Sam and Baseball

Sam began coach pitch this year, and it started fairly well. He was a little behind some of the other kids, but also having some of the same struggles. We have had fun hitting in the cages, and playing out in the field, and it has been great…but we had some struggles.

Sam’s first game was probably more nerve wracking to me than to him. I wanted him so badly to do well, so he would not get upset, and the first game, he did great. He hit the ball every time he got up to the plate. But he got a little confused out in the field when a ball came to him and it led to about 20 people telling him to do about 6 different things with the ball.

So his second ball game he started complaining about his belly hurting and ended up making it through the game but completely hating baseball. Then the third game ended up with a complete meltdown and him sitting on the bench the whole game because he could not stomach even getting out on the field.

I took drastic action and took control of both of his favorite animals…Lotso and Bully Bully. This resulted in some pain, but he promised to do better. At the last practice before game 4, his coaches were great to get him out on the field and used to where he needed to go.

But game day arrived, and those jitters started to creep back. That is when his new friend Mason saved the day. Mason is our neighbor and asked Sam to come throw the ball with him. They ended up batting 1 and 2 in the lineup…and in the last inning Sam got a hit and made it to first base. Next up Mason drove the ball hard to second base, but Sam turned on the engines to make it to second safe. Two batters later, Sam and Mason scored for the Texas Rangers runs 9 and 10 in a defeat for the team, but a victory for Sam.

One excuse Sam likes to use is that he is hot, and with this severe hot 75 degree weather, he has altered his uniform during the game. See below that he has made himself some shorts out of it. He also went to bat like this...one day it might be embarrassing, but he really doesn't care right now...He is HOT.

I think he is back in business with baseball, and him and Mason are becoming good buddies. Today was his eighth game and eighth loss, but he hit the ball three times. Got out at first, got out at second, and his last at bat...scored a run for the Rangers. He was very happy and giving high fives to teamates. It is slowly getting more easy for him, but I still can't get him to move an inch from his initial spot in Right Field.