First came the Spring season of baseball in Helena for Joseph and Michael. This year, Joseph was the lead pitcher for his team; he also played catcher and 2nd base. He was number 2 in the batting line-up. This was his first year moving up to the teenage bracket (13-16 year olds), so he was a bit concerned how he would compare to the older kids in his division, but he was quickly able to prove his talents to his team. His pitching skills took on a whole new level this year---more speed, greater accuracy, and more types of pitches added to his repertoire (the curve ball, fastball, change-up, and knuckle ball). What made this even more impressive is this older league he played on larger fields with the pitching mound at MLB distance to home-plate (60 feet!)---that is a crazy long way to throw an accurate pitch! Last year his team won the championship, but this year was less climactic because he did not have a heavy-hitting team. His team got eliminated from the championship bracket early on in the city tournament, but he still had a great time at every game and grew in his skills and in the love of the game!
Michael played pitcher and short-stop for his team, and he was number 1 in the hitting line-up. His favorite position was short-stop and he played it well---nothing got by that boy. He is scrappy and competitive, which is the perfect combination for a short-stop :) He was also one of the his team's best pitchers. He couldn't throw with as much speed as some of the other pitchers, but he made up for that with his accuracy and his wicked "slurve ball" (a cross between a slider and curve). It was so fun to watch him pitch 2 fast balls in a row and then the slurve ball---it tricked the batter every time! The curve was so significant that the batter would think the ball was going to hit him, and then it would slide into the strike zone at the last second while the batter was jumping out of the batting box! :) Michael's team had a very exciting season. They were ranked #3 going into the city tournament, and then they beat the #1 team twice to win the championship! Michael was the closing pitcher and won the MVP, so he and his parents were quite proud to say the least. So far all of our boys appear to be very talented at whatever they do, so I worry a bit that they will get cocky. We try to talk a lot about giving the glory to God and thanking Him for their talents, as well as saying the following prayer every day after the meal prayer: "Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like Yours." I truly want my boys to succeed, but more importantly, I want them to be humble and holy. I think they are off to a good start! :)
The day after their Helena baseball season ended, we jumped in the car to head to South Dakota for the summer...and the SD baseball season was just beginning, so the boys got to play another entire season!!! They were elated. I was especially thankful that Dominic was able to play, otherwise he would have missed a whole season of baseball. His age group was non-competitive and didn't even keep score, but he still had a blast. He was quite the slugger and often hit the ball way over the out-fielders and into the adjacent baseball field! I think he had an advantage over the other kids because of how often he plays ball with his older brothers. He was a joy to watch, mainly because he is always joyful. This boy has the biggest heart and the biggest smile of our family! :)
In South Dakota, Joseph and Michael miraculously got to be on the same time for the first time ever, so it was super fun to watch them play at the same time and not have to run back and forth from one field to the next. Joseph was one of the team's best hitters, even hitting a few home runs! Michael didn't hit quite as far as Joseph, but had one of the best batting averages for the team, which is certainly something to be proud of, and I would say he was the best in-fielder by far (but I'm a bit biased). :} They were on a great team this year and were ranked #2 going into the final tournament. They made it to the championship round and Joseph was chosen to pitch for the championship game. It was a nail biter... I was so nervous that I couldn't watch the last inning, so I walked away to pray Hail Mary's. Perhaps the Blessed Mother had pity on my anxious mother's heart, because Joseph and Michael's team WON!!! Joseph pitched great and handled the stress with such calmness and confidence (he definitely gets that from his father!). Michael helped his team clinch the win with his amazing in-fielding, making some impressive diving catches. What made this season the most special, however, was that Grandpa Pat was able to watch every single game, and there is no doubt that he was their biggest fan! :) The boys think we should spend every summer in Aberdeen just so that they can play 2 seasons of baseball! :) I kinda like their logic for my own selfish reasons :)
After the championship game the boys had to turn in their jerseys,
and their mother forgot to bring extra shirts---oops!
It made for a fun photo opportunity though! :)
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