Shortstop is one of the most demanding positions to play. I am so glad to see that all three Suddeths are blooming

I love baseball and always enjoy hearing true life baseball stories, whether professional, semi-pro, college, high school or even T-ball stories as well as the leagues in between!

Sounds like you are the type of daddy who is instilling and reinforcing a great work ethic in your son!

Hopefully he is also learning some important character influences from you so that when he enters high school that he does not blow away all his hard earned progress by falling into the alcohol and drug traps that some athletes have done in the high school party scene and then burned their college potential by doing those things!

When I was a Sports Editor in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, there were a lot of athletes who were able to get a scholarship to some of the smaller colleges because of their hard work as baseball, football and basketball players [including young ladies who received softball, basketball and even track scholarships to help pay expenses for them to earn a degree in their chosen career after sports!]

Congratulations Again and Hopefully for Continued Success Season After Season!

..... that Great Uncle be on your hubby's side of the family who was enshrined in Cooperstown?

Not trying to hijack the thread or take away from congratulating the efforts of an aspiring young ballplayer!

Just Curious!

Caleb did make the All star team this year. We are currently in first place at subdistrict (top two teams advance), but only because of tiebreakers. All four teams are 1-1; the winners of tongiht's games advance, and the losers go home.

We won our first game easily - a 10-2 victory over Pleasant Grove.

On Saturday night, we played McCalla - the park that my son used to play for. Caleb was designated the starting pitcher for our team.

I can unequivocably say that he pitched the best game of his life. McCalla is known as a "powerhouse" team, with a great hitting lineup. However, we were not counting on their pitching.

Caleb gave up two unearned runs early, thanks to a couple of fielding errors by our team. We could not get to their pitcher, and trailed most of the game 2-1.

In the top of the sixth (the last regulation inning for this age group), we managed to tie the game with two out, then scored two more to take the lead. Caleb had pitched all five innings, the most in his life, and had held them to those two unearned runs.

The coach sent him back out in the sixth, which worried me a bit. On one hand, they hadn't been able to hit him, and it would be a shame to replace him and lose. On the other, I worried that he'd be tired.

The first batter for their team hit a home run over the center field fence... the first such that Caleb has ever given up. Our center fielder did everything he could, scaling the fence and leaping for the ball... he missed it by perhaps a foot. At our home park (fence 189 feet from home plate, six foot tall fence), it would have been an out. At this tournament (fence 180 feet from home, 4 feet tall), it was a home run.

Caleb settled down at struck out the next batter, then induced a ground out. Two away. All we need is one out!

Next batter walked. Guy after him hit a grounder up the middle. Caleb dove for it and deflected it, second baseman recovered, threw to first - missed the out by one step. If only.

Next kid comes up. Big, rangy kid. Caleb had struck him out earlier. the count gets to 1 ball, two strikes. All we need is one more.

Coach calls for a high fastball - same pitch the kid swung at and missed earlier in the game. Caleb delivers a pitch at chin level, exactly where it is supposed to be.

Home run over the right field fence. Game over. We lose, 6-4.


A tough, tough way to lose. Still, I could not have been more proud of him. He stayed composed in a high pressure situation and did very well. Did his job, the batter just did his, as well. Give me the same batter, the same pitch, and most of the time, you get a strikeout or a popup.

Caleb's final numbers:

6 runs (4 earned), 6 hits, 5K, 3BB, 68 total pitches.

That's an ace performance at this level, especially considering the level of competition... just a little short this time.

I gotta say, I suck at baseball, and don't really follow the workings so I can say certainly, but those are damn fine stats for that game.

Now that I've congratulated your kid, you cannot kill me for my earlier chat debacles.