Anybody can catch perfect strikes, but it takes a special heart to chase 40 passed balls to the backstop and continue to don the gear enthusiastically with each new inning. And while I was a wimp, I encourage any of the parents who would like to try it to get behind the plate between innings and warm-up one of our starters. At-A-Boy Catchers!

NATHAN’S DEFENSE - Nathan looked like a pinball ball as he played the different positions in the infield. He played first, third, shortstop and pitcher in just an hour and forty five minutes. Both times at third he had hard ground balls hit to him that were shagged and thrown hard to first for the out. Kudos to Brian who caught each one of the throws for outs. It was also fun to see Nathan on the mound again. He has the height and the fun disposition to not get down even when the other team is hitting strong. Not having pitched before, it will be fun to watch his progress. At-A-Boy Nathan!

JEREMY RETURNS - Jeremy also took the mound last night. He came up to me and said, “Coach, I am ready to pitch if you need me.” To which I told him that was great and that he should go pass along his enthusiasm to Coach Chuck and we would see how it goes. Coach Chuck responds well to our players that show positive enthusiasm and when the time was right, he put Jeremy on the mound. Jeremy is also progressing well as a pitcher and his velocity and accuracy is improving. At-A-Boy Jeremy!

INEXPERIENCE - The 2007 Orem Dodgers are progressing and learning very fast for such an inexperienced team.  When we can turn the double plays, the great catches in the outfield, the throws to first that to get the batter out, the fans and coaches are thrilled! Some of you may wonder why every play that seems like it should be routine is not always an automatic out.  This is due to our inexperience when compared to many of the other teams in the league. The disparity is quite evident as we face some of these other teams, but we have to hold our heads up high and keep trying to improve. I share this with all of you because we have to compare ourselves against ourselves and be the best players that we can become.

Aaron	Adam

I want each one of us: parents, coaches, and players to ask ourselves, “How many official games has my son played in during the last year?” The answer for most of us is maybe 15 to 18 regular season games along with an All-Star game. This means that each of our boys has been in about 15 games or less this past year and probably about the same in the prior years. Compare this with boys who have dedicated their youth to traveling with super-league teams and who have played in at least 80 games a year for the last 2 to 5 years. These boys have faced hundreds of pitchers, caught thousands of balls, and made thousands of plays. We are also facing pitchers who have pitched in hundreds of games. There is no way to get the same level of experience by just playing in our Orem Youth Baseball league during the spring, but it is great to be facing that type of competition as long as we don’t get down on ourselves. We are currently facing teams with up to 6 super leaguers on their rosters. This may seem unfair, and while efforts to spread the talent throughout the league are non-existent, we get to enjoy a different type of success during each game.  We currently enjoy each successful play and each time we get on base. We don’t get the luxury of expecting plays to be made and we therefore never get bored or complacent. We revel in each positive play. We are thrilled with every pitched strike and every fielded ball. We are a team in progress and I am thrilled to be a part of this great group of young men.... Go Dodgers!