Big Slugger

Eli had his third baseball practice tonight, but it was the first one I was able to attend. A full hour and thirty minutes of go-go-go. And Eli never grew tired. Once again, he asked to practice more when we got home.

He is definitely the smallest on the team, and probably the youngest, but he has shown a lot of focus and 'hustle' so far. The coach had them start in the field, chasing after ground balls and throwing them to first base. Eli tries really hard, but the ball ends up going past him or through his legs about 50% of the time. From there they moved to catching the ball on the ground and throwing from their knees. At this point Maddux started requiring much more of my attention. She was a great sport through the practice, but that is a long time to watch and 'be good'.

The boys then had a quick transition during which several of them ran into the dugout to retrieve batting helmets and bats from their bags (and quick sips of water) before returning to the field. Eli was up first; for this portion, the boys were hitting balls off of the tee to allow for fielding and 'game time' practice with base-running. Eli did well, listening to the first and third base coaches when it was his turn. After a few rounds, Eli came back in to trade in his helmet for a baseball cap and glove. He played second base, which meant lots of running. Once again, he tried really hard, but most of the balls went past Eli. He hustled out to get them, but he didn't always throw them in for the play. Finally, the boys went over to the batting cage for some one-on-one pitching/batting time with the coach.

At this point, Maddux was done, so I took her to a nearby playground to let off some steam. She had a blast climbing over all of the apparatuses and sliding down any surface that allowed it. It was very hot and at one point Maddux looked at me and whined, "Mommy, I hungry.", which she never does. I was also feeling the effects of low blood sugar, so we walked back to the cages to check in on the team. Eli's turn was finally there, so we were able to see him in action. He did really well, getting at least a piece of most pitches. The ones he made contact with had some real power behind them. Even the coach observed, "His swing speed is unbelievable." After ninety-three minutes of Shetland baseball, we returned to our car and collapsed.