Bombers Take Second at State

"B" State Tournament

Chickamauga, GA

Game 1: Won 18-3 against the Chatsworth Giants

Game 2: Won 19-11 against Boundary Waters

Game 3: Won 21-11 against the Powder Springs Warriors

Game 4: Won 7-2 against the LFO Warriors

Game 5 (semi-final): Lost 14-10 to the East Cherokee Rebels

Game 6: Won 20-17 against the Canton Noles

Game 7 (championship game): Lost 9-5 to the East Cherokee Rebels

Our first game was on Friday evening. We all headed up towards North Georgia, checked in our hotel in Chattanooga and ventured out to discover Chickamauga. The field as nestled between the train tracks and the public library and was probably the smallest field we have played on all season. Moreover, it was hard and dry -- almost like concrete. The conditions would definitely change the game.

We easily beat the Chatsworth Giants in the first game which was critical for us. Over the past three tournaments we have lost the first game and headed down to the loser bracket which makes it much more difficult to win. This also gave the boys the excitement and confidence they needed to win.

We played again on Saturday and faced a much tougher team but the boys prevailed and pulled out another win against Boundary Waters, 19-11. The boys played in the pool and went to the Lookouts game that evening. They were having a blast being together and playing together.

Since we were on a winning streak, we played two games on Sunday. The boys were on a roll and managed to beat both teams. We headed back to Atlanta 4-0 and one of the four final teams that would be in the semi-finals on Tuesday night. Everyone was excited to move forward but had to juggle schedules and make arrangements for another mid-week trip back to Chattanooga/Chickamauga.

We faced the East Cherokee Rebels in the semi-final. They were a very strong offensive team and got several home runs. Even though we were probably stronger in the field, we weren't entirely on our game and we lost 14-10 which meant that we had to play again since this was a double-elimination tournament. We met the Canton Noles and the boys played hard to win 20-17. They had made it to the finals of the state tournament. At this point, we felt that no matter what happened they were winners!

After a full day entertaining the kids at the pool, movies and aquarium we headed back to Chickamauga for one final visit. We met up with the East Cherokee Rebels again. They were 6-0 coming into the finals and they were very confident. They went out and quickly took the lead 5-0. While we stayed in the game, we weren't able to gain enough momentum to catch up and lost the game 9-5.

Overall, the Bombers ended the season with a 20-10 season record, two tournament wins, three trophies, a ton of amazing memories and a group of really good friends. Not too shabby!

A Big Win

USSSA's Battle of the 4th Tournament

North Macon Park

Macon, GA

Game 1: Lost to Team Precision 9-2

Game 2: Won against the North Macon All Stars 15-0 in three innings

Third seed after the pool games

Game 3 (semi-final): Won against Team Precision 11-6

Game 4 (championship game): Won against the Diamond Bears 11-9

We headed down to Macon for a one-day, all-day tournament. We were expecting it to be hot and buggy and some parents weren't looking forward to the trip. However, it was cool and breezy with just a few wispy clouds in the sky. A perfect day and we were glad to have to spent it outside.

The first game was at 10 a.m. and as usual it takes a while for our boys to get warmed up. They weren't hitting at all and made some errors in the field. Jayson played third base and made a few good plays and then rotated as pitcher. He had one good hit but that was it. The Bombers lost 9-2 to Team Precision (dressed in black!).

After a break we took on the hosting team, the North Macon All Stars. They had some very young and inexperienced players and we handedly won the game in three innings 15-0. The Bombers were energized by the win and their game started coming together both in the field and at the plate.

We all knew that we would have to step up our game in the semi-final where we faced Team Precision again. They were overly confident and our team was tight in the field and our bats came alive. We beat them 11-6 to make it into the championship game.

Everyone was excited that we had made it this far. Maybe due to our lucky red shirts or maybe due to the weather or the berry energy drinks that we gave the kids... whatever it was, we were happy to be there. We faced the Diamond Bears in the final game and amazingly the team played better than ever. They held them to no runs in several innings and they continued to hit consistently. They held it up and won the game 11-9 to win the tournament. The team and the coaches were so excited. The joy and happiness made the day in the sun in Macon, GA well worth it!

Sheer Disappointment

District Tournament
Wills Park
Alpharetta, GA

Game 1: Lost 13-9 against the Sandy Plains Cougars who we beat to win the Hobgood Showdown
Game 2: Won 21-4 in three and a half innings agains the Midway Wolverines
Game 3: Lost 11-8 against the Buckhead Braves

In the District Tournament only 10 players bat which means four players get rotated in. We found out that Jayson made it as one of the 8 starters and that he'd be batting lead off as well. Good to know that his performance has landed him a solid spot on the team.

We headed up to Alpharetta on a Thursday night fighting the traffic for over an hour. The boys seemed lethargic and unfocused. Seems to be the same story for most Thursday evening games this season. It was hot and sticky to top it off. We played the Sandy Plains Cougars who we had defeated to win the Hobgood Showdown. They were definitely out to set the record straight and they beat us pretty confidently. We made a lot of mistakes in the field and our boys weren't able to pull it together. Jayson played well at pitcher getting 8 out of 18 outs but no one man alone can win a baseball game.

Friday night was a different story and a different opponent. The Midway team struggled throughout and we railroaded them. The boys were hitting consistently and the Midway team's fielding was weak. Jayson played pitcher again and we held them to only 4 runs. It felt good to win one but we knew the road to making it to A State was a tough one.

Saturday put us up against the Buckhead Braves whom we lost to in the first tournament of the season. It was a close game early one but once the boys thought they were behind, it just fell apart. We weren't hitting as well (Jayson included) and we made mistakes in the field -- costly ones. The game ended in a heart-breaking loss which meant that we wouldn't qualify for the A State Meet in Rome. The coaches were devastated. The boys rallied around the thought that this meant they might be able to win the B State tournament and that Chattanooga would be a lot more fun than Rome.

When you face a tough loss like this the best thing for all is to look for the positive and hold on to it.

Extra Innings

All Tournament Players Park

Marietta, GA

Game 1: Lost 3-2 to the Powder Springs Indians in 7 innings

Game 2: Won 11-9 against the Wills Park Eagles in 7 innings

Game 3: Won 11-10 against the Dunwoody Dragons in 7 innings

Game 4: Won 20-10 against the Canton Stingers in 5 innings

Game 5 (Semi-Finals): Lost 20-14 to the Wills Park Eagles who went on to win the tournament

This tournament was filled with close games that ended up in extra innings. It makes you realize that in baseball no lead is ever big enough. The first game was a defensive duel. The Indians didn't expect to be held to two runs until the bottom of the 7th inning where they scored a walk off single to take the game.

The team wasn't deterred and came back strong on Saturday to win both games -- even though both ended up in extra innings. With their wins they earned a second seed, with Powder Springs in first. Sunday's first game was against the Canton Stingers and the boys dominated the game to win in only five innings. Of course we ended up waiting around in the heat trying to keep the boys entertained and focus until the semi-final later that afternoon.

The Wills Park Eagles won their game so we were up against them again. The game was dead even with both teams holding strong defensively and offensively. The Eagles inched ahead but in the bottom of the fifth we took the lead 14-13. The umpires said that we still had one minute left and we continued on to the sixth inning. Unfortunately, the Eagles rallied and our boys were worn out and defeated. They gave up seven runs and weren't able to earn any in return. The game ended with the Eagles winning 20-14.

Throughout the tournament Jayson's hitting was much improved. He was one of the top players in terms of run productivity -- runs and RBIs. He held his own as clean up hitter. In the field, he played pitcher and right center. He continues to play well and pitcher and is improving his skills in the outfield. All in all, even though we didn't come home with a trophy, the team continues to shine!

We are the Champions!

2010 Hobgood Showdown

Woodstock, GA

Game 1: Lost 20-5 to the Oregon Park Sharks

Game 2: Won 22-14 against the East Side Bombers

Game 3: Won 14-12 against the Rome Braves

Game 4: Won 9-6 against the Rome Braves

Game 5: Won 17-12 against the Hobgood Thunder

Game 6 (Championship Game): Won 17-2 against the Sandy Plains Cougars

What a weekend! We started out with a terrible loss on Thursday night against the Oregon Park Sharks. Most of us had battled traffic to get to Woodstock and the boys weren't hitting and were making mistakes in the field. We were afraid that this might be a repeat of our terrible losses here last year.

We played a double-header on Saturday and the boys were in top form. They were hitting and fielding and everything just felt right. One of our key players was out of town so Jayson filled in for him at right center. He played well and held his own. His wasn't hitting as well as he could have been but somehow through various acts of luck, he consistently made it on base. We won two games and earned our place in the "silver" tournament, the second top 8 teams out of 24 to start.

On Sunday, we faced the Rome Braves for the second time. We were seeded third and were the home team. We pulled out another win and then headed on to face the top seed and the home team -- the Hobgood Thunder. They were very confident and expected to win this league. They were taken back by our team who were on fire hitting and made very few mistakes in the field. Jayson rotated from pitcher to left field. We beat them to fight our way into the championship game.

The boys were on a huge adrenaline rush. They were so excited to have made it to the final game against all odds and anybody's expectations. We were up against the 7th seed Sandy Plains Cougars who had played the tournament with only 9 players. Our team was on a high and simply over-powered the other team to dominate the game and earn the championship title and trophies!

Neighborhood Ball

Buckhead Classic
Buckhead Baseball
Frankie Allen Park

Game 1: Won 13-5 against the Buckhead Bucks (B Team)
Game 2: Won xx-xx against Ocee Park
Game 3: Lost 12-13 against the Druid Hills Vipers
Game 4: Lost 4-5 in 7 innings against the Buckhead Braves (A Team)

The first tournament of the 8U A League A Team All-Stars was right next door at Buckhead Baseball. Natural rivals for us. In a scrimmage the night before our team clobbered the Midway team so they started the tournament on a high, feeling very confident.

Jayson started out batting 9th and was a consistent hitter. In the second game, he hit the fence in centerfield with a hard line drive. He played pitcher most innings and rotated to left field where he was starting to get comfortable making plays in the outfield.

Unfortunately some of our key players were off their game during game 3 and we lost a game we should have won. This put us against the number one seed in the semi-finals. To our surprise, Jayson was moved up in the batting order to second. He continued to hit consistently and in a really tough defensive game, we came up short at the end to the Buckhead Braves team and lost by one run in extra innings. The boys picked themselves up but the coaches were really disappointed. They had high expectations for this tournament and unfortunately we weren't able to bring home a much coveted trophy.

So close... but...

The A League Championship Game
Rockies vs. Braves
Lost 11-5

Jayson started out at second again, hopeful that our winning strategy would work once more for us. Unfortunately, the Braves came out strong and quickly racked up three runs. We struggled hard to score two runs and fell behind. Jayson got a double and scored. The Braves led 5-1. To make matters worse, our starting short stop got out. Jayson stepped in for him at short.

Jayson played really well at short stop making all the plays and owning the in field as best he could. We continued to make mistakes and the Braves were inflappable defensively. While we were hitting they were catching everything imaginable and we continued to struggle in the field. By the third, the Braves were leading 8-2.

Jayson hit a triple, got an RBI and made it home for our final push but it just wasn't enough. The Braves continued to dominate the field shutting us down. The game ended with us in second place for the second year in a row. Jayson had one of his best games and showed that he could jump in when needed. The only challenge was that Jayson couldn't win the game by himself. It really does take the whole team!

So ends another season. But the good news is that Jayson earned a place on the A All-Stars team. We are so proud of all that he's accomplished and as a result, practice starts tomorrow and we have another six weeks of summer ball!

One Run

Cubs vs. Rockies

Won 9-10

What a game! To switch things up and ensure total coverage in the in field, Jayson is now playing second base. The strategy seemed to work since he got two outs in the first inning. He got a single and after the first, the Rockies were in the lead 3-2.

In the second, the Rockies closed down the Cubs with three straight outs. But the Cubs returned the favor and the score didn't change.

By the third inning, Jayson was back at pitcher and the teams tied up the score 6-6. The parents were losing it. The tension was rising rapidly. In the fourth inning, the Cubs scored two runs and took the lead. I started to worry. I had planned for us to get to the championship game and losing this game wasn't the plan.

Going into the fifth inning they were tied 9-9. They held them to no runs and somehow miraculously the Rockies scored in the bottom of the 6th to win the game by one single run! The crowd went wild -- quite literally and the parents could finally breathe again. We made it to the championship -- just barely.

The Road to the Championship

Diamondbacks vs. Rockies
Won 6-12

The first game of the playoffs and given our recent record, we were all a little nervous. The good news was that the boys were in the game in the field and batting. Jayson played pitcher, first and second. He had two doubles with three RBIs. More importantly, his defensive plays prevented the Diamondbacks from scoring about 5 runs which was the difference in the game. Several of the other boys stepped up their game to allow us to beat the Diamondbacks efficiently in five innings.

Next up... the Cubs.

The Cost of Striking Out

Marlins vs. Rockies
Lost 10-9

The last game of the regular season. We went in with a loss hoping not to continue that streak. Our team decided not to do batting practice and that made a big difference. The kids weren't hitting.

Jayson played really well in the field. He played pitcher, short stop and first base. He had several put outs. He caught one pop-up and almost got a double-play at short. In total he got 8 outs.

The problem was the other team out-hit us. At Jayson's first at bat, he got a single and made it home. At his second at bat, he got on base, but got an out at second. He hit a hard line drive that was caught by the short stop.

They played well but the Marlins out played them and again we had 7 strike outs. We ended the season solidly in second place. Playoffs start this week and we're having two batting practices. Hopefully that'll make the difference.

All Good Things Must Come to An End

Rockies vs. Cubs
Lost 4-11

Our winning streak ended today. It was a humid afternoon and we played the early game so the kids really didn't have time to rest. During warm ups, I began to worry watching our guys struggle to keep up with the ball. The Cubs didn't have the same issues. They were ready and roaring to go. They quickly took the lead 4-0.

Our team was missing balls in the in field which we haven't done all season. We also had 8 strike outs which makes it really difficult to stay in the game. By the end of the second inning, they were up 9-0. To make matters worse, the score board wasn't working either and everyone was having a hard time keeping up with the game. However, this was the one game we really didn't want to be reminded of the score.

In the third inning, Jayson got a double and an RBI, the Rockies finally scored three runs. In the bottom of the third, Jayson played pitcher and got two outs by throwing the second and then to first. There was a glimmer of hope for a moment but it didn't last. The inning ended with the Cubs leading 10-3.

Both teams scored one more run and then we called it a game. While we feel much better when we win, the Cubs deserved to win this one and we recognized that our winning streak would eventually come to an end especially when it's a long season and we play a lot of games.

Our final game of the season is on Saturday against the Marlins.

The Rules of the Game

Mets vs. Rockies
Won 5-13

We arrived to find that the Braves, the number one seeded team, lost to the A's. That meant that if we won this game, we would move up to the top of the standings. However, there seemed to be some drama about how the Braves were cheating because they weren't rotating their players.

During the first inning, Jayson played pitcher and got an out by throwing the ball to first. The Rockies brought in a few runs taking an early lead, 3-2. In the second, Jayson played pitcher again and caught a ball for another out. He threw the ball for first for the third out and the Mets weren't able to score any runs.

We rotated our players and Jayson played short stop. She got an out at 2nd and then threw to first just missing a double play. At bat, he hit a strong double and got two RBIs. The Rockies were leading 9-2.

In the fourth inning, Jayson sat out and we rotated our infield players per the rules of the game. The Mets were able to score a few runs and brough the score to 9-5. In the fifth, Jayson played pitcher again and got another out at first and again held them to no runs. The Rockies won the game 13-5.

One of the coaches mentioned that the score should have been a lot higher. I pointed out that the difference would have been a lot higher if we hadn't rotated our players. But we are playing by the rules of the game.

One More Win

Rockies vs. Mets
Won 15-8

The Mets still haven't won a game and while we feel sorry for them we don't be the ones to lose against them. Jayson started out in the first inning with a strong hit down the middle to get a triple and end the inning ahead 3-2.

Jayson hit a single in the second and we scored a few runs but weren't getting the lead that we wanted. In the third, Jayson played pitcher and got the third out with a throw to first. Neither side scored ending the inning with us leading 6-2.

In the fourth inning, one of our players hit a home run and we took the lead 11-2. Jayson played short stop and pitcher but didn't get much action. In the fifth inning, Jayson hit a grounder right to the pitcher and was out at first. The game was much closer than most of our recent games so we got to play the sixth inning. We gained another win, 15-8.

On a Roll

Giants vs. Rockies
Won 11-4

Back at the baseball park again. The boys had a lot of momentum from the night before and seemed to warm up quickly. Jayson played pitcher and caught two balls for two outs. At his first at bat, he got a single and made it home. The Rockies took the lead 5-1.

During the second inning, Jayson played short. He got an out at second and his team-mate got a double-play. With such strong in-field defense, the Giants weren't able to score. Uncharacteristically Jayson popped up the ball and it was caught. Several other players popped up as well which is very unusual for our team. Something must have been in the air.

The Rockies were on a roll and kept racking up the runs...9-1 at the end of the third and 11-2 by the end of the fourth. We ended the game early in just under an hour.

From Top to Bottom

Rockies vs. Mets
Won 12-4

Just past mid-way through the season, we are tied for first place with the Braves. Unfortunately, the Mets are at the bottom of the list and are still waiting for their first win. Even though Jayson still seems to be struggling with his hitting, the coach moved Jayson up in the batting order and as a result, he was at bat in the first inning. He got a single with two RBIs and they ended the first inning up 4-0.

In the third inning, Jayson hit a triple right down the line into right field. He got 2 RBIs and made his way home. The took the lead 7-1. The fourth inning played out in much the same way.

Jayson was the lead off hitter in the fifth inning and he hit another triple. When the Mets came up to bat, Jayson was at pitched and the game quickly ended as Jayson scooped up two balls and threw them to first for two easy outs. They won the game 12-4 leaving the Mets another day without a win.

When the Infield Moves Out

A's vs. Rockies
Won 12-5

Going into the game the A's had only one loss just like us. We weren't quite sure what to expect. We started out at the end of the first inning behind by a run. In the second inning, we held them with three outs in a row and our team hit a home run to go ahead 6-3.

In the third inning, Jayson played first and got the first out from a throw from the short stop and got the third out by catching the ball. Our hitting streak continued with another home run. Jayson got a single because the fielder dropped the ball and we ended up ahead 9-3.

In the fourth inning, Jayson was playing short stop. A ball came his way and he slid toward it and made an amazing catch that nobody expected. We held them to two runs. Even though the game was officially over, we kept playing. The fifth inning was the same and with a solid lead, the standard infield players ran out to the outfield giving the other boys a chance to play infield which was great to see. We ended the game 14-8.

Rollercoaster

Phillies vs. Rockies
Won 18-19

The Rockies started out strong with five runs to start if off. Jayson hit a double and got an RBI. In the first inning, he played pitcher and caught a ball for an out but the Phillies still scored 5 runs and tied it up.

Both teams were equally competitive ending the second inning with us up by one run, 9-10. We had a scoreless inning in the third and they took the lead 11-10. In the fourth inning, Jayson played short stop and missed a few balls. He finally caught one and got another out, but the Phillies still racked up another 5 runs ending the inning ahead, 16-11.

In the fifth, the momentum shifted back again. Jayson hit a triple with two RBIs and somehow they managed to tie it up - 16-16. Jayson played pitcher again and held the Philies by getting three outs (throw to first, and two throws to third). Wow.

The Rockies scored three runs in the sixth with a timely home run. Jayson played pitcher again and amazingly they were able to hold the Rockies to two runs narrowly winning the game by one -- 18-19. With the final out, we could finally breathe again.

They Did it Again!

Diamondbacks vs. Rockies
Won 6-19

Jayson started out at pitcher and in the first inning caught the ball and got an out at third showing that he has a good understanding of where the play is. At his first at bat, he got a solid single and got an RBI evening up the score to 5-5.

In the second inning, Jayson played pitcher again and got his good friend out with a hard throw to first. I always hate when our good friends are on the other team. The inning ended with no runs scored on either side.

Jayson got a double in the third inning and the Rockies rallied taking the lead 9-5. The team continued to play strong defense holding the Diamondbacks to 5 runs through the fourth inning.

In the fifth inning, Jayson got another double and brought in another run. By then the game was out of reach so we ended early finishing 19-6.

A Solid Performance

Rockies vs. Cardinals

Won 20-15

At his first at bat, Jayson hit a solid double but the Cardinals had a solid first inning and ended up ahead 5-4. Jayson played pitcher and stopped two balls and hurled them to first for two solid outs holding them to 5 runs.

At his second time at the plate, Jayson hit a perfect line drive right down the middle, he took off and ran the bases as fast as he could almost over-taking the runner in front of him at third. He slowed down but still got a home run. It was beautiful. They ended the inning ahead 11-5.

Jayson played short stop and first base and continued to play solidly. The short stop threw a perfect throw to Jayson at first. Jayson hit another double. The Cardinals came on strong but the Rockies stayed ahead ending the game 20-15.

Payback

Rockies vs. Dodgers
Won 20-5

The sun was shining and it was finally warming up and so were the team's bats. Jayson started out at pitcher, grabbed a grounder which he quickly threw to first and got the second out. In the bottom of the first, the Rockies brought home 5 quick runs ending the inning 5-1.

At his first at bat, Jayson popped it up but it was dropped and he quickly made it to first. In the third inning, Jayson played first and after several tries finally made an out at first. The Rockies continued to hit and ended the third inning 15-5.

Jayson played short stop and at his second at bat popped it up again -- luckily it was missed again and he got a double. The Rockies far out-hit and out-fielded the Dodgers and it felt really good to be back on top but we also know how it feels to be on the other side. The team that showed up today was a very different team from the one we saw play last Saturday.

A Bad Day

Braves vs. Rockies

Lost 18-8

Picture day at NYO is always a little crazy. For the first time since we've been there, they were held outside which was nice but there were kids everywhere and given all the waiting time, the kids were definitely getting restless.

One of our coaches muttered that he had already lost one game today and was worried about the next one. I was hopeful thinking that we could maintain our winning streak. The Braves started strong and quickly got ahead 3-2 by the end of the first inning. Jayson played pitcher and make a good stop which he threw to first for the third out of the first inning.

Our coach was struggling with his pitching -- most were high and slow. Jayson is batting ninth and for the first time in spring baseball, he struck out. He was disappointed but couldn't seem to pull one out with what he was given to work with. He played first base and sat out an inning.

The entire team seemed sluggish and weren't the same team that showed up for the first two games. The Braves continued to hit balls into the outfield and our team couldn't get them in fast enough so the Braves continued to rack up the runs. Jayson played pitcher once again and caught a ball but that was as much action as he got.

By the end of the 4th inning, the Braves were up 18-8 and with the five runs per inning rule, the game was out of reach. We called it and decided to forget about this one game and look forward to the next one.

Gaining Momentum

Yankees vs. Rockies
Won 11-17

Unfortunately I was out of town on business in NYC and missed the game. This brief account is from several text messages I received and a recap from Jayson and Keith. The bottom line is that they won.

I gather that they beat another tough team and although Jayson played at first most of the game, he made several key contributions. In the fourth inning, Jayson pulled out a two-run home run bringing the score to 12-10 which is when we took the lead.

In the bottom of the 5th, the score is 15-11 and Jayson scoops up the ball and rockets it to first base for the final out of the inning holding them to just one run.

With another rally toward the end of the game, the Rockies took the game 18-11. Next up the Braves.

Opening Day

Marlins vs. Rockies

Won 11-17

The excitement of spring means warmer weather and the start of baseball season. After a terribly wet and cold winter, Opening Day brought blue skies and temps in the 70s. A perfect day for baseball. The park was dressed up with banners and balloons and looked beautiful.

Jayson is playing up again this year and was a first round draft pick. Luckily we are fortunate enough to be playing with our familiar coaches and a solid team many of whom we have played with before. The boys were all introduced and lined up to kick of the 2010 Spring Season.

Jayson played pitcher during the first inning. He quickly threw two balls to first to get two quick outs. Then to end the inning, he ran down a runner at home which was completely unexpected by all but very exciting. The other team quickly got ahead 8-3.

At his first at bat, he scored a single and brought two guys home. During the second inning, he played short and stopped a hard ball and threw it to first, but it was dropped. At his second at bat, he hit another single and got another RBI tying the game up at 8-8. We pushed ahead with a home run and ended the inning 12-8.

In the fifth inning, he was back at short stop and got two more outs -- he caught a line drive and almost got a double-play by throwing to first but it was dropped and at the next play he caught a hard ground ball and ran over and stepped on second base. The Marlins scored a few and ended the inning 12-11.

At the top of the 6th Jayson hit a triple and knocked in the winning run -- they won the game 17-11. All told , Jayson got 5 outs and 5 RBIs and earned himself a game ball. What a first day!