May 1

Oh, baseball.

Only Brady had a game today because Isaac's was postponed due to a COVID case involving the other team. But the AAA A's v. Giants match-up provided multiple games' worth of drama.

The Giants posted a 5-spot in the top of the first thanks to a spate of defensive miscues by Brady's squad. They could've just hung their heads and mentally checked out for the remaining frames, but that's not what they did. Mirroring Isaac's team's effort earlier in the week, the defense got their act together, and the offense got down to business. They scratched out their first run in the bottom of the third and then added a second an inning later, and entering the bottom of the sixth and last frame, they trailed 6-2.

The leadoff batter singled, and then Brady followed suit by dropping a line drive of his own into the outfield that scored the run. The next two batters struck out, but with just a single out remaining, the improbable happened: after a dizzying mish-mash of errors and miscues, the score was tied 6-6 with the winning run on third. And then before we could even take a breath on the stands, a ball got away from the catcher, and that little runner on third was booking it toward home plate, where he was called safe. And that was it.

We screamed and yelled and whooped and hollered like crazy people (or maybe just overly enthused parents who were so, so proud to see our little boys fight like the dickens to get a win) in the bleachers. I'm still a little hoarse now, even hours later. As far as Little League baseball games go, it was epic.

But it was so, so wonderful. It was wonderful to see our littles' tenacity and to continue bonding with my fellow baseball parents over our shared experience. And more than that, it was so, so wonderful to be reminded yet again that even when situations look bleak and you can't imagine how they could possibly improve, anything is still possible. That the seemingly lifeless can once again teem with vitality. And for that reminder, I am very grateful.