Zach's baseball has been a little rough this year. This quote from the Bad New Bears would have been appropriate a few times thus far.

[after the Bears lose 18-0]

Coach Morris Buttermaker: Come on, fellas. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Ogilvie: Yeah, it took several hundred years.

BUT - the boys NEVER give up! They are a good group of boys and I like how they push on no matter what the circumstances. Tonight, was one of those "not gonna give up nights!" We were getting beat 11 - 5, but we were rallying and it had been one heck of a inning. The end of this game could have been a scene in the Bad News Bears. Just imagine this:

Great inning. . . great hitting, great base running, two outs. Zach is up to bat, men on second and third and the count is full. As he prepares for the final pitch for the walk, hit or strikeout, the ump raises his hands and calls time. He saw lightening. Seriously?!? It appears that the storm we had been waiting on is finally moving in. There ends the game. Zach is just SURE he would have gotten a hit !

Me? I have no idea what that pitch would have brought. But, I have to admit that I was somewhat relieved. The thought of him striking out and ending the game made me want to puke. I could just imagine his frustration with that. But then again, maybe he would have gotten a hit. We will never know.

I do know that this quote from the Bad News Bears is true:

Coach Morris Buttermaker: All I know is when we win a game, it's a team win. When we lose a game, it's a team loss.

Yea, try telling that to the boy who strikes out to lose the game. Or the pitcher who gives up six runs in an inning. Those are tough pills to swallow!

My hope is that now that the team has had a taste of what it feels like to field, hit and run the bases well we will continue with it. They just have to remember this:

Fundamentals are the most valuable tools a player can possess. Bunt the ball into the ground. Hit the cutoff man. Take the extra base. Learn the fundamentals.

Dick Williams

And no, I did NOT take the above picture.