The Hooks

This fall Will played (and Tom coached) his first season of machine-pitch baseball. We went from tee-ball, where the kids hit off the tee or, as the season progressed, off a VERY SLOW coach pitch, to actual baseball, where the kids hit off a machine that chucks the ball at them at 37 MPH. I honestly thought this season would be a disaster, and that Will, who gets extraordinarily frustrated when he doesn't play well, would want to quit the sport by the end of the eight-week season.

Nope.

Turns out Will is pretty darn good at hitting a 37 MPH "fast" ball. He's also a decent fielder and a smart baserunner, and his understanding of baseball strategy is quickly catching up with that of the adults who instruct him on the field. In my opinion, Will is a ridiculously fun player to watch, not only because of his baseball skills, but because he loves the game. A couple of weeks ago he caught a pop fly to end the game, and the excitement that radiated from his little body (and his mouth) when he realized the ball had stayed in his glove lit up the entire field.

Coach Tom and Will on first.

Getting ready to bat.
(Look at the muscle in that kid's forearm!)

Waiting on second.

#4

The Hooks, Fall 2013

Obligatory goofy shot.

Jackson, Will, and Logan, fall 2013.

Jackson, Logan, and Will, spring 2013.

Logan, Jackson, and Will, fall 2012.

I used to hate baseball. It's now my absolute favorite sport.

A special thanks to my friend Rhonda, who took all of these pictures!