Game #7: Bulls 7, Mudcats 6

Sooner or later, one of these close games is going to go the right way. For now, though, the Mudcats' tough luck continued, as they lost their second straight nail-biting decision, 7-6, to the Bulls. The game marked the second straight defeat by two or fewer runs.

"That was an awesome game," Coach Andrew said matter-of-factly after the game. "We hustled. Sometimes we hustled and got out, but sometimes we hustled and were safe. This was one of those games where you hate to see anyone lose."

The offensive highlight was obvious: Hayes ripped the season's first home run, stomping firmly on second base on his way around the bases, to give the Mudcats a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning.

But the Bulls were about to ramp up the offense, as they scored six runs over the final three innings after being held to just one run in the first three innings. That led into the decisive sixth, which the two teams entered tied at four.

Earlier, during pregame, Coach Andrew had told LB he had an important role as the number-13 batter, because he was the "second leadoff hitter." That proved prophetic, because LB did indeed lead off the sixth, smacking a line-drive single. After a fielder's choice, Smiley advanced LB to third on a single, and then Drew cleared the bases with a double.

The Bulls led off the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back doubles, slicing the Mudcat lead in half. LB made a solid play at pitcher to record an out at first on a grounder, and after an infield single tied the score, Anthony grabbed a sinking liner just before it scraped the dirt to record the second out. After back-to-back singles loaded the bases, the Bulls' Christian completed a 3-for-3 day with a line-drive game-winning single.

For the effort, which included hits from 10 different Mudcats, the entire team earned a sticker. Stickers were also awarded to Anthony for his play on a hard liner, Smiley for a heads-up play recovering a popup and getting a force at second (half-sticker to Anthony for being there for the force), LB for playing with toughness at pitcher and fielding a hard liner, Hayes for the inside-the-park home run, and Asher for getting under a pop fly in right field, although he needs to complete the catch next time.

The bigger news was a weeknight bombshell from Coach Andrew. "I'm going to keep my word about not caring whether you win or lose," he told the team. "And you can tell your parents you have my permission to play wall ball tonight."

That led to the following exchange between the team's two youngest players:

Brenner: "Do you know what wall ball is?"
Asher: "No, do you?"
Brenner: "I don't think so."

Despite the lack of knowledge about how the game was actually played, the entire team responded with a giant roar when told of their postgame activities. It didn't take long for the older Mudcats to explain the rules, which you have to be under the age of 12 to understand. The one fact that seemed very clear is that the people who live bordering the West Raleigh baseball fields must have a fantastic collection of tennis balls, wall balls, and baseballs. The Mudcats managed to lose only one ball during their game, but Gabe and Asher were sent on a reconnaissance mission and recovered the ball...just before what sounded like a decent-sized dog started barking and only a few words could be heard from inside the house.

The Mudcats hit the practice field again Thursday at 5 p.m., by which time every parent will likely be able to recite every track on the Mudcat Rap CD by heart due to incessant repetition in the car (the DOT has determined the CD can be played exactly 4.7 times consecutively between Chapel Hill and the West Raleigh baseball fields).

Thursday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
The Mudcats did it with two outs again. Drew reached on a fielder's choice, then moved to third on Chris's single. Anthony drove in Drew with a single, and then Chris took advantage of a defensive misplay to score the game's second run.
Score after one-half inning: Mudcats 2, Bulls 0

Fourth inning
Anthony beat out a one-out single, which led to Hayes's laser to right-center. Both Mudcats flew around the bases--clearly stepping on second, YOU HEAR ME, CLEARLY STEPPING ON SECOND (oh, sorry)--for an inside-the-park home run.
Score after three and a half innings: Mudcats 4, Bulls 1

Sixth inning
LB led off with a single and moved to second on a fielder's choice. Smiley singled and then Drew drove in a pair before being called out while somehow never managing to actually be touched by the ball at third base, not that anyone is bitter.
Score after five and a half innings: Mudcats 6, Bulls 4


Tuesday's Web Gems

• Anthony continued his stellar play at second base, stopping a tough line drive and also alertly covering second base on a forceout.
• LB closed up the hole up the middle with a slick stop on a hard liner.

Tuesday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	2	0	0	2	0	2	6	12
Bulls	1	0	0	2	1	3	7	12

Game #6: Thunder 6, Mudcats 4

There's never a bad time for the best defensive performance of the season. But it couldn't help but feel like bad timing when the Mudcats turned in their best fielding effort of the season...only to fall victim to an equally good performance by the Thunder, who survived a furious sixth-inning Mudcat rally and pulled out a 6-4 win. The game marked the second-lowest scoring game in the Backyard Bistro Minor League this season (the lowest was a 5-3 Riverdog win over the Scrappers) and was just the sixth Minor League game this season decided by two runs or less.

The defensive performance came against a formidable offense, as the Thunder entered the game in the top half of the league in runs scored. But several key Mudcat defensive plays short-circuited potential big innings, including three outfield assists at second base.

"That was an intense defensive game," Coach Andrew told the team. "We got out of innings with just one or two runs when they had some big hitters up with runners in scoring position. Our defense looked excellent."

Indeed, Mudcat infielders had to make two-out plays with runners in scoring position in the first four innings--Drew made outs from his shortstop spot in the first and second, Anthony got the last out in the third, and Charley made a flawless play in the fourth to leave two runners stranded.

Meanwhile, though, the Mudcat offense could never find the holes. After scoring one in the first, the potential tying run appeared to score in the second on a home run by Hayes. But the rarely-seen-in-7-year-old-baseball appeal play was used, and the umpires decreed that he had missed second base and called him out. Everyone handled it calmly and supported the ruling of the eagle-eyed umpires, especially once they remembered they had signed those pesky Codes of Conduct at the beginning of the season.

The Mudcats bounced back to tie the game in the fourth, but the top of the Thunder order generated two runs in the top of the sixth to provide the final margin of victory. The final Mudcat rally saw the tying runs move into scoring position in the bottom of the sixth, but a hard line drive once again found a Thunder glove.

While the on-field results were largely positive, there is room for improvement off the field. No team sticker was awarded. "That's because of the attitude of the team," Coach Andrew said. "I heard people asking if this team we were playing was as good as the Bats. We can't have that kind of losing attitude. It doesn't matter who we are playing...I've seen all the other teams in this league play and I have coached a lot of teams on this field. This is the best team I have coached on this field. We can beat any team down here, and I'm not just saying that to make you feel good."

Two Mudcats picked up individual stickers, as Gabe rifled in two outfield assists from center field, picking up a pair of force outs at second base. Charley registered an assist from left center, as he also got a force out at second base.

The loss was the first weekend defeat of the season for the Mudcats and officially ended the chances that any idiotic bloggers would write anything about winning trends in the future.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
With a slightly juggled top of the order, Charley singled and moved to second on a fielder's choice from Chris. Smiley drove him in with a double.
Score after one inning: Thunder 2, Mudcats 1

Fourth inning
LB led off with a single and moved to second when Chris reached on an infield misplay. Smiley singled, driving in LB. Drew doubled to tie the game, giving him at least one RBI in every game this season.
Score after four innings: Thunder 4, Mudcats 4


Saturday's Web Gems

• The Mudcats got their best outfield play of the season. Two of the three outs in the third inning were via outfield assists (one by Gabe from center and one by Charley from left-center), limiting what could have been a huge Thunder inning to just two runs.
• The Mudcats looked much more comfortable on the pop-ups just over their heads that gave them trouble in the game against the Bats.
• Smiley gloved a hot shot down the third base line and threw to Anthony at second for an alert sixth-inning force.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Thunder	2	0	2	0	0	2	6	16
Mudcats	1	0	0	3	0	0	4	10

Practice #15--Defense wins games

The Mudcats might not know it, but they largely wrote Friday's practice script during Thursday's game. That 20-7 loss was a terrific illustration of the power of defense, as the Bats made several sparkling plays in the field--plays that made it virtually impossible to string together any kind of offense, and plays that seemed to feed off each other. Once one terrific play was made, the next one almost seemed to be a foregone conclusion.

That's the kind of defense the Mudcats want to play in Saturday's 3:30 contest against the Thunder. As the season approaches the midway point, it's the time of year when some fundamentals can start to slip. With that in mind, Friday night's session was defense-intensive.

The practice began in the cage, with the usual round of tee/soft toss/live pitching. Live pitching was done by the newly preppy Coach Andrew, who showed no ill effects from consuming 32 root beers on Thursday night and apparently spent his evening off shopping for new duds at J. Crew. For those who missed it, it looked something like this. Perhaps intimidated by the new West Raleigh dress code, the other team with rights to the field didn't show up. That turned out to be a good thing, because it was determined that the Mudcat hitters were "burning down the cage" with the hot bats they were swinging.

Once they took the field, the team broke into two groups--infield and outfield. Infielders started the session with the reaction ball, a torturous device designed to bounce anything but normally. They eventually moved on to fielding grounders, focusing hard on getting a wide base and receiving the ball out in front of them, closing the top hand down like a gator...whoops, not that gator, this gator...or, er, I know it's here somewhere...this gator.

In the outfield, players worked on a variety of skills. Coach Rob proved to be the master of the tricky in-between ball, forcing the outfielders to choose between charging it hard and trying to play the ball on the fly, or staying back and fielding it on a hop. Later, gum was awarded for charging in hard on ground balls to the outfield, trying to emulate the force play at second made by Hayes on Thursday. They also worked on one of the toughest plays for this age group--turning and sprinting back on a fly ball over their head.

Practice concluded with a relay, won in a titanic upset by the outfielders--made up mostly of the team's younger players--over the bigger, stronger infielders. Of course, the fact that the outfielders only had to have five racers complete the race while the infielders had six might have had something to do with it. Afterward, Coach Joy and Coach Tonya awarded helmet stickers for sportsmanship to Hayes and Tyler.

Pregame Saturday begins at 2:30 p.m. The key part of the day--Andrew and Neal's field grooming clinic--should begin at approximately 3:10 p.m. and will be filmed by the Home and Garden Channel for a later documentary. Those with a keen eye for scheduling will note that NC State plays Georgia Tech at noon and Carolina plays Duke, er, Rutgers (got the two state universities of New Jersey confused for a second) at 3:30. The West Raleigh Diamond Vision board will show live feeds of both games.

Game #5: Bats 20, Mudcats 7

The Mudcats might be taking this whole student-athlete thing a little too seriously. Obviously distracted by the need to focus on school the next day, the studious Mudcats fell 20-7 to the Bats on Thursday night. The loss dropped the squad's overall record to 2-3, with all three losses coming during the week.

The numbers are perplexing. The Mudcats average 13.5 runs per game during weekend games, but have never scored more than seven in a weeknight game. In the two weekend games combined, they're outscoring opponents 27-13. But during the week, they're being outscored 47-17.

The Bats continued the trend right away, plating four runs with two outs in the first inning. By the time they followed with five runs in the second, the Mudcats were in a quick 9-0 hole after two innings.

Once all thoughts of homework were banished, the Mudcats--as usual--fought back. A leadoff single from LB ignited a five-run rally in the fourth. The top of the order contributed three doubles--one each from Smiley, Drew and Anthony--to fuel the comeback.

More often, however, Mudcat hits found the gloves of the Bats, who turned in one of the best team-wide defensive performances of the young season, with sparkling plays all over the infield. The Mudcat defense also made some key plays, especially in the bottom of the fifth inning, when they needed to get three outs in less than 10 minutes in order to have the opportunity to play the sixth inning. Anthony steadily hauled in a high pop fly and Smiley alertly fielded a sharp grounder and stepped on third to end the inning and preserve the chance for one more at-bat.

"We earned that last inning," said Coach Jim. "We got three quick outs when we needed them."

Coach Rob awarded helmet stickers to Smiley and Anthony for combining on the season's first double play, a well-turned 5-4 combination in the second inning. Hayes--who also drove in a pair of runs with a single--earned a sticker with his outfield assist in the third inning.

Following the game, Coach Rob acknowledged that the team had not earned the promised 10 minutes of wall ball time from a weeknight victory. "Would Coach Andrew be proud?" he asked. Getting a somewhat lukewarm response, he followed up with, "Did you play hard? Did you have fun? Did you do your best?" Getting much more positive responses to those questions, he awarded a sticker to the entire team for persevering in the face of unusual circumstances, as Coach Andrew spent the evening getting blisters on his thumbs from firing off many text messages and trying to break the world record for root beer consumed.

The next Mudcat action comes Friday night at 5 p.m. The next game is--yes!--on a weekend, with a 3:30 first pitch on Saturday against the Thunder.


Thursday's Mudcat scoring plays
Fourth inning
LB led off with a single. After a fielder's choice, Smiley doubled, and then Drew doubled, scoring Smiley with the first Mudcat run. After Chris singled, Anthony drove in Drew and Smiley with a line drive double. Hayes completed the scoring with a two-RBI single up the middle.
Score after three and a half innings: Bats 12, Mudcats 5

Fifth inning
JJ finally figured out how to beat the Bat shortstop, beating out the throw for a leadoff single. Asher singled, sending JJ to third, and then Brenner picked up the RBI with an infield single to the right side.
Score after four and a half innings: Bats 17, Mudcats 6

Sixth inning
Smiley doubled deep down the left-field line, then scored on Drew's single.
Final score: Bats 20, Mudcats 7

Fifth inning
LB started the inning with a line-drive single to center. Charley and Smiley hit back-to-back singles to load the bases, and then Drew cleared them with a 3-RBI double. Christopher picked up an RBI for the third straight at-bat with a single, after Hayes singled, Big Ben closed the scoring--due to the 10-run rule, which states teams can only score five runs in an inning in which they take a 10-run lead--with an RBI single.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 13, Riverdogs 3.


Thursday's Web Gems

• You have to start with the double play. Smiley fielded a hard ground ball down the third base line and stepped on third base to record the force. Then he alertly fired to second, where Anthony was covering to convert the back end of the twin killing.



• Hayes charged a ground ball hard from his center field position, scooped up the grounder, and threw to second to get an outfield assist on a third-inning force play.



• Anthony played a towering pop-up perfectly in the fifth inning.

Thursday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	0	0	0	5	1	1	7	14
Bats	4	5	3	5	3	X	20	29

Practice #14--Lingering layoff

So, what did everyone do with two whole days away from the baseball field? Take a trip around the world? Put together a 10,000 piece puzzle? Eat dinner somewhere other than the back seat of the car?

Aw, you know you missed it. The Mudcats were back on the field Wednesday night at Method Road for the first practice since Sunday. In many ways, it was a very typical practice, but in one way, it was very unique (and that's not a reference to the fact that Coach Mike wasn't there to water the field).

The first part of practice was devoted to three stations:

1. An outfield station, in which Coach Jim handed out one piece of gum for each catch of a fly ball. Once players were awarded one piece, they had a chance to earn another piece by catching three more fly balls--but all three had to be two-hand catches in order to count.

2. The usual hitting stations.

3. An infield station devoted to the 4-6/6-4 drill. Now, I know there is at least one of you out there who has a Chicago song in their mind right now. Or maybe that's just me, since the Carolina band has had that song in their rotation since approximately the moment Chicago put that song on paper. But thankfully--given the relative music ability of the coaching staff--the 4-6/6-4 drill is a little different. Instead, it required players to go to either second base or shortstop, where they had one of two responsibilities: either field a grounder, or cover second base. The player fielding the ball flipped to second to get the force out, and then the player covering the bag fired over to the (inept) first baseman to complete the double play.

Seeing the overwhelmed nature of the person he originally assigned to first base, Coach Andrew eventually allowed individual Mudcats to play first, where JJ--perhaps intuitively realizing the volume level of practice was way down due to Coach Mike's absence--did an especially good job being assertive and letting everyone know where to make each play.

Around the time the stations concluded, Hayes had to depart, Deion Sanders-style, for a hockey game, with Neal piloting the helicopter that transported the Anderson family from field to rink.

Before the final practice period, Coach Andrew called the Mudcats around him near first base for a quick life lesson. Always eager to try out the things the team talks about in practice, Coach Andrew tried to carry the Mudcat Motto with him into his daily life. This gave him the opportunity to try out the "confident but humble" facet recently. As he explained to his players, sometimes someone who is standing up for themselves can land in trouble even if they are fully in the right and the other people involved make about as much sense as NCAA suspension guidelines. For that reason, Coach Andrew will not be at Thursday's game, which will cause him some serious emotional distress and extremely high text messaging fees on this month's cell bill.

To simulate Thursday's conditions, the conclusion of Wednesday's practice was devoted to a scrimmage, with Coach Tom on the mound. Coach Andrew sat on the bleachers and observed, where other parents helpfully taught him how to mumble, "If the dang pitcher could ever throw a strike, my kid would be hitting a homer every time up there."

Following the confident but humble theme, Coach Rob awarded helmet stickers to a group of older players who have been consistently good leaders this season: Christopher, Drew, Smiley and Anthony.

Tomorrow's game begins at 5:30 p.m. (pregame at 4:30). Coach Andrew, who will be found at the Backyard Bistro after the game, is expected to show severe withdrawal symptoms around 4:45. A victory means the Mudcats earn a coach-promised 10 minutes of postgame wall ball.

Being A Baseball Parent

There's not much that compares to that feeling you get when your son is walking to the plate in a baseball game. It's a little bit of nervousness, mixed with a dose of pride, combined with anticipation. We all know that feeling definitely exists when your son is five, six, or seven. But does it ever really go away?

To find out, we chatted with Joy Ackley, a certified expert in the field of being a baseball parent. She's watched her two sons, Jordan and Dustin, grow up through the various leagues near their home. Dustin eventually went on to play at Carolina, where he led the Tar Heels to three straight College World Series appearances. He was a three-time All-America, the National Player of the Year in 2009, and was named the Hitter of the Decade for the 2000s by Rivals.com. Those accolades translated to his selection by the Seattle Mariners second overall in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He's currently playing for Seattle's AAA club, the Tacoma Rainiers, and you can watch him live at 8 p.m. tonight on Versus in the AAA national championship game.

While Mrs. Ackley was in Memphis last week watching Dusty and the Rainiers defeat the Redbirds, she was nice enough to answer a few Mudcat-centric questions:

Q: What do you remember about Dustin’s youngest Little League days? When did he start playing?
Joy Ackley: Dusty started playing baseball when he was 5. We had to take him to a league a little farther from home that would allow 5 year olds to play. At the time Little League only had T-ball and allowed players 6 and up to play. Dusty had been watching his older brother, Jordan, play for 2 years and he was more than ready to take the field himself. This was a coach pitch league. Jordan had been playing T-ball for 2 years, so he was thankful for the switch too. What I remember most about Dusty's first years is that he was really fast, even back then. And he wanted to swing at every pitch. He could hit the ball no matter where it was thrown, so his dad had to tell him to wait for the coach to throw him a good pitch.

Q: What are your favorite memories of Dustin playing baseball in that 5- or 6-year-old age range?
JA: My favorite memory is of Dusty's first at-bat when he was 5 and I actually have it on video. He hit the ball, ran to 1st base and was safe. He was so excited he kept jumping up and down off the bag. Thankfully, the opposing team didn't realize they could have tagged him out during his jumping!

Another memory I have is of a practice during his first year. He played in the outfield behind the second baseman and one of the 8 year olds hit a hard grounder that took a bad hop and the ball came up and hit Dusty in the face. There was some blood and some tears, but I loved the way his coach handled it. He took all of the other players off the field and had Dusty go back out there, after we had cleaned him up and made sure he was OK. He must have hit 30 balls to him and let him field them and throw them back. I think good coaching is so important at this age. The kids learn to love the game when they are young if they have great coaches. My husband has coached at all levels, so I know how difficult the job can be.

Q: You’ve watched him play at virtually every level in baseball. Has the way you watched him (and the game) changed at all? How does the stress of watching him on a Little League field compare with the stress of watching him on the field in Omaha?
JA: I remember when our boys were younger that I got nervous when they were up at bat. I knew they wanted so much to do well and parents love to see their kids be successful no matter what they attempt to do. Nothing, for me though, compares to the nervousness that a mother feels when her son is pitching. Thankfully, I didn't have to experience that anymore after high school.

Both of our sons pitched through high school and those times were the most stressful for me. I don't think I was cut out to be the mom of a pitcher. My husband, John, coached Dusty in AAU ball and would always save him to pitch in those critical situations like, bottom of the 9th, bases loaded and we're only up by 1 run...well you get the picture! It would drive me crazy, but he knew Dusty wouldn't get rattled. He would go out there and do his best. Most of the time he would do great, but sometimes he'd give up the winning runs. John used to tell me, "I knew Dusty would throw strikes." If the other team was going to win, he wanted them to earn it. He didn't want our team to walk the tying or winning run in. I'm sure it bothered Dusty when he gave up those runs, but he has never shown a lot of emotion, win or lose. He definitely gets his calmness from his dad!

Omaha was such a great experience for my whole family. We all feel very blessed to have been able to follow the Tar Heels there three years in a row. The stress level does go up a few notches when you know your son is playing in front of a crowd of 25,000 plus and it's on national TV. Also, with every game there is so much at stake. After you lose that first game, the next loss means you go home. I think what gave me a sense of calmness was knowing Dusty always did everything he could to prepare himself to be the best he could be at this game he loves so much. God blessed our son with a lot of natural ability and Dusty has worked very hard to develop those abilities. A parent can't ask for anymore than that and we are so proud of him for how hard he works.

Q: What advice would you give the parents of our players about how to watch and enjoy their sons’ games as they start out in their baseball journey?
JA: I asked John (Joy's husband/Dusty's dad) about this one. He says let your kids have fun. Don't put any pressure on them. If you are coaching, have a lot of patience.

I say, if you are nervous try not to let your child know. Until they have kids of their own, they won't understand why YOU are nervous. Baseball is such a mental game. I think building confidence in the player is so important. They have to go out there thinking they're going to get a hit every time. Also, make sure they always remember this is a game. My boys love playing this game. They would have played every day if they could have. And play with them at home. We had many games in our front yard. Jordan and Dustin still go out and play catch when they are both at home.

Also, YOU need to remember it's a game. If it's not fun for your family then find something that is. I have witnessed parents at Little League games, that you would have thought their team was playing in the world series. I'm not saying don't cheer them on, but please keep everything in perspective.

Q: We’re all familiar with that feeling of nervousness as your son steps to the plate. Does that ever change and/or go away?
JA: We are in Memphis now watching Dusty play in the League championship for his Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers' team. The first night he was 0 for 4, last night he was 1 for 5. I don't know if it is because I have seen him play in so many games now or what, but I don't get so nervous anymore. He works so hard and always does his best. A lot of times he hits the ball so hard and great plays are made in the field. That's what makes this game exciting and so much fun to watch. Sometimes it's my son making that great play. I don't think that nervous feeling ever completely goes away, maybe it just evolves. As your son develops and learns the game, you get a sense of appreciation for everything he does on the field and don't focus so much just on those plate appearances.

Q: Is there anything you felt that was particularly valuable to Dustin in his younger baseball career?
JA: I think having an older brother to play ball with and learn from and also a father who had played pro ball were both extremely valuable to Dusty. Dusty was always playing pickup games with kids 2 or 3 years older than him. He was the bat boy for Jordan's team and they would let him take BP with the team. He loved that.

There were also 2 things I heard John preach to both our boys: 1) "Always hustle, on and off the field." You may make errors, not get hits, but you can and should always hustle! 2) If you are thrown an outside pitch, drive the ball the other way. John was a pull hitter and knocked tons of balls out of parks FOUL because he tried to pull everything. Dusty has been recognized as a player that can drive the ball to all parts of the field. I credit his dad for teaching him to do that from a very young age.

Q: John played the game at a very high level. How did he balance being an “expert” on the game of baseball with being a supportive dad, and in what ways was that a challenge?
JA: John says it really wasn't that hard. He just tried to teach Dusty and his teammates the things that he was taught or learned himself during his career. Since Dusty stopped playing AAU ball John's role has shifted from teacher/coach to encourager. It's hard when you are watching your son go through a slump, especially like the one Dusty was in at the beginning of the season.

I heard John on the phone with Dusty many times telling him it was just part of baseball. He had been there before and every player goes through these slumps. It's quite an adjustment going from an aluminum bat to a wooden bat, playing games almost every day for 7 months, moving back and forth across the country and switching to a position that you've really never played before. Has it been an adjustment for him? Absolutely! Are any of us complaining? Absolutely NOT! Our son is living his dream.

Practice #13: We talkin' 'bout practice, man

There may not be two more diametrically opposed people on planet Earth than Allen Iverson and Coach Andrew. That's the conclusion you had to draw from Sunday's practice. Iverson, of course, is a very good basketball player who is more notable for his, "We talkin' about practice, man," meltdown at a press conference. Iverson, it's safe to say, was not a big practice fan.

Compare that to Coach Andrew. Tuesday's two-hour practice featured three stations and a 30-minute scrimmage. Towards the end, the head Mudcat must have remembered that his team had not yet encountered every possible scenario in the practice that they might see in a game. In fact, they had faced just such a situation in Saturday's game. That left him with only one option. With only one hitter remaining in the scrimmage, he alertly barked, "OK, everybody in here around me!" It was not that he had forgotten that JJ still had one more at-bat. It was that he wanted to make sure his team knew what to do in case of a timeout. This could be a key time-saver in a future game, when it will be just as essential as knowing to run through first base or call "Time!" while running at the lead runner.

Just in case fundamentals other than being well-schooled in the art of timeouts also have some relevance to the next game, Sunday's practice also included several other facets. The three stations:

1. Hitting, with the usual tee/soft toss/live pitching rotation. Coach Tom was called in from the bullpen to do the pitching, because his contract demands a certain number of pitching appearances per season.

2. Baserunning/infield, which was designed to put the runners in a game situation at first base and force them to react to a ground ball or fly ball and the way the defense played it. Coach Mike, the master of creative reinforcement, deemed it a five-pushup penalty for fielders to fail to call the ball in the air and a one-lap penalty for runners to fail to slide into second base.

3. An outfield/infield drill designed to encourage outfielders to get the ball to the cutoff man as quickly as possible, and to always have an infielder backing up the cutoff man. If you've read any other entries of this blog at all, you probably know what happened when the infielder got the ball: they ran at the lead runner and yelled, "TIME!" After watching this be reinforced at multiple practices, I have passed this particular tip to Butch Davis. Instead of clearing any more players, the Tar Heels' future strategy will be to wait for the opponent to complete a long pass (this should not take very long), then have the UNC defenders run at them while yelling, "TIME!" Look for it on Saturday in the game against Rutgers and expect a Tar Heel defensive shutout.

After the scrimmage, which was highlighted by a nice grab by Tyler in left field, a quick base relay was held, with the winners receiving one piece of gum each. The practice emphasis for the day was on hustle. Coach Mike and Coach Rob awarded helmet stickers to JJ and Big Ben for being good examples in that category.

The next practice is Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Method Road, when Coach Andrew is expected to ask the team to practice getting a free drink, among other important drills.

Game 4: Mudcats 13, Riverdogs 3

Midway through the top of Saturday's second inning, the Mudcat coaching staff decided they had seen enough. Thanks to a big three-run first inning, the Mudcats still held a 3-2 advantage. But a couple defensive misplays in the infield had plated one run and put two runners on base for the Riverdogs with their dangerous top of the order coming to the plate.

Coach Andrew called for time and called his infield--plus a somewhat overeager right fielder who also joined the huddle--around him. His speech--which will be available for $9.95 per download on Coaching.com in the very near future--must have been fantastic. The next hitter cracked a grounder up the middle, but Anthony fielded it smoothly and flipped to Drew for the force at second. Then, with two outs and the tying run at third base, Drew snagged an infield popup to retire the side and preserve a 3-2 lead.

The Mudcats never looked back in evening their record at 2-2 and dropping the Riverdogs to 1-3. Twelve different Mudcats picked up hits in a 21-hit attack, powering the way to a decisive 13-3 victory that was easily the best all-around performance of the season.

"That," Coach Andrew told the team after the game, "was awesome. That was the most complete game of the season."

The offensive fireworks were keyed by a 12-for-12 effort from the first four batters--Charley, Smiley, Drew and Christopher--in the order. Those four keyed a four-run third inning that cracked open the game by stretching the lead to 8-2. Drew, Christopher and Anthony all picked up RBI in the third.

The offensive fireworks were notable, but the defense was perhaps even more impressive. From the moment Coach Andrew called his infield around him, the Mudcats turned in a series of highlight-reel plays. They finished with three shutout innings in the game, a figure equal to their previous season-long accumulation of zeroes. Anthony's stellar play at second base, fielding everything--including a blistering grounder leading off the third that forced him to range far to his right and make a long throw to retire the hitter--smoothly, earned him a helmet sticker. "That was the best defensive performance by any Mudcat infielder this year," Coach Andrew said.

A helmet sticker was also awarded to Big Ben, who continued to show impressive defensive versatility by making a tough fly ball to right center look routine in the first inning. "That was what got our momentum started," Coach Andrew said of Ben's catch.

There wasn't much drama about whether the entire team would also earn a helmet sticker, as every single Mudcat contributed in some significant fashion to the victory. But in addition to the team-wide stickers, Coach Andrew also introduced a new postgame tradition. "I asked the umpire for the game ball," he said as he held up a well-worn horsehide. "After big wins, I like to put the baseball in my office so I can look at it and remember how awesome you were. This is one I want to remember."

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Charley, Smiley and Drew strung together three consecutive singles to provide an early 1-0 edge. Christopher followed with a line-drive double down the left-field line to make it 3-0.
Score after one inning: Mudcats 3, Riverdogs 1

Second inning
Gabe led off with an infield single and moved to second on JJ's single. Asher singled up the middle to score Gabe.
Score after two innings: Mudcats 4, Riverdogs 2.

Third inning
The top of the order again produced, as Charley led off with a double. He moved to third on Smiley's single and scored on Drew's single, as some trouble in the Riverdog outfield plated another Mudcat run. Christopher picked up his second double of the day to score Drew, and Anthony completed the scoring with an RBI single.
Score after three innings: Mudcats 8, Riverdogs 2.

Fifth inning
LB started the inning with a line-drive single to center. Charley and Smiley hit back-to-back singles to load the bases, and then Drew cleared them with a 3-RBI double. Christopher picked up an RBI for the third straight at-bat with a single, after Hayes singled, Big Ben closed the scoring--due to the 10-run rule, which states teams can only score five runs in an inning in which they take a 10-run lead--with an RBI single.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 13, Riverdogs 3.


Saturday's Web Gems

• Anthony's entire game goes in this category, but especially his third-inning stop of a sizzling grounder. He moved to his right, smothered the ball, and made the long throw to first to get the out.
• The Mudcats made several nice plays on fly balls, including Big Ben's grab in right-center.
• LB turned in a solid game at pitcher, fielding two pop-ups and two ground balls flawlessly.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Riverdogs	1	1	0	1	0	0	3	15
Mudcats	3	1	4	0	5	X	13	21

Practice #12--Grandparents' Night

Practice #12 at Method Road started off with players straggling in due to heavy traffic condition with ESPN being in town. Coach Mike never showed up, we all assume he was stuck in traffic for the entire practice. A bunch of other Mudcat parents ventured off to locate Coach Mike and never returned leaving the grandparents in charge.

Practice was comprised of three stations. A hitting station involving the famous canoe paddle with Coach Tom (one player hitting tennis balls while the other player trying to catch the tennis balls), soft toss with Coach Jim, and hurricane. Coach Tom had a special deal for the players at the canoe station, any player that caught a tennis ball using good form Coach Tom would do 10 push-ups. It has been hard for him to make it to the gym with so many practices and games so he has to keep fit at all means. He ended the practice having done 130 push-ups.

An infield station led my Coach Andrew involved lots of hard hit ground balls being fielded. The players tried to hit the ball bucket to win themselves gum.

The final station worked on base running and yelling time. Coach Rob was unstoppable with tennis balls to the outfielder, who had to get the ball into second as quickly as possible. Once the ball was in the infield a fierce time was called.

A scrimmage followed all the station work. Once everyone hit three times the Coaches held the post practice meeting. This practice the coaches were looking for good form and focus. LB was awarded with the one and only helmet sticker for showing good form and focus in every aspect of practice.

The Mudcats are next in action at Nowell Field on Saturday at 9:30AM versus the Riverdogs (1-2). Pre-game will start at 8:30AM.

Game 3: Bees 13, Mudcats 5

• Wed. morning update: Thanks to videographer David Key, video highlights of Tuesday's big first inning are now available.

Coach Andrew has consistently said the outcome of the game doesn't determine his perception of how his team played. Tonight, he proved it.

The Bees continued an early-season hot streak by running their record to 3-0 with a 13-5 victory over the Mudcats (1-2). Despite the loss, however, the postgame team meeting was upbeat. "I thought you guys played exceptionally well," Coach Andrew said. "I'm looking for you to get the outs you can get, and tonight you did that. Today was one of our better games, and everyone gets a sticker."

The majority of the Mudcat scoring came early, as a first-inning explosion provided a quick 4-0 lead. From there, however, a balanced Bees offense generated 21 hits (three of them for extra bases) and at least one run in every inning, plating seven of their 13 runs with two outs. The Mudcats tried to start several rallies, but the Bee defense was too stingy. A great play in the fourth inning robbed Gabe of potential extra bases, and the night was summed up by Big Ben rocketing a shot up the middle in the sixth inning...only to have the Bee shortstop snare the ball out of the air and step on second for a game-ending unassisted double play. "They made a lot of sensational plays," Coach Andrew said of a Bee team that returned a healthy majority of players from the spring season. "When that happens, all you can do is shake their hand."

Points of emphasis moving forward include a continued focus on baserunning, as the Mudcats ran out of a couple potential scoring opportunities on the bases. One of the baserunning highlights came from Hayes, who aggressively turned a line drive into a triple in the fourth and earned a helmet sticker for his effort.

On defense, the coaches will continue to stress focus. "We can't throw the ball around," Coach Andrew said. "We gave up about three runs throwing when we didn't need to throw. That's one of the most difficult things to learn, and we're going to work on it."

Tuesday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Charley led off with one of his three singles on a 3-for-3 day for the Mudcat leadoff man. Smiley followed with a line-drive single, and Drew drove them both in with a double--his third extra-base hit in his last four at-bats. After a fielder's choice, Christopher picked up an RBI with an opposite-field single, and Hayes completed the scoring with an RBI in the middle of the diamond.
Score after one-half inning: Mudcats 4, Bees 0

Third inning
Charley led off with another single. Smiley was robbed on a hard line drive by the center fielder, and Drew picked up an infield single. After a fielder's choice, Christopher drove in his second run of the day with a single to right.
Score after two and a half innings: Bees 7, Mudcats 5.

Tuesday's Web Gems

• On the very first offensive play for the Bees, Drew made a nice play in the hole at shortstop and threw to first to easily get the out. He picked up a helmet sticker for the play.
• Brenner backed up third base and saved a run while playing left field. He earned a helmet sticker for his effort and hustle.

Tuesday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	4	0	1	0	0	0	5	13
Bees	3	4	2	3	1	X	13	21

Practice #11--On the run

Running the bases might be the most elementary part of playing baseball. It doesn't require the hand-eye coordination of hitting, or the physical strength of throwing. Sit a non-baseball fan down to watch a game and running the bases is likely to be the one part of the game they think they could step on the field and do without much training. How simple does it look? Even Johnson-Lambe doesn't sell any equipment to make someone a better baserunner.

But as the Mudcats have seen through the first two games of the regular season, good baserunning often makes the difference between a two-run inning and a five-run inning. Here's the tricky part: it's largely instincts that makes a good baserunner. And there's very few ways to train those instincts other than putting players in game situations and forcing them to react. You're on first base, there are fewer than two outs, the ball is hit in the air and you just have to immediately know to take a couple steps and watch the ball before deciding whether to dash for second or head back to first. In that same way, when the scoreboard flips to two outs, it has to be second nature to sprint as soon as the ball is hit, whether it's in the air or on the ground.

Coach Mike and Coach Jim will always be on the bases, of course, ready to shout instructions as soon as the ball is in play (if the runners can hear Coach Mike's quiet tone over the gentle whisper of the pines). But the difference between waiting to hear their instructions and knowing the play as soon as the ball hits the bat is often worth at least one extra base. This is where you can see one of the most noticeable differences between the youngest Mudcats and the more experienced players. The veterans have been in these situations before, and they know when to round the bag and when to slide in and be content with just one base. At this level, aggressive baserunning usually pays off--but intelligent aggressive baserunning almost always pays off.

That's why a significant portion of Sunday afternoon's practice was devoted to baserunning. The Mudcats were split into two groups. While one group went through infield drills with Coach Andrew, the other group spent time in the outfield running through a variety of game simulations both as baserunners and as fielders. For outfielders, the goal was simple: get the ball to the cutoff man and back into the infield to allow an infielder to call time. For runners, it was more complicated, as they practiced learning how to evaluate whether a ball in the air would likely be caught or would safely drop and when to hustle to the next base when the ball was on the ground.

After an hour on the field, the Mudcats spent the next hour in the batting cage, going from tee to soft toss to the cage, where Coach Andrew's supply of bubblegum once again took a serious beating from his hitters peppering the back net of the cage.

The Mudcats return to game action Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. (pregame at 4:30) against the undefeated Bees, one of just three teams in the Minor League without a loss. And since Sunday's practice ended a little early, here's some more baseball reading to get you through the day--an interesting look at the way the Little League World Series tries to balance what's best for the kids with what has rapidly become a money-making enterprise.

Game 2: Mudcats 14, Lookouts 10

In all three games so far in the fall 2010 season, the Mudcats have trailed after the first inning. Saturday afternoon, however, they flipped the script.

After late comebacks fell short against the Bees in a scrimmage and in the season opener against the Scrappers, the Mudcats made sure no comeback would be needed against the Lookouts by posting an 18-hit attack that featured RBI from eight different hitters and runs scored by 10 different players. Everyone in the lineup reached base at least once. Even Coach Andrew was impressed. "I don't usually give helmet stickers for offensive performances," he said. But Saturday was the exception, as Smiley earned a sticker for his three-run showing that included a double. Drew also earned a sticker for his game that was just one at-bat shy of the cycle--he powered a single, double and triple on his way to driving in three runs.

The big difference against the Lookouts, however, was the production of the middle and bottom of the Mudcat order. The top of the lineup has been fairly consistent throughout the year. On Saturday, the rest of the offense was as hot as they have been all season. Anthony was a big part of that production, as he singled to lead off the four-run second inning--a frame when the bottom of the order generated four crucial two-out runs--and had a two-run triple in the seven-run third (the biggest inning of the season so far). Those two outbursts in the middle of the game brought the Mudcats back from a 5-2 deficit, as they took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the second and then broke the game open in the bottom of the third.

Timely defense arrived just as the bats woke up. Gabe ignited the defense with a shoestring catch in center field with one out in the third. The play--plus a tough job earlier hanging in at the plate when he was playing catcher on a tag play at home--earned Gabe a helmet sticker. Then, in the top of the fourth, Smiley made a pair of sparkling plays at third base, including one backhanded stop down the third-base line that robbed the Lookouts' Keegan of a sure double. Smiley's plays were part of a scoreless Lookout fourth, the third time this year the Mudcats have posted a scoreless inning.

One final helmet sticker was awarded to Big Ben, who took a painful pitch off the kneecap--just above his shin guard--while playing catcher in the fifth inning. He had to leave the game but was able to accept his sticker for toughness with a smile.

The win earned the Mudcats three valuable rewards. The victory officially indoctrinated the squad's new players, and new Mudcats practice jerseys--complete with player numbers on the back--were given to all team members. Then, as Coach Andrew examined the remaining helmet stickers, he mused, "Why would they be cut in two's?" One answer, of course, is that GM Jenn is very prepared. The other reason was shouted by Gabe: "We got our gloves down and ready on every play!" That meant the team had met the post-scrimmage challenge to be baseball-ready on every pitch, even facing an opponent that preferred a slower tempo.

There's a short turnaround before the next practice, as the Mudcats will practice Sunday at noon at West Raleigh. The next game is Tuesday night at 5:30 against the Bees, as the offense will try to continue a hot streak that has seen every player on the roster either score at least one run or drive in at least one run through the first two games.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays

First inning
Sticks began the scoring with an RBI triple deep to left-center. Big Ben drove him home with an RBI fielder's choice.
Score: Lookouts 3, Mudcats 2

Second inning
LB (which stands for "Level Bat," of course) reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on a two-out single by Hayes. JJ, Asher, Brenner and Tyler combined for back-to-back-to-back-to-back RBI singles to provide the two-out scoring.
Score: Mudcats 6, Lookouts 5

Third inning
Smiley led off with a deep double and scored on a single by Sticks. Big Ben picked up an infield single, and Christopher followed with a run-scoring double. Anthony cleared the bases with a thunderous triple that was aided by some very heads-up baserunning, then scored on Gabe's single. More aggressive baserunning gave JJ an RBI double, and Asher completed the scoring with an RBI fielder's choice.
Score: Mudcats 13, Lookouts 6

Fourth inning
Drew continued his standout day with a line shot double that scored Smiley.
Score: Mudcats 14, Lookouts 6

Saturday's Web Gems

• Gabe snagged a fly ball off his shoetops in center field.
• Smiley made two terrific plays at third base, including a very difficult play to his right. On that play, Anthony alertly covered second base, enabling Smiley to throw to second for the force.
• Neal Anderson (more popularly known as Hayes's dad) showed good form and focus by using two hands and smoothly hauling in a pop foul behind the plate, then firing the ball back onto the field. At Sunday's practice the coaches will work with him on running at the lead runner and yelling, "TIME!"

Game 1: Scrappers 14, Mudcats 5

In recent West Raleigh Baseball history, the Mudcats and Scrappers have been very similar teams. Two years ago, both teams finished with one loss apiece--each dealing the other their lone defeat. In both the fall '09 and spring '10 seasons the two teams played at least one one-run game. Both teams drafted the same number of new players for the fall '10 season.

In Thursday night's fall 2010 season opener, the margin on the scoreboard was wider, as the Scrappers took a 14-5 victory. But the separation between the two teams was much thinner, with the Mudcats falling victim to one big Scrapper inning that proved to be the difference.

The Mudcats immediately broke in the snazzy new black game jerseys with two runs in the top of the first, keyed by the first of three line-drive singles for Smiley, a one-out double from Sticks, and a two-out, two-strike RBI single by Charley. "I was very proud of howyougot out there on this stage in front of this crowd and came out the way you did," Coach Andrew told the team after the game.

The Scrappers battled back with three runs in the bottom of the first, and after both teams went scoreless in the second, the Scrappers opened up the game in the bottom of the third. They pounded out eight of their 23 hits in that frame, sending 11 hitters to the plate and scoring six times. They followed that with five runs in the bottom of the fourth, stretching the advantage to a daunting 14-2.

There were signs, perhaps, that both innings could have been snuffed out a little sooner. "The difference in competing and not competing in this game is being down and ready on every pitch and hustling on every play," Coach Andrew said. That meant the Mudcats did not fulfill the challenge from last week's scrimmage, when they were told that creeping on every pitch and giving full focus at all times would result in a windfall of two stickers per player. However, Coach Andrew reissued the challenge for Saturday's game, meaning that complete focus could still generate the double-sticker reward. "It's a whole different ballgame with the difference between this (standing lazily, arms slack at his sides) and this (poised on the balls of his feet, knees bent and eyes forward)," he told his team. "Top to bottom, we are better than we showed tonight."

The Mudcats did flash that potential in the fifth. Trailing 14-2, they were in danger of seeing the game end before a full six innings unless they could retire the Scrappers in fewer than 10 minutes. Perhaps inspired by the hustle being flashed on the pitcher's mound, they pulled off a 1-2-3 inning that enabled the game to continue into the sixth, when the Mudcats--who also posted a rally in the final scrimmage inning against the Bees, scoring six runs in the sixth--put together a mini-rally that produced three runs. "You gave yourself a chance to win with the way you played in that 1-2-3 inning," Coach Andrew said. "Do you realize how good you could be if you do that every time? Going forward, that's what we're going to do. We're going to be down and ready, and we're going to be ready to play on every pitch of every game."

Saturday's game begins at 1 p.m. with pregame at noon. The Mudcats will also be participating in the opening ceremonies at 11 a.m. No word on whether those ceremonies will include the lighting of the official West Raleigh torch (perhaps lit by a flaming baseball thrown from home plate?) and/or live commentary from Bob Costas.

Thursday's Mudcat scoring plays

First inning
Smiley singled for the first of his three hits. With one out, Sticks ripped a double to right-center, scoring Smiley. Charley put together a terrific two-out at-bat, stretching the count to two strikes before he punched the ball up the middle to score Sticks.
Score after one-half inning: Mudcats 2, Scrappers 0

Sixth inning
With one out, Smiley again lined a single to center. Christopher drove a single to left, and Sticks picked up his second RBI with a single up the middle. After a fielder's choice, Charley singled to right for his second RBI, and Big Ben closed the scoring with an RBI single to right.
Final score: Scrappers 14, Mudcats 5

Thursday's Web Gems

• In the first inning, Hayes made a shoestring catch of a fly ball in left-center that saved multiple runs. Hayes was awarded a helmet sticker for his solid defensive play, quality at-bats, and all-around hustle.



• In the 1-2-3 fifth, both middle infielders made quality plays. First, it was second baseman Anthony ranging far to his right to stop a hard ground ball. He then had the presence of mind to make a strong throw to Christopher at first base to easily retire the hitter.



• On the very next batter, Sticks came across the middle of the diamond from his shortstop position, smoothly made the play on a ground ball, and completed the play with a solid throw to first to retire the side.



• The night's other helmet sticker went to Asher, who zoomed in from right field--with his parents holding their collective breath that his very roomy pants wouldn't fall down when he ran--to back up an errant throw at first base, saving a potential extra base.

Practice #10--A bunch of creeps

The Mudcats arrived at East Cary to find that the grounds crew--made up of a flock of geese--had just finished manicuring the field. Luckily, someone was able to snap a photo of the pristine condition (seen off to the right is Coach Andrew dragging the infield, which had the exact same level of effectiveness as when Coach K pledged to stop cursing).

Given the conditions, the practice options were somewhat limited. Showing some flexibility, the Mudcats scrubbed a planned scrimmage and instead went to practice option two. First, the coaching staff explained the game procedures for Thursday night. Pregame will also include the Pledge of Allegiance--with, as Coach Andrew may have mentioned a time or two, the players' feet lined up behind the foul line but not touching the line.

In addition to the normal pregame festivities, Saturday's game also includes the annual West Raleigh Baseball opening ceremonies, which feature a silent auction for a parking spot plus the opportunity to bid on an actual Coach Mike game-used water hose. Part of those ceremonies will be a relay race in which each team will be represented by one player. To decide which Mudcat would participate, the squad held a team-wide 40-yard dash on Thursday. Smiley earned the right to represent the Mudcats, holding off Ben Penchuk at the wire.

With the infield slightly dangerous, the coaches decided against live hitting. Instead, they split the remainder of practice into four periods, with three Mudcats running the bases in each period. The rest of the team was sent to their respective positions on the field and forced to play the ball as if it was a game situation when Coach Andrew threw the ball into play. That made it very much a thinking practice. Let's see, runner on first, two outs, I'm at shortstop...where's the play? Runners on second and third, one out, I'm in left field...where's the play?

Perhaps still a little disappointed about missing out on the planned scrimmage, the opening periods started a little slowly. The mood was further darkened when Charley took a rough tumble at first base, but the way he hopped up and recovered after seeing a little blood seemed to ignite his teammates. By the time the sun was sinking behind the treeline and Coach Andrew called out for the defense to turn in a 1-2-3 inning, they did it flawlessly.

Players have the opportunity to earn two stickers at tomorrow's game. The goal: show a baseball-ready position on every single pitch, no matter what position they're playing. That means "creeping" on every play--getting their feet moving as the ball is delivered to be ready to move as soon as it's hit. As Coach Andrew promised after the scrimmage, if all 13 players and most parents (expectations are much lower for the parents, as they should be) are baseball-ready on every pitch, every Mudcat will receive two stickers.

Thursday's pregame is at 4:30, with the first pitch at 5:30 on The Ocho).

Fall 2010 Concession Duty

Date and Time                                Player Family

Monday, September 13 4:45PM - 7:00PM:        Proctor and Chapman

Monday, September 13 7:00PM - 9:30PM:        Anderson and Alberghina

Friday, October 1 4:45PM - 7:00PM:                Hunt and Gruskin

Friday, October 1 7:00PM - 9:30PM:                Bouquin and Hegeman

Thursday, October 28 4:45PM - 7:00PM:          Key and Mitchell

Thursday, October 28 7:00PM - 9:30PM:          Penchuk and Lucas

Practice #9--Hitting wonderland

You know it's a fun practice when there are so many hitting stations you can't keep up with all of them. The Hegeman family offered up their aptly described "hitting wonderland," as Coach Andrew called it, for an optional workout on Monday.

The afternoon started fairly simply, with some of the normal stations: tee, live pitching, Hurricane and soft toss. The Gum Challenge was once again issued by Coach Andrew, as any player who smacked a line drive off the back of the net during live pitching received a piece of gum.

Add in a basketball station, on which there was one especially good player who kept posting up and dunking on all challengers (side note: challengers may have been about a foot shorter), and that seems like enough for a good holiday practice. But the coaches also unleashed the heretofore unseen Zip 'N Hit, which in addition to being a very good hitting drill, also makes the person (in this case Coach Rob) "throwing" the ball feel like a devastating pitcher with all sorts of movement and velocity. The Mudcats also got some swings in on the Hit a Way, which is designed to showcase the uncanny ability of Americans to take a simple concept, put a fancy name on it, and sell it for $79.99, which is why they are standing in line for bread in the former Soviet Union and we are pummeling their best boxers in Oscar-worthy head-to-head showdowns.

Practice accidentally ended early, which Coach Andrew immediately remedied by offering up the tantalizing opportunity to catch a few tennis ball fly balls. He also illustrated one of the fundamental rules of coaching--coaching is stealing--by incorporating a drill from UNC baseball camp this summer that required the Mudcats to lay flat on the grass facing away from him, hop up as soon as the ball was hit, find the ball, and make the catch. The unsung hero of this drill was Frank, who was in charge of defending the treeline, which was endangered by a combination of some dizzily stumbling Mudcats and Coach Andrew's desire to hit Federer-like forehands in honor of the US Open.

The next practice is Wednesday at 6 at East Cary, which is known at our house as "the field really close to the Dairy Queen." The fall 2010 season opener is Thursday night at 5:30, with the television network still to be announced.

Scrimmage: Bees 15, Mudcats 10

The Mudcats learned Wednesday night that they have the potential to be a very solid defensive team. There were web gems galore in the 15-10 scrimmage loss to the Bees: a great diving play by Ben Penchuk in center field that cut off a potential extra-base hit and held the hitter to a single; a smooth play coming across the infield by Smiley when he speared a grounder that appeared headed to the hole between third and short and threw out the runner at first; at least one nice scoop at first base of a short-hop throw by Christopher; and a crisp 1-2-3 fourth inning when the Mudcat infield made three consecutive flawless plays.

But what undid the Mudcats, especially in the three big Bee innings--a four-run first, a four-run third and a back-breaking seven-run fifth--were struggles with more routine plays. "If we make the routine plays the way we made the SportsCenter plays tonight, we're going to be a very good team," Coach Andrew told the squad after the loss. The coaching staff did identify a couple of areas for improvement that should cure the defensive issues. There will be an extra focus on being alert on every pitch at future practices and games, and a continued effort to always know what to do with the ball before it is pitched. "There was a little too much standing around," Coach Andrew told the team as he demonstrated the difference between a more casual ready position and the cat-quick, knees-bent stance he wants to see in the future.

Offensively, the Mudcats actually outhit the Bees, 19-16, and put together a near miraculous rally in the top of the sixth, scoring six runs and loading the bases before running out of hits. Every player in the lineup reached base at least once, and eight different players scored runs. Big Ben and Charley each had three-hit days, while Drew and Christopher both picked up doubles and had clutch, last-strike at-bats that led to Mudcat runs.

The challenge now turns to converting those hits into runs. "We probably could've had a few big innings if we ran the bases a little better," Coach Andrew said. "We will work on that next time." That's exactly the point of a scrimmage--to show everyone what a young team needs to work on before the regular season begins on Sept. 9 with an ESPN showdown against the Scrappers.

A helmet sticker was awarded to Smiley for being the defensive "spectacle of the game," according to Coach Andrew (There are good ways and bad ways to be the "spectacle of the game"--Smiley's was definitely the good way). Christopher also picked up a sticker for his terrific work at first base in his first action at that position, and Little Ben (solid defensive play and a two-RBI single in the sixth) and Gabe (quality work behind the plate) also earned stickers.

Coach Andrew also revealed that he has been known to give stickers to the entire team for a particularly impressive effort. That didn't happen on Wednesday, but..."You were right on the edge of getting that," he told the Mudcats. "Here's the deal: at our first game, I don't care if we win or lose, but I want to see a focused, ready-to-play-baseball group on every pitch. If we can do that, that will mean two stickers for the entire team."

Everyone should enjoy their Labor Day weekend, whether that means going to
a hurricane party
the beach, watching college football, or fielding 500 grounders per day and then running stairs for an hour. Hey, when did Coach Andrew get access to post on the blog? The next team activity is Sunday night's Durham Bulls game. The next scheduled practice is Wednesday at 6 p.m. at East Cary.

Wednesday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Smiley leads off with a single to right-center and scores on Christopher's run-scoring two-strike double. Drew earns a couple extra pitches by fouling off the seventh pitch and then strokes a a single to center, scoring Christopher.
Score: Mudcats 2, Bees 0

Fourth inning
Anthony leads off with a single and moves to second on Charley's single. An infield single from Gabe loads the bases, and a ground ball off the bat of J.J. scores Anthony (and almost necessitates the first instant replay review in West Raleigh history as the coaches and umpires tried to sort out the potential obstruction on the bases).
Score: Bees 8, Mudcats 3

Fifth inning
Big Ben starts the inning with a single and advances to second on a throwing error. Asher
accidentally
consciously tries to hit the ball to the right side to move up the runner, and is retired at first with Ben moving to third. Brenner picks up his first career hit and first career RBI with a sharp grounder to the left side.
Score: Bees 8, Mudcats 4

Sixth inning
Drew starts an improbable rally with a leadoff double. He moves to third on Anthony's single and scores on Charley's single. The third straight single belongs to Gabe. With one out and the bases loaded, Little Ben rips a line drive to center that scores two. Big Ben follows with a run-scoring single, and with two outs, Brenner picks up his second RBI with a single to left and Smiley drives in another run with a single to end the scoring.
Score: Bees 15, Mudcats 10

Wednesday's Web Gems

• Smiley's play at third base moving to his left, spearing a hard-hit grounder, and throwing to Christopher to easily retire the runner.
• Little Ben's diving stop in center field that turned a potential double or triple into a single.
• The all-around general heads-up play by the infield at being aware of where the lead runner was at all times, and making the easy play--as with Drew's flip to a wisely covering Anthony to end the first--rather than a potentially hazardous more difficult play.