“Success is never so interesting as struggle”
― Willa Cather
It was the bottom of the last inning and we were trailing 6-1. In order to get a shot at winning, we were going to have to score the maximum allowable runs per inning of 5. That would send the game into the extra-innings, and give us a shot at victory. A daunting task, but not an inconceivable one.
We had the top of the order at-bat, and we’d never lost to this team.
Peter was our first hitter, and after running the count to full, he hit a screaming liner up the middle for a double. Promptly stealing third, we were now poised to score the first of the five needed runs. One of our best hitters was at the plate, so things were off to a great start.
Peter has always been aggressive on the base path, showing an understanding of the art of baserunning at an early age. Due to this fluency, our third base coach had a tendency to try and push him beyond his comfort level, and be even more aggressive. Something I’ve cautioned against throughout the year, with mixed results.
The batter ran the count to one and two. With my attention focused on the kid at the plate, I was shocked when Peter was suddenly caught up in a run down. Apparently, the third base coach had pushed him into a bigger lead than circumstances warranted and the pitcher was able to trap him CONTINUE READING: HISTORY MAKERS – Dad Gone Wild
