Lotta Ball...

It's been a great weekend. Starting this past Thursday night with Holden's graduation, followed by a grad party Friday night, and then 5 games between Saturday & Sunday. The weather was pretty much picture-perfect (but WOW it got hot out there!)

Saturday...

Paxton's Rockets took on the Hidden Valley Thunder. The Rockets had troubles getting much of anything going. This was one of those 'blink and miss it' kinda games. Pretty much over before it even started. But we all KNOW the Rockets are 'right there'... they just need a break or two. Good job anyway, Paxton! Keep working, buddy.

Duncan's Heat played @ Veteran's Park (pretty fitting for the Memorial Day weekend, eh?), facing off against Underground Sports. The Heat delivered some good pitching... and, unfortunately, the boys from 'Underground' were teeing-up on LOTS of it. Tough to watch... the Heat didn't have a bad game, but 'Underground' had a very good game. Next time, Duncan! Keep your head up.

Holden's Highlanders were in a real brawl with the Westside Bulldogs. Looking to avenge an earlier-in-the-season 1-run loss to the 'dogs, the Highlanders brought it! I've mentioned what a great rivalry that's existed over the years between these two teams. And this week's game didn't disappoint. It required extra innings (2 of them), but the Highlanders ultimately sent the Bulldogs packing, 16-15. Great game, Holden!

Sunday...

Cameron's Heat split a doubleheader against Lourdes this afternoon. The Heat's bats were largely AWOL in game #1... with Cameron getting a hit and working his way around to score the Heat's only run in a 4-1 loss. In game #2, the Heat stepped-up. And in ANOTHER extra-innings outing (man, there have been a LOT of those lately), the Heat won, 5-4. Excellent, Cameron!

We Interrupt This Blog...

Congratulations, Holden!!! And Happy Graduation!!! Holden graduated from 8th grade last night. It was a terrific ceremony, followed by a very nice reception. Holden put together an AMAZING grade school campaign. Check out some of the stats...

- First Honors... THROUGHOUT
- Straight 'A's with the exception of 5 'B's over 9 years
- Perfect Attendance 4 of 9 years (last miss, over 3 years ago)
- 2,500+ Accelerated Reader Points
- 2x 'Principle For A Day
- Crown Bearer for May Crowning Ceremony
(the list goes on, but these are surely some of the bigger highlights)

Among many honors received by Holden last night...
Elder High School Placement Test Scholarship
Marlene Menchen Scholarship
Farmer Family Foundation Scholarship
Mike Moehring Good Sportsmanship Scholarship
Overall Achievement ALL SUBJECTS
(again, the list goes on... but these are some of the 'biggies')

Holden also delivered an outstanding speech at commencement (and, yes, his words brought a tear or two to my eyes). Congratulations on a fantastic 9 years, Holden. We're all very proud of you. And we love you very much.

'AA' Heat Suffers First Loss

Cameron's Heat went up against Colerain last night. It just wasn't meant to be. The Heat struggled on the mound, and Colerain took advantage of that. The Heat also committed too many fielding errors to come back from. It was just one of those games. Final score: Colerain 16, Heat 9. Now with 3 wins and 1 loss, Cameron's team gears up for this weekend's doubleheader against Lourdes. Go get 'em, bud.

A Thriller & A Laugher

Two more games this evening, folks. And it was another beautiful evening for some ball. Perhaps we're getting 'paybacks' for all the rain we had a bit earlier in the season.

Paxton's Rockets hit the road to visit the Hidden Valley Lake Monsters. The Rockets jumped right out to take an early 1-0 lead. After several innings of back and forth... we were in for yet another game of extra innings, all knotted up at 8 runs apiece. The Rockets ended up on the short-end of a 9-8 final score. But they have a lot to be proud of. All the boys hit tonight. They were aggressive (and SMART) on the base paths. There was also some pretty awesome fielding. Paxton (shown in pic) had a great night... two base hits, two stolen bases, one run scored, and flawless performances at 2nd Base and Center Field. Super game, Paxton. Proud of you buddy!

Holden's Highlanders have the Avondale Indians to thank for tonight's win. And while I kind of hate to say it (goodness knows we've been on the wrong end of more than a few games this year), it was almost as if the Indians never even showed up at all. The Highlanders never even broke a sweat as the went away winners. Great outing, Holden! Another quality win.

3-Way Tuesday

Three of the boys hit the field this evening. And here's how it went...

Griffin's Dodgers faced-off against JB Yeager Sports. And as long as there's been a KelleyBoy playing baseball... JB Yeager Sports has always been a machine. Not sure where they find those boys, or what they feed them... but they are ALWAYS great. Couple that with the fact several boys on Griffin's team are playing organized baseball for the FIRST TIME... and tonight's game was a tough one. Congrats to the Dodgers though... they kept the final deficit to less-than 10 runs. Dodgers lose, 12-3. Griffin earned his keep suiting-up behind the plate this evening. Just keep going out there, buddy... good things will happen.

Paxton's Rockets travelled (ALL THE WAY) to Brookville, IN to take on the Franklin County Wildcats. Really no other way to put it folks... this was a good ol' fashioned trip to the woodshed. Unfortunately for Paxton and the Rockets, they were on the receiving end of the whoopin'. Suffering their biggest loss of the season thus far, the Rockets went down by a score of 18-0. Paxton split his time between catching and playing center field. Way to go, Pax! Always proud of you.

Cameron's Heat took on the Westside Chargers. The Heat might have been suffering a bit of 'jet-lag' following this past weekend's performance... as it took a couple innings to get things in gear. But... as the game moved on, the Heat opened things up and ended up winning by a score of 9-6. Cameron caught a great game and kept the Chargers' base runners honest. He also drove in two runs with one base hit. Excellent, Cameron! Heat improves to 3 wins, 0 losses.

How 'SWEEP' It Is

Today was Cameron's 'AA' Heat's first outing. And what a day it was!!! A little background first. At this level, the boys play 7 innings, double-headers every weekend, and a couple more games during the week. It's a relatively brief season, but we're going to get our money's worth. They'll log 24 games over the next 4 to 5 weeks.

Game #1: WOW!, what a game. Taking on the Dominic Blackhawks (an older, more experienced team), the Heat jumped right in the fire and started trading blows. After 7 innings, the score was knotted at 14-all. Folks, these boys (this age, these teams at 'AA' level) can flat-out HIT the ball. Much like a heavy weight fight, these two teams had pounded one another through 11 innings... with the Heat crossing the winning run, walk-off style, in the bottom of the 11th. Final score, 15-14.

Game #2: Cameron caught for this game (shown behind the plate, in the pic above). The Blackhawks never stood a chance in this one. Behind more hitting, and tenacious fielding... along with some AMAZING pitching... the Heat dominated from start to finish. Cameron went 2 for 4. His first hit was a BOMB hit to dead center... and it had an already very-deep-playing center fielder running like mad giving (futile) chase. And Cameron's second hit was a shot down the right field line, driving in what would become the game's ending run ('mercy' rule, his RBI put them up by '10'). Final score, Heat 12 - Blackhawk's 1.

A recap of sorts... 2 games, 2 wins, 17 innings, Heat starting pitching: 27 strikeouts, Heat scoring: 27 runs, Heat hitting: NO IDEA but it was a TON, start to finish: about 7 hours, Cameron 2-for-4 with 1 RBI. What an OUTSTANDING first day in 'AA' ball for Cameron. Thanks, dude. We had a blast! And top it all off with a clear blue sky and temps in the upper-80s. Yeah... it was a fine day.

A Split For The Day

Two of the boys had games today. And after a LOT of rain this week, we were lucky to get any games in at all. But the day started off a little cloudy, plenty warm... and ended up being a beautiful one.

Paxton's Rockets had their hands full with the Hidden Valley Thunder. In fact, the Thunder took it to Paxton's team pretty rough for 4 innings, posting a score of 9-0. The Rockets wouldn't quit though. Through the final two innings the Rockets plated 4 runs. Final score 11-4. Paxton played a solid game behind the plate as well as in the field. Way to go Rockets... never give up! And great game, Paxton. Proud of you, buddy.

Duncan's Heat had a re-match with the Covedale Storm. The Heat 'stormed' out to a 7-1 lead in the first 2 innings. But as mentioned in a previous post, these two teams seem to bring out the best in each other. One rough inning... and next thing we knew we had a real edge-of-your-seat kind of game on our hands. Duncan had a sweet 2 RBI single earlier in the game. And as the Storm took to the plate in what we all hoped would be their last at bat... the Heat was up 8-7. Duncan accounted for the first two outs of the inning... 1 by running down a shot to right field and rifling an assassin's shot to 2nd base to nail the runner & 2 by showing heart, speed and range chasing down another well-hit ball to catch it on the fly. The Heat's pitching took care of the third and final out... handing the Storm just their second loss of the season. Excellent game, Heat. Way to go, Duncan!

Sooooooo Close!

Duncan's Heat had a heartbreaker on their hands this evening. Taking on the Covedale TopDawgs, the Heat jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. And even after 3 innings, the game was tied 1-1. Covedale came to life over the next three innings building a 7-1 lead by the time the Heat came to bat in the bottom of the 6th (final) inning. The Heat hung in there (showing a LOT of fight and class), coming back 7-6. Unfortunately, with the pull-even run perched on 3rd-base, things came to an end. Tough break, Heat. We're proud of you, all the same.

An update: thus far, between only 4 of the 5 KelleyBoys, 25 games have been put in the books this season. And by my count... well, I've actually LOST COUNT of how many games HAVEN'T gotten played due to rain. I think we're somewhere around 6-10 games in the hole (and I can't STAND make-up games!!!). That's gonna make for a VERY busy end-of-May and month of June this season.

As 'Meatloaf' Would Say...

2 outta 3 AIN'T BAD!!! It was a beautiful baseball day for the boys. Weather... spectacular! Clear blue sky, sunny, 75 degrees. Pretty much tailor-made. And some awesome baseball too.

1 - Griffin's Dodgers got off to a ruff start, spotting the Cincinnati Browns 5 runs in the first inning. But the Dodgers clawed back into the game, taking the lead in the 3rd inning. The inning's scoring began as Griffin stroked a bases-loaded double, knocking in 2 runs. Griffin would also then score on the next batter's hit. And after 3 innings, the Dodgers had gone up 8-7. The game see-sawed over the following / final two innings. The Browns ended up taking the victory, 10-9. But the Dodgers never quit and Griffin had a GREAT game. Way to go, Griff!

2 - Holden's Highlanders faced-off against the Cincinnati Buckeyes. And... through 5 innings, the Highlanders were in the midst of their SECOND perfect game in as many weeks. The 'perfection' didn't hold up, but the Highlanders went on to win 11-0. Outstanding, Highlanders! Holden went 1 for two at the plate and delivered yet another solid performance at (what is known as 'shutdown corner' when he plays) 3rd base. Congrats, Holden!

3 - Duncan's Heat roughed up the Westside Waririors. A very-well played, fundamentally sound game turned in by ALL the Heat. Great pitching and fielding. And EVERYONE was hitting! Duncan went 1 for 3 at the plate, plating 3 runs and scoring one of his own. And... his third RBI was the one that put the Heat up 13-3. Game over. Atta Boy, Duncan!

Overall... it was a super day! Paxton's Rockets had a BYE this week. And Cameron's Heat prepares this coming week for what will be their first game of the season (next weekend).

1 Godfather, 2 Games

Two games this evening. And, pictured here, Duncan's godfather was in town for both of them.

Duncan's Heat had a fantastic game. They took on the DAA Diamondbacks. The Heat enjoyed a very well-played 12-2 thrashing of this evening's opponent. And Duncan had a terrific night too... going 1 for 2 at the plate, 2 RBIs, and scoring a run as well. Well-done, Duncan!

Holden and the Highlanders were pitted against the Westside Bulldogs. Great history between these two teams... for the past several years they typically split a couple games throughout each season. The games themselves are usually among the most competitive you'll ever see. Last year, after splitting two hotly-contested games throughout the regular season, the two teams met up in the City Tournament. Holden and his teammates prevailed... happily ending the Bulldogs' season. Unfortunately (you know the saying... "every dog has it's day"), the Bulldogs went away this evening with a 5-4 victory (with the Highlanders stranding what would have been their 5th run on third-base each of the final two innings). Tough one to swallow. Excellent game, though. Great job, Holden!

Thanks for making it to tonight's games, Timmy. As always... it was great seeing you. And the boys had a blast having you around too. I'll be keeping your dad in my thoughts and prayers.

'The Heat Is On' - VIDEO

Cameron and the 'AA' Heat finally got in some outdoor practice today. They get started at this level later than the other boys. And the past couple weekends have been rainouts. Net... today the 'AA' Heat finally got in some practice hittin' the field. This is Cameron's first year in 'AA'. Today, his team scrimmaged the older 'AA' squad. Nice weather, some very good baseball. All set to some Allman Brothers (play the video). Great stuff!!!

Remember Tom Browning?

Well... we'll get to Tom (Mr. Perfect) in just a moment.

For starters, I have to say... the day was better-suited for football or soccer. Just a few weeks from June, and the wind was whippin' cool (cold) air around like nobody's business!

The day started with Griffin's Dodgers going up against the Westside Bulldogs. Mind you, Griffin's team has not yet played a game this season beyond the third inning. And this morning, they found themselves playing into the 4th and 5th innings with the Bulldogs. Both teams wanted this one badly. But in the end, the Bulldogs bested Griffin's team 13-11.

Duncan's Heat squared-off with J-Taps BBA. I'm never one to make excuses... (however) suffice to say, this is the Heat's first year in 'B' ball. And it's J-Taps' second year. This became fairly obvious soon after the start of the game. Heat loses, 14-4.

Paxton's Rockets had their hands full with Harris Motors BBA. Hats off to 'Harris'... that is one fine-tuned, fundamentally sound little team. Rockets lose, 14-0.

So --- back to Tom Browning. I can still tell you where I was the evening of September 16, 1988. I clearly recall who I was with... and we became fairly riveted to the t.v. screen as Tom Browning threw what became the Reds' first (and only) perfect game. Not to over-dramatize this morning's game between Holden's Highlanders & the Westside Panthers... BUT, Holden's team enjoyed the ride as one of their teammates threw a perfect game. No hits, no walks, no runners making it to base, in ANY way. Period! Highlanders WIN!

1 Up, 1 Down

Busy night for the boys. Kim & Duncan went to the Reds game (KidGlove Game for Duncan's Team). Griffin had practice. Cameron had to work. And... Paxton & Holden each had games.

Paxton's Rockets took on the Covedale Rockets. And folks, for the 3+ innings I was there, the Rockets looked really good. When I left, the Rockets were up 4-2. Later on in the evening when I looped back with Pax, I learned the Rockets had one of those tough innings after I left. Sorry to say, the Rockets went down 8-4. Paxton had his head high though, trooper that he is (nothing ever seems to get that kid down). He felt great about how the team played. Truth be told, they really did play very well (save that 1 inning). And Paxton played a really solid game at shortstop as well. We'll just keep going back at it. Good things will come.

Holden's Highlanders had their way with the Cincinnati Buckeyes! Woo-Hoo!!! In an 11-4 romp, the Highlanders shook-off a dozen or so monkeys from their collective backs. As a whole, the team did great. By the time I had picked Cameron up from work and we made our way to the game, the Highlanders were just a few outs away from sealing the deal. We were there, however, to witness Holden crushing a ball to left-center for a stand-up double. Holden was also his usual rock-steady self at shortstop this evening. Way to go, Highlanders!

Call It A Draw (maybe)

Duncan's 'Heat' took on the Westside Sharks this evening. After 2+ hours of play and knotted at 6 runs each (with a couple of fairly impatient softball teams waiting to get on the field)... the umpires played the old 'time limit' card. So... tonight's game could end up going one of two ways. It could actually be recorded as a tie. Or, with the coaches from each team able to agree to terms, we might get to see the game resumed and have the final inning played through. To be continued (hopefully).

Deja-vu: Back to the Cages

Cameron finally got his turn this afternoon. After having had to sit back and watch the other four boys practicing and playing for the past almost-8 weeks, Cameron and his 'AA' Heat team took some batting practice today (yes... bp, indoors, thanks to the continued rain). Teams at this level get a later start than others (and it's been driving Cameron CRAZY to not be getting things underway). It was a very good afternoon... Cameron got lots of very good time in the cage. He also caught for one of the team's pitchers for about 30 minutes.

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

Another rainy saturday... and another 4 games postponed. We got 3 games behind last week, and now today another 4. We were able to make-up 1 of last week's games this past week. So, as of right now... we're behind-schedule 6 games.