Why Youth Sports are Great

[lippy]

Today, after doing a few Mickey Mantle games, I filled in as the Home Plate umpire for a 10-year old tournament's championship game.

It was a great game, awesome defense and solid pitching. 3-2 going into the bottom of the sixth.

The situaton: Bases loaded, 2 outs. Up walks "Mikey", a tiny 10-year old with determination in his eyes. He can't be over 4 feet tall (I have no idea, I can't judge how tall the little dudes are) and I could throw him twenty feet.

He's got eye-black on and he's ready to hit.

Mikey takes a belt high fastball on the corner, strike one.

Then, he checks his swing on a pitch about eye high.

Next pitch is another belt-high fastball that he takes for strike two. Mikey thinks it's strike three as he turns and runs, crying, to the dugout. His 3rd base coach stops him and the conversation I overhear;

Mikey, "I struck out! We lost the game!"
Coach, "No Mikey, go up there and hit, there are only two strikes."
Mikey, "Really? I can still win the game?"
Coach, "Yeah, now wipe your face off and go up there and hit."
Mikey, "Okay Coach."

Mikey steps in and on the very next pitch hits a liner down the line that makes it past the left fielder. The runner on second scores and they win the game.

Mikey, who was in a ball of tears less than 20 seconds ago, is now the hero. As he comes running to line up, his team mauls him. I've never seen euphoria like Mikey's face.

It was an awesome thing to behold.