Walsh Park-LaGrange, KY:  That’s all she wrote for this season of Little League baseball.  Not much changed from my last entry, as it continued to be a frustrating season for Brian and his team.  The Diamondbacks ended the season 5-14, good for eight in the 10 team league.  The D-backs also bowed out in the first game of the playoffs, so a very different end to the season as Brian was hoisting a championship trophy at the end of June last year.

The old saying is, that you can always  learn more by losing, and if that’s the case then that is definitely the silver lining for this season.  Life parallels baseball so much, and there are so many lessons to be learned.  Sometimes you work hard and get a hit or make a solid play.  Sometimes you miss one, and you have to put it behind you and work a little harder on the next one.  Life, as in baseball isn’t always fair.  You don’t always get what you earn, and sometimes you even get called out on a strike below the knees.

That being said, he still had a very good season, and I’m very proud of the way he played.  He still hit over .500, which is impressive even off of a hitting machine.  He improved on his catching and fielding, but we still need to work on throwing mechanics.  Brian showed a better overall understanding of the game, where the play was heading and where to throw the ball if it came to him.  At times during the season, Brian also showed signs of being a good leader on the team, cheering on his teammates and keeping a positive attitude, and I’m very proud of him for that.  I really think he enjoys the game, too, as every day he asks if we can play catch or play one of our ‘Brianball’ games out in the yard.  Fall ball starts up here the end of August and he’s looking forward to that, but I think he’s happy this small chapter of his baseball career has come to an end.

Photos property of Minoring In Baseball