Tonight begins the summer baseball season and the guys are headed to Indiana for the first game. No, the kid is not pitching until Sunday night which has made our decision to travel an easy one.
Let's first review the life of BP mom for a moment....the reason that I started this blog was to share with family and friends the convoluted road to the majors if there is one. Further, there seem to be a need to defend the big lefty since people especially his peers did not understand why he was the way that he was. In other words, he worked, slept, ate, studied, and played ball. He sacrificed a normal adolescence and young adulthood for a goal...a dream.....he refuses to leave anything on the field except his heart and soul. Therefore, here is his story which in a way is our story.....actually, it is my story.
The title "Bullpen Mom" was created since I was the mother of a bullpen pitcher....a wannabe starter. I would attend games and wait and wait and wait for the kid to be handed the ball. Sometimes, I would travel a great distance and watch my player spit and cuss in the bullpen never making it into a game. It would frustrate him and make me sad knowing that he could be out there making a difference for the team.
Although, I have to be really clear....I have witnessed over the years, parents and players who were not only clueless but unrealistic in their expectations. They would think that their son and daughter were heads and shoulders above their peers. Fortunately, I never thought that way. In fact, I went to the opposite end of the scale as I worried a great deal when the kid was put into a tight situation. Yet, over the years, he began to demonstrate not only a high baseball IQ but a work ethic that was unparallelled. His body, which he inherited, was developed into a pitcher's physique and he worked even harder on his competitive nature. In fact, I would never, ever want to be a batter facing him. Last week, his fast ball went through the catcher's mitt and hit him on the chest. Another pitcher wanted to work out with him but dropped out during the warm up. This, folks, is the reason for his success. He does not stop until he is perfect. Hopefully, it will bode well for him as he settles into a life after college.
On to this weekend...he is scheduled to pitch on Sunday night. This is indeed a new phenomenon for us. In fact, in the old days, Tink and I would have hit the road yesterday to watch tonight's game hoping that he would be called in. What a reversal of fortune! We can now plan trips. This is a huge shift in our lifestyle as we now have a date and time set for a future start.
And so, this summer begins a newer, more prepared BP mom....in fact, we can call it BP Mom 2.0. That's right. This is a new version....we are now focusing on each pitch, velocity, placement, and strike out rather than the question...'will he make it in this game or not?'
It's fascinating how life works. The highs and lows that this kid has experienced have molded him into what he is today....which is a guy who has confidence....wants the ball in a tight situation....will never back down from a challenge....
This is it. The road has been bumpy and will continue to be tortuous, but he will navigate it with the skills that he has as well as family and friend support.
Wow...BPM 2.0...whaddya know?
Peace!
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