A Championship Season

Braves Championship Season: By the Numbers

Thanks to season stats provided by ace statistician Rick Rojahn, here is a look at the Braves' championship season by the numbers:
**The Braves finished with a record of 18-3, including 4-1 in the playoffs. That included winning streaks of 12 games and 5 games. The team never lost more than one game in a row.
**Braves scored 240 runs, far beyond the next closest team (the Rays, who played one more game than we did, with 188). No other team was even close. Our team averaged 11.4 runs per game. But the Braves could also win close games when they needed to, winning back-to-back playoff games by one run each (6-5 and 3-2 (in extra innings)).
**Despite the yammering others did about their teams' pitching and defense, ours was pretty good, too. The Braves allowed only 111 runs, tied for third with the Rays. Our average margin of victory was more than 6 runs per game.
**An example of the Braves scoring prowess: Nick (36) and Connor (34) combined to score 70 runs, only slightly less than two of the younger teams in the league. Every player on our team scored more than 10 runs, and 5 players scored 20 or more runs.
**Our team batting average was .451, meaning slightly less than half of the time a Brave stepped to the plate, he got a hit. The Braves hit 190 singles, 52 doubles, 24 homers(!) and 6 triples.
**The Braves drew 88 walks and were hit by pitches 10 times. Braves batters struck out 140 times: 88 swinging, 52 called strike threes.
**The Braves drove in 203 runs. Nine boys were in double digits in RBIs.
**The Braves stole 34 bases. (Note: I think Coach Rick was fairly strict in that data -- real stolen bases, as opposed to bases grabbed on indifference or through a horrible wild pitch.)
**Despite the inevitable schedule conflicts that summer brings, three boys were able to play in all 21 games: Anthony, Connor and Nick. Alec, Evan & Tyler played in 20 of the games.
Stay tuned throughout the coming week as time and flood cleanup permit for more season wrapup coverage of the Braves.

U12 All-Stars Update from Coach Ross Harmsen

[A message from Coach Ross:]
The WFBLL U12 All Stars have advanced to the State Little League Tournament which begins this Saturday, July 24th. They will be competing against 5 other Little League teams from around the state for opportunity to play in the State Championship game. Alec Lindfors and Connor Kimple represent the Braves on the U12 team.
The games will be played in West Bend, WI beginning Saturday. Below is the
game schedule for the WFBLL U12 team:
*Saturday, July 24th @1pm
*Sunday, July 25th @ 1pm
*Monday, July 26th @ 6pm
*Tuesday, July 27th @ 6pm
*Wednesday, July 28th 6pm
[More details and a map on the WFBLL website.]
The teams with the best records as a result of this tournament play will
advance to the semi-final games on Thursday, July 29th. If you can, I
encourage all of you to drive up to West Bend and cheer on the team.
Thanks!
Ross

Why the Braves Won the Little League Championship

Before a Little League season begins, especially in the older age groups, boys talk about the perceived strengths of the various teams, and so do the coaches & dads involved. (I'm sure some moms do, too.)
I don't think many of us heard pre-season talk along the lines of "Watch out for the Braves, they're loaded with talent." No, the chatter that filtered down my way was all about the Phillies and their collection of young alpha males, or the Rays and their group of experienced pitchers and ballplayers.
The Braves lost their opening game, 2-1, in 40-degree (or colder) weather at Water Tower on April 26, but they gained enormous confidence in themselves. They hung with the much-ballyhooed Phillies the whole game, and grasped the notion that they didn't have to fear any team in the league. The Braves went on to win 12 straight games, placing themselves in an excellent position for their playoff run.
There are many overlapping reasons why the Braves won this year. I've picked out some of them. Of course, the caveat here is that all opinions are mine, not necessarily endorsed by our coaches or anyone else.
1. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
Two premier Braves players, Chris Pritchard and Jason Blacher, graduated to higher competition after the 2009 season. So the Braves returned 11 guys and added a rookie. What accounted for their improved class on the diamond? Everyone got better. Through a lot of hard work, Alec improved from a promising pitcher in 2009 to a dominant one in 2010, so consistent that he has become one of the top starters for the all-star team. Connor harnessed more of his wild talent and athleticism to become the dominant hitter in the league and a frequently unhittable pitcher. After a modest hitting record in 2009, Tyler learned the strike zone and mastered his swing, forcing pitchers to throw him strikes. When they didn't, he walked. When they did, he got hits. Every player on the team improved in one or more ways over the 2009 season. Ross would tell you the Braves won because they got contributions from every member of the team, not just the 3 or 4 big guys.
2. COACHING
Coach Ross Harmsen expected boys to improve, and expected them to back each other up as a team. And he got the results he expected. A true master of coaching, Ross paid attention to every kid, not just the stars. He pushed and encouraged every kid. As third-base coach, he helped players make subtle adjustments at the plate that improved their hitting: several of Nick's homers this season can be directly attributed to adjustments that Ross suggested to Nick. He helped players develop skills at favorite positions on the field, but he also cross-trained them so they were versatile enough to play multiple spots.
In setting up our lineups, Ross also took advantage of our team having two top-line starting pitchers in Connor and Alec, while also finding opportunities to get other kids some time on the mound, which would pay off in the playoffs.
Rick Rojahn often led pregame fielding practice, and kept order in the dugout as bench coach. His work as scorebook keeper and stat collector enabled the coaches to see the patterns in the Braves' play, and how to strengthen and fine-tune the team. When it came time to draft our rookie this season, Rick also made the pick that should put him in the Little League scouting hall of game, but more on that later.
With his calm demeanor, Joe Kimple added a helpful contrast to his fiery coaching colleagues, and as first-base coach helped stoke the aggressive baserunning that earned the Braves extra runs.
While rarely seen in the dugout, Mike Lindfors put in many hours in practices as a roving instructor and batting-practice pitcher, transmitting his passion for playing the game even while he was offering tips and correction to players.
3. POWER
I don't have stats for other teams, but it's hard to believe any other team had the one-two home run punch the Braves had, with Connor (11) and Nick (8). With Jack (3), Alec (1) and Evan (1) also contributing bombs, the Braves socked 24 homers in 21 games. That, as the kids say, is sick, and I mean sick in a good way. Pitching and defense are important, and we had plenty of both, but you still can't win without scoring more runs than the other team.
4. HITTING
Quite a few Braves took a called strike 3 in the chilly opener against the Phillies. After that game, Ross and his fellow coaches stressed swinging the bats, and when players occasionally lapsed back into taking too many pitches, the coaches stressed swinging the bats again. The Braves scored nearly 240 runs in 21 games, averaging more than 11 runs per game. Many of our biggest rallies were started by boys batting in the lower half of the order. No one on the Braves was an automatic out, and at different times boys batting last in the order drove in 2 or even 4 runs in a game.
5. RESILIENCY
The Braves and their coaches never quit in any game. No kid on our team ever walked off the mound in a huff, or left the field in a tantrum, or phoned in a play. The Braves had no quitters.
Exhibit A in this case was the June 12 comeback against the Red Sox, the greatest comeback I have ever seen in a Little League game. The Braves were down 12-3 entering the bottom of the final inning. I can honestly tell you that all I hoped for was a good effort to leave the game with some honor. The Braves far surpassed that. The team sent 13 boys to the plate and scored 10 runs to win the game, 13-12. The Braves scored 5 of those runs with two outs.
6. DEFENSE
The Braves were not a flawless defensive team, nor should anyone expect a group of 11- and 12-year-olds to be perfect. But they flaunted their improved fielding skills and increased baseball savvy on defense many times during the season. Matt's throw from the outfield to nab a runner trying to go to third, several third-to-first-to-home double plays and many fine catches in the outfield gave our hurlers the confidence to pitch to contact and let the defense back them up.
7. GOOD HEALTH, GOOD FORTUNE
A successful sports season depends on some things going right beyond the players' and coaches' control. In 2009, the Braves lost a lot of playing time to the swine flu, and were decimated in one game by a schedule conflict with a school band concert. This past season, we had no epidemics, no big accidents, and no schedule pileups beyond the regular summer ones.
8. A GOOD MIX
While a number of these boys have played baseball together for four years, the Braves also enjoyed a nice mix of kids from different schools: Whitefish Bay Middle School, St. Monica, Holy Family, University School. Whatever their interests and affiliations off the diamond, they bonded together well practicing and playing baseball. The team also had a healthy mix of athletic styles: big fast kids, smaller fast kids, cerebral players, instinctual players. We had a cluster of natural infielders, a cluster of natural outfielders, and four experienced catchers. Even in games when we could only suit up 9, the coaches never had to look at a spot on the field and say, We don't have anybody who can play that position.
9. THE ROOKIE
With Chris and Jason moving up after 2009 to a higher level of baseball, the Braves were allowed to draft one player to add to the squad for 2010. Given the rules of the draft, it had to be a younger player, just finishing 5th grade. Coach Ross turned to Rick Rojahn for advice, and Rick remembered a kid who had played ball with Scott a few years ago.
Will Koch turned out to be the steal of the draft, a big, smart kid with a competitive spirit who kept battling. I saw his baseball intelligence on the base paths and in the field. On the mound, he was a tenacious pitcher who kept coming after batters. Even though Will was also playing for a BOSS team, his commitment to the Braves and desire to be a good teammate never flagged. When he had played so much traveling baseball one weekend that both coaches decided he shouldn't play in a scheduled Braves game, Will came to the park and served as the team's enthusiastic batboy and cheerleader. And in the playoffs, all he did, as the newest kid on the team, was take the ball in the championship finale, and throw a complete game as the Braves won. Because Will goes to the University School of Milwaukee, many Whitefish Bay kids didn't know him. But after that final game, plenty of people know who he is now.

Playoff Game #5: Braves 14, Rays 7

Photo courtesy of Jodi Smith Koch
For the fifth time this season, and for the third time in a 10-day stretch, the Braves faced the determined, confident Rays Monday evening at Water Tower Park. This time, the stakes were highest: the Whitefish Bay Little League Majors championship.
Behind the strong pitching of Ryan Hummer, the Rays had shut down the Braves 8-3 on Sunday. So Braves fans must have wondered: How would the team respond on Monday?
1st inning
Will Koch took the mound for the Braves to start the final game of the season. He got Rays leadoff hitter Chris Siebert to ground out to Connor Kimple at short. Paul Presberg hit a long fly to center field that Nick Higgins grabbed for the second out. Then the Rays' Brandon Turer singled to center field, moved up on the bases, and scored on a Cole Miller single. 1-0, Rays.
In the bottom of the inning, Matt McLaughlin led off with a line drive that Rays shortstop Turer snagged. Then Nick stepped to the plate. Nick's favorite big-league Brewers player is Rickie Weeks, and Nick shares some of that igniter quality with him. He stepped into a pitch and rocked a line-drive homer over the right-center fence. Alec singled up the middle, and Connor followed with a towering homer down the left-field line. 3-1, Braves.
2nd inning
The Rays, however, did not pack it in. Ryan Hummer and Connor Nethen both singled up the middle, and Will Alt crushed a 3-run homer to take back the lead. Braves pitcher Will then induced two groundouts, and got Chris Siebert to fly out to Nick to end the inning. 4-3, Rays.
In the bottom of the inning, Tyler drew a walk, stole second, and scored on Scott's double. After two groundouts, Matt singled through the left side of the infield, plating Scott. Then Nick smoked a two-run homer to left field, his second of the night and eighth of the season. Braves, 7-4.
3rd inning
The Rays clawed back. Turer doubled to right field, moved up on a groundout, and scored on a Patrick Kehoe infield single. Braves, 7-5.
Any coach will tell you this: keep tacking on runs when you have a lead. The Braves did so in the bottom of the inning. Connor singled up the middle, stole second, moved to third on an infield single by Evan, and scored when Tyler Harmsen hit into a fielder's choice. Tyler's speed made the run possible: the Rays were trying to turn a double play to get out of the inning, but Tyler ran too fast to make that happen. Braves, 8-5.
4th inning
Will, who is certainly my pick for rookie of the year in the Majors, turned in a clean sheet in the top of the fourth, inducing a groundout to third, a soft line out and a strikeout. On the last batter, catcher Ryan Ward deftly held on to a foul tip to record the K.
In the bottom of the inning, the Braves stayed true to their baseball character all season: everybody swings the bat on this team, and everyone can hit. Anthony Pogorelc led off the inning with a line single to right field. Ryan Ward singled through the second-base hole, and Matt reached on an infield single to third base. Anthony scored on a wild pitch. Then Connor Kimple ripped a hard single to right field, bringing Ryan and Matt home. Braves, 11-5.
5th inning
The Rays chipped away at the lead. Chris Siebert singled, moved up when Brandon Turer reached first and scored on an infield single by Cole Miller. But Braves pitcher Will induced a towering pop-up that first baseman Tyler Harmsen grabbed, and shortstop Alec turned a fielder's choice out at second to the ending the inning. Braves, 11-6.
In the Braves half of the inning, Will Koch and Evan Howell both walked. Tyler grounded into a fielder's choice at 3rd, leaving Evan on second and Tyler on first base. Then, with two outs, Anthony Pogorelc ripped a triple into right field, plating his teammates. (If this were a Packers radio broadcast, I think Wayne Larivee would have called that hit "the dagger.") Anthony scored on a wild pitch. Braves, 14-6.
6th inning
Will took the mound for the final inning, with the opportunity to close out the game and championship. Throughout the evening, he did not let temporary adversity get him down, and he listened carefully to Coach Ross Harmsen's suggestions on his pitching mechanics.
Rays slugger Connor Nethen, who won the Little League home run derby on Sunday, led off the inning with a booming homer to center field, but Will calmly went back to work. The next batter hit a soft liner to the mound, which Will grabbed and held up to show that he had retained possession of the snow cone (i.e., a ball sticking partly out of the glove). The next batter popped up to Matt McLaughlin at third base. The final hitter grounded to Connor Kimple at short, who threw to Evan Howell at first to record the out. Braves win, 14-7.
The boys ran to each other in a flurry of relief and excitement. Jerseys were untucked, backs were slapped, and shouts of joy could be heard as far away as Cudahy.
The Braves, true to their personality this season, scored in each inning that they batted, and some of those runs were scored with two outs.
Trophies were brought on to the field for presentation. First, Rays manager Harris Turer handed out second-place trophies to his boys. Then Coach Ross Harmsen gave two trophies to each Brave: one for finishing as regular-season champs, the second for winning the playoffs. Ross had complimentary words for each of his players and coaches, for his worthy opponents, and then thanked the parents for their support.
He also stuck to his mantra throughout the season: this was a team victory. While the Braves have a few exceptionally talented athletes, every player improved and every player contributed to our success.
Postscript
The blog is not closing up shop yet. I have several more things to write about this magical season in the coming days as time permits.
Also, if your Brave is playing in all-star or other baseball competition, please send updates for posting.
Thank you.

BREAKING NEWS: Braves win Majors championship!

The best team in the regular season was the best team in the playoffs.
The Braves won the Whitefish Bay Little League Majors championship Monday evening, defeating the Rays 14-7 at Water Tower Park.
Will Koch pitched a complete game for the victory. Nick Higgins homered twice, Connor Kimple hit a towering home run and drove in two more runs with a double, Anthony Pogorelc hit a backbreaking triple, and every Brave contributed positively to the outcome.
I'll post a complete game story either later Monday night or Tuesday morning. Jodi, Will's mom, promised to send some postgame celebration photos as soon as she can clean the champagne out of her camera.

Playoff Game #4: Rays 8, Braves 3

Behind the complete game-pitching of Ryan Hummer, the Rays defeated the Braves 8-3 Sunday evening at Water Tower Park. That means one final game for the playoff championship at 6 p.m. Monday at Water Tower, Rays vs. Braves.
The Rays cashed in a pair of walks to go up 2-0 in the first. Meanwhile, the Rays outfield defense stifled several Braves opportunities with good catches and fine throws.
In the top of the 4, Rays player Cole Miller tripled to right field and scored on a sacrifice fly. 3-0, Rays.
The Braves clawed back in the bottom of the fourth. Matt led off with a walk, then scored on Alec's double, with Alec moving to third on the throw home. Connor drove in Alec with a groundout to second. 3-2, Rays.
But the Rays extended their lead with 5 runs in the top of the 5th, topped by a two-run homer by Will Alt.
In the bottom of that inning, Tyler doubled with one out, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Scott's groundout to the pitcher. That capped the scoring, with a final result of 8-3, Rays.
Afterwards, the Braves shook off the outing, and celebrated a fantastic season with a party at Liam's house. Thank you Liam and family!

Playoff Game #3: Braves 16, Yankees 5

[Today's game story was written by guest blogger Dave Pritchard.]
Powered by Liam’s four RBIs and Alec’s masterful pitching, the Braves won their semi-final game against a plucky but outmanned Yankees squad Monday. The final score was 16-5, with the Braves scoring all of their runs after two were out.
The Braves got on the board in the first inning. Nick used his burning speed to beat out an infield hit, steal second, and then end up on third despite falling down after rounding second. Connor followed with a titanic blast over the fence in center. Braves, 2-0.
In the second inning Tyler scampered home on a passed ball with two outs. Braves, 3-0.
The Yankees showed their character by refusing to give up. They scored three in the top of the third inning to tie the game.
In the bottom of the third the first two Braves batters made outs, but then Matt walked and Nick skied a long fly over the fence in left field. Braves, 5-3.
With a runner on first and only one out in the top of the fourth inning, Alec induced the next two Yankees batters to hit ground balls to Ryan at second base. Both times he calmly scooped up the ball and flipped it to shortstop Scott for forceouts.
The Braves broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth, with the big blow being a three-run homer to right-center field by Jack. The Braves hit the stuffing out of the ball in this inning, with Scott, Liam, Matt and Nick smoking line-drive hits to various portions of the outfield. Naturally, all six runs were scored after two were out. Braves, 11-3.
The never-say-die Yankees threatened in the top of the fifth. With two outs, two runs in and a man on third, the Yankees’ powerful number-three hitter smashed a sizzling line drive … right at second baseman Nick. Nick calmly gloved the ball. Braves, 11-5.
Then, with two outs and Evan on base with a walk, came the game-ending flood of runs. Tyler singled to left. So did Scott. AP legged out an infield single. Ryan walked. Two outs, three runs in, runners dancing off second and third and Liam striding to the plate. A hit would win the game for the Braves because of the 10-run slaughter rule.
Liam laced a single to center field, AP and Ryan scored, and the Braves had earned a spot in Saturday’s championship game!
The coaches awarded the game ball to Liam for his clutch hitting. Alec’s five-inning complete game also awed the crowd.
The game featured Braves reporter Jim Higgins filling in as first-base coach for Joe Kimple, who was coaching his younger son Carson’s team during the game. Jim had a quality game, as the team’s 16 runs attest.

Playoff Game #2: Braves 3, Rays 2 (7 innings)

Tyler drove a single through the middle, scoring Evan with the winning run as the Braves defeated the Rays 3-2 in extra innings Saturday afternoon in a Whitefish Bay Little League Majors playoff game.
For the Braves, Connor pitched 5 and two-thirds innings, nearly a regulation complete game.
While the score was low, the action was intense and the fielding was usually crisp.
After Connor held the Rays scoreless in the first, Matt led off the bottom of the first with a walk. Nick then ripped a double to right center field. Matt scored and Nick went to third on the throw. Alec walked. Connor hit a sacrifice fly deep to right field, scoring Nick. 2-0 Braves.
After neither team scored in the 2nd, the Rays threatened in the top of the third. A Rays batter walked, then moved to third on wild pitches. With one out, Rays batter Paul Presberg hit a fly ball to right field. Will made the catch, and threw home to Ryan to tag the runner trying to score. A 9-2 double play.
The Rays tried to breakthrough again in the 4th. With one out, Brandon Turer singled to right field. Cole Miller hit a fly ball to right, but Liam slid to the ground to make the catch, and Connor fanned the next batter to end the inning.
After the opening inning, Rays hurler Ryan Hummer was just as effective as Connor, changing speeds subtly (as former Braves coach Dave Pritchard noted) and keeping our batters off-balance.
In the top of the 5th, Rays pulled closer when Connor Nethen homered over the center field fence. The next batter walked. Then a Rays batter hit a low bouncer to third. Evan got to his knees to knock it down, then calmly through to Jack at second base for a force out. Rays hitter Paul Presberg singled, but our Connor struck out the next batter to end the inning. 2-1, Braves.
In the top of the 6th, the last regulation inning, Connor induced a pop-up to himself for the first out, but then Cole Miller homered to left field, tieing the game. Connor got a second out on a fly ball to Nick at second base before turning the ball over to Alec, who struck out the next batter to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 6th, Matt singled with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch, but Rays reliever Brandon Turer induced pop-ups from the next two batters. With the score tied at 2, the teams went to extra innings.
Pitcher Alec first faced dangerous slugger Connor Nethen, who grounded the ball up the middle. It deflected off Alec's glove, but second baseman Matt alertly fielded it and threw to Nick at first for the out. Coach Ross pointed out afterwards that it was the second game in a row where Matt alertly grabbed a deflected ball for an out. Alec struck out the next two batters, setting the stage for walk-off drama.
In the bottom of the 7th, Connor hit a hard grounder to Rays' Brandon Turer at short, who made a fine play to throw him out. Then Evan doubled to right field. Will singled through the right side, with Evan moving to third.
With two outs, Tyler came to the plate. If you've followed this team for the past two years, you know that Tyler is a vastly improved hitter this season. He knows the strike zone, takes bad pitches and swings at good ones. He ripped a hard single back up the middle, scoring Evan from third with the winning run. Final score: Braves 3, Rays 2.
Coach Ross praised the effort and intensity of the boys. Game balls were awarded to Connor for his heroic pitching performance, and Tyler for his magnificent walk-off hit.
Other notable moments from the game: Anthony put down a perfect sacrifice bunt in the second to move Tyler to third base. Tyler and Will also caught fly balls in the game.
The Braves have Sunday off before playing the disciplined Yankees at 4:30 Monday at Water Tower. Look for a future e-mail from Coach Ross on reporting time to the ballpark.

Playoff Game #1: Braves 6, Brewers 5

The resilient Braves overcame their own errors and clawed their way back to beat the sharp, aggressive Brewers 6-5 Friday afternoon at Water Tower.
That means the Braves will next play the Rays at noon Saturday in the Whitefish Bay Little League Majors double elimination playoffs.
A combination of the tournament scheduler and a rainout pushed the Braves into a challenging pitching position. A pitcher who throws more than 19 pitches in a game must rest from pitching the next day. With that in mound, Coach Ross had a strict pitch count on some of our players.
The Braves were the home team. Alec started on the mound, but was relieved by Will after 19 pitches with two outs and the Braves down 1-0. Will threw strikes, but a couple of Braves errors let in 2 more runs. In the bottom of the first inning, Matt walked with one out and stole second. Alec singled into center field. When Matt tried to score on the hit, he was thrown out a home on a close play, the first of several defensive stops the Brewers turned. 3-0, Brewers.
The Brewers scratched out another run in the top of the second to go up 4-0. Tyler made a fine catch in center field during that inning.
In the bottom of the second, Will and Tyler started a two-out rally with walks. Scott beat out an infield single to load the bases. Will scored the first run on a wild pitch. Then Anthony singled through the right side to drive in two runs. After two, the score was Brewers 4, Braves 3.
In the top of third, the Brewers scratched out another run to go up 5-3. They might have scored more, but Matt made a head's up play. With a Brewers runner on first, the batter hit a hard grounder that bounced off shortstop Alec as he tried to grab. Second baseman Matt alertly grabbed the ball in the air and stepped on second base for a forceout, ending the inning.
With one out in the bottom of the third, the Brewers pitcher hit Nick in the side with a hard fastball. We could hear the sickening thud in the bleachers. Nick glared at the pitcher briefly before running down to first base. Matt then singled, with Nick dashing to third base and rounding the bag just in case of a miscue. Alec then hit a deep fly out to right field. Nick scored easily on the sacrifice fly, and Matt, zooming around the bases, alertly scored as well, knotting the score at 5. Connor doubled to center field, but the Braves couldn't bring him in.
In the top of the 4th, with Will continuing on the mound, all four Brewers batters hit the ball at shortstop Alec, who caught two liners and threw out the final batter at first. In the bottom of the first, Evan reach on a single past the shortstop, but an unusual 6-3-5 double play snuffed out the scoring threat.
In the top of the 5th, Evan took the mound. Like Will, he is a pitch-to-contact hurler who pounds the strike zone. The first two batters singled, then Evan struck out the next one. A fly out to Connor in left field and a fly ball to Alec at third ended the threat, with the score still 5-5.

Scott led off the bottom of the 5th with a single through the right side. Anthony walked, and with one out Liam walked to load the bases. Nick, with his side still hurting from the pitch that hit him, ripped a single into center field, scoring Scott with what would be the winning run. 6-5, Braves.
Connor took the mound on the top of the 6th. He struck out the first batter. The next batter hit an infield fly that second baseman Nick ranged to his left to catch. Connor struck out the final batter to end the game.
Coaches awarded the game ball to Will for giving the Braves three strong innings on the mound.
In post-game remarks, both Coach Ross and Will exhorted the team to come out more alert and prepared Saturday against the Rays.
We parents probably shouldn't forget that tonight's game was the Braves' first game in a whole week. I fully expect the boys to sharp on Saturday.

Tournament Schedule Change

From Coach Ross:
Team ... I've just been informed that due to the fact that tonight's Majors
games were rained-out, these games have been rescheduled for tomorrow night
and our game has been MOVED to Friday, July 9th at 4:30pm vs. Brewers. If
we win, we would still play on Saturday at 12n. The WFBLL website has been
updated to reflect these changes as well.
Therefore, I plan on having a practice tomorrow (Thursday, July 8th) from
3:30 - 5:00pm behind WFB HS on the softball diamond. Please let me know if
these scheduling changes cause any conflicts.
-Ross

Braves cake party

Georgia Mavrinac, Alec's mom, made a No. 1 cake for the team to celebrate the conclusion of the regular season Friday night. Jodi Smith Koch. Will's mom, photographed the swarm of boys who devoured the cake while Coach Ross tried to get a few postgame words in. Thanks, Georgia and Jodi.

Game 16: Braves 7, Phillies 4

The Braves finished the regular season on a positive note, defeating the second-place Phillies in a battle of heavyweights Friday night at Water Tower.
Alec started on the mound. Phillies leadoff hitter Andre Vandlik singled up the middle. The Phils' Macklein Kortebein hammered a flyball to center field, but centerfielder Nick calmly made the catch. Teddy Webber drew a walk to put runners at first and third with two outs, but Alec induced a comebacker to end the threat.
In the bottom of the first, Nick hit the second pitch he saw over the fence in left center for his fifth homer of the season, and a 1-0 Braves lead. Alec and Jack walked, and Connor was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Will (Cookie) singled through the right side, driving in Alec and Jack to make it 3-0 Braves. Then Matt pounded a drive all the way to the fence in left center, bringing Connor and Will home. 5-0, Braves.
In the top of the second, Phillies batter J.T. Roemer reached on an infield single, but the Braves infield turned two forceouts at second, and shortstop Connor grabbed a fly ball to close out the inning. Anthony singled to start the bottom of the second, but was left stranded.
In the top of the third, the Phillies mounted a rally, aided by some Braves errors. With one out, Andre Vandlik singled. Macklein Kortebein hit another deep fly to center field, but Tyler caught this one. Andrew James doubled, and Teddy Webber walked to load the bases. the next Phillies batter hit a grounder that, thanks to an error and overthrow, brought home all three runners. Alec induced a grounder to end the threat. 5-3, Braves.
With one out in the bottom of the third, Jack drew a walk, and Connor singled on a tough spinning grounder the Phils pitcher was unable to handle cleanly. Will walked to load the bases. Then Evan doubled to right field, bringing Jack and Connor home. 7-3, Braves.
In the top of the 4th, the Phils placed runners on second and third with no outs. Then came the defensive play of the game. Shortstop Connor grabbed a grounder and threw out the batter at the first. Then first baseman Will fired a perfect strike to catcher Ryan, who tagged the runner from third barreling home. A 6-3-2 double play. Alec struck out the next batter to end the inning.
In the top of the 5th, with Connor now on the mound, Phils leadoff hitter Andre Vandlik drew a walk and would come around to score, but Connor struck out three batters to limit the damage. 7-4 Braves.
After the Braves did not score in the bottom of the 5th, the Phillies came up for what turned out to be their last at-bats. J.T. Roemer reached on an infield single, but Connor struck out the next 3 batters. Final score: Braves 7, Phillies 4.
Braves coaches awarded game balls to Nick, for his igniting homer, and Ryan, for fabulous tag out at home to conclude the double play.
The Braves finished the regular season in first place, with a record of 14-2. They are seeded first in the double-elimination playoff tournament, and will play Thursday afternoon July 8 against the winner of the #8 vs. #9 game. As Coach Ross reminded the team, everything starts over in the playoffs.
Ross thanked the boys for many things after the game, but especially for being excellent team players who supported each other and picked each other up.
A bevy of local celebrities were in the house for this thrilling tilt, including former Braves coach Dave Pritchard and his son (and Braves alum) Chris Pritchard (who served as bat boy, in-dugout cheerleader and roving encourager for his former teammates) and Chris' mom Kathy Rogers; Ryan's aunt and uncle Lisa and Dave; Nick's big sister Zoe and Evan's big sister Kait (a very faithful fan this season); one of Jack Kivley's older sisters; and a number of players from other teams (including Yankees player Clay Dailey, who stuck around to hear Ross' post-game speech).
Look for an email from Coach Ross in the near future with details about the first playoff game and about a practice before that game.

4th of July Parade info

Little League Commissioner Scott Deakin passes along this info for players marching in Sunday's 4th of July parade:
Wear your team shirt and march with us - WFBLL is Spot Number 25
As usual, parade participants are asked to report to the 5500 block of North Kent Avenue and be ready to go by 11 a.m. on July 4th.
Parade organizers will be present to assist in your assigned placement in the procession. Like last year, each parade entrant is assigned a number. Odd numbers will be located on the West side of Kent, even numbers on the East side of Kent (Silver Spring is North). Each staging slot will be marked with a number taped on an orange cone. Pretty basic, but this is has been very helpful in keeping some semblance of order. The parade is scheduled to begin at 11:30AM on Kent Avenue and will proceed East on Silver Spring, then North on Lake Drive to Klode Park. When you reach Klode Park, please continue one block North past the park and then turn left (West) on Montclaire Ave.

U12, U10 updates featuring Braves family

{Guest blogger Karen Kimple sent this update about some recent success by some of the Braves family:]
The U-12 Jr Blue Dukes tournament team competed in the Port Washington Baseball Tournament this past weekend. The U-12 Blue team, which includes Connor Kimple, easily won their first game on Friday night against the Jackson J Hawks, with the slaughter rule kicking in. This tournament had a neat feature where the coaches each voted for the game MVP of the opposing team. For that first game, Connor got the MVP medal, presumably for his opening pitching and strong at bats. On Saturday, the team played Sheboygan (I think) and once again the slaughter rule was enacted. Due to the nasty weather and soggy fields, all games were canceled for Sunday. Based on its performance, though, the team qualified for the Championship Game, which will be played sometime in the future.

The U-10 team, which includes Carson, had a similar experience, winning all 3 of its games through Saturday evening. They too qualified for the Championship Game, which will be scheduled in the near future.

Who was that guy?

I missed the Braves' recent game against the Padres, but some of you noticed and commented on an enthusiastic gentleman who was there in my place. That was my friend Dean, who tries to get to at least one of Nick's Little League games each season. People, especially kids, often assume Dean is my brother and consequently Nick and Zoe's uncle. While Dean and I are not officially related, he is like a brother to me and one of the finest people I know. In his honor, we will all try to be "one with the ball" for the rest of the season.

Game 15: Braves 11, Cubs 2

With a full roster in the dugout for the first time in a couple of weeks, the Braves defeated the Cubs 11-2 Tuesday night at Water Tower.
The victory clinched #1 seeding for the Braves in the playoffs.
As visiting team, the Braves batted first. With one out, Alec, Jack and Connor all drew walks, and Alec scored on a wild pitch. Connor took the mound in the bottom half of the inning, and struck out the side. 1-0, Braves.
The Braves have a team where all 12 players can have good at-bats. They proved this in the top of the second inning, when the lower half of the batting order propelled the team to a big inning. Scott singled up the middle and Tyler drew a walk. Anthony doubled to center field, driving in Scott. Liam grounded out productively to the second baseman, driving in Tyler. Ryan walked. Nick doubled to center field, driving in Anthony and Ryan. With two outs, Jack singled over the first baseman's head, and Nick came in to score. Connor then tripled to right field, scoring Jack.
In the bottom half of the inning, Evan Miller singled for the Cubs, but Connor struck out the next two batters, and Anthony caught a fly ball in right field to end the inning. 7-0, Braves.
The game rolled quietly until the bottom of the 4th, when the Cubs scratched out a run, in part due to fielding miscues. 7-1, Braves.
In the top of the 5th, Nick singled through the right side of the infield, took second base on a wild pitch, and moved to third base on Jack's groundout. Then the fleet-footed Cambodian-American, leading aggressively off third base, drew a wild throw and dashed home to score. Connor singled up the middle, took second base on a passed ball, and scored on Will's single to right center field. Evan then singled to right center, scoring Will. 10-1, Braves.
In the bottom of the 5th, with Alec on the mound, a Cubs batter reached on an infield single. But when the next batter, Sam Horn, hit a foul fly partway down the right field line, Cookie (Will) hustled over from first base to make the catch. Alec struck out the next batter for the second out. With the bases loaded, our big redhead fanned the next batter for the third out. 10-1, Braves.
In the top of the 6th, Scott singled through the left side and moved to second on a passed ball. Tyler hit a strong fly to center field, but the Cubs centerfielder made a nice sliding catch to record an out. Anthony grounded out to the shortstop; Scott moved to third on the play, then scored when the Cubs failed to take care of the ball. Ryan ripped a liner to the right side that the Cubs second baseman speared in a fine play.
In the bottom of the 6th, Cubs batter Zach Casey walked, but was erased on a fielder's choice that left the next batter on base with one out. That Cubs runner was then caught in a rundown between first and second, with shortstop Connor throwing to first baseman Tyler, who applied the tag. Two outs.
Cubs slugged Evan Miller then smacked a ground rule double to right center. When the next batter reached base, Miller scored, and the ball squirted out to the middle of the infield. Tyler alertly scooted over, grabbed the ball and fired to second, with many of us thinking he had thrown the advancing runner out. However, he was called safe. The next batter grounded sharply to the right side, but second baseman Ryan swiftly caught to the ball, pivoted, then calmly threw the runner out. Braves win, 11-2.
Game ball: Coaches awarded the game ball to Connor for his strong three innings of pitching and his consistent hitting all year.
Playoff seeding: Coach Ross also announced that victory clinched #1 seeding for the Braves in the playoffs. The playoffs begin Tuesday July 6. Unofficially, the likely scenario right now is that the #8 and #9 seeds would play on July 6; the winner of that game would play against the Braves on Wednesday July 7. This is a double-elimination tournament, so teams continue to play until they lost two games. The scenario I just outlined is unofficial; Little League will release the playoff schedule after the regular season ends Friday.
Next game: The Braves conclude their regular season on Friday with a game against the Phillies. Game begins at 6:30 p.m.; please have your Brave there at 5:30 p.m. for batting practice and warmups.

Game 14: Padres 10, Braves 5 (by guest blogger Karen W. Higgins)

I am the guest blogger and want to share three main points about Thursday night's game:
1) We never gave up completely.
2) Mr. Higgins was sorely missed but one of his best friends, Dean Zemel, came to help cheer in the midst of adversity and gave us two phrases: "Be one with the Ball" and "Home of the Braves" as we worked hard to regain some ground. Personally I like "Be one with the Ball" as a good connection was made with the ball. But I learned that only goes so far. And it brought smiles to the peanut gallery watching the game.
3) This team has great parents supporting our young men. Each of us have our own way to cajole the team. And it brings smiles to me the way we all care the kids have a good experience that goes beyond winning.
I end this blog with pictures taken by our family friend Nathan Wallin from a few games ago. Enjoy, and let's look forward to some good games next week. Go Braves.
Karen Higgins and Company








Photos courtesy of Nathan Wallin

Congratulations to Braves All-Stars

Congratulations to Connor and Alec, who were chosen for the U12 All-Star Team, and Scott, who was selected for the U11 All-Star Team. Check the Whitefish Bay Little League website for more details.

Game 13: Braves 25, Brewers 2

The Braves batted around in both the first and third innings and crushed four homers, including two grand slams. But what Coach Ross wanted to talk about the team's 25-2 victory over the Brewers Monday afternoon was the fabulous team defense in the first inning.
As home team, the Braves took the field first, with Evan on the mound. The first Brewers batter dropped down an excellent bunt to the left of the mound. Braves third baseman Jack, pitcher Evan and first baseman Tyler all charged toward the plate as soon as the batter squared up to bunt. Jack picked up the ball and fired to second baseman Nick, covering at first, for the out. A bang-bang play, executed perfectly by the Braves. In the same inning, Matt (at shortstop) and Jack both made fine pickups of ground balls and threw sharply to Tyler at first for the outs.
With one out in the bottom of the first, Nick battled a good Brewers pitcher with foul after foul through ten pitches until he finally drew a walk. That seemed to break the ice for the Braves, who proceeded to bat around. Jack doubled, driving in Nick. Connor singled to right field, bringing Jack home. Will blooped a single to right, scoring Connor. Matt walked. Scott singled to bring Will and Matt home, and scored on a passed ball. Anthony singled, and Liam followed with a single to score Anthony. Tyler drove in Anthony with a groundout to the right side, and Nick singled into right field to score Liam. Braves 9, Brewers 0.
Anthony took the mound in the second inning. As he and our other hurlers pitch to contact, our defense continues to do its job. Third baseman Jack grabbed a grounder and threw out the first batter. Anthony helped himself by snaring a soft liner for the second out. Then Anthony finished off the inning by striking out the third batter with two successive changeups, the second one slower than the first. (I've noticed that's a theme in Little League Majors pitching this year -- the advent of the changeup, a pitch thrown ideally with the same motion as a fastball, but somewhat slower speed, disrupting the batter's timing.)
In the bottom of the second, one of the goofier moments of the season: Matt ducked out of the way of a high pitch, which hit something and rolled onto the field. The alert Brewers catcher picked up the ball and threw to first. The otherwise solid home-plate umpire seemed momentarily flummoxed by it. Both teams agreed the ball hit Matt's bat as he was ducking out of the way. The Brewers contended the ball hit only the bat. The Braves argued it hit the bat and then the catcher's mask, making it a foul ball. In the end, with no instant replay review at Water Tower, the umpire ruled it a ball in play and the out was recorded.
Strong Braves defense continued in the third inning. Anthony struck out the first batter. The next batter hit a grounder up the middle and through Anthony's legs, but shortstop Scott was in position and threw him out. Two Brewers walked, but the Braves snuffed out the rally on the next grounder, with Scott throwing to Evan at third base for a forceout.
The thundersticks returned in the third inning. Evan singled and took second on an error. Anthony singled him in. Liam walked. Anthony scored on an error. Nick singled, plating Liam. Then Jack gave Nick's legs a rest, crushing his second homer of the season, so both boys could trot home. Connor followed with a homer to center field, his eighth of the season. Cookie (Will), Matt and Scott all followed with singles, loading the bases for Evan.
If you know Evan at all, you know he approaches whatever he is doing with complete intensity and commitment. I'm sure he stood in the batter's box thinking only about getting the bat on the ball. But he got a pitch in his hot zone and slammed it over the fence in right field for his first home run and a grand slam to boot. He was screaming with excitement as he hopped around the bases.
Anthony and Liam both singled to center field to extend the inning, and Nick drove in the final run with a single. 20-0, Braves.
In the top of the fourth, our rookie Cookie took the ball on the mound. He struck out the first two batters looking, then hard-nosed Brewers player Joey Anzia battled him through several foul balls, then ripped a single. The next batter hit a high line drive that Liam left his feet to snare.
The Braves added more runs in the fifth. Evan singled and took second on an error. Anthony singled. Liam hit into a fielder's choice, driving in Evan. Nick and Jack walked, then Connor followed with a grand slam, his ninth homer of the year.
The Brewers, who never quit, got on the board with two runs due in part to aggressive baserunning. Final score: Braves 25, Brewers 2.
Coaches awarded the team ball to Evan.
Braves alum Chris Pritchard and his dad, our former coach Dave Pritchard, both watched big chunks of the game. I can tell you this: Chris roots for the Braves as intensely as if he were still on the squad. Thank you, Chris, for being one of our role models and a great supporter.
Homer time: I don't want to overemphasize home runs, because boys can mess up a good swing and hurt their team by trying too hard to hit dingers. But the Braves are loving the recent summer power surge they've put on. They were trying to add up the year's total last night. I think this is it: Connor, 9; Nick, 4; Jack, 2; Alec, 1; Evan, 1. Total to date: 17 HRS. I don't know the homer totals for other teams, but I would be surprised if any other team has 5 boys who have homered this year.
Changing speeds: Connor's at-bats have been impressive. He made a point of saying to me, "I hit singles, too," and he does. He has become patient enough to adjust to the speed of each individual pitcher.
Returning to the theme of changeups: Some of the Braves, including some of our better hitters, have more trouble with a slow pitch than a fast one. As we have started to see this season, some of the best pitchers aren't necessarily guys who throw as hard as possible all the time, but who vary the speed and location of their pitches with some control. Matt Bernstein of the Red Sox, for example. This is why studying a new pitcher, including studying your teammates' at-bats, is important. Matt will nearly always throw a good hitter a changeup during an at-bat. (When he pitched against Nick, for example, he threw it with two strikes in the first at-bat, and as the first pitch in the second at-bat.) Swinging out of your shoes on every pitch leads to a lot of misses. Our team success at the plate shows that getting the bat on the ball is the most important thing, not necessarily hitting it as hard as possible each time. Be patient, don't lunge at the ball, and drive it.
Next game: Our next game is Thursday June 14 at Water Tower vs. the Padres. Please have your Brave at the batting cage area at 5:30 p.m. Thanks.

Braves albums Chris & Jason, Part 2: A Stirring Comeback

[Dave Pritchard sent this note about a recent game featuring Braves alums Chris & Jason]:
Ex-Braves Chris Pritchard and Jason Blacher played key roles in their team’s never-say-die, come-from-way-behind victory in a tournament in West Bend Saturday afternoon.
Chris and Jason’s Wildcats were down, 12-0, before they even came to bat, the Wildcats’ best pitcher having been pounded, hammered, shelled, and battered by a very strong BOSS team. But the pitcher held his head high after a 59-pitch inning, and so did the rest of the Wildcats. The team dedicated itself to winning every inning from there on.
They chipped away at BOSS’s lead little by little, and going into bottom of the last inning they were down only – only! – 15-7, in large part because Jason had taken over on the mound and held the powerful opponents in check.
I won’t keep you in suspense. The Wildcats scored nine runs for a walk-off 16-15 victory, with everyone in the lineup contributing in the fateful last inning (including Chris with a line-drive RBI single).
The victory meant that the Wildcats won their pool in the tournament. They will play in the semi-finals Sunday morning, and if they win that game they will play for the championship at noon.
All in all, an exciting game that reminded me of what I read on the blog about the Braves’ amazing victory over the Red Sox. These are the kinds of games that reveal the character of a team.
Looking forward to seeing everyone soon at Water Tower!
Dave

Coach Ross speaks

Team,
Just a quick reminder, our next game is Monday June 21st vs. the Brewers at
4:30pm. Pregame warm-up will begin at 3:30pm. The Braves are the home team
(first base dugout) so we get the batting cage first. The first players
there typically get more swings ... it just works out that way. :-)
NO PRACTICE on Sunday, June 20th. Its Fathers day, Braves fathers should be
especially proud of their sons ... ALL have done an awesome job of
representing the team, themselves, and their fathers. :-) Good work Dads!
Lastly, another great team effort today by the Braves (15-5 win) ... the
Padres pitched one of their best pitchers and we got to him in the 3rd
inning by scoring 7 runs. I think we've had a few big innings this year. :-)
We are a fun and exciting team to watch.
Have a Happy Father's Day.
Ross

Games 12: Braves 15, Padres 5

With several regulars on vacation or unavailable, the Braves relied on strong performances from a nine-man squad and a younger brother to defeat the Padres 15-5 on a warm Saturday afternoon at Water Tower Park.
The coaches awarded Jack the game ball for a strong afternoon that included his first homer, a blast over the right-center fence; four rbis; and a sparkling, intelligent play at third base that Coach Ross talked with the team about after the game.
With a runner on third, you will hear coaches yell, "Check 3, go 1." In this case, Jack actually did it, and made it pay off.
With runners on first and third and no one out, the Padres batter grounded sharply to third. Jack scooped up the ball and looked at the runner on third base, freezing him for a few moments. Jack then threw to Tyler at first base for the first out. The runner at third took off for home. Tyler fired home and Scott applied for the tag, for a rare but sweet 5-3-2 double play. Jack's look at the runner, freezing him for a few moments, made the double play possible, Ross said.
The Braves began the game with nine team members, plus Connor's brother Carson as a call-up from the minors. Tyler, who started on the mound, dispatched the Padres in the first inning with an economical 7 pitches, aided by a double play started by Connor when he caught a line drive.
The Braves scratched out a run in the second. Connor singled sharply on the first pitch he saw, moved to second in the course of play and scored on a single by Scott. Braves 1, Padres 0.
But in the top of the third, the Padres, aided by a couple of walks and some miscues in the field, put up 4 runs. Padres 4, Braves 1.
The Braves showed their resiliency by batting around and putting up 7 runs in their half of the third inning. Liam singled on a two-strike pitch (the first of his two two-strike hits this afternoon). Then Carson was hit by a pitch, putting runners at 1st and 2nd bases. Nick doubled to drive in Liam, with Carson moving to third. Matt singled, driving in Carson. Alec singled, driving in Nick. Then Connor singled, driving in Matt. With Alec and Connor on base, Jack fouled off several pitches to stay alive, then clouted his first homer in the majors, to genuine shouts of joy from his teammates. In the same inning, Anthony showed the value of batting cage work, laying down a perfect bunt single. Braves 8, Padres 4.
Matt took the mound in the top of the 4th, striking out the first batter and inducing ground balls to the next two.
In the bottom of the fourth with one out, Nick started the action by drawing a walk after a full count. Matt singled. With two strikes, Alec ripped a double, scoring Nick and Matt. Connor singled to drive home Alec, then Jack singled to drive in Connor. Jack eventually came around to score himself. Braves 13, Padres 4.
The Padres scratched out a run in the fifth, but the double play initiated by Jack snuffed out their rally. In the bottom of the fifth, Liam capped an 8-pitch at-bat by singling. Nick followed with a double. Then, with two outs, Alec singled, driving in both Liam and Nick. Braves 15, Padres 5.
Matt and the defense shut the Padres down in the top of the sixth. Final score: Braves 15, Padres 5.
Afterwards, Coach Ross stressed that playing solid defense, especially in the infield, and making smart decisions with the ball would be priorities over the next few games, as the Braves prepare for the playoffs in July.
Next game: Our next game is Monday June 21 at 4:30 p.m. vs. the Brewers. Please have your Brave at Water Tower by 3:30 p.m. If your player can't make a game, please let us know as soon as you can.

Comeback victory: A message from Coach Ross

Team,
I still cannot believe what our team accomplished today. This is great an
example of the saying "it's not how you start ... it's how you finish".
It's true in life and WFB Little League. :-) We are so proud of ALL the
boys ... another example of TEAMWORK. The only way we could erase and
comeback from an eight-run deficit in the final inning was that everyone
needed to contribute and that's what happened!!! Also, we earned it ... our
team showed that they can hit, run bases, be disciplined at the plate, and
most of all will not give up!!
I will remember this game forever. :-)
Thanks team!
Coach Ross

Game 11: Braves 13, Red Sox 12

Unlike many other sports, baseball is not ruled by the clock. The advantage to being home team is one last chance at bat to seize control of the game.
The resilient Braves proved that Saturday morning, defying the odds and thrilling their audience with a come-from-behind victory over the determined Red Sox.
The Braves began the bottom of final inning down 12-3. But in that fateful frame, 13 batters stepped to plate, scoring 10 runs. The Braves rapped out 8 hits and drew three walks (Nick, Evan and Connor each had two hits in the inning). The Braves scored the final six runs with two outs.
No one would have predicted this outcome based on the start of the game. The Braves dug themselves a ginormous hole. After two innings, they were down 11-0, thanks to a combination of walks, errors, poor throws and concentration lapses in the field (By my bookkeeping, the Red Sox had only two actual hits in the first two innings. But that disciplined and aggressive team made the Braves pay for every miscue.)
Meanwhile, Red Sox pitcher Matt Bernstein was dealing on the mound, changing speed and location of his pitches craftily, and fooling Braves hitters with some filthy changeups. (That's filthy in a good way.)
Will took the mound for the Braves in the third inning, and kept the team in the game by throwing two scoreless innings. Evan helped him in the fourth inning with a fine sliding catch of a fly ball in right field.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Braves began to fight back. With two outs, Evan singled to right field and stormed his way to third base on a couple of Red Sox errors. Then Connor crushed his seventh homer of the season to left-center. Alec (Le Grand Orange)then smacked a line-drive homer to center field, the first of his majors career and the Braves first set of back-to-back homers this season. 11-3, Red Sox after 4.
Both Jack and Matt hit long flies into the outfield in the fifth inning, but the sure-handed Red Sox outfielders made the catches. The Red Sox scratched out a run in the top of the 6th inning to make it 12-3 before the Braves final at-bats.
The Bottom of the 6th

Here's how it went down in the bottom of the 6th.
1. Nick, leading off, bounced a grounder to third base and, foreshadowing some speedy baserunning later in the inning, beat the fielder's throw for an infield single.
2. Evan singled, with Nick moving to third.
3. While Connor was at bat, Nick scored on a wild pitch and Evan moved up to second. Connor then drew a walk. 12-4, Red Sox.
4. Alec doubled, driving in both Evan and Connor. 12-6, Red Sox, with Alec on second base.
5. Will battled in the box long enough for Alec to move to third. He took a called third strike. 1 out.
6. On a full count, Tyler walked, placing runners at first and third. (Let me emphasize that our walks in this inning weren't of the stand-there and take four bad pitches variety. They were battles with a decent Red Sox pitcher.)
7. With Anthony batting, Tyler stole second uncontested. Anthony grounded out to the right side, driving Alec home. 12-7, Red Sox, with 2 outs and Tyler at third base.
[From this point on, with two outs, each batter and baserunner could be the last out. Just keep that in mind.]
8. Jack worked the pitcher to a full count, and then drew a walk. Runners on first and third.
9. Scott singled, driving in Tyler and moved Jack to third base. 12-8.
10. Matt stepped up to bat. Jack scored on a wild pitch, and Scott moved up to second base. Matt singled, driving in Scott. 12-10, two outs.
11. Nick, who led off the inning, came to bat for the second time in the frame. In a thrilling at-bat, he stayed alive with two strikes by fouling off several pitches, then poked a hit to right field, driving in Matt. It was ruled a double, but Nick zoomed around the bases on the throws until he stood at third. 12-11, two outs, with Nick at third base.
12. With Evan at bat for the second time, Nick zoomed home on a wild pitch to tie the game at 12 each. Then, on a 2-2 count, Evan then ripped a double to center field.
13. Connor, batting for the second time, hammered a double to right field, scoring Evan. It's a walk-off win for the Braves, 13-12.
After the game, Coach Ross Harmsen said the team ball would be awarded to the entire team for a great comeback in which every kid played a role.

Game 10: Braves 11, Red Sox 8

The Braves built a big early lead, then shut down a final-inning rally to defeat the determined Red Sox 11-8 Wednesday evening at Water Tower Park.
As visiting team, the Braves batted first. Matt and Alec drew walks. With one out, Connor singled to bring Matt home. Evan's single plated Alec and Connor. Anthony singled, then Ryan doubled to drive in both Evan and Anthony. Jack's groundout drove home Ryan with the final run on the inning. 6-0, Braves.
On the mound, Alec was dealing from the start. (Translation: he was pitching well, firing strikes.) The Red Sox scratched out a run in the first, but that's all they would see for several innings. 6-1, Braves, after one inning.
In the top of the second, with two out, Nick ripped his fourth homer of the season into the trees beyond the right-field fence. Evan also hit a big poke to left field that the Red Sox outfielder corralled just a few feet short of the fence. 7-1, Braves.
Neither team scored in the third or fourth inning. Alec's pitching was aided by some strong fielding, including third baseman Ryan gloving a smash and throwing the runner out at first.
In the top of the fifth inning, Connor singled (he went 4 for 4 in this game), stole second and third and eventually scored on a passed ball. 8-1, Braves.
In the bottom of the fifth, with Alec still on the mound, third baseman Jack caught a line drive for the first out. Two Red Sox reached base on singles. But Alec reached back and struck out the next batter, then catcher Anthony fired to Jack at third to nab an attempted base stealer. A strike' em out, throw 'em out double play.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Braves added some insurance runs that turned out to be useful. Jack singled and Liam walked; both came around to score after a series of wild pitches and an RBI groundout by Tyler. Then Nick showed his speed by beating out an infield single and then swiping second base in a straight steal. Connor singled to drive Nick home. 11-1, Braves.
The Red Sox, though would not go quietly. The Red Sox parlayed a leadoff walk, a few hits and a few Braves throwing errors into a bigtime rally. Evan relieved Alec with one out and rung up a Red Sox batter for the second out. Then he battled through some adversity before striking out the final batter on a 3-2 pitch. The final score was 11-8.
Notes: The game ball for our previous game was awarded to Tyler, for his three-run double that broke open the game...With Nick's fourth homer of the season tonight, the Braves now have ten as a team (Connor has six)...because of external commitments that had the audacity to intrude into baseball, Matt and Tyler shared the leadoff spot: Matt played the first few innings before he had to leave, then Tyler arrived to finish off the game...Carson, Connor's younger brother, served as bat boy this evening.
Next game: Our next game is a rematch against the Red Sox at 9 a.m. Saturday June 12 at Water Tower. Please get your Brave to the park by 8 a.m.
Importance of communication: Coach Ross Harmsen noted that a few boys have family vacations in the near future, so we will play some games with a minimum 9 players. Please make sure you keep Ross posted on your son's availability for each game. Thanks.

Success story!

[At my instigation, Karen Kimple has written this guest post about a great team victory that includes Connor's younger brother, Carson.]

Although this isn’t directly related to the Braves, I thought I would share some good baseball news with you. This past weekend the Jr. Dukes Baseball U-10 Team won the Cudahy Baseball Tournament and became the first Jr. Dukes Baseball team to win a tournament! The team includes Connor’s younger brother, Carson, and is coached by Darren Miller.
The team won their first game on Saturday morning by beating the New Berlin Magic 7-0. Scattered showers interrupted their Saturday afternoon game against Southwest. The Jr. Dukes were ahead by quite a margin when the skies really opened up and the umps decided to finish that game on Sunday.
Early on Sunday afternoon, the team resumed the game and beat Southwest to advance to their next game. I can’t remember which team they played, but this was a very close game which resulted in a 1-1 tie (Carson scored the only run). They had to play a California Rules tiebreaker. The Jr. Dukes smacked in a number of runs to win the tiebreaker and advance to the championship game.
The championship game against New Berlin Magic was a real nail biter, with our team down by something like 5 runs in the 3rd inning but the team rallied. They believed - they made plays, they got hits, and they really supported each other as a team. It came down to a 6-6 tie in the 5th inning. One of Carson's teammates hit a single that allowed the runner on 3rd to run home and score the go-ahead run. It couldn’t have been any more exciting and we delighted that our boys were able to bring home trophies!
-- Karen Kimple

A Tangent: Chicken on the Hill with Will

Every time Braves player Will Koch comes up to bat and I reflexively yell, "Go Will," I think about Willie Stargell, a great slugger for my hometown team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Stargell owned a chicken restaurant in Pittsburgh's Hill district, and the restaurant had a standing promotion that if you were buying chicken in the place when Stargell hit a home run, you got your chicken free.
Pirates announcer Bob Prince (the Pittsburgh equivalent of Bob Uecker or Vin Scully, but even more fervent) used to shout this catchphrase when Stargell would come up to bat: "Spread some chicken on the Hill with Will!"
Thanks for indulging a little nostalgia. We now return you to regular WFBLL Braves programming.

Game 9: Braves 9, Yankees 2

The Braves have some excellent players, but no one is The Man. Actually, when it comes to Braves, any player can be The Man on any given play. The team's 9-2 victory over the disciplined and well-coached Yankees is the latest evidence of that.
The Braves batted first. With one out, Evan singled past the shortstop, Nick singled to center field, and Connor drew a walk, loading the bases. Ryan drove in Evan with an RBI groundout to short. 1-0, Braves.
The Yankees battled back to tie the game in the first through a combination of walks and an error, but catcher Ryan ended the Yanks' rally by throwing back to pitcher Connor to tag a runner out at the plate. 1-1.
In the top of the second, Tyler, Will & Jack all walked to load the bases. Anthony singled to drive in Tyler. Scott hit a fielder's choice to short, driving in Will. Liam singled through the right side, but Yankees third baseman Jack Friesch grabbed a line smash by Alec to end the inning. 3-1, Braves.
After his first-inning jitters, Connor found his command in the second inning, striking out the side around a harmless walk.
The Braves broke through in the third with a big timely hit. Evan singled sharply up the middle. Nick pushed him over to second with a groundout to the first baseman. Connor singled through the left side, then Matt walked to load the bases. Lefty Tyler then smashed a double to center field, driving in all three runners. 6-1, Braves.
Connor's infield defense supported him in the bottom of the third. The first batter grounded into the hole on the right side of the diamond, but Nick ranged over quickly to vacuum it up and throw him out. Then, with runners on first and second and two outs, third baseman Jack fielded a grounder and calmly fired a seed to first for the third out. Folks, a Little League third baseman throwing out a runner at first is not a given! Excellent play by Jack.
In the top of the 4th, the Braves took advantage of some Yankee generosity to extend their lead. With two outs, Scott and Liam both drew walks. Alec's single to right field plated Scott. 7-1, Braves.
This is a good place to point out that at-bats can be good even when they don't produce hits. Nick, Ryan and Evan all had at-bats where they fouled off multiple pitches, running up the opposing pitcher's pitch count.
The Braves shut down the Yankees in the bottom of the 4th with more good defense, including Evan snatching a fly ball at third.
In the top of the fifth inning, Nick singled sharply over the first baseman's head. Then Connor crushed his sixth homer of the season over the center field fence. 9-1, Braves.
Will relieved Connor on the mound with one out in the bottom of the fifth. He pitched effectively to contact, inducing a grounder for the second out and grabbing a comebacker and firing to first base to finish off the inning.
After the Braves failed to score in the top of the sixth, Will came back out to the mound. With one out, a Yankee runner reach first on an error. When he tried to go to third on the ensuing batter's hit, centerfielder Matt fired a perfect throw to Jack at third base to tag the runner out. A subsequent batter drove in a run, but the game ended with shortstop Connor spearing a line drive. 9-2, Braves.
Next game: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday vs. the Red Sox at Water Tower. Please have your Brave there by 5:30 p.m.

Mid-season report from Coach Ross

Team,
It appears that we’ll have the entire team at today’s game which is GREAT! The coaches will get to WTP (Water Tower Park) around 3:30pm with pre-game warm-ups starting shortly thereafter. Game time is scheduled for 4:30pm with the Braves batting first as we are the visitors which means we’ll have the 3rd base-side dugout.
We’ve completed half of our season and we’re off to great start … 1st place with a 7-1 record. Everyone is doing a great at the plate. The team has scored 102 runs in eight games and only given-up 40 runs. We are batting .483 as a team. Our aggressiveness at the plate has showed ... we’ve only been “called out” (not swinging) on strikes 21 times over 279 plate appearances which equates to approximately 7% of the time … that’s AWESOME. We have a team “on base percentage” of .552 … we get on base over 50% of the time! While I don’t have the numbers on this one, I recall a lot of “two strike hits” which is another stat that shows maturity at the plate. Rick Rojahn does an incredible job of recording our team stats which allows me to share this with you. If you’d like more on an individual player see Rick … he has those as well. We are fun team to watch. J
We start the second half of our season this afternoon. I will remind the players not to take things for granted and to keep working hard and stay focused. If you recall, we started out last season 7-1 as well and I believe finished 9-7 winning only two or our last eight games. I expect our team to respond with the same focus and humility shown thus far. We are looking forward to great second half of the season. I hope to see all of you at the game today.
If you have any questions or comments please see Rick or I.
Ross

Busy week ahead with 3 games

From Coach Ross Harmsen:
Team ... NO Braves games this weekend (June 4-6). However, next week we are busy.
Below is a listing of next weeks' games. Please review and let me know ASAP
if you cannot make any one these games.
Monday, June 7th vs. Yankees @ 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 9th vs. Red Sox @ 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 12th vs. Red Sox @ 9 a.m. (this game was originally
at 11am)
I believe Wednesday's game may be questionable due to other WFB events. I
just want to make sure we can field at least 9 players for each game.
If your Brave CANNOT make any of these games, please get back to Ross ASAP.

The Team Celebrates a Victory

 

Photo by Karen W. Higgins

Game 8: Braves 10, Rays 5

The Braves jumped out to an early lead, then rode pitching and defense to a 10-5 victory over the talented Rays on Monday afternoon at Water Tower Park.
With one out in the first, Alec singled up the middle and Nick drew a walk. Connor then crushed his 4th homer of the season over the left-field fence. 3-0, Rays.

Alec started the game on the mound. He set a tone with the first Rays batter, Chris Siebert. Chris hit the ball hard right back up the middle, but Alec grabbed the comebacker and threw him out. With his height, athleticism and basketball-honed leaping ability, Alec has a gigantic, pteryodactyl-like range as a fielder, and puts it to good use.
Later in that inning, a Rays runner tried to steal second, but catcher Ryan threw him out, with shortstop Connor moving swiftly to the second-base side of second to make the tag.
In the top of the second, the Braves broke the game open. Scott and Anthony singled. Ryan singled down the first-base line, driving in Scott. Matt walked. Will hit a long fly deep to right field; Anthony tagged and showed his hockey toughness by barreling through the catcher to score. Alec singled to bring Ryan home. Then, with runners on first and third, Nick ripped a line drive into the right-field corner, plating both Braves on base. The fleet-footed Nick dashed to third and scored when the Rays mishandled the ball. It was Nick's third triple of the season. Braves 9, Rays 0.
Braves' strong defensive play continued in the middle innings, highlighted by Connor in right field throwing a runner out at first (in the third inning), and Matt at short throwing out the speedy Chris Siebert in the fourth. Braves first basemen Tyler, Will and Scott provided steady, surehanded service at the bag.
In a potentially scary moment, Rays batter Paul Presberg got plunked in the head with the pitch: this is why kids wear helmets. Paul got up smiling. I checked with him after the game and he said he was fine. Of course, he's a famous tough guy and Junior Blue Dukes football player.
The Rays pecked away at the Braves lead, narrowing it to 9-4 in the fifth inning. Connor came on as the closer in the bottom of the fifth with two outs and runners on second and third. He induced a fly ball from the powerful Connor Nethen that Will speared to end the rally.
In the top of the 6th, Connor helped himself with his second homer of the day (and fifth of the season), a line drive that cleared the center-field fence. 10-4, Braves.
The Rays pushed across another run in the bottom of the final inning, but Connor closed out the game by inducing a comebacker and tossing to first for the final out. Final score, 10-5 Braves.
Notes: The previously scheduled June 5 against the Yankees will be rescheduled. So the Braves' next scheduled game is 6:30 p.m. June 9 against the Red Sox. Coach Ross Harmsen did indicate he will schedule a practice between now and next week's game.

Braves alums Jason & Chris

 

Kathy Rogers, Chris' Mom, sent this fine photo of Braves alums Jason & Chris. Kathy says they continue to follow and cheer for the Braves, as we salute them, playing traveling baseball at a high level.

Meeting on the mound

 

Photo courtesy of Nathan Wallin

Ryan rounding third (with great concentration)

 

Photo courtesy of Nathan Wallin

Evan firing

 

Photo courtesy of Nathan Wallin