April 15

These guys right here earned a hard-fought 4-2 victory this evening.

It was, as their coach noted afterward, the first real game they'd played this season; the previous wins were absolute blowouts that didn't require much focus or, to be blunt, effort.

Despite earning the W, it's probably fair to say that they were all rusty tonight, since Spring Break was last week and the most recent game they'd played was on March 31. But it wound up being a true team effort, with mostly good pitching, a pair of great throws from behind the plate to catch would-be base stealers, and timely hitting.

For his part, Brady's contribution was a ringing double to right during his third at-bat. He pitched an inning and struggled a bit with location, but in the car on the way home, he was very upbeat nonetheless. We discussed his trouble on the mound and talked about ways to overcome nerves, and he was very open to hearing my comments. 

And even better --to me-- he voiced that he felt like he should step up as a team leader and make sure that he maintains a positive attitude in the dugout regardless of what's happening during the game. I was quietly impressed by the show of maturity, and it warmed my heart to hear him talk about doing more to support his teammates.

It was indeed a good win in many ways, I think. And I am grateful.