Good post, Andy. Just reading that made me think of my own childhood baseball dreams, which were pretty much exactly the same, with a couple of exceptions. Of course, my visions always involved the Twins. but also, in my visions, the bases were always loaded! I mean, who wants to hit a 3-run homer to win the World Series, when you can hit a grand slam, just by adding one more base runner to your imagination?

I also miss the Little League/Teener days. I never made it to Legion ball because working and making money for college had to take precedence. But I was able to stay in the game by being a Little League umpire, and if there was one thing I grew to appreciate more than any other, other than seeing how much the young players enjoyed playing the game, it was watching how much the coaches of these Little League teams would teach their players. Unfortunately, it seemed like more coaches were out to win ball games at all costs, rather than to teach kids fundamentals. So, if you have kids who love to play the game, do what you can to encourage that. On the other hand, if they have talent, but don't seem to display that love for the game, then maybe take a closer look at what seems to bother them when they play (and I'm not talking about mosquitoes).

Happy Holiday Weekend!!
- Radiooo