So dudes, I don't bet big so I don't have any huge wins to celebrate, and I'm fat and long term married so I don't have conquests like Chain (who, to be clear, I hate). But I have a 12 year old son, Jonas, who I am incredibly proud of. He is a soccer, hoops, baseball, golf kid. Never had a winning goal/shot/hit in his life, pretty average athlete but has a ton of fun and works hard. Last night he had the game of his life. I'm going to copy and paste the email I sent a couple of buddies this morning. Forgive me if I'm cluttering this up, but I wanna pound my chest about my boy Jonas:
We were up 1-0 into the top of the 5th, when they got two guys on and then their best hitter hit a homer to go up 3-1. Our team was pretty devastated. They thought they had it. So bottom five, our first two batters struck out, and then the next two guys go single, ground rule double so we have guys on 2nd and 3rd and 2 out…and guess who is up? That’s right, sweet little Jonas. As he walks to the plate I look at Amy and say “No pressure….” Ball one, strike one, and on the third pitch Jonas hits it back up the middle into center field, drives in both runners, and we are tied at 3! His teammates are all yelling at him from the dugout, the first base coach is fist bumping him, he has a grin a mile wide. He gets stranded, so we go to the 6th 3-3.
Sixth inning 3 up 3 down both halves of the inning. Coaches discuss, decide there is time for extra innings. Top of the 7th, 3 up, 3 down, to the bottom of the 7th tied 3-3.
First guy gets a single. We just gotta get him around to win. Passed ball, guy on 1st gets to 2nd. Guy up strikes out, one down. He is our best hitter so we are bummed. Next kid hits it to right field and it is caught but kid on 2nd tags up and gets to 3rd. So bottom 7, tied 3-3, 2 down….and guess who is up? Sweet little Jonas. I look at Amy and laugh and shake my head. I walk up to the fence (we were in the outfield) and lean on it and just stare. First pitch is right down the pipe, Jonas watches it go by. Strike one. Coach is like, “Come on Jonas you gotta be aggressive!” Second pitch is high, but Jonas is aggressive and swings anyway and fouls it off. 0-2, two out. First base coach says, “Ok Jonas, you gotta protect man. Anything close you drive it.” 3rd pitch, he swings, and drives it into right field for the game winner! Kid on 3rd dances home, Jonas runs and slides into second base and pops up and runs toward the dugout as his teammates mob him! High fives and fist bumps and hugs and back slaps and the coaches are hooting and hollering and fist pumping and fist bumping each other and Jonas is just bawling like a baby cause he is so happy. I threw both my arms up in the air like I just won the Olympics and turned and stared at Amy. And Jonas couldn’t stop smiling the rest of the night.
He’s never had a game-winning score/shot/hit ever before last night. It was a blast.