This year is definitely a bit different than t-ball…instead of three innings where everyone in the roster bats for each inning and most of the kids are watching the sky or picking grass…they keep track of balls/strikes/outs so kids might only get to bat once or twice but these kids can actually bat, catch, throw, and field!! And some are really good!
Owen’s first (and only) at-bat:
He got the first pitch!
And best of all, Grannie and Papa got to see all of it!!
Our new Marlin ready to head out!
Unfortunately it was cold and rainy—yuck!
Not super exiting (LOL) but the Marlins’ introduction and walk out onto the field!
Owen’s new batting helmet—everyone else on the team had their own so we went and bought him one. He picked green. 🙂
Practicing running to (and through) first base…and hitting coach overhand pitches.
We signed Owen up for an infielder camp to get him ready for spring baseball. He’s decent enough at batting, but his fielding definitely needed work. We lucked out in that none of the other kids showed up for the first lesson so he had an hour of one-on-one coaching! (It’s a very small class anyway, but any one-on-one time is welcome!) And as it turned out, it was great that it happened because Owen REALLY needed it: after a few minutes of frustration (Owen couldn’t understand how to “mirror” was the coach was doing) Tom stepped in and told him that Owen was only 6 and the coach, as expected, was gobsmacked, saying the kid who just left—who was the same size as Owen—was 12. But Owen had fun and now we have like 9 more weeks of this on Friday nights!
These were the few pics Tom snapped during practice.
I love that his tongue is out the entire time. Click photo for larger image:
He was in the pitcher position for an inning and he did REALLY well getting the ball and throwing it to first base! Click photo for larger image:
And this is what Katie is busy doing during the game…sitting on the sidewalk by the parking lot, co-opting someone’s mitt and running around, and playing with someone’s dog. 🙂
Stay tuned for the team photos! The fall season didn’t have official photos but the coaches wife took some!
Most of the videos I post I edit down so we only see Owen’s actual hit. But today I left in the whole thing—sometimes he whiffs it, but mostly he smacks it the first time!
I ran out of time at home before the t-ball game to set up the tripod to take our picture, so we grabbed an MSU-alum (a dad!) at the game. 🙂
I’m wearing Tom’s jersey…because mine is way too big! 🙂
We got to the field quite early, so we had plenty of time to use the field ourselves. We gave Katie her first try at batting and she did very well! She missed three right-handed attempts…and then got the first left-handed attempt! Maybe she’ll be like mama! (I also tried and hit 2 out of 3—left-handed of course!)
And then what I think all the kids think is the best part of every practice or game…snack time!
New socks and shoes! (I wasn’t planning on getting him shoes, but I found them on clearance at Marshall’s!)
This is what Katie does during the games.
This might be the kids’ favorite part: snack time! (I seriously wish we could do away with it—it’s not like these are serious athletes who played a rigorous game and need sustenance.)
He’s pretty good at hitting the ball!
See, I told you. The second game? No pics and one measly video. 🙂
The first official game was rained out last Saturday, so tonight’s game became the first actual game! It was held at a field in a neighboring city (if you wonder why it looks different). As usual, the first game has many more pictures than I’ll post for subsequent games! 🙂
Tom is the Assistant Coach this season! The fall season isn’t as big as the spring season, so no official shirts for the coaches (boooo!)—only hats. (The kids also just get plain colored tees with the name of the little league county on it instead of a team name and logo.)
Once more, he’s a head taller than everyone else on his team!
Of course she doesn’t ever really watch the game, and tonight she was exploring a new park—throwing stones in the river.
(No, he didn’t have to go potty. Apparently he’s a natural at the baseball moves.)
Me: Katie, don’t play in the dirt.
Katie: Mom–it’s sand!
How did she get to be such a smart[ass] little girl? 🙂
They’ve been trying to teach the catchers to tag out the runners (it still doesn’t count as an out since it’s t-ball) so Owen is doing his best…
And actually CHASING them down. 🙂
Achievement awards and game balls being handed out after the game.
Now we start the countdown until fall t-ball! Owen can’t wait!!
Katie off playing with her friend (it’s grainy/blurry because she was so far away). 🙂
Katie off playing with another friend!
Tom had class tonight so it was just me and the kids.
He was thisclose. 🙂
Katie made another new friend. 🙂
And the best thing? TRADING CARDS! (We won’t be doing them every year, but for his first year? You bet! We got to fill in the position so we asked what he wanted and he picked catcher!)
Since it was a 6p practice, Tom took Owen and I stayed home with Katie. I think it was actually the first practice they’ve had since before the season started (they had others scheduled but they were rained out). Owen was excited because they got to practice hitting the ball from pitches instead of off the tee!
One of Owen’s teammates (surprisingly, there’s not too much of this with his team):
Katie’s same friend was there with her purse—and an Elsa/Anna doll—again today which kitty quickly co-opted as her own. The mom had no problem with it because she was just happy her daughter was sharing. 🙂
Katie off playing with her:
Our little catcher!
Owen’s two at-bats:
(Click for full size.)
During the game, Katie made a friend with a furry pink purse. She was in HEAVEN carrying that thing around. 🙂
Owen was excited to use his new bat. He had a bat that Papa had bought him, but he’s grown a lot since then and it was too small—and all the other team bats were really too small as well. Daddy said this bat should last him through actual baseball (if he stays in that long).
(In t-ball, when the last batter hits, you just bring all the runners in.)
Katie helping Owen get ready!
Owen being silly.
We got there early enough for some practice time.
Standing on a pillow.
He took a little hit in the face after a bad hop.
Now that’s a throw!
He was also the catcher again for an inning.
Unfortunately, we had a minor accident. Katie and Owen were both in the dugout when I called to Katie. Both her and Owen turned to come to me at the same time—I have no idea why Owen did, but he did. And didn’t pay any attention to what he was doing…and smashed Katie right into the big metal pole of the dugout. Tom and I both saw it happen, heard her head SMASH into the pole, and saw her sink to the ground. And start crying. Hoo boy.
All the surrounding parents were concerned, and one got us some ice but Katie didn’t really want it. We had a talk with Owen about paying attention. And cuddled Katie.
We gave her some Tylenol when we got home and after we ate lunch and she took a nap, she seemed just fine. But she’s got a nice goose egg. Her first minor injury. 🙁
Guess who got to play catcher tonight? Isn’t he just so stinkin’ cute?! (Tom sent me all these pictures because I stayed home with Katie since it was a night game.)
Tom said the pieces fit him perfectly. (The rest of the team is so tiny that Tom had to redo the entire thing in order to get it to fit him.) As usual, he had a great time!
Owen in his new shoes. I didn’t buy them specifically for t-ball, but when we realized they had mini cleats on them (they’re actually men’s race shoes) we figured they’d be perfect. He loves them.
Getting ready to bat!
And as a bonus, I made two new mom friends (and they’re friends with a few people I already know)!
The weather just isn’t cooperating with us this season. Owen’s had two or three practices canceled due to rain/wet fields/cold thus far, and tonight’s game was rained out as well. 🙁 They’re hoping to make it up, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
I feel bad for Owen—he should have had like five practices and two games by this point, and he’s had one practice and one game.
I apologize ahead of time for the volume of photos…but this was his first real game so I wanted to show it all. I promise there won’t be nearly as many from upcoming games. 🙂
Practicing with daddy beforehand.
Typical Owen. He had grass-stained knees before the game even started!
Tongue out!
Not a kid from Owen’s team, but so cute I had to take a picture. 🙂
He had SO much fun and was SO excited about everything—it was awesome to see. And Tom had a great time, too, as he’s envisioned this for SO many years. 🙂
Tom helped Owen get dressed for the opening ceremonies! I’m not sure who was more excited.
Owen was hamming it up in the mirror. Please excuse the disaster of a room. (We’ve been getting the downstairs ready for a dinner party so lots of stuff is being dumped in our room!)
Doing a little fielding practice with his coach.
We have to bring a ball for Katie to play with—she loves to play catch and she’s actually pretty good!
Running the bases just for the fun of it.
He had his tongue out in lots of the pictures!
The T-ball teams were the last to walk in.
All the teams lined up (all teams from all age groups):
And then it was back home to clean for our dinner party…and to get ready to go back to the fields for Owen’s game at 1:30!