October 5

The TVBR 15s won their first tournament today. But the road to get there was a bit... bumpy. In fact, they almost didn't make the championship game at all. As usual, I'm getting ahead of myself, so settle in for the story.

We arrived at Mistlin at about 11 AM this morning for their 12:10 PM semifinal match-up against a team from Headfirst, which is based here in Pleasanton. Brady's team was the second seed, while the other team was the third seed, so our boys were the home team. (That's an important detail.)

When that game began, it was apparent to everyone that our kiddos were playing tired. Sleep-playing, if you will. Headfirst scored, and then scored again, and then scored again. And TVBR... did nothing. We were trailing 0-4 entering the bottom of the fifth inning, which was looking like the final inning of play given that the game clock was running low on minutes. The first batter struck out, and another early exit seemed inevitable.

But then the wind suddenly shifted in our favor. One of our boys singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch and the next batter walked and the next reached on an error. And then with the bases loaded, Brady singled to right to drive in our first run. Another walk and a sacrifice fly brought to score to 3-4, and yet another walk tied it up 4-4. And then with two outs and a full count, one last batter drew a walk, which scored the winning run. We were all so surprised by what we'd seen that it took a moment to figure out how to react. It's easily one of the craziest comebacks I've ever seen.

With the championship game set to begin at 4:20 and the game featuring the number one and number four seeds still to be played, Adam, Brady, and I went to Arby's for some late-lunch. We reflected on the strangeness we'd just experienced and encouraged Brady to play hard in the final game. 

When we returned to Mistlin, we watched the latter part of the game that determined our eventual opponent. The Chico Suns --who didn't give up a single run during yesterday's seeding round-- blanked yet another opponent by a final score of 9-0, setting the final match-up between them and us.

And the championship began with a bang for TVBR, as our boys posted three runs in the first inning. And amazingly, they kept up the energy all throughout the game, earning an impressive 14 runs on 17 hits while giving up --get this-- zero runs to their opponent. Yep: they won their first championship game by a final score of 14-0 over a team that had previously given up NO runs to ANYONE.

It was a day of extremes, and it was exhilarating to watch them go from the brink of elimination to wearing those huge pink winners' rings. The win was a long time coming, and they definitely earned it. I hope they enjoyed the moment.

And although I'm very proud of the entire team --because every single boy contributed to their winning effort-- I have to take a moment to talk about Brady in particular. This kiddo of mine struggled at the plate during his first two years of TVBR baseball, and I know it was disappointing to him that he wasn't hitting as well as most of his teammates. But he really turned it on this fall and even batted cleanup (fourth in the lineup) today. He's finishing the season with 16 hits in 14 games played, and owns a team-best .485 average. He delivered hits when it mattered, played solid defense at first base (which included numerous acrobatic stretches and digs), and I could routinely hear him chattering in the dugout, trying to keep the energy levels high when they waned. I'm very proud of how he's grown as a player and a person.

So yes: it was a day of extremes that ended on a very high note. So as I head offline tonight, I am grateful for the sweetness of a hard-earned victory, and for the great parents and kids I've gotten to know through TVBR.