Playoffs...Summary

So, we headed into the playoffs with a high-flying offense and some very consistent pitching that is definitely peaking at the right time. However, we had a few good teams in the way of getting to the championship game--and like the rest of the season, anyone can be beat in any given day. With our #2 seed, we came up against the Red Sox who we had split with during the season and had given us our worst loss of the year. However, our offense again started off strong and came up with 8 runs in the first two innings to take control. Though the Red Sox held us for much of the rest of the game, our pitching was consistent throughout and we moved on to championship Saturday with a 11-3 win. We were set to play against the Cubs, a team in which we had had two down-to-the-wire games in the regular season. We again struck early with a 5-run second inning. The Cubs closed to within 2 runs early in the fifth, but we broke it open in the bottom of the fifth as the bottom of our line-up were again able to get on base and we scored 4 runs to put it out of reach. Huge defensive plays stymied the Cubs' ability to get back in the game as outfielders caught fly balls and we had a key double play on a hard hit line-drive. The bottom of our line-up was again the key as they scored 8 of our 12 runs in a 12-6 win. So, for the second year in a row we play in the Championship Game. However, since the Dodgers, the hottest team in the league, took down the mighty Yankees in a hard fought game, we had a new opponent. The game started off with some good pitching and defense. Then, 19 runs were scored in two innings of play. With 6 lead changes and our 5-run 4th inninng with 4 consecutive hits followed by a 3-run Dodgers inning, we took a 1-run lead in the fifth. Then, like we have done the last several weeks, we executed great defense culminating with throwing the tying run out at the plate and at third base in steal attemps. It all came down to a situation we were eerily familiar with. Like a repeat from last year's championship game, our opponent had the game changing runner on third with two outs and two strikes, and, unlike last year, the game ended with a strike out and a 11-10 win. Phillies win the BCR 10s championship! A great game with a great ending. Though it was fun to win the championship, there were no losers that day as both teams played a great game and worked extremely hard to get to the last game. So, after two months of extremely hard work (we had too many practices), great focus (if only occassionally), and a lot of luck (we got our share of bad calls), we ended the season with a win. Who would have thought that a scrappy, high flying team (our running game scored more runs this year than our hitting game) would end the season 12-4-1. It is hard not to be very proud and excited for the boys, and, as the old cliche goes, "the whole was greater than the sum of its parts"...this year! Signing out for the year. Coach Paul

Week Seven...Summary

We ended the regular season as we had hoped, with 2 wins and a tie. In the last 7 games (last half of the season), we went 6-0-1. Not bad for a team without a power pitcher or hitter and a lot of kids that just want to have fun. We started off the week against the mighty Yankees and battled them close all game. We forced a 6th inning with little more than seconds to spare on the time-limit and then scored 3 runs to tie the game at 12-12. In the bottom of the inning we held the Yankees scoreless with a terrific play to end the game with the winning run on third base. Though being overmatched at the plate our running game again proved pivotal as we produced several runs with our aggressiveness. Two days later we played the always tough White Sox in a game that would come down to several close calls and a very tight strike zone--for both sides. Though the umpire frustrated some good pitching performances on both sides, our running game again produced several runs that made the difference in a 13-10 win. Weary but always ready, we bounced back with our third game in four days and definitely one our our best performances of the year in a game against the always dangerous Giants. Our bats and running game again got us off to a great start and we pitched well and played tremendous defense that shut down several rallys in an 18-8 win.

So, we end the season with a 9-4-1 record and a 2nd or 3rd place finish in the reagular season (more definite on Thursday). We are definitly peaking at the right time...just in time for playoffs. It has been a truly amazing season to see the boys continue to improve and see how a true team effort has gotten us this far. We are headed to the playoffs right where we should be--playing like the gamers we are. Playoffs are always a time of great upsets (do you remember the Braves' remarkable run from 7th place to 1 out away from winning the championship?) and this season should be no different. But I am sure if we continue to play as a team, we will end this season as winners no matter if that means Thursday evening or Saturday afternoon (it would be fun to end Saturday afternoon though...wouldn't it?).

Week Six…Summary

We played a split double-header against the one of the hottest teams in the league…and survived! With 18-8 and 13-12 wins over the Pirates we are back playing the kind of ball we have shown we are capable of. The series culminated in a huge last inning comeback by the Pirates in the second game when they scored 5 runs in the bottom of the inning with some good hitting and very smart baserunning to tie the game (I hear that came from their playbook). But we came back with some good baserunning of our own in a steal of home to end the game. We head into a game on Saturday against the first-place Yankees with a 4-game winning streak and one week to go in the regular season. We are still having some problems locating the plate with our pitching and definitely could use a little more heads play with our baserunning, but we are where we want to be with three games remaining. We are still being hindered by track as this week will be the last of the 5 track meets on game days (wheh!), but we should be at full strength and ready to go for the playoffs.

Week Five...Summary

We played a really good game in a win against the Red Sox under cloudy skies on Saturday. I was very pleased that our pitching is coming around and many of the players are really hitting the ball well. I was especially impressed with our multiple-base hits, including the inside-the-park homerun. We have another week off this week then we come back against the streaking Pirates on Saturday and again on Monday. Despite some questionable coaching (glad no one reads these blogs), they have won 5 of their last 6 (not that I am tracking them or anything) and will be looking to continue their hot play. We have a tough 5 games left before playoffs and we will need to play some good ball to keep our record above .5oo. I am confident that we will come ready to compete and, of course, have fun in every game.

Week Four...Summary

"I tried my best, but mom (feel free to substitute dad's name here) said my best was not good enough!", cried my son after a disappointing 14-13 loss to the Dodgers. As I explained to my son that sometimes our best is not good enough and you just have to be happy that your best is your best, I started to question...is that our best? Should our pitchers struggle to throw strikes, our batters look at strike three, runners fail to slide, fielders forget where to throw or cover? We answered that with a resounding NO! as we played a much better game in a good 15-11 win against the Cubs. Sure we had some more defensive miscues and strikeouts, but as a team we played with good focus and had some terrific pitching, hitting, and fielding moments (I attribute that to coach Phil's suggestion that we have the boys run a lap right before the game to wake them up). Okay, so we are 4-4 and looking to peak at the end of next month during playoffs. Honestly, there may not be a team that can beat us when we are playing our best (or a team that we will beat when they are playing their best), so all we need to do is figure out what our best is! The game of baseball is a very complicated game with steals and cutoffs and smart pitching and hitting and the list goes on. As parents, we need to help our kids (and ourselves) be comfortable with "their best" (and we will have practice this week to help us understand what that is). We come back on Saturday against the Red Sox and I hope to even the score after a loss to them in our first game. I also hope all of the boys will be comfortable with their best and have fun in this season of 10-year-old baseball--win or lose (winning is much funner though!). Hope to see many of you at the Grizzlies game.

Week Three...Summary

Our best game of the year and we still could not rattle the mighty Yankees. I was not sure how we would come off of spring break, but we did so in strong fashion with great pitching and solid hitting. Unfortunately, the Yankees brought their A-game and we could not overcome a few misplays in an 8-5 loss. With the loss, I see us making some great headway in developing a solid pitching staff and we are making strides in our ability to hit against top pitching. We still need to work on focus with our base running and minimizing fielding errors, but that is what the second half of the season is all about. We look to rebound against the Dodgers on Tuesday (our rescheduled game) and the Cubs on Thursday. Good luck to the six track stars on our team who will be competing in the city finals this Saturday.

Week Two...Summary

A tough win and a tough loss...I guess that is what 10-year old baseball is all about. We have really been living and dying with the 6-run inning this year, and this week was no exception. On Wednesday, we had 4 consecutive doubles to lead off the game only to be stifled in the middle innings by some solid pitching. After battling back, we held off the dark and a late game rally as the last out came with the tying run at second base in a 15-13 win over the White Sox. Our solid hitting continued against the Red Sox as we came out strong and took a good lead into the 4th. But our defense could not hold the scrappy Red Sox who 6- and 10-run-ruled us in back-to-back innings and we went down 19 to 11. Though it was a tough loss, I see us making a good run after some timely R&R for spring break as our bats are coming alive and we are just outside the black (and the umps are calling them tight this year) with many of our pitchers. Here's to some good rest and high energy as we will come back after 10 days rest to meet the mighty Yankees.