23.7.18

Allstars: The World Series

This is the last baseball post.  I promise.

So our last gig as an Allstar was at the World Series in Gulfport, MS.  Several people asked me if this is the same World Series you see on television.  No, it isn't.  And I really can't explain it very well except to say that's the Little League World Series.  We are part of the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) so we played in their World Series.  Cal Ripkin would be another separate league.  Other than that, I can't help you out.  I can't even explain the difference between the different leagues.  I can only tell you we played in the World Series in Gulfport the last week in June for USSSA.

We arrived on Tuesday so the boys could participate in the parade of teams and other activities.  Braden rode with us since his parents were working that day.

It was obvious we were newbies at the parade.  Next year we need a team banner and some throws.  We also needed a tent.  Braden rode with us to Gulfport so we didn't have room to haul our tent that morning.  His dad brought it to use later that night.  I can honestly tell you we were pretty miserable.  The heat was intense that morning, as it was the entire time we were down there.  Hannah Kate is usually our toughest one, but even she had to go sit in the truck for a bit.  But I think the boys enjoyed the experience nonetheless, and it was a great way to get them pumped up for the week.

After the parade, the boys participated in the home run derby and the race around the bases.  Mason's time around the base path was 12.9 seconds.  

It was a fun day, but it was a sweltering hot, sweaty day, too.  I think everyone was relieved when it was time to head to our hotel.  We stayed the first night near Biloxi because we knew we would have extra time for the "beach" that afternoon since game play didn't begin until the next morning.  The kids were so excited about going to the "beach."  I tried to explain to them the difference between the "beach" and the Mississippi gulf coast.   

I have nothing but love for the Mississippi gulf coast, but if I want to go to the beach, I'm going to the white sands and crystal green and blue waters of Florida.  That's the only beach experience my kids have ever known.  So, needless to say, this wasn't exactly what they had in mind when Seth kept telling them we were going to the "beach."  But they still had fun regardless.  (They also didn't ask to go back the entire time we were there!)

We were up early Wednesday morning for our first day of game play.  We were guaranteed to play at least five games at the tournament.  The first day every team played two games in pool play.  The results of these games were used to fill in the brackets for the next day.  So it didn't much matter if you won or lost on Wednesday.  Those games were simply used to place each team in bracket play the next day.  Once you got to bracket play, wins and loses counted.  There were 12 teams in our division.  Most of them were from Louisiana, but there were also two teams from Georgia, one from Arkansas and one from Mississippi.

The Gulfport Sportsplex is a relatively new complex.  And you know what?  It is the field of my dreams!  It is a beautiful sports venue with turf fields and concrete.  Lots and lots of concrete as far as the eye can see.  No dirt.  Anywhere.  Yes, ma'am, that's what I'm talking about!

Now, Mason didn't much care for the turf fields.  Because, let's face it.  Boy just wants to get dirty.  His mission in life is to see how dirty he can get that uniform, especially that white shirt and the knees of those pants.  I guess that's a badge of honor.  Or perhaps it just means you played the game.  But this Momma was loving every square inch of concrete and turf!  

We claimed our spot and got our tent and our gear set up for the first game.  We hadn't even thrown the first pitch yet, and already the girls were so. excited. to be there!  (It's also a VERY good thing at this point that they had no idea just much baseball was in their future over the next three days!)

At every other Allstar tournament we played in, I kept a record of Mason's stats in my phone.  I know how many times he batted and what happened during each at bat.  I also know what position he played in every game.  But something happened at the World Series.  He walked in his very first at bat and eventually came around to score.  He struck out in his next at bat.  And after that, I stopped writing it all down.  I guess I was so engrossed in the game that I totally forgot.  Baseball mom, maybe?

I took lots of pictures, too.  But I'm not going to put all of that here because I'm sure to you it would seem rather redundant.  Even though I didn't write it all down, I know Mason had a lot of great bunts (He is so fast that he can lay down a bunt and usually make it safely to first base.  As a matter of fact, he earned the nickname "Wheels" from his buddy's sister during the tournament.  He's also racked up a lot of RBIs that way, too.).  He struck out some, but we always tell him we'd rather him go down swinging than anything else.  And he hit the ball, too.  He had a really nice double in one of the games. 

He played mostly in left field, but towards the end of the tournament, he spent more time in center field because coach moved the center fielder to catcher.  Mason's long legs and speed make him a very valuable asset out there.  He had some beautiful, on-the-run catches throughout the tournament.  But he had a few missed balls, too.  Even at that, he could still get to the ball quickly and get it back to the infield to prevent the batter from getting too many bases.

Seth spent a lot of time recording Mason's at bats.  And then between games, he would show Mason the videos and talk with him about what he did well and what he could improve upon.

We were matched up against two of the top teams that first day in pool play.  It was a bit rough, as we lost both of those games.  But, at the end of the day, these boys are a team.  And I don't even think I can put adequate words to what they learned and how they grew as a team during the four weeks we played together.  You win as a team, and you lose as a team.  And you come back the next day ready to play, ready to win, no matter what.

Thursday morning dawned, and we were at the park really early for the first game of the day.  It was a new day, and we were ready to win a few games.

And win they did!  We played a Louisiana team who'd beaten us before in another tournament.  But the boys played hard that morning and ended up in the winner's bracket for the next game of the day.   

Our next game was against Fayette County.  They came into the World Series the number one seed, and they ended up winning it all for the second or third year in a row.  I grew up about twenty or so minutes from Fayette County, and it turns out some of the families on that team and I have mutual friends.  This is also the Fayette County team that beat the Pike County (my home county) team in the USSSA state tournament in Georgia in a hard fought battle for their state championship.  So I knew this game would be tough for our team.  They came out on top, but I was so proud of the way our boys hung in there with them.  Because we lost, that put us playing yet another game on Thursday.  That would be our third game of the day, another very hot, steamy day.

By the time that game came around, we were tired.  And hot.  It was a tough game against another Louisiana team that we'd seen before.  And you know what?  They were beating us.  The whole entire time.  It seemed like we just couldn't get it together.  Really and truly, we lost that game.  It was the final inning, and we knew it.  We were down by several runs.  I don't even remember now exactly how it all happened, but we put up some runs.  And then there were two outs, and we were down by one run.  On a crazy bang bang play at home plate and then an error at first base, we came back and won that game.  I will never forget the reaction of the little guy on the other team who threw the ball that resulted in that error.  He just fell to the ground on his knees, and one of his team mates finally walked over to him and picked him up.  Goodness, it just broke my heart.

After a very long day, we headed back to the hotel.  It had been a good day.  But we were in a must-win situation for our games on Friday.  Because we had a loss on Thursday, and the tournament was now double elimination, we had to win to stay and play.  We were at the part again early Friday morning.  We came away with a win in our first game.  

We ended up in a more than two hour thunderstorm and lightening delay during our second game.  It didn't seem like we were ever going to be able to resume play, and I was expecting them to call an end to the day and try again the next.  But they didn't, and the weather finally cleared enough for us to finish the game.  We won again!

So, for the second day in a row, we would play three games.  We were still in a must win situation.  That game would end up being our last in the World Series, our last as a Westside Allstar this year.  So over the course of three days, we ended up playing eight games.  Yes.  Eight.

I also have to say how proud I was of our girls.  They hung in there with us the entire time.  They cheered for their big brother, but there were times when I know they really didn't want to be there.  They basically just spend four days in a row at the ball field, two of those days from sun up until sun down.  Those were some long and very hot days.  But they really didn't complain at all.  I looked over on Friday to see this girl working in her sketchbook.     

After that last game, we all went as a team to the local Mexican restaurant for supper.  We'd been at the ballpark since 7:30 that morning.  By the time we left the ballpark and went to eat, it was almost 9:00 that night.  Seth, the girls and I shared a booth together.  Mason sat at the table with all the boys.  Even though we were finished eating and so tired and so ready to go back to our hotel, we didn't want Mason to have to leave yet.  If this isn't a picture of two sisters loving their brother at the end of all this, I don't know what is.  I mean, Hannah Kate is eating refried beans with a knife.  (Yes, I just now realize how that sounds . . . but it was a butter knife, and I can assure you there was nothing of a blade of any kind on that knife!  And, yes, she had a fork.  I'm not sure exactly why it's laying on her plate while she's eating with a knife.  Delirious much, I think!)

And Ellie fell asleep in the booth just like this.  She was actually staring at the boys' table and watching their antics until she fell asleep.

That last game was a very emotional, hard fought and, at times, frustrating game.  Watching the boys walk off that field . . . knowing it was their last time together in those jerseys as a team . . . well, it was tough.  It was tough for the kids.  It was tough for the parents.  It was tough for the coaches.

It really was bittersweet.  I think it took us (and by "us" I mean ALL of us) about a week or so to really process everything that happened, even the season as a whole.  I thought Seth and Mason would NEVER stop talking about it!  The whole ride home!  And Seth is all, "Today is the first day of next season."  Whatever, Trevor.  But, in all seriousness, this really was an unforgettable experience.  I mean, most boys Mason's age will never get to participate in something like this.  

In all honesty, if you would've told me even two years ago that this is where we'd end up, I wouldn't have believed you for a second.  Mason is not the best player on the team, and I'm sure he never will be.  But he has worked hard.  He hasn't given up or gotten discouraged, even when he didn't play his favorite position.  Especially this June, he has learned so very much about the game and about a team.  He loves being part of a team, wearing the uniform.  He does it with a lot of pride.  And he really gave this his all.  I could not be more proud of this boy nor the other kids in this picture.  They have a lot of heart, and they left it all out there in Gulfport.  Well done, boys.  Well done.  I truly don't know how you could've done it any better!

And so, as we walked off the field that night . . . our last time together . . . we paused one more time, one final picture . . . even the sunset that night was amazing.