Danny’s blue all-star team put up a good fight, but lost to the red team 3 games in a row. The odds were against them with the other team having players from the #1 Cardinals. The Cardinals had fudged the assistant coach rules to get 4 #1 draft picks at the beginning of the season. And the villainous “coach” Pat Swindall didn’t help matters coaching from third base his team to bend every base-running rule.

The blue team played with honor, though, and lost the last game by a slim difference of 15 to 14. Danny made us all proud the whole season. He learned a lot and applied what he learned. He has an excellent throwing arm and the fiercest most determined batting stance in the league.

In the 9th inning of the last game, down by 5, with 2 men on and 2 outs, Danny stepped up to the plate. His mother began saying prayers that the season would not end on Danny’s bat. SWING. Strike 1.

Danny had some terrific stats. He almost always got on base. And I was amazed at how often he would get a hit on the third strike. He has nerves of steal. The praying continued. SWING. Strike 2.

Kathy started jumping up and down in a kneeling position. I started gritting my teeth. Certainly it hadn’t all come down to this? I was afraid he had used up all the 3rd strike hits any kid could expect in one season. SWING. CRACK!

He hit one of the longest balls he had ever hit out to left field. It dropped between two red-stars. One blue-star scored and Danny landed at second base.

I was relieved. Kathy immediately went to the restroom after climbing down from the fence.

The next bat would be the moment of glory for the blue-stars when terrible fielding allowed the batter, Danny, and the other base runner to score. Pat Swindall looked exasperated. The game was tied and the blue-stars were delighted. They wouldn’t win the game, but it was a good day for baseball.

Opening day for the all-stars featured a field decorated by Kathy and Marian and the Star-Spangled Banner sung by our own Nicole Cashel.

Nicole had been practicing all week. The original plan was for her to sing along to the music blaring over loud speakers. When we arrived at the field, though, we found out the speakers had blown. The commissioner offered a bull horn if Nicole was willing to sing sans music.

Our brave and confident Nicole, with a full year of drama training fresh under her belt, did the carpe diem thing and said “sure.” The commissioner took her behind the backstop to practice towards the woods.

A combination of nerves, of having to sing one of the most difficult songs in the world, of having to set her own pitch and beat without music, and of having a lack of backup from a bunch of t-ball boys, led to a rough start for Nicole. She started too high, making it impossible to reach the early high notes. Standing at home plate behind the bull horn, t-ballers up both base lines, I was helpless to help her. Her eyebrows went up in desperation. But she had gotten the crowd singing, so she paused through a line or two, and found her proper notes. She finished well, and held back the tears until she cleared the field.

It was a tough moment, but Kathy and I told her we were proud of her for doing it, and I told her I was proud of her for not quitting and having the guts to finish.

Nicole and Danny both have a lot of character. You don’t always get that by getting the most points.

The Orioles lost their Memorial Day game, but had a great rally inning where they almost pulled from behind. Nicole won a game ball for all her help in the dug out and scoring during the season.