Mid Season AL Tournament

The mid season tournament was an opportunity for the record of our teams to be discarded for one weekend and start from scratch.  

Garrett's team came in as the last place team and went on to win and tie the two seeding games to earn the #1 seeding in the tournament.  They would go on to lose, 12-1, to a team they had ten-run ruled only two games prior.  Garrett pitched one inning, striking out two and giving up two unearned runs.  With that game, they were eliminated from the tournament.

Bryce team entered the tournament in 3rd place and won both games in the seeding to achieve the second seed in the tournament.  They lost the next game in eight innings (two extra frames) which crippled that teams chances to win the championship by cutting their available pitchers' innings to four left (you need six innings).  Bryce made an incredible diving catch in left field where the ball hit his glove, then his face, and then back into his glove all while he was sliding in to grab a sinking liner in the gap.

Griffin's team began the tournament as the last place team, but after a one-run loss in their first seeding game, they won their next game to qualify as the fourth seed.  They went up against the top ranked team in the tournament and the opposing coach made a calculated gamble by offering not to score on wild pitches (because he figured we couldn't hit off his pitchers and therefore couldn't win).  Well that wouldn't be further from the truth, Griffin's team raked the ball all game, including a two-run triple by Griffin down the left-field line.  Griffin pitched two innings, bailing his team out of a bases loaded no-out inning by allowing only one run to score.  They won convincingly and that set them up for a match-up with the first place team from the regular season.  This game showed the power of momentum, as the Astros went up big early, scoring runs in bunches early on.  Griffin shut the door pitching his last eligible inning in the tournament (limit 7 in the 4 games) in the fourth inning.  However, the comeback by the Redsox was due to happen and with the Astros up 9-5 with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the sixth, the Redsox slugger lined a ball into the right centerfield gap, which plated two runs and the third run was on its way home when the cutoff man fired home to Griffin who slapped the tag on the runner for the final out of the game to clinch the mid season tournament championship.  During the medal ceremony, Griffin's coach gave him the nickname, "I'll play anywhere, coach."  He received a game ball for his efforts in the tournament.  What an unexpected end to the tournament!

Someone was a little jealous of his younger brother's game ball.

Griffin's Astros meet with Coach Mike G before their day 3 game.

Daddy got to announce and be the official scorekeeper for Griffin's second game of the tournament, which ended with Griffin striking out his friend Owen with the tying run on base.  It is hard to be fist pumping and cheering when you are the announcer, but silent celebrations for your son is acceptable!

Griffin getting ready to lace his triple to left.

Griffin leads off third base to keep the catcher honest.

Double duty for Dad:  official scorekeeper and announcer.

Eliminating the Yankees from the tournament.

Garrett ripped a ball to the right centerfield gap that was run down.

Garrett waits on the pitcher to deliver.

Midseason Tournament champion Astros!

Bryce about to line a single to center.

Coach Brett warms up the pitcher while the catcher gets his gear on.

Hard fought battle ends in 8 innings with the A's eliminated.

Bryce with his teammate Andre.

First place Astros and second place Redsox prepare to get their medals after the championship game.

Griffin still with his shin guards on, gets ready to get his medal.

Championship battle.

Champion Astros!

"I'll play anywhere, coach"

Griffin 8y

Griffin hit his eighth year in stride this month.  He has had quite the baseball season.  When Grammy and Poppy came and saw him play, he accomplished playing his ninth position of the year:  Left Field.  His favorite positions were first base, pitcher, and catcher.  He was the starting pitcher on opening day for his team, but then didn't pitch again for two weeks before the coaches remembered to put him back out there and he regained their confidence as a strike-thrower, often bringing him in to pressure situations with runners on base and nobody out to bail out a teammate.  He caught 2-3 innings pretty much every game, which included one diving tag of a runner trying to score on a wild pitch.  At the plate, Griffin batted leadoff or second for the majority of the season.  Some of this highlights was an inside-the-park homer and a triple to left.

Silliness is still a mainstay in this creature.

Griffin up to bat:  if this were a video you could see his active feet as he gets ready to time his swing.

So his first time pitching to his friend Cooper, he hit him in the back with the first pitch...first hit batsman of the year.  That's being a good friend, right?

My Captain America container--which stores my Star Wars figures' weapons.

Let's go Oakland!

I can show some love to Leia too.

Little lefty, don't underestimate him.

Coach Mike G, Blake, Landon, Caine, Parker, Gage, Coach Kevin
Griffin, Nate, Nolan, Bodie, Gavin, Caleb, Hudson

Garrett 11y 11mo

Garrett continued to do everything he was asked to do on his baseball team, and because of a lack of team speed, was moved down in the order, so that a fast guy was on base in front of the faster top of the order.  But that change sent Garrett into a bit of a hitting funk which he worked his way out and began squaring up the ball better.  He had some really tough luck at the plate also, crushing two balls deep in the outfield that were caught on the run and turned into double plays with our runners anticipating that the balls weren't going to be caught.  Garrett also learned how to play the outfield this year, being moved from left to center when he showed that he could track fly balls better than most of his teammates.  He had one highlight reel sliding catch to rob a hit from the other team.  He also seemed to be the forgotten pitcher on the staff for most of April, until he was pitched in the midseason tournament and re-established his spot on the staff, bringing a new changeup pitch to his repertoire.

Astros Pez for the Astros team.

Taking a cut at a high fastball and launching it to right.

Captain Rex mug, designed by Garrett.

Maturing lefty hurler.

Where are the coaches?  They didn't show for pictures, neither did four of the kids.  Translation:  last place.
Adam, Dominic, Nate, Layne
Garrett, Leland, Trinity, Nathaniel
missing:  EJ, Tye, Luke, Jace, Coach Mike, Coach Dwight, Coach Biddy

Sporting his Science Olympiad medals.

Bryce 9y 8mo

Bryce continued to grow as a ballplayer this year, becoming one of the best ball-blockers on his team and registering the first baserunner thrown out by a catcher for his team.  He also has progressed at the plate, demonstrating good plate discipline.  He continues to relish his artwork and opportunities to be creative whether it is making presents for his brothers or other decorative items.  His biggest project was creating an Axis and Allies type game set in the Star Wars Universe for Griffin's birthday.  He is still fine tuning the rules to make it as competitive and fun as possible.

Bryce said goodbye to his Poe X-Wing which he made out of Amazon boxes.  It went for one final flight.

Coach Andre and Adam get the A's mentally ready for the ballgame.

Pregame begging not to have to play.

...but loving every game he played in.

Coach Brett, Dominic, Coach Andre, Jared, Coach Adam
Bryce, Aidan, Noah, Jack, Logan, AP
Gavin, Jake, Todd, Andre Jr

Bryce getting comfortable with presentations in his class.

Loving on my kitty, Leia.  Having not seen Theo for 2-3 weeks now and Darth Vader not allowing us to show him any physical touch affection, Leia is filling our pet loving void.

My artwork on my pottery box:  Commander Wolfe on the outside...

...Star field on the top inside with the bottom inside an AT-TE.

Number the Stars Book Club

Garrett chose to do one of his GATE projects this year as a book club for CC.  He chose Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry.  This book was set during Garrett's favorite historical period, World War II.  He modeled the day after some of the previous book clubs put on for CC by the tutors.  This time he took the lead and made five different activities for the three groups, divided by ages.  After he completed the book club day, he reflected on the strength and weaknesses of the day and prepared a power point presentation on the day which he was later asked to share with the School Board during one of their regular meetings.

The whole group finished the day off with pink cupcakes which the main characters had longed for in the book.

Bryce's age group.

Garrett's age group.

Griffin's age group.

Bryce and Griffin served as Nazi guards who "welcomed" the guests to our house.

Some kids screamed, while some weren't fazed at all.

Garrett started out with a presentation on the history of the time of the story.

Testing your sense of smell--we didn't use rabbit's blood and cocaine to ruin the Nazi dogs' sense of smell to allow smuggling of Jews.

Discussing theme and supporting details.

The character station:  popping balloons with names inside.

 Crossing a river to decode a secret German message.

Geography lesson in Europe.

One of the many stations around our backyard.

Theme in the middle with supporting details.