Sammy's FIRST Baseball Game!

We left the house for Sam's first t-ball game. The excitement in the air was palpable. We were all a bit nervous. It was a double header for our family...Sammy's first game, followed by another of Joey's games.



We were late leaving the house. We arrived (seconds) late to the game. Darn, Sammy has to sit on the bench for the first inning and is last to bat. The second inning starts and the coach assigns positions. Sammy's eyes are wide and waiting. "Thor, pitcher...Jack, catcher...Sam, first base..."


"What?" I ask incredulously of the mom next to me. "What did the coach just say? Did he say Sam, first base?" "Yes," she replies with a sweet, proud smile...perhaps wondering why I look like I've just been told Sam has the swine flu.


"But he hasn't learned to catch the ball yet," I reply.


Anyone who's ever had a child in t-ball knows that almost the entire game is played by the pitcher, the batter and the first baseman.


YIKES! I brace myself for the inevitably long inning, and pray my little Sammy doesn't get discouraged. You see, his big brother plays baseball too (and he plays rather well, I might add).



But Sammy pulls through! He doesn't catch any of the balls thrown to him and watches a fair number of them roll on by, but he runs after the ball, scoops it up and dutifully walks it to the pitcher. The inning doesn't last forever and he actually does pretty well!

Whew!

When the inning was over, Sammy ran over to us and said "everyone keeps telling me I'm a good hustler."

Then, there's a long pause while he kicks a bit of dirt..."Dad, what's a hustler?"