Take Me Out To The Ballgame

So this weekend was the Major Baseball Tournament for Jacob.  Six teams from all over the area come and participate and the two teams with the best records play for a championship game at the end.  It's just for fun, but as anyone who has boys who play sports knows, everyone has more fun when you win.

Jacob's team did well - beating South Portage and Lakeview on Saturday and Northwood-Plainwell Sunday afternoon.  They went to the championship game Sunday evening and sadly lost to Parchment.  It was at least 90 degrees, even at 5 PM, and everyone was just suffering.  But to be fair, the Parchment team was really good, the best our boys had seen either day.  They deserved the win.  I thought Jacob would be really ticked, because he hates to lose, but he took it well.  Maybe it was too hot to care.  Maybe it was because he was injured and just done.

On Saturday at the 10 AM game, he was catching.  In the 3rd inning, the batter hit a high pop-up.  Jacob of course, whipped off the catcher's mask and goes after the ball.  He was up against the fence between the dugout and the backstop when all of a sudden, he just drops to the ground and stops moving.  I was on the phone with my mom, and I hung up and went running to the dugout.  Both his coaches run out to him and then one runs back and all I heard was "Call the -"  The way he laid there not moving, I was sure he was knocked out.  (He says he wasn't, but I'm still not sure.)  I guess he was up against the fence and the ball was drifting over the fence.  Then it drifted back and landed right on his face.  His nose and lips were bleeding, but luckily, he has all his teeth.  His upper lip is crazy swollen and he had a big slice on the inside of his lip.  He also has little scabs between his lip and his nose that would probably match right up with the laces on the ball.  I sat with him for a while in the dugout, until he stopped spitting blood and he told me to go.  (It's probably hard to be tough with your mom in the dugout.)  I thought he was done for the day.

But next inning, he comes out and hits a double.  He pitched out the last two innings of the game.  It was enough excitement for me anyway.  His coach said he didn't have to stay and play the 2nd game, but I guess he doesn't know Jacob well enough to know there wasn't any way on earth he was leaving.  I left it up to him and he of course wanted to stay and play.  He played shortstop for the 12:30 PM game and hit a triple.  So who knows? 

Luckily, we avoided a trip to the emergency room.  Two in two weeks would probably raise some flags somewhere.  He does have a doctor's appointment tomorrow for his yearly check-up, so I'm sure we'll be answering questions there.  But I think he impressed everyone but getting right back out there and doing so well.  He sure impressed me.