What is your most memorable playing/coaching moment?

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Permalink Reply by Kyle Grucci on July 7, 2009 at 8:15pm

What a great day that must have been, Ed! Just to be able to play in front of that many fans has got to get you adrenaline flowing. I know it was a while ago, but I'd love to hear the details - Do you remember who the pitcher was and what pitch you hit? Did you pull it? Did you know it was gone as soon as you hit it? Nice picture! Thanks for sharing!

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Permalink Reply by carol Sheldon on July 7, 2009 at 11:37pm

Hitting a home run in my first college game and it was against defending AIWA Nat'l Champs Michigan State University. Also being inducted into the Mich. USSSA HOF in 1995 and the Nat'l Women's Baseball HOF in 2003.
As far as coaching moment...... anytime a kid has success and the chance to work with kids.

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Permalink Reply by Ronald C Fazar on July 9, 2009 at 11:46pm

There are lots of memorable positive moments. Haven't read every single answer but each one I've looked at has been a positive story - which is wonderful, that's exactly what the asker was looking for I believe. I'll go the other way though and share one of the very memorable negative experiences. I was probably 14 years old. My team was playing at what then was known as Mendon Center Junior High. Speed has always been my game - if I didn't have at least two infield hits in a game I'd be disappointed. I was not a big kid though and had little power. On this day however I got hold of one and hit a line drive over the left fielder's head. Running hard I approached third base and knew I still had enough fuel for the after-burners. At the last second our manager, who was coaching third, threw up the stop sign - I put on the brakes coming around the bag and scrambled back to the base, thinking the outfielder must have made one hell of a throw - but to my dismay the shortstop was JUST catching the relay. I WOULD HAVE SCORED STANDING UP. There would have been no play. Twenty five years later I've still never hit a home run. I hit the left field fence, in foul territory, a few years ago, but otherwise I've never really come close. I'll take the high road instead of sharing detailed comments on my team's manager for those few years.

Other low lights would include getting hit in the face when a ball ricocheted off my bat on a bunt attempt when I was eleven. Crying after going hit-less with a couple strikeouts and a couple errors in the field when my grandfather came to see me play when I was 12 - I don't think I've ever wanted to perform exceptionally well for any single person more than I did for him that day. Taking a bad hop to the face at SS when I was twenty-nine - in the exact same spot I was hit in eighteen years prior. Losing the whole 2009 season to shoulder surgery - at the age of thirty nine.

I'll turn 40 before the 2010 season begins in my part of the country - I hope to recover from the shoulder surgery and make some new positive memories in the next decade - and I'm sure there will be a few frustrating ones too.

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Permalink Reply by Kyle Grucci on July 10, 2009 at 9:40pm

I'm sure there will be good ones as well. Stick with it!

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Permalink Reply by Steve Lykins on July 10, 2009 at 11:34am

I am fortunate to have two great stories. Last years U-12 Connecticut State Quarter finals. We are a small town, Marlborough Ct, now known for being the home of AJ Pollock, #17 Overall pick this year. We came back from four down in the bottom of the 6th versus Ledyard Ct., we were in the seventh and we had the number nine at bat to start the inning. Kid had wheels but could't out run the catchers arm on a too lightly bunted bunt down the third base line. One out. Top of the order, lefty with speed at bat and walks on five pitches. The plan is to move him over first pitch, pitch goes in the dirt an he takes second. Next pitch, batter squares and takes the bat right back toward the catcher holding him for just a bit long enough, runner takes off for third and makes it on a bang bang play. One out, man on third and we are looking for a sac fly. As the ball comes off the bat the center fielder is back, back, back and runs out of room as the ball goes over the 8' high fence. Walk off home run!!! It was the kids first home run ever and he picked a good time. That kid was my son, I was coaching first and was jumping as high as he was running down first.

I also coach The Connecticut Capitals U-10 team out of Hartford Ct. We are in the NEAAU New England AAU Tournament and just two weks ago, in the Semi Finals we had a walk off Grand Slam in the 9th inning to put us in the Finals. The NEAAU directors couldn't get the lights on and we are still trying to get the teams together to play the championship game. Wish us luck!!!

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Permalink Reply by Kyle Grucci on July 10, 2009 at 9:39pm

Great stories, Steve! Thanks for sharing and congrats to you and your son! Good luck in the Championship game!

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Permalink Reply by Shane O'Connor on July 21, 2009 at 7:39pm

It was a cloudy, rather ugly day to play basball, and my U12 suburban baseball had the pleasure to travel out to Wilbraham to play one of the toughest teams in the league.

However tragic this tale has begun, it will certaintly differ once we come to the end. That I can assure you, as this was the day I hit my first, and hopefully not my last, home run. Little did I know that this day was going to be the pinnacle of my youth baseball career. Now, let us begin...

It was the top of the first inning, and Wilbraham decided to throw their ace on the mound. How we cowarded in fear as he unleashed his arsenal of deadly curveballs, sliders, and an assortment of other pitches that only the Japanese could conjure. Lucky for me, I was batting second today, which meant that I would be one of the first people to face the kid. To make the scenario even worse, our best Stealth bat was sadly forgotten at the coache's house, so now I'd have to resort to using another bat. Why had I been cursed to this tragic fate?

The ump signaled for the game to begin, and the pain would surely start. Or so I thought... The first batter of the game was walked on four pitches, and I was soon up to bat. My body was engulfed in fear, yet something inside me gave me the courage to face this kid. I stared him down until my eye sockets almost fell out. He smirked and let a pitch fly over the plate. Fortunately, I returned the offering and blasted a two run homer over the left fielder's head. My mouth was agape as if I'd just seen my mom in a hairnet. I was swarmed at home plate by my fellow teammates. We ended up winning the game, and I went out to Friendly's afterward. Sweet, sweet victory.

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Permalink Reply by Kyle Grucci on July 21, 2009 at 7:58pm

Nice, Shane... and I'm sure that won't be your last. Have fun and enjoy playing. It's a great game.

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Permalink Reply by Pine Tar on September 28, 2009 at 10:03am

Mine is playing 19th Century Base Ball with the Hartford Senators in Cooperstown NY this past weekend along with being the draw to the visitors of the HOF.
We had set up a "living Demonstration" at the Hall in the sculputer garden and with the education dept we helped to teach , inform and bring to life the style and substance of Base Ball play from that era.
The we also had the fortune to play a game later in the day at the Art Museum in the back yard there and had many baseball lovers come out to see this "throw back" event.

In the end I had a great Base Ball day both playing and showing it , with some great guys and great base ball players and great friends.

Huzzah
Pine Tar

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Permalink Reply by Ray Kovach on September 28, 2009 at 10:22am

2001, I am 37 years old perhaps, and am playing baseball again for the first time since little league. My son was still young enough that he wanted to come and sit on the bench and watch us play. I was never a talented player and after the years of not playing, all I had was determination and baseball sense. About half way through the game a runner steals second base, and I throw him out. A rare perfect throw with an even more rare opportunity to throw a runner out in amateur baseball.
It is the third out of the inning and as I walk to the dugout, my son, a catcher himself (with talent) gives me a high five and for just a moment, we have one of those instant connection moments between a father and son. It was "I'm proud of you dad", "Isn't that the coolest feeling in the world?" and "I haven't seen you smile like that in years." - all rolled into one.
I'll never forget the feeling of seeing him see me do something well, that I had been teaching him for years, and now he finally got to see me do it. That was an incredible moment between a father and son.

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Permalink Reply by Ray Kovach on September 28, 2009 at 12:04pm

You didn't ask for a favorite umpire moment, but this is one of my favorite baseball moments and it happened while I was umpiring a high school baseball game a few years back.
I have been umpiring a couple of years and was assigned to umpire a game between 2 division 4 teams. These were teams that had perhaps 12 players on their entire roster. Both teams were pretty bad as baseball skill went, but both teams were well coached and were enthusiastic. I was on the plate and we were in the 7th inning. The game had been a typical wild game between 2 weak teams. The score was something like 22-10. The team leading was in the field and the losing team was emptying their bench to get everyone in the game. Up to the plate strides little Johnny. 4 foot tall, 200 pounds, round little bundle of zero athletic ability. The bench was cheering for him as though it was the last game of the World Series for some reason. Johnny steps up to the plate and gamely taps the plate with the bat. I get the feeling though, that this is as close as johnny has been to live pitching and he has no intention of swinging.
The first pitch comes in right down the middle. "Strike one" I bellow. Johnny is frozen. My suspicion is confirmed. Johnny has no idea what he is doing up there and is not going to swing the bat no matter how good the pitches look.
The next pitch comes in exactly the same, right down the middle and I say "Ball!" The catcher hesitates for an instant and throws the ball back to the pitcher. The catcher's thinking, OK, he missed one. The next pitch is right, smack, down the middle again. "Ball". The catcher turns his head and asks "where was that pitch?". I reply "Right down the middle."
The pitcher is understandably glaring at me now. I glance over to the manager of the team on defense. He has said nothing and does not look up out of his scorebook. Either he knows what I am doing or he is is not paying attention. The next pitch is right down the middle again. "Ball". The catcher knows what's going on now and he waves his arm at the pitcher. My partner is in the infield between 2nd and 3rd (what we call C position) and is peering in at me as he sheepishly holds up the count, 3-1. It was a dreary, cold afternoon and my partner was anxious to get into a warm car. By now a steady chant is rising from the bench. "Sea-Bass", "Sea-Bass", "SEA-BASS". I get the feeling that the appropriately nick-named "Sea-Bass", has not been anywhere even close to reaching first base prior to today. Now the chant is loud and Sea-Bas is nervous. The next pitch is right down the middle and I call "Ball Four". Sea-Bass blinks his eyes in disbelief and runs down to first base. The bench is cheering wildly now and "Sea-Bass" is the happiest kid alive. The game ends uneventfully an out or two later.
As my partner and I walk to our cars, he looks at me with a smile and says "You did that, didn't you?"
I say with an even bigger smile, "Yep".

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Permalink Reply by Charlie LaDuca on September 28, 2009 at 12:48pm

My most memorable moment as a coach took place during our 2007 High School Season. It was my 22nd year of coaching and we had chased the Holy Grail (State Championship) for all those many years. Made it to the State Final four twice, only to get badly beaten both times in the Semi Finals. 2007 was a magical year. We had a very nice team. A rare combination of talent and maturity. Many things went wrong that season including the passing of one of my former players who had been a key member of our squad just three years prior. I had a very strong feeling that Tim was watching over us as the season began. We won our league as well as the Section and Far west Regional. We entered the State tournament confident, but well aware of how difficult it is to close the deal. We fell behind in the Semi Final game, but rallied to win. We also fell behind in the State Final game only to rally and win 2-1 in the bottom of the 7th. What a tremendous feeling. We had won four of our six playoff games by one run.The community members at our school (Pine Valley Central) had been supportive all season. The State Tournament was no exception. They filled the stands cheering us on all the way. The best part was the greeting we received as we arrived back into town at midnight. As we pulled into the school I looked back down the road and literally as far as you could see was a steady stream of headlights. Exactly like the ending of the Field of Dreams. I mean a mile and a half worth of headlights pulling in to congratulate us. Something none of us will forget as long as we live.

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