By Josh:
Tonight ten teams from across the nation will be standing on Story Field in Longview, WA celebrating the start of the 13-15 year old Babe Ruth World Series. For many of the players on each of the ten teams this is the biggest accomplishment that they have ever had or will ever have in their baseball lives. A few may get to play in college baseball, and a few may even play professional baseball, but to be competing against the best teams in the nation is a rare challenge and honor.
Coaches, parents and fans understand this, but for the players they only have one thought going through their mind as they participate in the opening ceremonies, ‘Let’s get on the field and start playing.’
I’ve been through ceremonies like this for the start of seasons and tournaments as a player and they are hard to sit through. It isn’t that they are boring; it’s just that here you are standing on the field, wearing your jersey top and yet you don’t have a glove on or a bat in your hand. The baseball field for a few moments is an unfamiliar place for the players.
It is for this reason that opening ceremonies are really more for the fans, parents and even the coaches. Players understand why there is an opening ceremonies, and months and years down the road as they look at pictures they will be thankful that they got to be a part of it, but in the current all a player wants to do is start playing.
Pitchers will already be thinking about what the mound will feel like beneath their feet. Infielders will be tapping their toes on the astroturf field knowing that each ground ball is going to hold its path. Outfielders will be eyeing the fence line to see what areas they can rob a home run from and which areas they will have to play it off the wall.
Every player and every coach is also looking around at each team in the tournament wondering who is the best and what it’s going to take to beat them.
Good luck to every team in the 13-15 yr old Babe Ruth World Series held in my hometown of Longview, WA.