Season's over

Baseball season ended last night. There were times this year when I was looking forward to it. We had a lot of road games, and running around trying to eat, pack up, get dressed, and drive there on time. Jack had an up and down season at the plate, and the second half of the year it was more down than up -- a few really good hits, which actually made the struggles even more difficult, trying to figure out and correct what was wrong in one at-bat that was so right in the previous one. Some fun games, and some that were just difficult.

But something felt right all day yesterday. We had a nice batting practice in the yard. We had a steak meal before the game, and I timed it well enough (finally!) that we were casually walking to the park in plenty of time, Kate zipping alongside on her scooter. The game started like a nightmare, with the other team scoring 6 in the first and 5 in the second; we were down 11-2 before Jack even got to the plate. Can the season just end already?

And then with 2 strikes in his first at-bat Jack lined a hard double to right field, part of a stretch of 7 hits in eight at-bats that made it 11-8. He stood on second base with a huge grin, pumping his fists, all the work in practices paying off in that moment. At which point I was feeling OK, thinking, what a comeback, what heart, I can be happy with a loss like this one. And then we made it 11-10 two innings later, and I started thinking about a walk-off win. Jack grounded out his two other times up, but he made contact and was oh so close to beating one of them out, so I was thinking, cool, we can end this way.

Except we tied it up, fell behind 13-11 in the final inning, then won it with a 2-run homer and solo walk-off shot in the final inning. I hope I never forget kids circling the bases smiling and laughing; for two of them, it was their first career homers (and just our 3rd and 4th all season). After the walk-off, players and coaches mobbed the kid at home plate, one of Jack's best friends since kindergarten. He (and his Dad, and everyone else) said "Happy Birthday!" to me, cause it was my birthday. (The pregame cheer, instead of "Go Pirates!" was "Coach Andy!" Brings a tear to your eye.)

Giddily they spilled out into the outfield for the postgame meeting, happy as they'd been all year (the coaches, happier). Then There were cupcakes for my birthday and a trip to Wild Wings for a celebration with the kids, while parents and coaches just stood around beaming. The likely song of summer "Cheerleader" came on and the kids sang along, and Jack asked for another dollar to play another one. Happy kids, happy time.

And then everyone went home to enjoy and Like pictures, and talk about what we'd just witnessed/experienced. And then the season was over, and it truly was bittersweet. Because the highs are high and the lows are low, but it's something you don't forget either way, and for the most part you don't want to. You hope the great moments, when they come, will be there tomorrow and next year and forever.