T-Ball Time

We're a T-Ball family now. Parker told Kelly and me several times, "I'm kind of nervous about my T-Ball game." Having no frame of reference for this sport, I reassured him: "I get nervous every time I talk to the church on Sunday." No luck. Parker was still anxious. We missed our first practice because he was out of town, so we had little to go on.

His team, "The Braves," bears little resemblance to the professionals in Atlanta. They wear the logo, and the similarities end there. The only thing brave about this team is that they have the courage to go out and hear their parents tell them how cute they look.

Parker batted second in the line up last Saturday. Thankfully, his good buddy John Beam went first to show him the way. His first hit-- a hot shot to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd baseman (all the kids converged on the ball) was perhaps the best hit of the game. I'm not biased.

The highlight of the game came in the second inning. Parker played first base and actually caught the ball on one hop after one of his teammates threw it (lofted it) to him. He even got a hand from the crowd. Coach Beam was even impressed. Not bad for missing your first practice. Can you imagine what he might be capable of in game 2?

Before bedtime Saturday night, Parker was wired. Kelly came into the bedroom: "Bill, you've got to talk to your son. He's asking tons of questions, and he's not going to sleep." We reviewed the day. He told me he was "burning up" in his hat. I told him he still had to wear the ball cap. He wanted to know if I was going to miss any of the practices. I told him I would be at ALL the practices. He told me that he was still nervous about the rest of the T-Ball games. I guess I need to find more words of assurance.