State

Bobby LeCount

Essay Fun

P.5

Coaching

Without a good coach there’s no stability in a team. A prime example of this is the 2007-2008 Shorewood Baseball Team. We had a lot of talent and were better than what our 13-10 record showed for. There were three or four games where we lost by a couple runs, or made some stupid base running mistakes. I think we could’ve won those games if we put in people who could actually run the bases smartly instead of putting in a little faster person but not as good of a base runner. Having speed and being smart are totally different things. I would rather have a smart runner than having a guy possibly getting picked off and ruining the game that way. If we stuck together and played as team, and not worrying about messing up and getting benched, then we could’ve won those games and possibly could’ve been 17-6, and maybe could have gotten further in the playoffs.

            Even though we had five coaches, we were a little under coached. Our outfielders were pretty reliable and the infield was on lockdown. The pitching was off and on, not very consistent. We hit the crap out of the ball pretty much every game, except for a couple. It was like seeing a beach ball floating to the plate, and when you hit the ball it just float like a paper airplane that would never come down. But our catchers were not good at all and that’s how we ultimately lost in the playoffs, well the one that really mattered. We won our first game in the playoffs by beating Monroe, and the next game would decide if we go to state or have to play another game after that to see if we can go. But in the first game we were up 5-2 against Mountlake Terrace and there was two out in the bottom of the sixth inning, with runners on first and second with a 3-2 count on the hitter. Our pitcher (Cole Clerget) threw a ball and our catcher (Derek Schaffer) decided to throw the ball down to third even when it was ball four. It wouldn’t have been that bad if he threw it to the third baseman (Trevor Mitsui) but he over threw the third basemen, and they got 2 runs off that. So now the score is 5-4. Then the next guy gets a hit and it’s all tied up. We end up losing the game in the bottom of the ninth with a Terrace hitter pulling the ball down the left field line and the guy who was on first scored rather easily. After seeing that runner come across the plate and the Mountlake Terrace team going crazy, my stomach turned and it felt like my heart broke. It was worse than breaking up with your girlfriend. The pain was unbearable; I just wanted to go sit down and do nothing. On the bus ride home no one said a word. I looked around and I saw the disappointment on everyone’s face and I was so close to crying because it felt like I let my team down. Those looks haunted me for months and months. I never want to see those looks ever again, because if I see them then I know I failed in some way.

After we lost we had to play the next day and the whole team was emotionally drained from the game before. We played about the worst we’ve played all season until the bottom of the seventh inning when we scored four runs and ended up losing seven to four.

            If we spent more time on the little things, as in base running, communicating, being disciplined at the plate and not throwing the ball down to third base when it was ball four with two outs, we could’ve won that game against Mountlake Terrace. When we practice everyone doesn’t want to put in the work but that’s the most valuable time so we can get better in those elements of the game. I have always told myself when I’m a senior all the slacking off is not going to fly, and we’re going to work hard every day and be good and THE team to beat in Wesco.

            Over the years I’ve learned that if you really want something you need to work hard for it. This is a prime example of wanting something really bad, not putting out the effort to get it, and coming up short. Since everyone on the team this year has felt the disappointment from last year, we have been as a team, working harder than ever to achieve our ultimate goal; WINNING STATE.