<p>MOWC - Sorry to see your South Nashville team lose tonight. It was a very close game down to the last pitch.</p>
<p>Yeah. They’re done.</p>
<p>Bummer that South Nashville is out. I watched the end of the game and felt badly for them. I’m proud of them for advancing as far as they did, though.</p>
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<p>You think throwing the ol’ bean ball is a recent phenomenon? Ever hear of Don Drysdale? He was downright mean on the mound back in the 60s. And even back to the early days of the early 20th century there were often big bean ball wars with ensuing bench-clearing fights. If anything, pitchers throwing at batter is less common today than it was in past eras.</p>
<p>An awesome game going on right now between Washington and Connecticut… top of the 7th and tied at 13! The winner advances to the final.</p>
<p>Wow! What an ending. After being down 13-6 at the top of the 5th, Connecticut came back and tied it to go into OT. When I saw CT was down 7 runs in the 5th, I left and went to the farmer’s market. Got home and found the game in OT at 13! I thought for sure it would have been over by then. </p>
<p>This was a game that was supposed to be played last night, but because of a rain delay, they were afraid it would be too late if the game happened to go three hours, so they postponed it until today. Good call, because today’s game went three hours!</p>
<p>Thanks for the heads up, teriwtt! I’m just a few towns away from Westport and find this very exciting! Unfortunately I won’t be able to watch tomorrow (3:30 EDT on ABC). Cheer them on for me!</p>
<p>I’ve enjoyed the microphones on the coaches. </p>
<p>The CT coach seems to be willing to put more responsibility on his players in tight situations…He admonishes them technically on what needs to happen and seems to expect that they’ll “get it”. I think they’re well-coached.</p>
<p>The other night the mic caught the discussion between the California coach and his 6’4" pitcher son. Coach says “we’re going to pound this guy inside” and his kid looks at him and says “he’s a dead pull-hitter”. (Translation: thats the wrong strategy, dad.) The father said ok, where do you want to pitch him…and the son says “away” . It was priceless.</p>
<p>My H was an accomplished pitcher in LL and beyond, many moons ago. There is a great picture of him from the side in full wind-up with bunting along the side fence behind him, taken at the state championship LL game. When I remarked on it, he said, “Yeah, I was just about to walk in the winning run.” :D</p>
<p>^^^^^Ouch.</p>
<p>Consolation - was watching the international final game today and a player on the Mexico team, who’d made it to third base with only one out, failed to recognize a sacrifice fly, and did not run home. It would have put them up one run in the 5th inning. As it played out, Japan scored in the 6th inning and won the game. I thought of your post and wondered if this kid won’t have the same thing happen to him when he’s an adult… but this kid’s mistake will not only be captured in a photograph, but likely available in video!</p>
<p>Sad. Westport lost. :(</p>
<p>Let’s face it… they more than lost - they were slaughtered. It was not pretty.</p>
<p>A bit overmatched in that last confrontation, but a pretty good showing for the Connecticut team. They won quite a few games against good competition, and were close to beating California in their first meeting. I think the outcome would have been the same, though…California just had too many good pitchers and too many good hitters.</p>
<p>Tomorrow’s games should be fun to see. CT against Mexico and CA against Japan for the title.</p>
<p>I think CT was discouraged. I think their loss was psychological, not athletic. If that makes sense.</p>
<p>Yay for the San Diego team!</p>
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<p>When youngsters get behind early, against a team that they think might be better, it’s very difficult to keep up the energy level and to play “within yourself” (meaning not becoming over-aggressive and flustered). Its something that happens to even experienced athletes.</p>
<p>Its reasonable to see part of that performance in that light. Just kids in the end…all of them, the winners and the losers.</p>
<p>Westport is having a big parade for the kids on Monday. They deserve it!!</p>
<p>Love watching the kids but this chanting and clapping by the parents is getting old very, very fast.</p>
<p>I’m thinking the pressure on these 12 year olds is horrendous. Not that my son even excelled on his local team, but I wouldn’t have wanted him batting or pitching on national TV in the championship game, much less having to be consoled after losing it. To say nothing of what my intestines would be enduring.Too much, too young.</p>