The Baseball Field

We live across from a baseball field. The kids have been wanting to go over there in the afternoon and practice hitting. It's close enough to walk, but we drive, since we have so much stuff to haul: bats, softballs, baseballs, helmets, water bottles. 

Today Eliana wanted a turn to pitch, so Mike set her up with the balls and stepped into the box (or the dirt circle). She underhanded it...

Just a liiittle outside. 

She tried a couple more times with a baseball instead of a softball, and had success. Softballs are unwieldy, don't you know?

Late afternoon is hot here in June. And bright. 

Christian started out with a smile. He just turned his hat to the side and bam! Sunshine not a prob. 

For now, anyway.

Eliana also wanted a turn to bat. 

I love this face. 

I love that she wants to do it so badly. 

Did I mention how bright it was? Bright. The batting helmet helped with the sun in her eyes. 

We'll work on keeping her eyes open. 

She smacked a couple of those balls, and while it looked more like she had laid down a few bunts, it was a solid start for her. I'm sure we'll be building on this foundation as the years go by. 

Michaela took her turn. 

When you are not on a professional baseball team, and are, in fact, just in a school field across the street, you are your own ball girl. 

I didn't have a glove but I had a camera, so I kept taking pictures. In the blazing hot sun. While the no-see-ems drove me crazy. 

She's thinking about stealing second. 

On second thought, maybe she'll stay put. The pitcher has a good pick-off move. 

As much as I've learned about baseball these last few years, I still have a very hard time remembering which way is batting left and which is batting right. (Related: Mike also had to remind me recently that right and left field are designated as such from the batter's perspective, so when you are in left field, it is to your own right. This is very confusing to me, yet I feel like I should be able to grasp this concept since I did do well in Kindergarten.) At any rate, Michaela can bat both ways. She is a switch hitter. 

Impressive. I'm not sure that I could hit from either side. (But I can get quite irate when the pros miss their chances and leave the bases loaded. Hey, I'm not getting paid for my athletic prowess.)

We didn't stay too long because HEAT and BUGS. 

Mike did make the suggestion that we could go early in the morning in order to avoid the blazing rays and the annoying gnats. Haven't we been married for a decade and a half? Does he even know me at all?

We'll see. Maybe I'll do it for the children. (But probably not. Early mornings at the baseball field scream Dad Job to me...)