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.

5/31/93

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.

Danny hits two home runs. Knocked in two on his 2nd. Good fielding as pitcher to first and home. Won the game ball! Gramalie, Grandad, Bob, Carol, and Eric were extra fans.

This was a big weekend for Danny. Saturday was the opening day for Stone Mountain Little League baseball.

Danny got his uniform earlier in the week. He’s number 22. He was very proud and wore it to school on Thursday.

Friday night was the float decorating party. I printed out two poster-sized Oriole logos at work. Danny assembled the pages. Kathy glued them on, and I painted them in orange. The float (truck) had a giant nest on top with a giant baseball/egg in it. I painted the red stitching on the baseball. I’m the designated artist.

The float read “Look what we hatched!”, which appealed to mothers from all teams. In fact, our float/truck won the float contest. Free slices of pizza for all the T-League Orioles.

Danny enjoyed riding in the parade and waving to the crowd (me, Kathy, Nicole, and Kelly among others) through down town Stone Mountain.

It was a cool but sunny day. Kathy, Kelly, and I found a good spot just outside of right field to put down a blanket and watch the Orioles play the Angels. Nicole quickly found some baseball buddy girlfriends and spent the entire game running around, playing in the winning float/truck, hanging out at the concession stand, etc.

I was proud to see that Danny was the starting pitcher. Not that the pitcher actually does any pitching, but it is a critical position, since the pitcher fields 50% of the hits, seeing as so many roll no further than the pitcher’s mound.

Ex-congressman Pat Swindell did the actual pitching as coach of the Angels. Ironic that the Angels’ coach is a convicted perjurer. I suppose their are worse crimes, but I kept my eye on him anyway.

Danny and first baseman Jeb [coach’s son] made a good team. Danny has a very accurate throw, and Jeb knows how to stretch and catch. They threw out several players, and certainly prevented innumerable doubles and more.

They didn’t prevent enough though. The final score was something like 15 to 7. But the kids had fun. Danny got on base 3 out of 4 at bats. Two of his hits were off pitches, something rarer than the hits off the “T”. He scored one run.

He spent most of the day today working on his throwing and catching. He wants to be able to throw fast balls.

Tomorrow he is attending a “secret” practice to get in extra pitcher/first baseman work. Coach Tom had warned in the beginning that these were the two most important positions and that parents should not get upset if the two best players were put there. I’m proud that my first-year 5-year-old “beat out” (I guess) several second year six-year-olds. But then he has always been determined.

Danny is also the second tallest on his team, as was determined by the team photo today when they all had to line up tall to short.

Nicole did a good job of taking back seat today. But her weekend is coming when she puts on her musical that she’s been working on in drama all year.

This is Danny’s first writing:

Basbl

M a m m Dad Yntu ciufr

Basbl We want hom Awpt Basbl

Airm Basbl ShOoz

Wwtoomiy

Iymi shmflbl

which translates to:

Baseball

Me and my Dad I signed up for

Baseball. We went home and practiced baseball.

I wore my baseball shoes.

We went to my (grand pa’s house)

I stole my uncle’s football t-shirt.

Dad, Ted, Grant and I played the annual touch football game. After a humiliating and painful loss last year (Ted and me), we decided to change up teams. The long-winning Ted & Jeb team had been brought down by Grant’s growing up and becoming a devilishly quick football/ultimate player.

So this year, Grant and I stood Dad and Ted. This was decided based on Ted’s boast, “I’m better than Jeb, so we should put the worst with Grant.” Playing to 6, Grant and I quickly went to 5 to 1. It took a bit of doing, but we finally put them away 6 to 2. I scored 3 and Grant scored 3. I had a good year this year in both passing and receiving.

Dad came up with a plan that he shared with me and Ted. Next time we play, we’ll play 3 rounds with one person playing each round with Grant. Whoever plays with Grant will intentionally play terribly. That way Grant will lose each time, and we can determine that Grant is the worst player.

Danny came along with us while Nicole stayed home with Mom. He rode his bike around the park parking lot, cheered his Dad on, threw rocks at the fence, and played in the dirt. He had a good time.

I tried stretching before we played this year. I hope that will help. Last year I could hardly walk for 3 or 4 days.

The Braves did better for Dad’s 58th birthday than for Kathy’s 28th. After two losses in Minnesota, they swept the Twins in Atlanta Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The whole town was celebrating. Dad and Mom were able to go to the game Thursday night. Dad was very excited. “I’ve thought about doing a lot of things. I’ve even thought about going to heaven, but I never thought about getting to go to a World Series!”

And the Braves cleaned ’em up. Looked like batting practice.

So Friday night’s birthday party for Dad was that much more fun. We did the Tomahawk chop wherever we could work it in. Grant would invent lyrics on the fly, and we would all chime in. Carol, Ted, and Grant were there with Kathy, Bob, Nicole, Danny, and Eric. We’ve started substituting sweatshirts and books for cigars. The candy and fudge were appreciated as much as ever.

(Little did Danny, Dad, Carol, or Bob know that Eric was carrying a little extra present for them. Actually, Bob and Carol should have known. Eric had been throwing up the night before.)

Since I had been out of town on Kathy’s birthday, we planned to celebrate by going out the following Saturday, which ended up being the first night of the World Series. The Braves wore us out winning the Pennant from the Pirates, and now they have a chance to wear us out with a World Series.

We decided to go to a sports bar around the corner called Jocks & Jills. When we got there, though, the parking lot was packed, the place looked packed inside and out, and there was a line. We opted for Plan B, Taco Mac. We were able to get a booth with a good view of one of the TVs. Since we were going to be there for the entire evening, we tried to plan to make the appetizers, dinner, and beers last. Our waiter sat down and watched some of the game with us.

Unfortunately, the Braves did not know we were celebrating their #1 fan’s birthday, because they got beat up pretty bad. We actually left before the end of the game and finished watching it at home.

I was sick and getting sicker. Took enough pills to get me through the night, but paid for it the next day.