In the summer between third and fourth grade, I was staying at my Grandma’s house at the Jersey Shore. Not being from around there, I knew nobody and found myself spending most of time with my grandparents. It was kind of boring, the beach was fun but I went everyday so it became tiring. One day on my morning bike ride, I spotted some kids my age playing on a rundown baseball field. I Decide to skip the beach, and try to get in their game. I came home and grabbed my glove and bat and hurried back to the field. I was excited at first, I liked playing baseball, but as I got closer and closer to the field, being the shy introvert I am, I became nervous. Questions ran through my mind. What would I Say? How would introduce myself? What if they don’t …show more content…
It was sad. I became so used to going to the field everyday that the thought of going back home brought me to tears. When I got to the field, the feeling was somber, it was most of our last days and we did not want to see it come to an end. That day was also the only time we decided to keep score. Alot was on the line, the winners would not only receive bragging rights but also a free slurpee from the nearby Seven Eleven. Me and Daniel were both captains and drafted pretty even teams, it was going to be a competitive game. Daniel was on the mound for his team, He was the best pitcher in the group and threw very fast for our age. Daniel was almost perfect through eight innings, giving up two hits and only one walk. In the bottom of the ninth I was up again, Daniel had walked the first two batters of the inning. They were winning 2-0, so I was looking to tie the game. The first pitch to me was a low and in fastball the scorched right into the catcher’s glove for strike one. Having caught for Daniel before I knew he was going to throw the same pitch. The second pitch was an identical copy of the first. I reacted and put my best swing on it. Bang! The ball soared over the center fielder's head and over the wall. We had won! I had just hit my first homerun of the summer on my last at bat in the last game. Daniel bought slurpee and we all said our sad
After that everything felt like it was in slow motion. The last thing I was was my first base coach as the ground reached out and pulled me down face first. For a second I contemplated not even getting up. I was utterly humiliated. But I did. And when I did, I absolutely died laughing. I stood up after the initial shock and was greeted with a chorus of ‘Are you okay?!’’s. After reassuring them all that I was fine I trotted back over to the batter’s box, still laughing, and got ready to hit again. I fouled off another pitch and finally regained a shred of composure. Thwack. The the ball sailed deep into center field and over the center fielder's head. I made it to second but was stranded by my teammates, and from there I headed back to the
Standing in the batter box, anxious. Looking forward I see the pitching machine signaling green. First ball comes almost nailing me in the thighs, but lucky enough I was able to get out quickly. I wasn’t ready for such a fastball. I just kept my cool and kept swinging. And that was when I heard “CLANG!”, my first ball hit went straight back at the pitching machine.
As I lay on my bed, that night I could still hear the umpire calling “ballgame” and solidifying victory and our mark on Mountain Grove Softball history. The adrenaline and excitement of the moment were still running through my veins as my mind started to drift. I soon found myself thinking of
I’m actually kind of shocked I could write about recovery because it is a topic with a special meaning to myself. But, I found it easier to write about my own experience with a negative event this time, and I believe it is because I grew as a writer. I saw the value the personal testimony adds to a piece, and thus I could add my own story.
The fifth inning they went up on us three runs, and after that we returned scored one run. The following inning they added another run to the board then we struck back with a run. At that point the last inning came and we got three outs on them and we came fixing to make something happen. Our first runner got on base with a walk then the following hitter hit it into a double play. At that point our next runner gets on base with a single, and I come up and get a three-two count and I battle off another strike, then I see a curveball off the pitchers hand and I swing as hard as I could. At that point, "bam" went the ball down the first base line to the fence. Our lead runner comes in for a score and as im passing second I look back to where the ball was and the ball was getting thrown in. Sliding into third I hear the third baseman catch the ball, in a split second I slide off the base and he puts a tag on me for the ball game.
The server on the other team once again threw the ball into the air. This time, my teammate sprawled for the ball, and made a perfect pass to me, allowing me to set the ball and have my co-captain smash it to the ground. I looked once again at the faces of my teammates. Things were different now. I knew at once that they knew what I knew. We were the winners of that game. We remembered that at that point, and were assured of it when the referee blew the final whistle after I served an ace on game point.
The announcer began announcing our team to start the introduction for the game. Since I was the lead-off batter, my name was echoed over the park first. It was at this time that the feeling elevated; the feeling that makes every baseball field so special. As my teammates yelled for me, while I ran to the nearest baseline and faced the crowd, the feeling gave me goose bumps and raised the hairs on the back of my neck. The feeling is so amazing that it will keep me playing baseball for as long as possible because it makes my love for the sport that much more. I can't even begin to explain the complex feeling I get when I walk on a baseball field, but that feeling will always be cherished and hopefully when I pass on my love of baseball to others, they will too understand what that special diamond makes me feel like.
Our All-Star team made it to State which was held in the warm July sun down in Terre Haute, Indiana. Pete, a short red haired kid was my best friend at the time, he would play second base and I would be the shortstop, we were the best two players on the team and we always had each other’s back. Before our first game at State, Pete and I always did our handshake but this time it felt more special because we were both so hype and caught up in the moment that all I remember him saying was “It’s your world. Get on base and let me hit you in, let’s go!” I was always the number one hitter and Pete was number two, the best two baseball players, so we were the ones carrying the team. To start off the game, I hit a double off the wall, pointed at the dugout and my teammates went crazy. The families in the stands started chanting, and it felt like I was on top of the world. Next batter is Pete, he gets a fastball over the plate and belts it into right field, I score and start clapping and our team is going ballistic as we started the game off to a quick 1-0 start. We all thought we had this game in the bag. After the top of the first we were on defense. Our best pitcher was on the mound and everyone in
With seconds to spare I arrived at batting practice and began to prepare for my game. I hear coach call out my name and as I he acknowledged that I was there he told me I was pitching. My brain shifted and went into a whole new mode, I was more focused and more determined than I have ever been. This was the biggest baseball game of my career and I 'm starting on the mound. Honestly it couldn 't have turned out any better, the fate of the pin and my team lied in my hands and I loved the pressure. The pressure made me thrive and before I knew it our team was marching onto the field for the national anthem. During the singing of the national anthem I peeked into the crowd and first row down the first base side was the little boy I met on the cart and his dad sitting right next to him. This game was for that little boy, I needed to impress him. I pitched six strong innings and my team ended up winning the game. It was the most exciting game of my career and the best part was being greeted with the best pin in the tournament after such a spectacular win. The little boy ran out into the middle of the field where we shook our opponents hands and in front of everyone in the stadium handed me the only thing I cared about besides winning. I was in the best mood for the rest of the day and I rewarded myself with a nice long sleep. I could only image what the next day had to
Once I released it, I knew that he was going to hit it. CRACK! It was a 500 foot home run to give them a one run lead. My perfect game was over. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Will hit a triple, and my teammate, Kris, hit a sacrifice fly to center field. It was tied 1-1. Next, our first baseman, Jose Alvarez, hit a homerun for a walk off win! We were victorious! The following day, I received a call from Amaro, saying that he would bring me up to Triple A Lehigh to challenge my game, and that my contract would stay the same, unless I make it up to the Phillies that year. In my AAA debut, I pitched for two innings and allowed eight runs. I felt like I would be sent down to Clearwater again. However, in my next game, I pitched for a complete game allowing just four hits and only one run. Against the Pawtucket Red Sox, I pitched for eight innings, allowing two runs, and only three hits. The next game, I pitched for nine innings, allowing two hits, earning zero runs. The following day, I received a voicemail from Amaro, and he
I am an undocumented student at UC Davis. When I am asked a simple question such as, "describe your personal experiences", I ask myself: Where do I begin?
We were traveling thought all the beautiful places and cities in the country. During our vacation, one day we stopped at a restaurant in a small town. As we were eating, my 16-year-old cousin said to me hurry up, finish your meal and we’ll go play outside. I was a little boy just turned six years. I was excited to go play outside with my cousin, so I was the first one to finish with my meal.
On that fateful day in March, I was a couple months shy of my third birthday. My family and I lived in New Mexico at the time and were renting a house with an outdoor in-ground pool. The day was beautiful. I was outside with my oldest sister Rachel and my father. Rachel was diligently reading curled up on a bench that sat against the house, and my father was mowing the backyard. My mother and my other sister were in the house. Off to one side of the house there was a group of large bushes. I was playing over there with one of her large cooking pots, off in my own little world. At one point while amusing and en...
As I already began to start my motions, I gave my next pitch all of my strength, the ball was TRAVELING down from the mound to home plate, WHISTLING through the air, SMACKING the catchers glove with a tremendously loud pop that sounded like an explosion, “STRIKE THREE” the umpire screams at the top of his lungs. I gained back all of my confidence since the game has started, and my defense was throwing the ball around the horn while I was getting my breath back. I couldn’t believe that I had just struck out the number two player in the country. The next two batters were both ground out hits almost through the gaps to the third baseman, and shortstop.
There is a point in everyone’s life when they step back and realize “I can’t do this anymore, it’s ruining my life”. Many of my friends have started smoking cigarettes while drinking at a very young age, and continue to use this drug currently and don’t realize the affect it has on their future. While I have been smart enough to avoid smoking, I haven’t been as wise at making decisions when it comes to drinking. The amount of partying I’ve done in college has taken over my life, and has had a huge impact on my grades. Changing my drinking habits and continuing to avoid cigarettes will enable me to be the best I can be for the rest of my college experience.