Surf's Up

Some time has gone by again. A few big things have happened, some of which I may write about at another time, but for now I just have some baseball and Rylee's birthday in mind to tell you about. I also have many pics to upload from our camera. I'll get those here soon, too.

This has been such a terrific year for the boys playing baseball. Jackson has been playing for the Yankees in the minor league. Rylee has been playing machine pitch (sometimes called Rookie League) for the Marlins. It's been a real treat to go to all the practices and games and watch them. We've gotten to know the players, the coaches, and the parents...even grandparents and other family, and that's been a fun part of the season, too. The parents become good friends, and we often chat with them in the stands during the games. Several discussions about camping and fishing and other sports and just about anything you can think of. We tell stories. We ask about things. Did you bike here again? How was your trip? We prep the fields. I bring a camp chair for Cyndi and we all try to find a bit of shade. I often get antsy and have to pace, often leaning against the chain link to clap and give some encouragement. The minor league field is next to the concession stand, which has the best hot dogs, frito pies, and green chile cheeseburgers. Rylee likes the nachos and cheese. It's also a treat to see the camaraderie among the boys on each team. They genuinely support one another and have learned to act like a team. Baseball teaches a lot, and Jackson's coaches, especially, have been outstanding.

Jackson is in the middle of tournament season now. Tournaments are played in minors and above, so Rylee's season has ended. Jackson is anxious for the season to end. (We've been playing since January.) He was specifically asked to play on the all-star team to play other minor leagues around the area during the summer, but he declined that. They finished their season in first place. They won their first tournament game, but last night they lost in the bottom of the 6th when the home team scored a run. They were tied 2-2 in the top of the 6th, after a fierce defensive battle on the part of both teams. It's double elimination; next game is on Thursday.

It's been such a treat to watch Jackson play. Last night was like so many of his games this season. He pitched two full innings. You could feel the pressure in this tight game. On the mound, he takes time to collect himself, then focuses on the catcher's mitt, balances, and throws. It is very methodical. One parent asked if he played chess, the way he studies each of his pitches. He has an uncanny ability to throw strikes that drop right over the plate. He throws very few wild pitches, which keeps any runners from advancing and scoring, and he hardly ever walks a batter. When the batters do hit off him, as they did in this last game, they usually get grounders that Jack's teammates field and make the out. He's been very effective, and it's also great to see his teammates make the solid defensive plays behind him. Last night, there was the prettiest of an almost, classic 4-6-3 double play. The other team did not score on him.

At bat, Jackson is the premier bunter in the league. He leads off and lays down the softest bunts just inside the line and runs hard for first, almost always getting on. From there, he is quick to steal and this year he has developed a great slide. Last night he took out the short stop sliding into second. He also played second base last night, and he got a hard grounder to make the throw out at first.

Rylee wasn't challenged enough this year, but he had a chance to shine and develop his play at first base. The coach put him there from the beginning since he quickly learned to stretch and make the catch and the out, despite the fact that he is so young and therefore smaller than most of his teammates. One parent remarked at the last game that he was just a vacuum cleaner at first. He plays in front of the base line, and with the artificial turf in the infield the grounders come fast and hard. He always charges and moves in front of the ball, and you can see his big first baseman's glove scoop the ball up. He's not afraid to take one in the chest, too, if it has to come to that, since he is so determined to make the out. He'll chase any popup, fair or foul, and get under the ball for the out. Another parent remarked how fast he is on the bases. He is such a determined runner and has a beautiful slide. He's getting smarter about running and plays. He hits good drives off his bat. It didn't hurt to get some more batting experience this year at this level. The coach treats him different from most of the other players. For one reason, Ry listens and learns fast. For another, his skill level is beyond most of the other players, but they all have improved remarkably over the course of the season and it's fun when you see something that looks like real baseball. His team hands out little awards after every game, and Rylee has come away with most of the fielding awards. His end of the year party is next week, and he and his teammates are getting some nice warm up jerseys, in lieu of trophies.

He's anxious to sign up for fall ball, while Jackson is ready for a season of soccer.

Before the last game, Rylee kept telling me about this scenario: there's one runner on third; no more than one out; he's playing first as always; a grounder is hit toward him; he fields it, tags the base for the force, and fires it home to the catcher for another out, saving the run. He wanted so much to make that play. Arthur, who has played catcher almost the entire season, is good and can make that catch and make that out. I think Ry and Arthur make the best combination on the team. I told Arthur's dad about Ry's scenario. That scenario actually came up during the game. Ry gathered the grounder, made the out at first and threw hard to the catcher as the runner from third was coming in. Arthur caught the ball at home as the runner was sliding. Oh, it was so close! I turned to Arthur's dad and we laughed with joy.

Ry's next to last game came the night that Jackson's team was the team of the game at the Isotopes. That was pretty cool. The boys dressed in their uniforms and brought their gloves. Before the game they had all the hot dogs, sodas and ice cream they could want while the Isotopes had their pregame warm up and batting practice before dressing up for the game. Then the boys were taken down to the field, along the third base line in front of the home dugout, where some pictures were taken as the professional players emerged again for their final warm up in their uniforms, many of them walking down the line of boys and giving them high-fives. Then the boys stood in front of the dugout, and the Isotope players would come over to them to sign balls and gloves. Finally, the boys got to take their position in the park, alongside the Isotope players, for the Star Spangled Banner. Jackson got to stand next to the starting pitcher by the mound. The boys sat together in the stands for the game, trying to catch fouls or get a player to toss them one. I got Jackson a ball after the game, after they ran the bases, a tradition for all children at all of the games.

School ended before Memorial Day. There was an outdoor graduation for the fifth graders, and they sang some fun songs. Jackson got a "diploma". He'll really be moving on next year. Cyndi and I attended a parent social at the Academy one evening. It's all so impressive. Rylee was excited at year-end about the great teacher he had and his gifted class, and began preparing ahead already for next year's gifted project. Last week, he read the Tin Tin graphic novel Jackson got from Ariel, and I watched him play with tiny toy soldiers in the sandbox outside. Jackson, meanwhile, is as full time on the computer as he can be and he still talks about building one this summer. Cyndi takes them to the pool as often as she can, while she is studying for a Series 65.

Rylee began to count down to his birthday about ten days out. He also remembered Ariel and Chris' anniversary would fall the day before. He didn't have much of a wish list. He wanted a dog but the house is small, the yard is small, and there may be some allergy issues in the house. Then he started mentioning a rabbit, and that started to sound like a good idea. A few days before his birthday we did some research and I even visited the nearest animal shelter and was surprised how impressive an operation and facility it was. On Sunday, a day before his birthday, we surprised Ry and took him there. A rabbit adoption organization would be there that morning, too, to answer questions as they cleaned up the rabbit room and cages. A man, everyone called him the bunny man, spent over an hour with us as Rylee picked out just one rabbit and began to hold it. Her name is Limes, and we've stuck with that name. Poor rabbit seems to have had a very rough start to May, after probably being lost from a home at some point, but she is very gentle. We brought her home, after buying a rabbit cage, and food, and litter, and hay. She is in the boys' room now. Both love her.

Ry went swimming with a friend on his birthday. He also celebrated with Nicholas's birthday. We had pizza on Sunday and cake and ice cream on Monday, and he got a few other presents he wanted: Tin Tin volume 5, a major league baseball rule book (okay, that wasn't actually on his list), basketball shorts, a skateboard shirt, and a set of Legos. He's been smiling a lot lately.

Cyndi, meanwhile, has made new friends with a wild rabbit--Rylee calls it Frederico--that hangs out in our yard, along with a robin and a couple of sparrows. It's our own menagerie. They come around when I'm outside, too, expecting to see Cyndi. The grass is coming back, finally, and a couple spots I seeded are sprouting now. The lavender will make it another year. The aspen is shooting up. The state is having an extreme drought, and a couple of fires sprang up last week. There's been no rain for as long as we can remember.

Ariel is running the San Francisco marathon with her friend Emily on Father's Day weekend. She says it's hot in New York City now. She called once as she was doing several loops around Central Park.

I'll say more, but I'll start working for the District Attorney in Raton  in a couple of weeks.