Hunter and baseball

We are for sure a baseball family. It is an activity that has brought us together and made even the unsportiest of us (me) a “fan” by most accounts. I like the way going to the games gives us a chance to slow down, be together, and be outside- the things that make life the best. Hunter being a fan has been a huge contributing factor to our family’s collective interest in the sport. It’s hard to believe he is been in love with baseball for more than 3 years now. He’s bigger than a lot of 6 year olds which makes it even harder to go back and think of 17-month old Hunter swinging a bat at a ball on a tee, heck hitting it OUT OF THE AIR  from a pitch, and deliberately throwing it. Hunter is so big for his age, emotionally and physically, so at this point it’s hard for me to continue to be impressed by how well he hits the ball. 

Hunter had his first season of little league this year. When most kids his age would be just starting tball, Hunter is starting farm league, the first level of little league. In order to get Hunter into tball in 2018 we had to make him 6 weeks older. He was so ready for ball that there really was no reason to not put him in. He was going to be able to keep up with the other kids. As grandad Hurst said when we told him about Hunter’s season this year “You’re old enough to play when you can play it.” And that tball season turned out to be a lot of fun. Hunter hitting smackaroonies off of the T. Running the bases was the cutest thing to watch. His favorite part was fielding the ball, which ended up being like tackle baseball with all those kids in the field. He only got upset sometimes when he didn’t get to field the ball enough. Philip stood in the outfield with him most of the time. There were lots of parents involved and it felt mostly like a fun way for families to get out on Saturday morning. 

Little league felt different. He had to try out to make it. There were weekly practices. There weren’t nearly as many parents there week to week and the team was maybe smaller. The coaches pitch and though Hunter doesn’t have a problem hitting from a pitch he didn’t really crank it like he does at home. He admitted to me the hardest part is watching out in the field everyone waiting to catch your ball. His biggest challenge was not hitting it hard enough so he would get out at first. 

When we signed up we thought there were no outs in farm league. It was a surprise to find out that there were. But this turned out to be important for Hunter. Philip said he needs to learn to get out. I think we all do. Im still learning how to! He always handled getting out really well and the coaches were very cool about it. We saw all the coaches in the league and we for sure had the best. 

Hunter did get out a few times but he never had to use the T while some of the older kids did. Sometimes his coach would pitch it funny to him and he would have to have several pitches, but the coach knew Hunter would hit it and would keep giving him chances. These coaches were stellar. The kids on the team used the tee minimally compared to other teams. I think that was a refection of the talent but also the coaches. Coach Brad noticed after practice one day Philip pitching to Hunter and seeing Hunter crush the ball. He took that to heart that he needed to do a better job pitching to Hunter! Hunter really like the coaches, the kids on the team, going to practice (being dropped off!). He was always consistent. He was always the smallest. He was always having fun. Now that months have past since that time he has shot up in height and I think would measure up to some of the 6 year olds! By the end he was visualizing his goal to be able to play 3rd someday, recognizing that really strong kids who could throw to first. 

Admittedly, it was a little hard for me to have as much fun with this experience as tball. There were outs. Coach pitching. Hunter wasn’t just a three year old among some 4 year olds. He was a 4 year old playing with nearly 7 year olds. I felt confident Hunter could handle it, but I also felt like was putting my baby out there. I felt some tension when he went to bat. Hunter always seemed to be having fun. His stoke and fire for the game seemed a little different than it had been. He would play differently at home than in the game, and he wouldn’t ask to play baseball as much. I would find myself asking if we could play catch, because I find it quite fun. We thought maybe he felt baseball practice and games were “enough” but the Hunter we knew, that would never be enough. Philip and I wondered if baseball was fading out for him, and he would enjoy it enough but not with that crazy crazed fire he had for years. I was feeling kind of bummed about the idea that baseball could be phasing out for him since it is a hobby I connect to his infancy. I was a little embraced for projecting about Hunter, the future baseball player. I was bugged that even though his little league team was the Nationals, the same team that Hunter has loved his whole life, wasn’t at the center of his heart anymore. We found out he was on the Nationals and the day he started farm league Bryce harper switched from the Nats to the Phillies. I was SO bugged! Because Hunter pretty much instantly changed his affiliation. It was going to be such a poetic moment for Hunter love the Nats and the BE the Nats. Anyway, a little more complicated experience for me as a baseball parent this year. 

So the season was good. It ended Hunter learned a lot. We got to support him and see him experience new things. Wins all around. But I wasn’t sure how Hunter would feel about baseball going forward. 

Hunter skipped the last game of the season to go see the Phillies play the Padres in San Diego. It was a chance to get on field with the help of Uncle Jim and maybe meet Bryce Harper. It was a stellar trip on so many accounts (lime scooters, art museums, baseball) for those guys. I had fomo and was a little sad to not go,  but we decided it made the most sense. 

They did end up meeting Bryce Harper! And getting his signature. And Hunter got a fist bump. Hunter was a little tired and hesitant at the beginning of the experience, but it worked out perfectly for Philip to get Bryce’s attention. And what’s more, an MLB photographer got it on camera and then Philip convinced him to get the pictures! What a story. What a treasure. THe look on Hunter’s face in these pictures. The look of a boy meeting his hero. So dear. 

It seemed to have another affect too. It was like the fist bump with Bryce transferred some baseball fire into Hunter and he came back totally stoked for all things baseball, playing and watching. It was fun to have this resurgence and a silly thought to think it was because of Bryce (really, Philip). I guess I can kind of forgive Bryce now for being a traitor!