When you speak or think of Little League Baseball, your thoughts go to a bunch of little guys all running around, sometimes into each other, or even to the wrong base. While those thoughts are always entertaining, and those things still go on 55 years after I played that game, these Mighty Vikes played the game as hard as anybody while in Plainview, last evening during a sweep of 4 games over the Jr. Pirates.
For any of you that would like to see entertaining and competitive baseball at the Jr./Little League age, you couldn’t do yourself a better treat than attending any number of these games played at Gladstone or any area community…yes, go ahead and spend that extra $10-spot on fuel to get there and after the game you will say, “Best money spent in a long time.”
ESPN uses the WebGems to excite their viewers and pay tribute to some really great defensive plays. There was a defensive play in right field that could equal any of those witnessed on ESPN, not just expressed by my amazement, but the folks in the stands paid their tributes with the loudest round of applause one could imagine in a game of Mighty Mites.
A Pirate batter lofted a fairly high flyball over the head of a Mighty Vike right-fielder playing quite shallow even for 8-9 year olds. You could see it coming in nearly a slow-motion, frame by frame-backpedal, this young Vike raised his glove hand high over his left shoulder during this near acrobatic move and made one of those wrenching jabs at the ball in its thunderous downward flight.
At first you couldn’t tell whether the ball was caught because you didn’t see any baseball bounching in the grass. However, if you would have paid attention to the body being jerked like that of a 75 lb King Salmon slamming onto your flyrod, you would have known, the hook was ’set’, and ’the catch was made’! Wow, double Wow….what a catch. The average reader may think the story ended there; remember, these plays are worth more than the price of fuel or admission.
What took place after the catch was equal in entertainment to the catch. First of all, this capless-right fielder had to check his glove to see that it was still there, and it was. Next, he started jumping around like he just won the power ball lottery. Then he proceded to display the ball to his teammates, still remaining tightly in the pocket of his glove like somehow they didn’t believe it either. He continued to jump around in utter amazement as the audience applause fueled his every continued celebration of history.
In an unplanned moment that can only be the climax to this whole ordeal, the second basemen ran out to him and gave him three or four huge hugs that literally lifted his plastic spikes about a foot off the ground. And yes, the crowd kept cheering like we just won the World Series. This is no-joke, folks! It was a timed-stamped event that should linger as one of the greatest memories in my life; not just for the catch, but what happened after that Web-Gem.
This is what youth sports is all about. This is why we (parents, players, coaches, sports enthusiasts) suggest that you get out and watch your local Little Leagurers, wherever you live. Don’t watch the scoreboard and base your observations from that; watch those little tykes, trying to emulate their sport’s heroes and pushing every ounce of energy in the process.
Of course it would be easy to note some other plays that really caught your attention, some hilarious and others that demonstrated a higher level of skill than what one would expect. To name a few, the Plainview catcher attempted several stabs at picking up a ball hit only a few feet out in front of homeplate. He then figured out he could see the ball better after he removed his ‘mask’, but it was too late to get the runner. Then I noticed some excellent defensive plays where one infielder backed up another and still made the play and throw to first. And then there was an occasional hot-smash, line drive that was snatched up like a frog on a bug, and there was no surprised look on the player’s face!
So, “Take me out to the ball game, Take me out to the crowd; Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks, and watch some really fun, exciting baseball.” Could it be that this is the generation that brings the livelihood of this game back to the prominence that once made Gladstone Park simulate the environments of Dodger Stadium, Yankee Stadium?
Whether it does or doesn’t, what’s most important is for all of us to get out and support your local sport’s teams, whether they be Little League, Soccer or whatever. They won’t cheat you as long as you keep your eye off the scoreboard. By the way, Wausa won all four contests on this eve. But, years after they graduate from Jr. or Sr. high school, the scores will be forgotten, but their efforts and your memories will remain.
In another interesting twist of fate, our German exchange student and adopted son, Alex Wimmer, witnessed on this night his very first, live baseball games. His remarks, “Fantastic!” “The play in right field and the celebration that continued after was unbelievable.”
Comments