Mudville Nine and Wilmette Ten

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville Nine that day;
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play,
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair.  The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that - 
They's put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.
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In the famous poem, Casey at the Bat, many fans abandoned all hope in the final inning.   The Mudville Nine are down by two runs.  Cooney and Barrows quickly go down.  Two outs.  Flynn rips a single and Blake smashes a double with Flynn advancing to third. 

Down two runs.  Two men on.  Two outs.

Confident Casey stands in the batter's box as the potential winning run.

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The infamous Cougars were, in fact, quite optimistic about a last inning rally.  The Wilmette Ten were down by two runs.  Ski started with a single.  The Professor (Teddy is the man - thanks Catherine!) put a good swing on the ball but was out.  Hogs crushed a single with Ski advancing to second.  Boom hit a shot but a nice play by their infielder was able to force Hogs at second with Ski going to third.    

Down two runs.  Two men on.  Two outs.

Confident Rads stands in the batter's box as the potential winning run.

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The final stanza from Ernest Thayer's poem sums up the night for me and Casey:

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;

The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;

And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;

But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.

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There is quite a bit of symmetry in those at-bats.  Once strike three is called the similarities end.

When the mighty Casey whiffed, the entire ballpark was despondent and went home with heads hung low.  

When Captain Cougar whiffed, the entire ballpark was sad but grateful the game was complete so we could begin the postgame party.  

The Philthy Phamily hosted a Smoquin' feast!  (Thanks to birthday celebrators Phil and Meg!!!)

We were not smokin' on the field with the 5-3 loss to Doublecross last night.  We were dangerous though.  Ski took the line "kill the umpire" from the poem literally.  Using his bat as a weapon, he pulverized the ump's leg.  It was a bloody mess.

Next week we move from the Mudville Nine to playing Slaughterhouse Nine.

We plan to mirror the words written by the great American poet, John Fogerty.

Just to hit the ball and touch 'em all - a moment in the sun;

It's gone and you can tell that one goodbye!

Cougraduations & Cougratulations!

It started with a Boom!  Boomgaarden put a thunderous swing on the first pitch of the game and with lightning fast speed blazed to first base to start the Cougar downpour of 15 runs.  We left the Brown Stars winded, foggy, hazy and with only two runs.

Other highlights from the 15-2 victory on the gorgeous ground at Howard Park:

• Fortier was 5 for 5, scored thrice and his defense froze their offense like ice.
• Danielsen scored three runs on four hits, including a triple. 
• Bobis was ready for the U.S. Open.  He took the club cover off his driver and hit nothing but line drives. 
• Lipinski thought the ball was cute, had a crush on it every time and hit on it all night.
• Fantastic Flannery had flawless fielding firing to first for force out after force out.
• Hoglund rapped three hits and had a golden fingers in the field.
• Lipsey imitated Yasiel Puig with the bat and in right field.  His right arm gunned down a runner at third base as well as first base.

• Martin had the dish covered all night.  He pitched first ball strikes over the plate, touched that same plate three times, and he and Tonya filled our plates with delicious dishes. 

• Captain Cougar's reputation as a dirty player was proven again last night.  

• McDonnell and Melchiorre are both bums.  Um, sorry, I meant they both have bum fingers and are on the disabled list.  They kept score, chattered in the dugout, and enjoyed refreshing beverages while cheering the Cougars to victory. 

Because it was the last day of school for many kids, it was the largest turnout for a postgame this year!  

Some of the kids at last night's party were our teenaged offspring.  When the Cougars began the club just over five years ago, many of these kiddos were just finishing third grade.  Captain Cougar was relatively new to Wilmette and primarily filled the roster with his new friends, who were dads of Miranda's McKenzie classmates.  

Last week those grade schoolers graduated and, in doing so, instantly transformed into high schoolers.  Here's a glimpse at that metamorphosis.

Not to be forgotten are these little Cougar sons, who were wee tikes finishing preschool when the Cougar team was born.  Now they, too, begin a new chapter as they leave McKenzie Elementary for fifth grade at Highcrest Middle School.  

Thanks to the families for digging up these old photos and snapping new ones to share with the Cougar community.  I'll give you four years notice that I'd like to do this again at the next graduation.  It seems like a lot of time, but just scroll through these photos again, and you'll see that it's the blink of an eye. 

As always, we are glad to be sharing these precious moments as part of the Cougar family.  

Fit To Be Tied

The night started with one of the most competitive and tension-filled games in which I have ever been involved.  And I was just a spectator!

The Tappers, Cougars, and Chicken Shack are on opposite sides of the chalk at Howard Park, but during Little League season, many of us are one in the bleachers.  Miniature versions of Radtke, Martin, Pekar, Marshall, and Day along with their ten-year-old teammates took the turf on Tuesday evening.  

It was an exciting playoff game filled with frozen ropes and golden gloves.  In the top of the final inning, our boys were up to bat and down 4 scores. They rallied for 8 runs, 7 of which were scored on 2 outs.  With the lead in the bottom of the last, our pitching and defense held on for the victory.

As happy as I was for our boys, I felt proportionally sad for the young opponents.  It is always tough to lose and particularly in the last inning.  It was quite a blow to the other team and especially their pitchers.

Baseball is a team sport but each player has a personal responsibility.  There is no greater example of this than in the batter's box or on the pitcher's mound.  You can't hide.  All eyes are on you.  

Imagine yourself today on that isolated island in the middle of the diamond and try to throw a hard sphere through an imaginary square.  Now put on your 10-year-old shoes and do the same thing.  It can be lonely out there.  

Baseball is a game of failure.  Fail 7 of 10 times at the plate and you could be a MLB millionaire.  Pitching to victory just 50% of the time could lead to the hall of fame.

When these kids were just starting sports, half their lives ago, and asked me the score of the game, I would typically say, "It was a tie."  In baseball back then, the kids didn't even make outs.  The inning was over when everyone batted.  They were only a few years removed from the womb and did not need their competitive fire stoked just yet.  

Now, these boys are aged, aggressive, and ambitious. They are determined to win because they know there are only enough trophies for one team.

In-between is unacceptable for them.  A tie does not suit.

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After the little men played, we grown men hustled from the 9-inch ball game to our 16-inch ball game.  The Cougars battled Gulliver's last night.

It was a back and forth scoring match.  We had plenty of highlights.

• Martin pitched like he was lonely and the only infielder.  He rained down high strikes and reined in ground balls.

• Danielsen and Lipsey each crushed crucial run scoring three-baggers.

• Bobis and Otsuka were our daily double with nighttime singles.

• Flannery showed mettle with his metal and manufactured hit after hit.

• Lipinski turned a fancy double play to end an inning and had multiple hits to extend innings (we are going to have him in charge of an excellent postgame every week)!

• Hoglund maimed the ball and will be using his medical skills to care for his bloody leg he garnered with a safe slide at home.

• McDonnell, who earns his monetary digits as a dentist, put his 10 digits at risk with a fantastic catch and tag at the plate.  Those same fingers gripped the bat and ripped the ball.

At the end of regulation 7 innings, the bells at St. Joe's rang 9 o'clock.  Time limit.  Umps called the game.

While walking to the postgame with the kids, they asked, "what was the final score?"

I told them it was 7-7.  We tied.  At least I think we did.  The ump did look like my dad.

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Enjoy the pictures from the postgame, where it's never a tie and we're all winners. 

(and Ellie was the big winner when Dan yanked her tooth out - where was Dr. Phil?)