Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Eight

The Last of the First...

Jumping for joy and leaping for victory. Hugs, high fives, dog piles, and champagne. Those boys sure have a lot to be happy about. They’re champions. I’m just sad they’re wearing white uniforms and not gray ones. Because the Hammerheads wore gray tonight. And they don’t have anything but a completed season to be happy about. Second place just sucks. So close. Too bad close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. The winning team, taking home the Florida State League Championship trophy and those shiny rings, were the Lakeland Flying Tigers. But now that I think about it…maybe they needed those things more than we did anyways. Because Lakeland is a crummy, dingy place…and their hardware should certainly brighten the town up a bit. Maybe they can put some money into that dreaded Imperial Swan Hotel they’ve got. At least enough to hire an exterminator to clean up the cockroaches. Haha…ok, I’m being a brat. It’s just that I’m a bit frustrated and sour about the season-ending loss. Our starting pitcher went 7 shutout innings – an incredible effort - but we couldn’t find a way to score…our bats were dead. Buried. Six feet under.  We mustered only 4 hits and committed 3 errors. And the Flying Tigers won’t ever let us forget that. They took advantage of a few mistakes in the bottom of the eighth inning, scored 2 runs, and never looked back. 

Well, maybe they looked back and taunted the Hammerheads as they made their brutal walk of shame to the visiting clubhouse. Maybe they didn’t. I don’t know. But seriously? As if losing wasn’t bad enough…all our Hammerheads had to pass by the celebrating Tigers’ in order to get back to the bus. Lame.  Gosh, I felt bad. We were just so close. So so close. We only needed one more win. They needed two. And that, they achieved. Dag gummit! Sigh.

Regardless of outcome, though I’d have it another way if I could, I am still so incredibly proud of my husband, the Hammerheads, and the amazing season they put together. We are so fortunate to have been able to return to Jupiter, meet a bunch of really neat guys, and play for a Championship in our first year of professional baseball.  We LOVE this team! 

Adam learned an incredible amount over the course of these last six months. With his newly acquired knowledge and a bit of hard reflection, his second season should be even better than his first! And his first was really good!!! It’s crazy to say, especially because our first year literally just ended, but I’m already looking forward to the upcoming excitement of Spring Training, team placement, and the adventures next season will bring! Outstanding job on your first year of professional baseball, Honey! You make every single one of us so proud. 

And just to brighten the somber mood of the traveling Hammerhead posse,  3 little Marlins decided to attack the Flying Tiger on our way out of the stadium. Here they are, poking out his eyes! Haha! Yeah, take that, you Flying Tiger! And didn’t your mom teach you anything?! TIGERS DON’T FLY! Shesh.

The mommy of these handsome young men is the wife of Adam’s hitting coach here in Jupiter. She’s a travel agent…and…she JUST booked our Honeymoon!!!! Wahoo!! Something positive, has in fact, come out of today. Hooray!