Winning, losing and life lessons

"There are three things you can do in a baseball game, you can win, you can lose, or it can rain." Casey Stengel

Character building. Yeah right. Tell me about it. I can make all the rah-rah speeches, I can talk about how well we played, and how we will be a better team because we lost today, but at the end of the day I can't hide how bad I feel for the team. I hate losing, I know most people do. I can tell you that it hurts  to have a 1 in the loss column, and I can tell you that losing sucks!!! I'm sure you will agree with me.

Ok, now that I have moaned and groaned, whined and pouted, it's time to get over it.  In fact I like rah-rah speeches, and I like to see us facing a bit of adversity. It will test our mettle, our heart, our dedication. Losing does suck, but it does something more important, it bursts our bubble. We have walked a tightrope the past few weeks, and if anyone was under the illusion that we were invincible, we should have found the cure for that problem.

We've worked hard this year, really hard. Our development has come hand in hand with each hard fought win. We've taken nothing for granted. We've been tested, we'd bent but hadn't been broken. It was going to take a good challenger to knock us off our pedestal and today we got that test, today we took that shot. Now comes the most important part of all, how we deal with this adversity, how we finish this wonderful season.

I'm not going to get into details. We did well, and we will do well again. We will get it right. Our future, is now.

Practice Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

Testament to what works... Unsung heroes do their part

Sometimes it's in the excitement of it all that we focus on the impact plays of a game that make an impression, but are supported by the dedication and hard work of  those who allowed us to be in a position to win the game in the first place. It's a struggle to give out player of the game awards, and for the most part, I don't and won't do that. It's a team effort and all of our players should be proud to have contributed to that. Our strength is having players who do it all, and it's the sum of all the parts that make the machine work.

It was my intention when I started this blog to try and give you an insight as to how I think and what I do, and more importantly why I do what I do. I'm really lucky. I have been able to keep a core nucleus of players together and  add to them with a spunky group of  second year players and rookies who should do them proud going into the future. I have always said that I expect my older guys to lead by example, and I still do have a lot of work to do, even with them. That said, they know that they are my rocks and I wouldn't be anywhere without them.

I can sing the praises of Adam. We know what he brings to the table. He's an important piece in our wheel. But at the end of the day he is just a piece.... he can not and will not do it all for us.  Without the proper support system around him we have seen what happens. William, Bryce, and Thomas all have key, important roles on the team. William is a silent leader and an awesome first baseman. His inside the park 3 run home-run was a huge hit for us and if we didn't have it, we would not have won. There is no doubt that he is an anchor that allows us a huge advantage, and on on any given day he is a game  winner. Bryce is enthusiastic and wants to do it all. His hits have come at key times for us, and his two run double against the Dodgers is yet another key hit to our season. Thomas is my spiritual leader. I laugh and cry with him, and he has no idea how important he is to me. I want so much for him to succeed, I want for him to do well, because I know deep down, he wants it too. 

I could go on. Mateo, Liam, Taj and Syriah, all second year players have yet to find their mettle. There is still a long way to go with these guys. So it goes with the rookies. They are silly and smiling, temperamental yet strong. To have them perform at the level they do is a bonus to us all.

All key cogs in our wheel of fortune, all unsung heroes who each bring a little something different to the table. We are many and we are one.... one dream, one hope, one strong.... one team!

The fat lady, singing and dealing with adversity - D-backs 5, Red Sox 4

If you believe in such things as fate or destiny and the like, these are things that forge the way you approach life. Doing things right, and developing a thought or idea to it's fruition, are keys to forging destiny. Yesterday during warmups, I took the time to do a little individual batting practice with Thomas, Rachel and Jason. If time had allowed I would have worked with others as well. My intention was to try and get them into a more confident position with the bat.

Needless to say, it worked. Bigtime!

Yesterday we saw some things happen that challenged us as a team and as individuals. Our opponents, the Red Sox, going into the game, hadn't won a game all season. They did a great job in trying to change that yesterday. We could point the finger at a lot of different things, but the first inning wa a case of Murphy's Law gone wild on us. Whatever could go wrong... did. I was mildly surprised it was only 4-0 at the end of it all. Disappointed, yes, but not completely unexpected. What we take as simple, becomes a much more complex and menacing beast.

Tristan said to me during the inning, "They hit the ball really hard."  Yes, they did do that. Add to that a couple of botched plays, and, as I said, I was surprised it was only four nothing. To top it off, again we squandered our first inning, and if we had only one of our first three on base, Adam's home-run would have lifted our spirits. A better second inning defensively allowed us to get out unscathed, but you could almost sense it wasn't going to be our day, when Adam hit a double and then was caught running between 2nd and 3rd. 

Key the important point of our season. Destiny is being forged. With some resilient hitting, including a hit by Thomas, we managed to put up 3 runs to pull within 1 run at the end of 2. Wow. Still a lot of work to be done. I'm not afraid of losing. As I said in my previous blog, we'll never truly know how good we are until we lose a game. Losing 4 -3 would have been telltale, simply because we would have lost to a team that hadn't won yet. First losing to worst does many things, not least gives confidence to other teams that they can do the same thing. It also puts doubt in our own minds, whether or not we are as good as we really are.

Put those doubts to rest. We are a good team. The hitting display shown by the five batters at the bottom of the order, Rachel, Sherwin, Aidan, Jason and Taylor, found us with bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the third. 

Key... Riley.

Riley wants a lot of things. Riley doesn't want to play outfield, Riley wants to play first base. Riley wants a lot of things. I get looks from other players. Adam hasn't got the connection with him, like he does with William, and at first base, Riley will need a lot more chances. If he's our future at first, he needs to, and will get the playing time, but he knows it will only be after we get the other teams 3 outs. He's paying his dues. A trooper. Yes he's a persistent little one, but I can not deny his hunger for the game.

I have others hungry as well. Tristan, Rachel, Aidan, Sherwin, and even Taylor from my juniors, all want opportunities to play infield, and they will get them too. That said it will be a test for each of them to make the most of their chances when they happen. 

Oh yes, back to Riley, back to the game, back to bases loaded 2 outs, bottom of the 3rd Red Sox 4, D-backs 3. Last chance saloon. Riley struck out his first at bat, got a hit the second time.... and the third. Score 2 runs and a win for the D-backs!!!

Queue the fat lady. Oh how I love the song she sings.

Finding ways to get it right...

Coaching is an interesting pastime. I say "pastime" because for those of us who do it, we do it because of our love for the game and with the hopes that we can give back to a game that has given us so much already. As most of you know, I coach, manage, and even umpire in baseball and softball, because I simply have a huge hunger for the game and want to see all aspects of it blossom here in Bermuda. There is no doubt that we have some great kids coming up, and it is a great thing when you see kids who want to get better, trying so hard to get it right... even at this age level.

There are keys to success. As in everything, it requires, time, practice and a lot of patience. For some of us, it comes naturally. For some others, it requires extra. Motivation, dedication and a love for the game has to spur us on. When we look at what we have to accomplish, and the time we have to do it, it's a lot of work in a small window. Opportunities have to be maximised, and practices have to be effective so that what happens there is translated into game situations.

I am constantly working on ideas to get my points across, trying to get our kids to do the fundamentals, to enjoy themselves, to love and respect the game. As with anything, you get out of it what you put into it. It's an evolving thing. Kids who want to play, try very hard, and those who don't want to play, won't try as hard. Thus comes the other part of being a coach, finding the spark to keep them interested, and keep them going, when they really don't want to. I'm pretty lucky. After a few weeks I can tell who these players are, and while I still want them involved, I know that they are probably just content being out there. If they do something good, they know they get rewarded, and I always work with positive re-inforcement, trying to encourage focus and making good decisions, irregardless of how bad the play turns out.

Winning games is fun. It is also a difficult measuring stick because we are never too sure how good we are, or how bad we are. While we are winning, no one would be honest enough to admit that it has been easy, and as we do have the largest squad in Rookie league, our window of opportunity is that much smaller, simply because we don't have the amount of quality chances other teams are getting. We have been really lucky.

So we forge on. practice, practice, practice. Then we'll practice some more. Our success is a wonderful thing, but I am not about to rest on my laurels. Time to turn up the heat!

A little luck and a lot of hard work... Dbacks 1 - Mets 0

First things first. Sometimes it's better to just not tinker too much with things. Our struggles in scoring runs has left me wondering what should we do to get it right. We must lead the league in unofficial runs scored. Too often I find us needing hits and we're not getting them. Yes it's tough, We continue to rely too much on our defense, and even though our good hitters are spread throughout the lineup, we are not getting key hits at key times. I'm at the point where I'm seriously considering putting all the best hitters at the top of the order, and hope to score 4 or 5 runs in the first inning and try and shut the other team down for 3 innings. There has to be a better way... and I will find it!!!!

The game itself wasn't overly impressive. The Mets were equally inept at scoring when it counted, and seemingly came alive when it didn't. The weather, and being short a couple of players didn't help at all. It was a tough day all around yesterday, but we fought through it and managed a win. Riley continues to show he's a good little hitter, and Tristan too.Taj and Rachel had tough AB's and Sherwin FINALLY connected, and even though it was a foul, I can see his confidence coming on. Taylor got a hit, but we will continue to work with her Jason and the rest of the young guns.

One little disappointment was the "stuff" in the dugout. I believe I addressed it during and after the game and I hope I don't have to address it again. I know it's tough having so many kids in a small place for an extended period, but we must show some restraint. 

Practice is on the inside diamond this week, and hopefully that should give us some serious batting practice off of the machine. We definitely need it!

See you all on Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

Small things done right... D-backs 4 - Dodgers 2

Another good game, and slowly but surely we are separating ourselves from the rest of the pack. It will be important to not let up over the coming weeks, we have done a lot of good things, small thin and Tristags, right the past few weeks and we will continue to beat the same drum. I know a lot of the younger ones are anxious to play on the infield, and theey will get their chances. I may even do more the coming weeks if we can build up comfortable leads on our opponents. We have yet to have a breakout offensive game, and I am not about to sacrifice what we've worked on this far to appeal to the young and hungry. At some point I will look to increase their playing time on the bases, but only to look forward to next year when we lose our senior guys.

We are getting some consistency in our hitting. I like what I see out of Riley, Rachel, Taj and Tristan. Sherwin seems to be swinging very well and just not making contact. Aidan is working hard too and got a good hit yesterday. I'm sure that more will come from those two. Syriah and Taylor will get more batting practice in the future. It will be important for their development and enjoyment if they begin to do these things well.

Our seniors are doing very well. William is beginning to find his stroke, Bryce had a huge 2 rbi double in the second inning, and Adam is easily the best player the rookie league has seen in many years. His playing is at a different level from anyone else, and we have not seen the best from him yet!!! T homas will get more reps at pitcher this week, we're playing the Mets and I want to be able to use both him and Mateo in that role as needed. I want Thomas, Liam and Mateo to move away from the big bats. They are not making consistent contact, and I think that they are just not physically ready for them. We'll discuss it at practice. Practice is on the outside pitch this week, so we'll be working primarily on defense.

See you all at practice on Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

Practice making perfect... and BABY NEWS!!!!

Another great turnout for practice last night. It's almost too bad that we only have 90 minutes to practice, and we have so much to do! Last night we set up a few hitting drill stations, and for the most part got through them with some good efforts. I'd like to thank Coaches Hall, Smokey and Desi for getting things done. It's a credit to each of them that we continue to develop at the rate we do.

The baserunning drills are important, and we'll do more of that in the coming weeks. There's a lot to consider when running the bases, and with the noise levels high and the concentration levels not at their best, it will take some work to make the most out of our hitters. It is still a HUGE issue. Even after demonstrations by Adam, we had runners not touching first base, while running through. Our runners need to do 2 things on the way to first, RUN FAST and hit the bag. If they do those two things well, we can move on to getting them to listen to the coaches. We can't turn singles into doubles if we don't get singles done properly!

No defense practice last night. We have worked a lot on defense the past few weeks, and we needed to work on the hitting. We may rotate our practices to coincide with our being inside or outside the diamond. We'll see.

Last but not least... we have exciting BABY NEWS!!!!! Sean and Laura Lee, Thomas' parents, are pleased as punch to welcome 9lb 8oz Larson Paul Lee to the family as of yesterday!!! As soon as I have a pic... I'll post it up on the blog! It is never too soon to start recruiting future D-backs!!! I'm sending them some flowers today on behalf of the team!

See you all on Saturday!