The Blue Jays worked hard at practice, arrived early for pregame warm-up, and started Sunday's contest ready to play! Displaying energy, enthusiasm, effort and knowledge of the game, the Blue Jays authored a "How To" manual for playing coach-pitch baseball, a level that they appear to be outgrowing rapidly.
Parents deserve much of the credit. Despite having other attractive options for their spare time, they get their kids to practices and games. That's how skills develop, confidence grows, and a group of kids becomes a TEAM!
It also happens to be pretty fun to watch!
The Blue Jays completed ten put-outs on the opponents' 24 at bats - not a record but a solid showing given the amount of time they were required to stand in their positions and wait for something to happen. That would be a tall task for adults!
The bats remained hot, generating an amazing 13 extra base hits in 36 plate appearances! The Blue Jays were not thrown out once. We've seen a lot at this level, some of it very strange, but we hadn't witnessed that particular anomaly until now.
These cool customers look like they're ready to tackle machine-pitch.
They will have new rules to learn and skills to develop, but this crew appears to be up to the task!
The game with the Rangers showed what listening, thinking, working hard and having fun together can produce!
October 7 Game Report
Milen Hukmani arrived early, claimed the top spot in the batting order, and ignited the Blue Jays' offensive machine at the outset of each inning. Providing a hint that this would not be a normal coach-pitch game, he slammed a double to right center field to lead off the top of the first. After knocking a hard groundball single up the middle in the second, Milen lined a laser beam to center field for his second double of the day in the top half of the third.
Not content to contribute solely with his bat, Milen used his brain to help the Blue Jays complete a double play in the bottom of the second. Playing at 2nd base, Milen saw his teammate make a great catch at left pitcher's helper and noticed that the opposing base runner had taken off for 3rd. Knowing he had a double play opportunity, Milen covered 2nd and caught the throw to erase the runner!
Josh Porter played the role of Omega to Milen's Alpha in each offensive stanza. Separating his feet to expand his base and load up torque, Josh concluded the top half of the first inning with a double to left center field. He then shot the gap with another drive in the top of the second. Josh tied a bow on the Blue Jays' offensive output with a towering double down the left field line that cleared the bases in the third.
Josh took some solid reps at 3rd base in the bottom half of the second. After a couple of near misses on balls that veered into foul territory, Josh fielded a slow roller that remained fair and retreated to the 3rd base bag to complete an unassisted force play.
At some point after Friday's practice and before Sunday's game, Niara Gupta took a nasty spill on her bicycle. You wouldn't know it from watching her hit! Niara made quick work of each at bat, slamming three solid singles, two of which rolled to the outfield!
Wearing a smile in spite of her non baseball-related injury, Niara demonstrated the same hustle and quickness to the ball that we had witnessed at practice. Playing at right pitcher's helper, she made a great, hustling play on a "swinging bunt" that rolled down the 1st base line and stopped about ten feet from home plate. Due to the 50 foot base-to-base dimensions, that play is basically a guaranteed hit if the batter doesn't forget to run. Niara came this close to getting the throw to 1st on time.
Peter Herdman elevated his game in two different ways in Sunday's contest. Above, Peter adjusts his hands upward in order to hit a pitch that is up in the zone. Historically, that is not where Peter has wanted to swing; he's been a low-ball hitter. Making the adjustment, Peter got on top of the high pitch and blasted a double that landed in the center field grass! On a day when the Blue Jays littered the outfield with baseballs, Peter's extra base hit ranked at or near the top of the list.
Peter's second developmental leap occurred at the 1st base bag in the bottom of the third inning. He scooped up a groundball and stepped on the base to notch the out - a play we've seen Peter make time and again. What we hadn't seen was what came next. Peter realized that he had notched the force out quickly enough that the runner at 2nd was still advancing to 3rd. He turned to his glove side and heaved an accurate throw to the 3rd baseman in an attempt to complete a double play. The runner beat the tag by a smidgeon, but that doesn't matter. The important thing is that Peter thought "What's next?" and made the correct decision after he had completed the first out!
The head coach had an inclination that Brody Gottfried might have been primed for his best career day at the plate. Brody took advantage of Saturday's optional machine-pitch batting practice in order to get reps and gain confidence. Brody discovered that coach-pitch is pretty easy after you take more than 70 batting reps versus the machine! His hard work was rewarded on Sunday with three authoritative hits including his first career double, a blast to right field in the top of the second!
Brody was warmed up and ready to play at left shortstop in the bottom of the second inning. Unfortunately, he didn't see much action. This was one of those games in which the opposing team had difficulty hitting the ball beyond the pitcher's helpers. We expect the ball to come Brody's way more often next week.
Dominic Delgado brought some pop to the middle of the Blue Jays' batting order. Above, he tracks a pitch that he would deliver to center field for a stand-up double in the top of the first inning. After reaching on a solid groundball base hit in the second, Dominic blasted yet another double up the middle in the top of the third.
Dominic's defensive exploits tend to fill up a notepad! After notching an unassisted force play at 1st base, he upped the ante, made a running catch on an infield pop-up and delivered a quick strike to 2nd base to complete the double play on a runner who had not tagged up. Playing at left pitcher's helper in the third, Dominic tagged out a runner who was trying to score; one play later, he ranged into foul territory, caught a pop-up on the run, and nearly doubled up another runner who had wandered from 1st base!
After honing his batting skills during optional machine-pitch practice on Saturday, Noah Solovey cranked out the hits on Sunday! He blasted a base hit up the middle on the first pitch he saw in his initial at bat. Batting with runners on base in each trip to the plate, Noah then delivered run-scoring singles in the second and third innings.
We've enjoyed watching Noah improve his recognition of the space he needs to cover in the field. He took another step forward at the right pitcher's helper position in the game with the Rangers. Not waiting for the ball to come to him, Noah charged a slow grounder and made an excellent stop between his two feet, just as he had been taught.
Attacking each plate appearance with energy and urgency, Sebastian Bloomberg ripped an incredible hit on the first pitch of each at bat. His first inning double to center field reached the grass in the air. He slammed a liner up the middle for a base hit in the second. Sebastian capped his performance with another no-doubt double to center in the top of the third.
Sebastian made one of the more impressive heads-up plays of the day in the bottom of the second inning. Handling the left shortstop position, he cleanly fielded a well hit grounder. Having the presence of mind to realize that a forced runner was heading toward him on the way to 3rd base, Sebastian reached out and tagged the runner out. He then threw to 2nd base in an attempt to complete a double play.
Jacob Carle commenced a productive day at the plate with a base hit beyond the left shortstop. His best effort came in the top of the second when he laced a line drive to center field for a double. Jacob concluded his workmanlike performance with another solid single in the top of the third.
Jacob was impressive with the glove at 1st base in the bottom half of the first inning. He warmed up by picking three errant throws out of the dirt - a skill that will save extra bases in machine-pitch. Jacob then roused what had been a slow-starting defense with two unassisted outs on groundballs to 1st base.
When Evan Phillips overcomes his dissonance regarding bat selection, he tends to hit the tar out of the ball! Above, he pulls his hands in and hits a pitch on the inside corner of the plate. Evan deserved a double on his liner up the middle in the top of the first; unfortunately, he hit the ball so hard that the pitcher didn't have time to get out of the way!
Evan's throwing technique and arm strength appeared to take developmental leaps in the course of one week. In the top of the first inning, he made three outstanding stops on grounders at right shortstop and put some serious heat on his deliveries to 1st base. It appears that the time has come for Evan to take some reps on the left side of the infield.
Henry Goldstein continues to impress in his second season (and first year) of baseball! Above, Henry gets his hands back prior to ripping a ground ball base hit that would not stop until it reached left field! In the top of the third, Henry used his quick wheels to easily beat out an infield single on a mishit. Nobody hits it on the screws every time; if you hustle and do not watch your hits then you can reach safely even when you don't square it up.
Hustle is the word that comes to mind when we think of Henry. He now tends to attack ground balls as a matter of habit. In Sunday's game, Henry made two excellent stops on grounders at right pitcher's helper in the bottom of the first inning.
We saw glimpses of Clark Roggie's power potential in the game with the Rangers. Batting in the second spot in the order, Clark delivered a liner to right center field that gave the Blue Jays back-to-back doubles to start the game! His line drive to the right side in the top of the second probably would've been good for a double had it not beaned the right shortstop in the chest. Clark's third hit, a double to deep center field in the top of the third, traveled about 150 feet in the air with limited launch angle.
Clark saw surprisingly little action at 2nd base in the bottom of the third inning. He did make a nice stop on a groundball at left pitcher's helper in the bottom of the second. Interestingly, Clark also showed well at 1st base, a position he hasn't played in more than a year, during pregame warm-up.
The Rangers seem like a nice group of kids who have potential and want to play ball. Unfortunately, their coach moved away at the beginning of the season. We hope those kids will give baseball another chance.
Fine Tuned
Eric Carle coached at 1st base in the first and second innings. He then took a turn behind the dish after the starting catcher wilted in the sun. He was a lifesaver!
Ryan Porter provided the post game snacks. Navin and Monica Hukmani realized that no one had signed up to provide drinks. They took the initiative to round up refreshments and bring them for everyone to enjoy after the game. Thanks to Navin and Monica, disaster was averted!
Navin also coached at 3rd base.
Coach Eric Delgado really is the Secret Sauce. In Sunday's game, he pitched a total of 52 at bats - 36 to the Blue Jays and 16 to the Rangers. He also coached the Blue Jays' fielders while the head coach cooled himself on the bench.
On a day that featured multiple prime time performances, Eric was clearly the MVP!
Evan Gottfried snapped the vast majority of the photos that were used in this report. The shot above is a rare exception.
T-E-A-M
This team is really coming together!
The Blue Jays are having fun and playing well.
Enjoy it while it lasts. Only two practices and games remain prior to the long winter layoff.
Coach Steve
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