Fall Baseball 2009

This past fall, Drew played fall baseball. In fact, as we were walking to our car after the last game of his spring tournament, he said "I want to play fall ball." We talked to Drew and explained that he couldn't play soccer (he had played the previous two falls) and baseball, so he would have to choose. He chose baseball, so we signed him up to play for Spartanburg since BSYAA did not offer fall ball last year. Because of Drew's birthday and because Spartanburg does not use pitching machines, Drew played in coach's pitch (overhand). His team was the Dodgers, and it was made up of other kids from the Boiling Springs area! Drew had fun and he played well. I think this has started a new tradition...in fact, Drew said this year that he would like to play baseball all year. I think he is well on his way to that wish since it is now June and we are still playing ball!! We love every minute of it, though!! Drew runs to first after getting a good hit!
It is hard to tell from this picture, but Drew is running up to catch this guy's pop fly. Drew was able to run it down and catch it for the out!!

The boys were playing defense.

Drew played first base during fall ball, and he did an awesome job!!

Our cute "baseball king"!!

We didn't win many games during fall ball, but Drew was glad to be out there playing nonetheless!!

Baseball Stars 2010

My sister and I made this video of our Huskers team this year, by editing pictures that I had taken and setting them to music! We were hoping to show this on the big screen at the Greenville Drive game, but because that didn't work, we will share it here! :) We are so proud of our Huskers this year! They finished fourth place in regular season and second place in the end-of-season tournament. They were awarded trophies and medals this year! Drew batted .907 on the year with 0 strike-outs and played an awesome game at first base. The coaches would also put Drew at shortstop and third if needed and he played well in those positions as well! We couldn't be more proud of our HUSKER!! :)

Drew's Baseball Banquet 2010

Nathan, Drew, Trey, Zack, and Jimmy pose before entering the stadium!

It was a beautiful Sunday in May - hot, but beautiful! We were able to enjoy some great baseball on May 23rd when Drew's regular season baseball banquet was held at the Greenville Drive game! Our team, the Boiling Springs Bantam Huskers, was the featured Little League team of the game in their program "Field of Dreams". The parents had arranged this for our little guys so that they could run out onto the field with the Drive players during the singing of the National Anthem!! Drew had been looking forward to this since the middle of the season, and I am sure it is something that we will never forget!!Before the game started, we had our banquet celebration. Coach Jim, Coach Craig, and Coach Jonathan started by handing out game balls. As the game balls were awarded, Coach Jim told why each player was receiving that particular Game Ball! Drew was awarded the game ball for the game against the Tigers because he batted 3 for 3 with a home run, a triple, and a double and he didn't let one Tiger player reach 1st base!! Go Drew!!After Game Balls were awarded, it was time to award the trophies!! Drew goes to accept his trophy from Coach Jon Jon (who also happens to be his Uncle Jon Jon). One of the funniest things I've heard all season was when another player called to my brother "hey, coach Jon Jon" and Drew replied with "that's my Jon Jon, that's coach Jonathan to you". Jonathan and the player just laughed. Mikayla poses with "Reedy Rip-it", the Greenville Drive Mascot, before the game! Reedy also threw a t-shirt to us during the game!

Craig, Drew, and Ethan get autographs before the game.

Drew was able to run out onto Fluor Field with the Greenville Drive first baseman!!

Drew, who played first base for the Huskers this year, talks with the first baseman of the Greenville Drive after running onto the field with him.

Givin' Five!! Thanks for the memories #10! Our boy will never forget you!
After the game, all of the kids have the opportunity to run bases! Drew and Mikayla take advantage of this every time we go see the Drive play! Mikayla, however, will not run without her daddy!!

Baseball Banquet Spring 2009

Okay, so I know I said no more baseball posts from Spring 2009, but I just came across pictures from Drew's banquet that I wanted to post so here goes...

Drew's baseball banquet was held on a Tuesday night in May at Lake Bowen Park. Coach Danny and his family brought pizza for everyone and the rest of us brought "extras" such as chips, drinks, plates, napkins, desserts, etc. for everyone. The kids were able to play and enjoy each others' company away from the baseball fields while the parents were able to chat and reminisce about the season. After we all ate and the kids played awhile it was time to give trophies!! Coach Danny and Coach Chris talk to the boys about their season and how much they enjoyed it before passing out any of the trophies. We had such a wonderful year and we feel very blessed that Drew had the opportunity to be coached by Danny, Chris, and Kevin. They taught Drew so much about the game and about life, and for that we will be forever grateful!!

Drew goes up to receive his trophy from Coach Danny! It was after all of the trophies had been distributed that Coach Danny gave some of the interesting stats "for fun". That is when we learned that Drew batted over 600 on the season and he also repeated what I already knew - that Drew only struck out 3 times all year. He actually tied for least strike-outs with another guy on his team and he had the second highest batting average on his team. Craig and I couldn't be more proud of baseball king!!

Last Baseball Post of the Season (spring)

Drew's team for Spring baseball this past year was the Bulldogs. He played for Danny Moss and had a terrific season. Drew was awarded the game ball after the first game of the season for getting a rally started (he was the lead off batter that inning and hit a double) that enabled our team to come back and win!! We could not have been more proud of the way that Drew played this past Spring - his first year batting against the pitching machine and also his first year ever playing catcher on defense! He only struck out 3 times the whole season and his coach announced that he batted over 600 for the season at the end-of-the-year banquet!! His team finished 2nd in the league for the year!! We are most thankful that Drew had fun this past year and that his love for baseball grew! He certainly enjoys it - so much so that he opted out of playing soccer this fall and has instead been playing more baseball. I will get some pictures posted from these games soon. I hope to also get some video posted on here soon! Drew takes a swing during our first game of the end-of-season tournament.

Our hind catcher looks like a real professional if you ask me - of course I am a little biased...The coaches talk to the boys after they won the game. I think sometimes at this point, they are more interested in snacks!

Our "hind-catcher"

Drew's position this past year in baseball was catcher! I've found some of my favorite pictures of our little catcher from the season and wanted to post them here. This was the first year that Drew played in a league that needed a catcher on the team (instead of coaches in that position), so it was of course the first year that Drew played this position. He loved it, so much so in fact, that he said he would like to play catcher in fall ball. That's right, Drew has decided that he will be playing fall baseball this year instead of soccer. We will be playing for a different association in fall ball though, since BSYAA does not offer fall baseball. He will not be hitting off the pitching machine, but instead the coaches will be pitching to them overhand. I can't wait to see how Drew does!! I think for his first year playing catcher he did an amazing job - even catching a foul tip for an out!! He's our baseball king for sure!!

Drew throws the ball back to the pitcher.

Craig helps get Drew's catcher's gear on. I was glad not to have that job!!

He looks grown here to me...

I loved watching him put that hand behind his back. Who knows what position he will play as he continues with baseball. I loved watching him play first base last year, but watching him play catcher was a lot of fun this year too!!

Baseball 2009

Okay, so if you have been following my blog, you know that I like to post one entry for every baseball game our boy plays in. I'm pretty sure that won't be possible for this season if I ever hope to get caught up with my posts, but I will try to include a few separate posts from this season.

The Jamboree for this year was held on Saturday, March 27th. Our nephew Haston played baseball for the first time this year, and since both Drew and Haston played a game in the jamboree, Nana came to watch her boys play. We got up early that morning to go watch Haston play. It was freezing out, and Haston and his little teammates were so cold they really weren't focused on the game. They were so much fun to watch though, and we even went to watch Haston again. He's a good little ball player too!! Look how little he looks! It was hard for Craig and I to remember what it was like being on the baseball field with Drew when he was that little.

Drew's game was later in the afternoon so we went and enjoyed "brunch" with Nana and then headed back to the baseball fields. Drew's team was scheduled to play his friend, Bryson's, team. It was a great game with them beating us by one point. We all had so much fun, though, cheering them on!!

Drew gets his first hit of the season - his first time at bat. He was so proud of himself and you know we were a proud mommy, daddy, Nana, and Poppi!!

Drew played catcher this year - something I was definitely not sure about at first. His coach asked Craig if he thought Drew would be interested at the first practice. I thought right then, "he needs to be over here asking the mama". Craig and my daddy assured me that Drew would be fine - he did have a lot of equipment to wear. Drew tried it and loved it! He had no choice but to be attentive because he was involved in every pitch thrown. He did a fantastic job playing catcher this year, and we can't wait to see if this is something he will continue with. Drew has also recently announced that he would like to play fall ball this year. The last two falls, he has played soccer. Baseball is his favorite sport by far, so Craig and I have left this decision up to him. We just told him there was no way we could do both at the same time. Time will tell. Emily, Breanna, Robert, and Mikayla had fun playing together while the game was going on. Robert's brother, Hunter, was on Drew's team this year (he also happened to be in my kindergarten class the year before). We were playing Breanna's brother's team. Notice the softball uniforms Breanna and Emily are wearing. We asked Mikayla if she wanted to play softball this year, but she said she didn't. After watching Bre and Emily play, and seeing their moms coach, Mikayla said she wants to play next year for sure. I can't wait to see her on the ball field!!

Drew's Baseball Banquet 2008

Last Sunday afternoon, our baseball team had our banquet at the Sterling Estates Clubhouse. We grilled out hot dogs, and hamburgers, and had mac n cheese, slaw, baked beans, chips, and dessert. We decided on the clubhouse because we were not rushed in any way! There was music, the children could play with various toys, and the adults could talk. Coach Tim was also taking the kids for golf cart rides and they had horseshoes outside. The kids had already received their trophies and the coaches their gifts from the parents, but Coach Tim and Patti had other surprises for the kids/parents and the parents had other surprises for the coaches. In four years of playing baseball, this has been our most favorite year yet. Our team and families got to be very close this year, and we hope to be friends for a long time! Bryson, Drew, Kylie (Nicholas' sister), and Tinsley (Peyton's sister) play a little bit before the food was ready.My beautiful girl!

I had gotten a picture of Mikayla, Kylie, and Tinsley (all of the sisters) but Kylie had her eyes closed. These girls were really good this year to support their brothers, and it was sweet to see them all together at the banquet.

Last Game of the Season!

Thursday night was Drew's last game for this baseball season! I am so sad that the season is over, and so is Drew! Drew's team played Garrett, Jeffrey, and Zach's team again and they played very well! Nicholas (our youngest player) even got his first two hits of the season Thursday night - we were all so proud! We didn't win the game, but that didn't stop us from having fun or being proud of our team! What a fun season it has been!! Drew hit for a total of 21 times out of 26 at bats this season with 11 of his hits being home runs! That's quite an accomplishment for my 6 year old!!

Drew gets ready to bat his first time of the game! He smacked the ball between 2nd and 3rd base to left center field for a triple scoring 2 runs! His second time at bat, he hit a single! That's our little home run king!!
Our little man intently plays first base - he stopped many balls at first base Thursday night to help his team get outs!! He has hustled, paid attention, and has become a terrific defensive player - we couldn't be more proud of him! Lots of people have talked about what a good baseball player he is this year, and Craig and I would certainly have to agree! I've been meaning to share this email all season. This was an email sent to me by a parent of a student I had in my classroom last year. She sent this email after our Jamboree at the beginning of the season:

Good morning. My sister in law called me last night on her way home from my nephew's baseball practice. She wanted me to be sure to let you and Drew know that he was the talk of their practice. All of the parents were talking about how good he was and their coach even told all of the kids at the beginning of practice that the first baseman from Saturday's game is a true baseball player. He can do it all, hitting and fielding. I know you are proud of him. I Will be sure to tell him about this when I see him next as well. I hope you have a great day!!
Shanda
(Allison's mom)

Talk about making a mama's day - that sure did!!

After the game, our players were awarded their trophies. The whole team waits in the dugout for their names to be called!!
Sweet sister greets brother as he runs out of the dugout after his name was called! He's excited about getting that trophy!
Look at those mighty Gophers!! Wow - a season we will never forget!!

Wednesday Night Game!

Look at the focus of that first baseman - and Brooks behind him too!
Drew gets ready to scoop up a throw from Jimmy as the runner makes it to first base.
Drew gets ready and takes some practice swings - this was right before he hit the ball the farthest he's hit it all season!

On Wednesday night, we had to finish the game we started a couple of weeks ago when our team had played so well! We began this game just where we left off with our Gophers ahead, still batting with a man on second and one out. You might remember Drew got a home run his first at bat when we started this game! We had 3 of our players who missed the game Wednesday night - considering that our team played extremely well. Cameron was out so Jimmy played the circle - an adjustment for both he and Drew. They still worked together to get some outs at first base! Drew also stopped some balls hit his way and got some outs as well!

Drew batted extremely well Wednesday night hitting one ball the farthest (in the air) that he's hit it this season. It went over all the infielders and outfielders heads to the fence (almost over the fence)! Drew ran the bases, but looked back a couple times to see where the ball went. He still caught up with Noah who was on base. When Noah scored at home he didn't move off the plate and a player on the other team tagged Drew with the ball (right at the plate) to get Drew out. Drew was very upset by this and said "Mama, he wouldn't move off the plate" and Noah's mom agreed. The umpire though, saw Drew was upset, and came over and said "don't be upset little man - I've been calling all these games this season and I've never seen anybody hit one that far in this league - that was a terrific hit!". That made Drew feel better but he still wanted that home run and so did mama and daddy. I was so proud of how hard he hit the ball and told Drew you still scored a run! His next time at bat, the other team had their boys in the outfield moving back, back, back and Drew hit a hard ground ball to center field for a single! Those Gophers played so well in this game considering some had to play different positions - Taylor even got an out at second base!

Our Gophers Won!!

Our boy gets ready to bat and takes some practice swings before hitting his first home run of the game!
That first baseman sure looks ready - Go Drew!

Our Gophers had 3 games last week - Tuesday night, Wednesday night, and Thursday night! Our guys won their first game since the scrimmage on Tuesday night with a score 10 - 9 - what a way to start the week! Drew and his friends have had a wonderful season, and so many of them have shown improvements. Coach Tim said we had the youngest team in the league, with many of our guys never having played before! Craig even commented that this is the most fun he's ever had as an assistant coach - watching these guys who couldn't hit now be able to hit, watching guys that couldn't stop balls now be able to. It sure has been a rewarding season!

Drew got 2 more home runs in this game and a single scoring 6 of our 10 runs - there was 2 runners on when he hit his first one and 1 runner on when he hit his second one and 1 runner scored off his single. I was screaming so that I lost my voice in this game - if you can imagine that!

Drew also played very well at first base during this game - stopping another hard hit ball to get the out at first base! Cameron also connected with Drew several time to get outs. The best thing I've started to notice is Drew moving off of the bag to catch Cameron's throws if they don't get to him! That makes mama proud because he looks like a "real" first baseman then! He has really worked hard and has done very well this year! We couldn't be more proud!

Greenville Drive!

Craig's boss, Ronnie, gave us four tickets to go see our local semi-pro baseball team, the Greenville Drive on Monday afternoon! Drew and Mikayla had been looking forward to this game all weekend long. They couldn't wait to get their to see these "big guys" play! We wish the score had been a little different at the end (the Drive lost 4 - 0), but we sure had fun watching them play! My beautiful girl on the way to the stadium! Look at those pretty eyes!
Drew poses with this "baseball clown"! This guy was super nice, and he sure knows how to get the crowd into the game!
Greenville's mascot Reedy Rippit!Drew and Mikayla cheer on the team!Drew gives Reedy a high five!Mikayla and Craig run the bases after the game!Drew runs the bases after the game - little one in the red shirt! They loved this part!