Two Rules of Baseball

RULE #1 RESPECT THE SUPERSTITION

I have always prided myself in believing that our baseball team was bigger than the superstition. I watched as pitchers jumped over the foul line and thought do you really think not touching the line is going to help you throw strikes? Somtimes the gyrations at the plate make me laugh as the batters dig around the plate with their feet and then tap it three times with the bat just before sending up a signal thanking God for their at bat. They do the same thing with every swing, if they step out of the box we have to start all over. I sometimes want to stand up and shout, You're bigger than the superstition. I remember when Cole was pitching as a twelve year old and it occurred to me that he hadn't given up a hit. I turned to the guys sitting around me and said wow he hasn't given up a hit yet has he. You would have thought I had just run out on the field and committed harey carey. I was accused of ruining his game, told that I should never, ever speak of the no hitter until the game was complete. I should have learned my lesson but I guess I am a little slow. I did the unspeakable this week. I jinxed my own son's hitting abilities. Single handedly I made him hitless Friday night. I own it, guilty as charged, stike me dead if you find it necessary. That's right I told someone that Cole was leading the SoCon in batting average going into Friday night's game so I own it. It's my fault, never again will I speak of stats, hitting streaks,or batting averages. I will respect the superstition and understand that it is a big part of baseball. I will stand in reverance as the batters go through their motions at the plate and will never laugh again when the pitcher jumps over the foul line. I WILL follow rule #1 and respect the superstition.

RULE #2 IT AIN'T OVER TIL IT'S OVER

It was an interesting weekend against Alabama. They looked good but really no better than we did. We out hit them but couldn't manufacture the runs. If they got on base you were guaranteed that they were going to score. They were running machines but our pitchers did a great job of keeping them off the bases. We went in to Sunday down two games before great audiences but Sunday felt different. There was a lot of Cougar Pride in the stands and if the tide rolled over us the third time it wasn't going to be because our hearts weren't in it. We went ahead early but didn't stay ahead and then they came back and were winning as we went into the bottom of the ninth. With a runner on second and two outs Baker Knox had an incredible hit and drove in the tying run only to be sent on to the plate himself when their outfielder made a bad throw. I thought Coach Lee's arm was going to fly off his body as he tried to propel Knox to safety.

Two of my kids have had game winning experiences. One of them was given the basketball to make the winning shot at the buzzer and Cole was put in his freshmen year to drive in the winning run in extra innings against Coastal. Some of us live our entire lives and never know what it feels like to have twenty of our teammates come charging off the bench in celebration. To be held up for one brief moment as the hero of the day. Today as the players piled on Baker Knox at the plate I said a silent prayer that he be living in this moment so he can return to it in times when he needs to feel like a hero. Today, Baker Knox was our hero.
Rule #2 in baseball, it ain't over til it's over.