Last year, after the World Series, I finally signed up for Facebook just so that I could reply to some of the people who had posted positive comments on our page. I purposefully chose to ignore anyone who talked trash. We don’t have time for haters. This year, I want to take time to reminisce and share some of the things that adhered to my memory. Well, they didn’t actually stick to my brain. I had to write most of them down! Most of you saw that I had a notebook in my hand almost all the time. I used that notebook to make notes about the other teams that we played, but I also made notes about Blast. I wrote things that I needed to remind the players about when we got back to the dugout. I also tried to make notes on things that impressed me. Some of our games had LOTS of things that impressed me. Others games…. Not so much…. LOL!! As I share my memories, I hope you enjoy the highlights as I remember them, but if you get bored, don’t stop reading. I saved the most impressive memory of the week for the end. So, here are just a few of the highlights……. Who can forget being down by 1 run in the bottom of the last inning when Marley roped one to the fence with bases loaded to win the first bracket game? I’ll bet none of you heard the field umpire in the next game say “WOW!”, when Lexy yanked it down the LF line. I always love it when the umpires forget for half a second that they are the umpire because they are so impressed with what one of our kids just did. I saw Coach Adam talking with and showing Lizzie how a catcher needs to throw when a runner steals 2nd. On the very next attempt, the runner was out!! When Jorika caught the runner in the pickle!! AWESOME!! Or how about when Gracie collided with Autumn and the ball was just stuck in between them, but never hit the ground. They both just leaned against each other until Gracie could grab the ball and hold it up in the air like she had just made the catch of the century!! Then, when Autumn got the grounder at SS, tagged 2nd and threw to 1st for a double play? It happened so fast that no one had a chance to yell instructions to her. She just did it!! That kid must have some great coaches!! LOL!! Molly, Lilly B, Briley and Lillie W made a LOT of nice catches in the outfield to save runs. You girls are our last line of defense. If it gets past you, we are in trouble, but you always manage to keep it in front of you! There was even a sliding catch on the knees and a double play at 3rd on a girl who thought she could tag up and take an extra base. That ain’t gonna happen!! And Riley….. Your ankle is still mending from that mishap earlier in the season, but we’re glad to see you walking and thank you for coming all that way just to cheer us on! One more thing that stuck with me…… This is something that NEVER happens…… Coach Adam called all the girls together and laid out his offensive plan, and it actually worked!! Lilly B, base hit. Lillie W, sac bunt to advance Lilly B. Autumn, base hit to score Lilly B and win the game!! Unfortunately, the tournament ended for us in the very next game, but it was still an exciting week for us. All of these things are impressive, but none of them impressed me as much as what I am about to share with you. I’ve been with Blast for several years and, quite often, I’ve noticed an older gentleman slowly, but diligently making his way to the field to watch a game or two when we play close to home. He and I had never spoken until this past week. I was impressed that he had traveled all the way to Panama City Beach to watch our girls play ball. We spoke briefly, early in the week and I was glad to run into him again, the night before we left. Of course, everyone has to go to the beach one evening to take the obligatory pictures of the whole family dressed in similar colors. Saturday night is the night my family chose. He was also there with his family. That was quite a feat for him to navigate the boardwalk, stairs and sand just to have his picture made. But he seemed none the worse for wear. During a break from the pictures, I had a nice talk with 90 year old Jim Wilson. He was introduced to me as Mr. Jim. Mr. Jim was wearing a hat that said “World War II Veteran”. At the time, I didn’t think he was old enough to have served in WWII, so I asked. As it turns out, he was 19 when he joined the Army in 1944 and was part of the 754th Field Artillery Battalion who fired 155 mm Howitzers. They left Ft. Leonard Wood for Camp Shanks, NY on August 1, 1944. They left Brooklyn Harbor on August 11th aboard the USAT Edmund B Alexander. After a few weeks of additional preparation in England, they crossed the English Channel and beached at Utah Beach on Sept 17th. They fought their way through France and into Belgium, just in time for the Battle of the Bulge. Mr. Jim was a forward observer, so he was up close and personal, not several miles back with the Howitzers. They fired their last shots at the enemy in mid-April, 1945. Just this past year, Mr. Jim attended one of his unit’s reunions in Washington DC and was chosen to lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. That’s quite an honor. So, last week, as we all cheered for our kids, hung out on the beach, paid exorbitant amounts for dinner at restaurants where you pay more for the atmosphere than for the quality of the food, it’s easy to forget the sacrifices that Mr. Jim and all the other members of the Greatest Generation made more than 70 years ago. Thank you, Mr. Jim. I hope future generations can follow your lead. Scott Webb Arkansas Blast
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 03:23:29 +0000