Despite being down three players and deprived of practice time, the Blue Jays were the more ready team in their tilt with the Yankees on Sunday, April 14, at Avenel Local Park.
The Blue Jays have worked hard on their own and with their parents. Even better, they arrived at the field early for batting practice, stretching, and fielding warm-up. The opponent - a nice group of folks, to be sure - saw half of its team show up after the first pitch had been thrown.
It was therefore no surprise when the Blue Jays jumped out to a 7-0 advantage after three innings. An older and physically bigger team, the Yankees stepped up and made things interesting late in the game, but it wasn't enough.
Baseball teaches many lessons, one of the more valuable of which is that preparation beforehand and focus in the moment can lead to accomplishments that might otherwise be out of reach.
The final score was Blue Jays 11, Yankees 9.
April 14 Game Report
Noah Solovey is a smart kid with parents who managed to get him to optional practice on Saturday. His first round of BP did not produce the desired results. After making a couple of small but significant adjustments, Noah seemed to hit every pitch in his second batting practice round. And then Sunday happened - a pristine 4-for-4 batting line, one run scored, and a team-leading four RBI. The clear offensive MVP, Noah had a role in almost half of his team's offensive production. Let's hear it for reps!
Noah contributed defensively with a very good stop on a grounder at 2nd base in the top of the third inning. He also took a turn at catcher and performed admirably.
Jacob helped get the Blue Jays off to a great start with two assisted puts-outs in the top of the first. Playing at 1st base, he made easy work of good throws from the pitcher's helper on consecutive grounders up the middle. The pair of put-outs allowed the Blue Jays to get off the field quickly and build early momentum that would be key to the final outcome.
Adam Farber has been working with his dad to improve his hitting. The presence of a Tanner Tee - the same brand the pros use - was a dead giveaway. We see the fruits of Adam's labor above. With his eyes on the ball and his bat level, Adam pounded this offering to right field. In addition to an awesome 3-for-4 batting line, Adam scored a run and registered an RBI.
After playing at catcher, something we now know he could live without, Adam moved to 3rd base for much of the game. His good stop on a ground ball led to an unassisted force play that was key to thwarting a Yankees' rally in the top of the fifth. Above, he returns the ball to the pitcher after making a nice catch on a throw from the shortstop.
Brody Gottfried used his second and third plate appearances to work on keeping his hands higher while awaiting the pitch. We would like to see the hands at shoulder level or slightly above. His effort very nearly paid off with a base hit in the bottom of the fourth, but the ball rolled just barely into foul territory along the 3rd base line.
Brody approaches the catcher position with toughness and a positive attitude, qualities that will put him in the good graces any coaching staff. Above, Brody prepares to take his turn behind the dish in the top of the third inning. Later, he completed an assisted put-out at 2nd base, taking a hand-off from the left fielder to execute an unorthodox but effective play in the top of the fifth.
Seamus Bain continued to adapt to hitting against the machine in the game with the Yankees. Above, he shows outstanding form during his second plate appearance. Seamus enjoyed a productive 2-for-4 day that also included a run scored.
Seamus has serious potential as a 2nd baseman. His glove work is ahead of the curve for a kid his age and his throwing is on the upswing. Above, Seamus mans the keystone position in the top of the first inning. He also took his first career turn at catcher and did so with a customary smile on his face.
Few kids are as determined to get a hit as Henry Goldstein was in the bottom of the fourth inning. Above, he prepares to line a laser to right field for a clean knock. Henry has worked hard and developed a fundamentally sound stance and swing. As soon as he is able to follow the ball with his eyes all the way to his bat, it'll be time to put away the good china.
An aggressive defender, Henry played well at 3rd base in the third and fourth innings. He also took his first career turn at catcher in the top of the fifth. He appeared to hold up well.
Niara Gupta is an outstanding hitter when she forces herself to set up close to the plate. Like several of her teammates, Niara doesn't have any margin for error when it comes to positioning due to the length of her arms. Here, she gets on top of the plate and prepares to blast a single to the left side. Niara's 2-for-4 performance included a key RBI that got her team off to a good start in the bottom of the first.
Niara contributed to the Blue Jays' defensive highlight reel in the top of the third inning. Playing at pitcher's helper with a runner on base and two out, Niara used terrific fundamentals to field a well hit grounder. She then calmly turned and threw an absolutely perfect strike to 1st base, beating the runner by a step and ending the inning. Niara had a busy day at the PH position thanks to multiple "swinging bunts" that we will continue to work on when we're finally able to practice.
Batting in the second spot, Sebastian Bloomberg is the engine of the Blue Jays' batting order. In Sunday's game, Sebastian posted a 2-for-4 batting line that included a 100% contact rate, a double, two runs scored, and an RBI. On two different occasions, Sebastian reached on a fielder's choice.
Sebastian contributed four of the Blue Jays' five assists. Above, he delivers a perfect throw to 1st base for a 6-3 put out on a grounder to shortstop in the top of the fourth. Even better, look at the release - no sidearm! Sebastian collected two assists on grounders to pitcher's helper in the first inning. He even completed an assist from left field, handling a grounder, running it in to 2nd base, and depositing the ball in the 2nd baseman's glove for a legal put-out. We haven't seen that one before!
Milen Hukmani picked up where he left off after the season opener, providing power in the early portion of the Blue Jays' lineup. Above, Milen prepares to blast a base hit in the bottom of the first inning. His workmanlike 3-for-4 day at the plate included a run scored and an RBI.
Milen enjoyed being the catcher last week, so we gave him another turn on Sunday. Smartly using the opportunity to focus on tracking and catching thrown balls, Milen then moved to 1st base for the middle portion of the game. He completed an assisted put-out when he caught a good throw from the pitcher's helper to end the top half of the third inning.
Clark Roggie is close to breaking out as a power hitter. If Clark can force himself to wait for the pitch to arrive and then explode through it rather than starting his swing early and slowing down his bat to make contact, the sky is the limit. As it is, Clark is producing good results for the Blue Jays. In Sunday's game, Clark produced a 3-for-4 day with a 100% contact rate, a double, two runs scored and two RBI. He also reached on a fielder's choice.
The ball didn't find Clark very often at shortstop. He did make a couple of nice stops and a good throw to 3rd base that arrived just a hair too late to get the runner.
When the game was over, the Blue Jays congratulated the Yankees, a very nice team of kids, coaches, and parents. We will play these guys again in June.
Operating Efficiency
Coach Eric Delgado led pregame stretching and fielding warm-ups, coached and umpired at 1st base, and helped fielders get lined up properly. More impressively, Eric dedicated his time and effort despite the fact that he didn't even have a kid playing in the game! Unbelievable!
Lance Bloomberg lent his expertise to the cause, coaching and umpiring at 3rd base.
Brett Goldstein worked tirelessly to keep the scorebook despite the opponent's inconsistent batting order. All stats cited in this Game Report are courtesy of Brett.
Great Start
Lacking age and machine-pitch experience, the Blue Jays have proven to be competitive due to preparation, focus, and grit.
The early returns have been positive and much in line with the head coach's expectations. Ten of the Blue Jays' 13 players are still young enough to be eligible to play in coach-pitch this season. Three will still be eligible for coach-pitch next spring. But it isn't about age.
It's about what you do. So far, the Blue Jays are doing the right things!
Coach Steve
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