the playoffs

we made the playoffs!!! it has been a wild ride but we made the league playoffs. as i write this, hang with me.
it started in raleigh when we won and got the "wild card" in the playoffs. it was a big deal. we started the season with a great team. we lost almost all of our original team as well as some that were sent up from "a" ball. just estimating, i can recall at least 10 players who were promoted to "aaa" and 6 who went to the majors. not too bad. i don't know of any other team who sent that many players on. i remember in one day, 6 trades were made. i remember taking my son to a home game and him asking me who were those guys wearing our team uniforms. so many new faces. and, we kept winning!!!
we went to huntsville for 2 games.we won the first game and lost the second. we came home for the third game and won and lead the best of five series 2-1. we went back to huntsville and lost games 4 and five. i thought the trip back home would be hard but these guys being professionals, knew it was "just baseball" and that was the way it went. it was hard loading the bus for the last time. earlier in the day, i sttod in the dugout with any eerie feeling that this was going to be over. i was not ready. i spent a lot of time with these guys and they had become like family to me. i stood looking at the field for a good 30 minutes taking in all i could. the smells, the gentle breeze as i felt it on my face, the sounds of people filing into the stadium and the Star Spangled Banner being sung for the last time. this was harder than i imagined but i knew tonight was do or die.
after the game and as the players came out with their equipment bags, i shook everyones hand and to my surprise, the all hugged me and thanked me!!! they thanked me!!! i was the one who started out thanking them for some lifelong memories and ended up with them thanking me. i was moved beyond words. i started off as "just the bus driver" and according to the coach, i became "team". thinking ahead to next year, i look forward to seeing how these guys will mature and get better. seeing their careers change and their personal lives continue to develop. get married and have children. and i know some will not change beyond time distance.
i am compiling some stats that i have kept thru out the year. when i am finished i will be posting them here as well as my year end recap.
as for me, i am looking forward to seeing my family more often. as much as i loved these players
my own children will always come first. i look forward to seeing my 4 children and creating some lifelong memories of our time together. i missed them everyday and i want them all here with me now. school has started and in time i will.
until next time...