Every Coach’s Dream, A True Story about Dixie Youth Baseball in Three Small Towns, by Harold A Brown

Chapter 16: Post Season

Part 1: Game One In The Tournament – Rockvale

Youth looks to the future and old age looks to the past.

The league would finish with a tournament. The Red team would start with Rockvale and College Grove would compete against Nolensville Blue. The first two games would be played at Rockvale on Tuesday and the two winners and the two losers would play at College Grove on Saturday.

The first game of the tournament would be in Rockvale on Tuesday night. Pitching would be critical. Coach knew that they would see a lot of Jimmy McCrary. He was Rockvale’s best and had beaten College Grove three times during the regular season. Coach wanted to win the tournament and that is how he would play the games. The team wanted another shot at College Grove.

Jimmy McCrary’s first inning set the tone for the rest of the game. He threw nine straight strikes for three strikeout. Lajuane, Owen and Marty each in their own turn.

Coach took some criticism for starting Jimmy Johnson instead of Rocket but the plan was to win two games not one. The criticism came from Coach Bennett of College Grove. He did the same thing in his opening game.

Jimmy struck out their catcher J. Williams. Rockvale’s sure handed shortstop hit a single to right center spoiling Jimmy’s chance for a no hitter. M. Williams was starting at third and recorded Jimmy’s second strikeout. Chris Burns hit an infield fly that was collected by Marty at second.

Rocket was first up for the top of the second and popped up to first. Jimmy Johnson struck out and Darryl walked. Williams was having a hard time stopping McCrary’s pitches behind the plate and Darryl took two extra bases settling at third for Teddy Hannah’s at bat. He did make a connection but it was caught by McCrary for the third out.
Jimmy was pitching strong and struck out the five, six and seven batters to end the bottom of the second. Have a seat Jimmy McCrary, Paul Burns and Shockey.

Striking out did not make any difference in Jimmy McCrary’s pitching. If anything it may have inspired him. He got the next three batter out in order, Derek, Frank and Lajuane. Jimmy’s no hitter was still possible as he finished the top of the third inning.

Rockvale’s left fielder popped up to first and their right fielder M. Johnson and catcher J. Williams both struck out. Three innings were in the book.

Owen would lead off the top of the fourth with a single that would put a stop to Jimmy McCrary’s no hitter. Marty would follow Owen with his second strikeout but his at bat allowed Owen to steal second and third, putting him sixty feet from home. Rocket was being selective at the plate and found the pitch he wanted for an RBI single. He followed Owen’s lead and stole second and third while Jimmy was in the process of striking out. Darrell didn’t give Rocket an opportunity to steal home. His first three pitches were within the strike zone but Darrell couldn’t get his bat on the ball. The top of the fourth gave Nolensville Red the lead while leaving one runner on base.

Oakley hit a fly ball to Frank in left field for out number one. Jimmy did the rest of the work by striking out M. Williams and the ever dangerous Chris Burns.

McCrary started the fifth with new resolve. He struck out Teddy but gave Derek a hitable pitch that found its way to the third baseman. The throw beat Derek to the bag by half a step for the second out. Frank recorded his second strikeout of the game. Three up and three down for the third time.

McCrary hit Jimmy’s first pitch back to Lajuane at shortstop and he threw him out at first. Jimmy lost his concentration and walked the next two batters, Paul Burns and Shockey.

With runs at a premium, the Red team chose to prevent the lead runner from scoring. Morris stuck his bat out and put the ball in play. Darrell fielded it, tagged his base and sent it home but Shockey slid in under the tag. The game was tied. Potts, the number nine batter struck out to end the fifth with one runner left on base.

McCrary was working hard and wanted to win. He was giving it his best. The Red team was back to the top of their order to start the sixth. Lajuane struck out but Owen drew a walk and stole second. He was in scoring position and only needed a base hit to score and give his team the lead. The bats were there they just needed to get the job done. Marty and Rocket both struck out and left Owen stranded at second.

Jimmy had done his job and Coach replaced him on the mound with Rocket.

There are time when a person just scratches his head and wonders what is going on. Rockvale was at the top of their order for the bottom of the sixth. All they needed was a run to win. Rocket walked the first two batters. Coach didn’t wait, Rocket went to third, Jimmy went to first and Darrell took the mound. Coach hoped that the speed change would make a difference at the plate. M. Williams hit a fielder’s choice to shortstop and Lajuane threw to Jimmy at third, getting the lead runner, for the first out. Chris Burns was up with only one out recorded in the inning. Coach knew what he could do with his bat and called for an intentional walk. That loaded the bases and certainly puts extra pressure on the pitcher. Darrell was into the moment. Coach knew that he was excited but focused. He proceeded to strike out McCrary and Paul Burns to end the bottom of the sixth. Three runners were left on base.

Jimmy McCrary by rule was allowed to pitch the seventh inning because he was the starting pitcher. Coach didn’t think that he had pitched that much before and thought that he could be getting tired. Jimmy Johnson was first up and tipped his third strike back to the catcher for out number one. Darrell struck out for number two. Teddy walked on four straight pitches. Derek walked on four straight pitches. Teddy took advantage of his speed and stole second and third while Derek stole second. Teddy knew that he had the green light for home but only if it was a sure thing. There would be no signal just his intuition. While Frank was up, Teddy saw his chance. He was home before anyone on the field or in the stands knew what was happening. In fact, Coach had turned his back to the plate when Teddy took off. He turned back just in time to see Teddy slide in for the go-ahead run. Rockvale’s catcher didn’t have much of a chance.

Jimmy McCrary had thrown a two hitter and was now trailing in the game. He walked Frank and Lajuane to load the bases. Owen flied to third for the final out.
Darrell walked their first batter and he stole second. The tying run was on second with no outs. Everyone except the players felt the pressure. Darrell went to work. He wanted this victory because he loved to win. He struck out the next three batters and they were on their way to meeting College Grove one more time.

Rockvale had recorded one hit and Nolensville had recorded two hits. Jimmy McCrary’s parents would come to coach after the game and tell him that they were going to bring Jimmy to Nolensville to play for him the next season. Coach was flattered but told them he would be moving up with his son.

The real difference in a good coach and a bad coach is his players. Jimmy was a good pitcher and Coach suspected that his parents did take him to another community to play. Coach hoped that he did well wherever he went, but sometimes parents put to much stock into winning.

Youth looks to the future and old age looks to the past.

Nolensville Red 2, Rockvale 1

Every Coach’s Dream, A True Story about Dixie Youth Baseball in Three Small Towns, by Harold A Brown

Chapter 15: League Game Twelve – Nolensville Blue

Life isn’t about saving, it’s about scattering.

Game twelve, against Nolensville Blue, was the final game of the regular season. Teddy would get his first start on the mound. Bryan Cummings would walk but decided to use his speed to steal second base. Owen made a perfect throw to Lajuane at second for the tag and out number one.

Sam Mosley would walk. Oh, those base on balls. Teddy was not giving his team the chance they needed to play defense. Lou Ray Grimes was hitting in the number three spot and didn’t want anything to do with a base on balls. Lou Ray and Teddy were buddies and each wanted to out do the other. On this particular occasion Lou Ray got the better of Teddy with a base hit that scored Sam. Nunn Arledge was batting in the clean up position but was satisfied with a walk. Coach had seen enough and made a pitching change.

Rocket took the rock but walked the first batter he faced. He then struck out Benjamin Holt for the second out. The bases were loaded for Adam Cook. His bat was struggling but he was more than capable of putting the ball out of the park. The story had gotten around about the towering homer he hit at College Grove. Rocket pitched Adam very carefully but the walk he gave up forced the runner at third home. Rocket struck out their eighth batter to end the top of the first. Three runners were left on base.

Bobby Stephenson, the Blue team coach, had a knack for getting the best out of his players. The Red team had won all four meetings between them and Bobby would love to get at least one win before the season was over. This would be his last chance.

Adam Cook would be facing the Red team tonight. Lajuane out waited Adam and drew a walk. Getting that lead off batter on base is always a boost. Owen was more aggressive at the plate and was looking for something that he could hit. Adam was throwing the ball around the plate but Owen was not able to straighten one out for a hit. After fouling two off, Adam won the battle with his first strike out of the inning. Marty hit the second pitch he saw for a base hit. The Red team had runners on the corners. Rocket was batting in the number four spot and he ripped the second pitch he saw into the outfield for a double that scored the speedy Marty Jones. They had tied the score. Jimmy Johnson was a bit more selective about the pitch he chased. He tagged a shot to right field for a single but thought he could get one more base out of it. Benjamin was playing right field and used his accurate arm to throw Jimmy out at second. His single did score Rocket from second and the Red team had the lead.

Darrell walked and Teddy flied out to center field. Coach Stephenson did a masterful job of placing his outfielders.

Rocket would face Michael Howell first at the top of the second. He accepted the challenge by striking him out and then striking out Bryan. Rocket celebrated by giving Sam a free pass. Lou Ray was hitting everything he saw. His single encouraged the third base coach to sent Sam home. Jimmy sent the ball home and Owen tagged a surprise Sam as he slid toward home plate. Three outs with one left on base.

Adam returned to the mound to face Derek Pack and Frank Ogilvie. He hit Derek and then walked Frank on four straight pitches. At this age it sometimes upsets the pitcher if he hit another player. That is especially true if they know each other. Coach Stephenson chose to put Bryan on the mound. Lajuane tripled in Derek and Frank, Owen doubled in Lajuane, Marty doubled in Owen, Rocket doubled in Marty and Jimmy singled in Rocket.

Bryan was throwing strikes but everyone was getting the bat on the ball. Darrell nailed a single, Jimmy singled, Teddy singled loading the bases. Derek hit into a fielder’s choice. The shortstop, Nunn Arledge, forced Jimmy out at home. Frank also hit into a fielder’s that forced Darrell out at home with a throw from the pitcher to the plate. The bases were still loaded when Lajuane made his second appearance to the plate. He popped his first pitch to Lou Ray at first base for the final out of the inning.

Coach was sure that Rocket was playing to his competition. Nunn got on base with an error and Vest walked on six pitches. Benjamin struck out and Adam walked. Rocket struck out the next batter on three pitches. Rocket was proving Coach’s suspicion. Michael walked and forced in a run. The bases were loaded for Bryan. He doubled to right field and scored all three runners on base. Bryan had speed and felt sure about turning that double into a triple. Teddy was covering right field and brought the ball home to prevent a run. Owen took advantage of the strong throw from Teddy with a throw to Jimmy on third for the tag on Bryan and the final out of the inning. The Blue team had pulled within three runs of the Red team.

Nunn would move to the mound for the bottom of the third. He got Owen on three pitches but Marty would single to center. Rocket would double to center and Jimmy would single to right and score Marty. Nunn would get Darrell on three strikes. Teddy got his second single of the game and scored Rocket. Derek flied out to first, finishing the inning.

Rocket would face Chris Wence to start the fourth. One strikeout. Lou Ray singled for the third time in the game. Nunn doubled but Lou Ray was held at third. Vest struck out and Benjamin walked. Adam was up with bases loaded. He could bring the game into reach with one swing of the bat. Rocket was more than up for the challenge and recorded the third strikeout of the inning, leaving all three base runners standing on the bags.

Nunn would come back for the bottom of the fourth. Brad Alexander would work a walk out of Nunn and steal second. Lajuane would walk and Owen would hit into a fielder’s choice that would force Brad out at third. Lajuane got picked off trying to steal second. Marty tripled Owen home and Rocket singled but get tagged going to second before Marty could score.

Jimmy needed defensive help to get through the fifth. He walked batter number eight and struck out Michael, batter number nine. Bryan’s single scored batter number eight, Jeremy Johnson. Chris walked. Lou Ray hit into a fielder’s choice to third that forced Bryan out. With two outs Nunn hit to second for the force out of Lou Ray.

Nolensville Blue 7, Nolensville Red 12

Bobby Stephenson: Coach Stephenson may have lost the battle but not the war. He would take advantage of many more seasons in which he would out score the Red team’s coach. If the victories were all counted between these two coaches you could almost count on Coach Stephenson leading in victories. Bobby had a heart attack several years ago that took his life. Even when death is expected it is unexpected. His leaving left a hole that will never be filled.

Life isn’t about saving, it’s about scattering.

Every Coach’s Dream, A True Story about Dixie Youth Baseball in Three Small Towns, by Harold A Brown

Chapter 14: League Game Eleven – Rockvale

See the ball, hit the ball.

Game eleven would be in Rockvale on Friday. Nolensville Red would see Chris Burns again. Within five years Chris would lose his father to cancer. The community would miss Bud Burns. When he left, his value was understood.

Coach changed his lineup hoping that the move would motivate the boys. Chris got off to a good start for Rockvale. He struck out the lead off batter. However, he walked Owen, Marty and Rocket before hitting Darrell and walking Jimmy. All five of them would score. Teddy struck out on three pitches. He was in a rut but Coach would give him credit for his effort. Derek would single and score. Frank, Lajuane and Owen would walk. Frank would score on a passed ball by Rockvale’s catcher. Marty would hit into a fielder’s choice and Owen would be forced at second to end a night mare for Chris.

Rocket would take the mound for the Red team. His control was good but Rockvale went to the plate with confidence that Coach had not seen before. Maybe it was because they had beaten College Grove three of four times and the Red team had lost to College Grove three of four time in the regular part of the season. There is no substitute for confidence and it can be infectious. Williams would lead off with a double and Oakley would single. Both hits would be in the gaps in the outfield. Mike Williams would walk and Chris Burns would double as would Jimmy McCrary. The first four batters would score. Rocket’s control didn’t seem to be a problem because he struck out batters six, seven and eight to end the inning.

Rocket led off the second inning with a home run. Darrell grounded to third and was thrown out at first. Jimmy and Teddy struck out to end their at bat. The left fielder for Rockvale started their at bat with a double, another ball hit to a gap in the outfield. Jimmy Williams walked and Oakley’s triple found another gap in the outfield.

Coach had to stop the bleeding. Rocket clearly had seen better days. Darrell would take the rock and see what he could accomplish. Mike Williams would single but Chris would get on base with a fielder’s choice that forced Mike out at second. The pitching change helped. Darrell struck out Jimmy McCrary and Paul Burns to finish the inning. Rockvale’s first three batters scored to bring them within one run of the Red team.

Paul Burns would start the third inning by facing Derek. He hit the ball out in front of the plate but could not beat the catcher’s throw to first. Paul came back with strikeouts by Frank and Lajuane. This was the only inning that the Red team would not score.

Rockvale made the bottom of the third their most successful inning. Darrell struck out Shockey but hit Johnson. That brought the top of Rockvale’s order up. Jimmy Williams and Oakley tripled into gaps in the outfield. Darrell walked Mike Williams and Coach made another move. He had been working with Teddy and hoped that the pressure would not be to much for him. Teddy was another left hander and had a strong arm. He just needed experience. Rockvale had taken the lead by four runs. Their spirits were high. Rockvale was doing what they needed to do: see the ball, hit the ball.

Chris singled and Jimmy McCrary walked on six pitches. Paul Burns hit into a pitcher’s best friend, the double play. Owen picked up the ball that Paul hit out in front of the plate and threw to Marty covering second base for out two. Marty relayed the ball to first to complete the double play.

All the Red team needed was four runs to keep the game going. Character will show, win or lose.Paul was back after his excellent third inning. He got Owen to ground out to the second baseman for out number one. Marty would walk and Rocket would bring him home with his second home run of the game. They had half of the runs they needed to keep the game alive.

Darrell walked and Jimmy hit a home run to get the runs that the team needed. The game was tied. Teddy was feeling good about himself and halted a nine at bat strikeout streak. His single was a good start. Derek hit to the first baseman for out number two. While he was in the process of batting, Teddy was stealing bases. There were times when Coach wanted to give Teddy a big hug.

Brad Alexander had taken Frank’s place in the lineup and drew a walk. Teddy was carefully watching for a chance to break for home. Coach told him that he had to make the decision without being told. He had speed to burn and surprise was the secret ingredient. He saw his chance and took it. The Red team had the lead. Coach Burns made his move by bringing in Jimmy McCrary to pitch to Lajuane. He walked but not before Brad had advance to third. Runners were now on the corners with Owen getting his second bat of the inning. He had the dubious honor of making two outs in the same inning.

Rockvale came to bat needing one run to extend the game and two to win. They wanted it badly but the bottom of their order was up. The Red team needed strikes and Jimmy Johnson was that man. Jimmy was into the moment. Shockey was the seventh batter in the order and hit a ground ball back to Jimmy and he made the pickup and threw him out at first. The number eight batter was up and Jimmy knew that he would have to throw strikes. The count went to two and two and Jimmy blew the fifth pitch past Morris for out number two. Sometimes the third out is the hardest out to get.

Rockvale’s number nine batter was up. Potts was the batter and he was taking the place of Johnson. Potts had been a starter but had never hit the ball against the Red teams pitching. Jimmy’s first pitch was a strike but his second pitch was a ball. Jimmy was ready for the challenge because he knew that Potts could not hit his best stuff even if he tried. His next two pitches were strikes that ended the game and Rockvale’s chance at winning.

See the ball, hit the ball.

Nolensville Red 13, Rockvale 12

Every Coach’s Dream, A True Story about Dixie Youth Baseball in Three Small Towns, by Harold A Brown

Chapter 13: League Game Ten – College Grove

Life is about how we handle imperfections.

The Red team will travel to College Grove for game ten. Rocket could legally pitch again on Monday but Coach just didn’t feel that it was fair to him. The others pitchers would have the opportunity to show their stuff.

Rest didn’t seem important for Mike House. He used fourteen pitches to strike out Lajuane, Marty and Teddy.

Marty went to the mound for his team. Terry Bennett had shuffled his batting order. Keith was still batting at the top of the order and drew a walk. Holt struck out and Mike singled to right center and scored Keith. Lakeith hit a fielder’s choice to Lajuane who stepped on second to force Mike out. Martin walked and Williams singled to score Lakeith. Toby, who had been moved down in the order popped up to Rocked at second for the last out.

Darrell hit a fly ball to center that was caught by Holt and Owen got on base with a single. Rocket had a fielder’s choice that forced Owen out at second. Jimmy was another casualty of Mike’s curve ball for the last out of the inning.

Jimmy took possession of the pitcher’s mound and Marty took Rockets place at second while he went to third. Jimmy faced four batters, striking out three and walked one.

This would be Mike’s third and last inning. He was doing an excellent job on the mound. Derek would lead off with a pop to first and Frank would do the same. Lajuane would walk and Marty would strike out. The Red team just couldn’t hit his curve.Coach wanted a repeat of Jimmy’s last inning. They were still in this ball game.

Jimmy must have been thinking about the soft drink and hamburger he was going to have after the game because he certainly wasn’t thinking about the game. He faced seven batters before Coach pulled him in favor of Darrell. Mike would double, no surprise, he was hitting everything. Lakeith would walk on four pitches. Williams would single to score Mike and Lakeith. Jimmy walked the next two batters and struck out Harris on five pitches. At this point Coach had Jimmy swap places with Darrell so he could pitch to Keith, the lead off batter. Darrell got him to pop up to Jimmy at first to end the inning.

They were still in the game despite the lack of concentration by some. The Red team cut the College Grove lead in half in the fourth. They were within striking distance. Teddy struck out to start the inning. Darrell walked as did Owen. Darrell stole two bases and Owen stole one. Rocket walked. Darrell stole home and Owen stole third and scored on a passed ball. Jimmy walked and stole second. Rocket was thrown out trying to steal third. Derek struck out, putting his team back on defense.

Holt flied out to third and Mike had a rare strike out. Lakeith singled to center and Martin walked. Williams single and brought in Lakeith and Martin. They had gotten back the two runs just scored by the Red team.

Toby and Hazelwood walked then Harris struck out. Frank started the fifth with a grounder to short and was thrown out at first. Coach was glad to see him hit the ball even if it was a someone. Lajuane walked and Marty and Teddy struck out.

Darrell struck the first two batter out to start the bottom of the fifth. Mike singled and Lakeith triple to score Mike. Martin grounded to short and Lajuane threw to first for the third out. The Red team needed five runs to extend the game.

Remember, Lakeith did most everything well in sports but his control on the mound could be erratic. He was still on the mound and the Red team had a chance. Darrell struck out and the odds went down. Owen, Rocket and Jimmy walked to load the bases. The odds just went up. Derek single to score Owen and Rocket. Frank single to score Jimmy and Derek. The Red team was feeling good about the way things were headed. Lajuane walked. The two strongest bats were up with two base runners on and they only needed one of them to score for the tie. Marty struck out for the fourth time in the game. Teddy, the number three man in the order, also struck out for the fourth time in this game.

It was over. The Red team had lost two games to College Grove by one run. The accepted rule is that if you win by one the coach gets the credit. Logic would tell you that if you lose by one run the coach gets credit for the loss. Coach was willing to accept full responsibility for the results.

Life is about how we handle imperfections.

Nolensville Red 6, College Grove 7

Every Coach’s Dream, A True Story about Dixie Youth Baseball in Three Small Towns, by Harold A Brown

Chapter 12: League Game Nine – College Grove

Things that matter the most should not be placed at the mercy of things that matter the least.

Game nine was against College Grove again and the Red team wanted a win. Rocket was their best chance for a victory.

Keith Bennett lead off for College Grove. Rocket struck him out. Keeping that lead batter off base is an important step toward victory.

Toby Pace had been a critical ingredient for the success of this team. He played excellent defense at shortstop and his bat had worked hard for Coach Bennett. He was patient enough at the plate to draw a walk from Rocket. Mike House popped up to Darrell at first. Lakeith Vaughn hit a double to right center and brought in Toby. J.D. Martin struck out finishing their at bat.

Mike would walk Lajuane and Marty would single. Teddy walked to load the bases. Darrell and Owen were strikeout victims. Rocket walked to bring in Lajuane and leave the bases loaded. Jimmy would double in Marty and Teddy, keeping two runners on base. Derek was aggressive at the plate and struck out on three pitches.

Rocket faced five batters in the second, walking two and striking out three. Keith was the third out and left the two walks on base.

Frank led off the second with a strike out. Lajuane and Marty walked and Teddy a Darrell both struck out.

Rocket hit Mike with the first pitch in the third. Coach was sure that it hurt. Lakeith made Rocket suffer for his mistake by hitting another double to right center again and scoring Mike from first. Owen threw Lakeith out when he tired to steal third base. J.D. Martin would strike out again.

Owen struck out to start the bottom of the third. Rocket and Jimmy walked and waited for Derek to single in Rocket. Frank made his bat do the talking and doubled in Jimmy and Derek. Lajuane and Marty walked again and Teddy and Darrell struck out again.

Rocket faced four batters at the top of the fourth. He gave up one walk and struck out the next three. He was winning the battle of keeping the bottom of College Grove’s order off the bases.

Mike finished his work on the mound and Lakeith took his place. He walked the first two batters and struck out the next three. Brad Alexander made the last out, taking Frank’s place in the order.

Rocket was going to face the top of College Grove’s order again in the fifth. He was kind enough to let his defense do the work for him. Keith popped up to Jimmy at third. He walked Toby for the second time in the game. Mike hit a grounder back to the Rocket and he threw him out at first. Toby was caught at third when Darrell threw to Jimmy for the assist and the third out.

The Red team was back to the top of their order. Lajuane and Marty both drew walks from Lakeith. When he was bad he was really bad. The last out was a strikeout on three pitches by Teddy. When he was good he was really good.

He walked the next three and they drove in Lajuane and Marty. Jimmy and Derek both struck out. Should more be said? Time was out and the game was called. Victory leaves a sweet taste in your mouth.

Things that matter the most should not be placed at the mercy of things that matter the least.

College Grove 2, Nolensville Red 8

Every Coach’s Dream, A True Story about Dixie Youth Baseball in Three Small Towns, by Harold A Brown

Chapter 11: League Game Eight – Nolensville Blue

Understand the past, Respect the future.

Nunn Arledge and his family were on vacation which implied that Nolensville Blue had a slim chance of victory against Nolensville Red in game eight. It was a Friday night game in Nolensville and lots of people would show up for the excitement under the lights. The Red team was the visiting team on this night.

Alex Lankford had a problem following directions. Alex had ignored a three and zero take sign last Monday night against Rockvale. When Coach asked him if he understood the signal he indicated that he, in fact, did understand, but didn’t want to take the pitch. At least he was honest. Coach had immediately taken him out and sent Derek in to finish his at bat. There can only be one head coach. Alex was upset and his father was not happy.

Brothers: Several years later his younger brother wanted to play on Coach’s team. His father had some reservations about letting him play. Coach couldn’t imagine two children being so different. Coach made it very clear to Mr. Lankford that one incident didn’t effect the other. Shawn was a very coachable player. He wanted to play and he wanted to learn. His father saw the truth of the situation and Shawn made the all-star team at the end of the year.

Alex quit the team. That left us with ten team members. On this particular night Brad Alexander’s family was out of town. All you need to play is nine players and The Blue team also had nine. Game on.

Lajuane would bat first as he did all season. His batting average was .312 but it would not finish this high. He finished the season with a .231 average but he led the team with walks. Jimmy asked Coach one day why Coach let Lajuane bat in that position. Jimmy could have been feeling some frustration about batting lower in the lineup. Coach thought for a minute and responded to Jimmy’s question with a question. “Where would you place him in the order?” His response was a quick, “last.” A moment of silence was followed by another evaluation by Jimmy. “You are correct Coach, there isn’t much difference.” In defense of Lajuane, his on base percentage was extremely high. Lajuane made the all-star team based on his play at shortstop. He hit in the nine spot during the all-star tournament.

Benjamin Holt would be the starting pitcher for Bobby Stephenson’s Blue team. The first batter he faced was Lajuane and of course he walked.

Benjamin Holt: Years later Coach was having dinner in a South Nashville restaurant when Benjamin Holt came to the table to introduce himself. He was tall and handsome. No longer the small boy that had worked so hard on the baseball field dispite his size.

Marty hit a double to left field leaving runners on second and third. Coach was sure that Teddy was unhappy about letting Benjamin strike him out on three pitches. Darrell was having none of that and singled to left field. Lajuane scored from third and Marty moved over to take Lajuane’s place.

Owen singled to center field and scored Marty. Rocket walked and Jimmy put his single in right field scoring Darrell. Derek brought Owen and Rocket in with the double that he hit to center left. Frank drew a walk and Lajuane, on his second trip to the plate in the first, struck out.

Marty popped up to the third baseman, Boyd, for the third out. Benjamin gave up five runs on five hits and left three runners on the bases.

Darrell was on the mound again for the Red team. Good batters didn’t have to wait long for a pitch around the strikezone. Brian Cummings hit the first pitch back to Darrell and he threw him out at first.

Boyd hit his first pitch into a hole in the outfield for a double. Chris Wence, Bobby’s best hitter walked. Adam Cook struck out.

Adam Cook: Coach believed that Adam put himself under a lot of pressure to hit the ball. He was a solid twelve year old with strength to spare. Coach discovered, two years later, that when placed with other big strong boys Adam didn’t put that pressure on himself and hit the ball as well as anyone.

Michael Howell struck out leaving two runners on base. As the old saying goes, Michael might have been “as useless as tits on a bore hog” when it came to baseball. Coach never saw a kid that tried less on the baseball field. Coach would have loved having Michael’s younger sister on the team. Michael went into the military. He looked great in his uniform when he came home for visits.

Teddy singled to start the top of the second. Darrell hit to center field and Adam Cook made a nice catch for out number one.

Owen hit to right center for a single. Rocket hit a double to left center and scored both runners on base. Jimmy hit to Chris at short stop and he turned it into an out by throwing to Michael Howell at first for the second out.

Derek struck out on three pitches. One thing was for sure, Derek was not afraid to go after the pitch. He never changed. He saw it and went after the prize.

Sam Mosley, the catcher, was first up in the bottom of the second. Sam walked on five pitches. After the second pitch to Holt, Owen threw the ball back to Darrell who threw to Lajuane, covering second, he made the tag for the first out. It was not like Darrell but he walked the first three batters he faced in that inning.

With two players on base, Darrell proceeded to strike out the next two batters he faced. How do you define winner? Start with Darrell.

Frank Ogilvie walked to start the third inning. Lajuane popped up to first. Marty got a single up the middle. Teddy got his second base hit of the game and Darrell flied out to Adam in center field.

Owen got a double when he drove the ball into right center field and scored Frank and Marty. Rocket popped up to the first baseman for the final out.

The Blue team was behind nine to zero when their third baseman, Boyd, came to the plate at the bottom of the third. He hit a liner back to Darrell for their first out.

Chris flied out to Teddy in center field. Then Darrell walked Adam on six pitches.
Michael struck out for the second time in a row. The third inning was in the book.

The top of the fourth would prove to be a disaster for the Blue team. Benjamin was wearing down. The Red team sent fourteen players to the plate. They scored eight runs on six hits combined with five walks. Benjamin did strike out two of the Nolensville Red batters.

Darrell would came back out to finish the fourth. He didn’t give up any runs on one hit, had two strikeouts and only one walk. Bobby put Brian Cummings on the mound to pitch the fifth. He got off to a good start by striking Teddy out on three very slow pitches.

Darrell and Owen both got doubles and scored in the inning. Rocket walked and was thrown out trying to stealing second. Jimmy singled and took second on a wild pitch while Derek was in the process of striking out. Lajuane drew his usual walk and Marty popped up to end the Red team’s time at bat. In retrospect Darrell should have traded places with Jimmy. With such a large lead Coach should have made a pitching change, but he didn’t. The first four inning had not been overwhelming for Darrell but the fifth would prove to be a challenge for such a small player.

The first two batters had base hits but the lead runner was thrown out trying to steal third. Darrell walked the next three batters pushing a run across the plate. He struck out the next batter and walked one more batter, scorning a second run. Coach could see Darrell bow his back as he proceeded to strike out the number nine batter on four pitches. It was late and everyone was tired. There was just enough time for a soft drink and maybe a hot dog from the concession stand.

See you Monday boys. Remember, your team plays College Grove at your field.

Understand the past, Respect the future.

Nolensville Red nineteen, Nolensville Blue two.

Every Coach’s Dream, A True Story about Dixie Youth Baseball in Three Small Towns, by Harold A Brown

Chapter 10: League Game Seven – Rockvale

Always get even with those that help you.

Game seven would be Rockvale again, the only difference was location and Monday instead of Friday. Coach would start Rocket. That would make his defense stronger not to mention Rocket’s strength on the mound. Rockvale’s strength was their first four batters. He just needed to throw strikes to the bottom five.

Rocket: Tim “Rocket” Ridley was a delight to be around. He had a difficult existence but he made the most of it. The adults enjoyed him and his teammates cared even more. His Uncle Frank had taken him in along with his siblings. Few people would take on such a responsibility. The Ogilvie family was very special. Rocket’s mother was able to attend some of his games and was always very congenial. During the time that Coach had contact with Rocket he lived with at least three different family members. He never lost his love for others.

Rocket took the mound with a vengeance. He struck out three of the first four batters he faced in the top of the first inning and gave up a single to the second hitter.

Chris Burns would be pitching for his father. His start was not as strong as Rocket’s but the results were the same. No runs were scored in the first inning. Chris left two runners on while getting one strikeout with two base hits. Teddy was moved up to the three spot and rewarded Coach with a double.

Rocket did more of the same in the second. He faced three batters, striking out two and relying on his defence for one more out.

Chris faced eight batters in the bottom of the second. He gave up two runs and left three runners standing on their base. His two strikeout were timely.

Rocket lost his concentration. He only walked one batter but that was the first one he faced in that inning. When he got to the top of their batting order he gave up three hits to their top four hitters. He did have two strikeouts in the inning but gave up three runs. That was the first time that Rockvale had taken the lead against the Red team.

Owen led off the bottom of the third. Chris hit him with the first pitch. Ouch! Rocket hit into a fielders choice and Owen was thrown out at second. Rocket stole two bases and home to tie the ball game. Chris walked the next five batters before his father replace him with Paul Burns. Paul’s defense let him down when they committed an error and Teddy was allowed on base. His control was not great but he did get a big strikeout when he struck out Jimmy for the third out. The Red team scored seven runs and sent twelve batters to the plate. It would be hard for Rockvale to overcome that score.

Darrell would get two unassisted outs on first and Rocket would strike out one in the top of the fourth. He didn’t do his job with the bottom two batter, walking both, but he did leave them on base.

Frank and Derek both hit the ball to second and were thrown out at first. Lajuane and Marty both walked. Teddy came up with two men on and two outs. Coach was getting what he wanted, his number three hitter was up with two runners on base. Teddy hit a deep fly ball to center field. It was the first pitch that Paul threw to Teddy and he was waiting on it. Shockey made the catch that most outfielders in this age group would not have a chance in a million of making.

Rockvale entered the top of the fifth knowing that they needed six runs to tie the game. Rocket could tasted victory. He would be facing batters two, three and four, the toughest Rockvale had to offer. He struck out the first batter, walked the second. You could see him bow his back and go to work. He struck out the last two with a resolve that made Coach smile. Rocket struck out eleven batters in five innings. That went well with the four walks which represented a good day’s work. Rocket was the man. Always get even with those that help you.

Rockvale 3, Nolensville Red 9

Every Coach’s Dream, A True Story about Dixie Youth Baseball in Three Small Towns, by Harold A Brown

Chapter 9: League Game Six – Rockvale

What you become depends on decisions not conditions.

Rockvale would be game number six for the Nolensville Red team and would be played in Rockvale. Paul Burns would take the mound for the home team.

Coach only had nine players to start the game. Teddy was late and he was beside himself. He knew how important it was to have everyone there on time because of the limited number of players available. He would have to sit out the first three innings. That was the rule. It could make a difference in the outcome of the game and Teddy knew that.

Lajuane and Marty both walked and Darrell fouled off the first two pitches before cleaning the bases with a triple. Owen hit a single on a full count pitch and scored Darrell. While Rocket was in the process of drawing a walk, Owen stole two bases. Rocket did the same while Jimmy was waiting for the pitch that he hit for a double. Alex made the first out of the inning and Frank Ogilvie hit a ground ball back to the pitcher, who threw to first for out number two. Derek walked and stole two bases while Lajuane was getting his second walk of the inning. Marty got his second bat in the inning and hit the fourth pitch for a single. Darrell drove the runners in with a double and Owen put one on the ground for the third baseman who threw him out at first to end the inning. The Red team scored nine runs on five hits and forced coach Burns to change pitchers. Coach wondered why Coach Burns hadn’t started his son, Chris, from the beginning. When Chris walked the first batter he faced and then gave up a single it was clear. Mike Williams pitched to the next two batters.

Jimmy went to the mound and got three fly balls for an easy inning. Lajuane caught the first one, Teddy ran down the second one in center field, while Darrell did his thing at first with the third batter.

Rocket was the first batter up to start the second inning. Mike Williams walked him on four pitches and he stole second and third before Jimmy sacrificed him home. That would be the only run scored that inning. Alex struck out, Frank walked, Derek got a single to give the team two runners on base. Lajuane hit the ball back to the pitcher for the last out.

Chris was hitting in the clean-up position for Rockvale and was probable their most dangerous hitter. He led off the bottom of the second with a double to left field. Jimmy McCrary struck out. Jimmy Johnson could be overpowering on the mound when he really tried. He had been the strength of his team for several years.

Paul Burns moved Chris over to third when he hit a ground ball to Marty and he got the assist at first for out number two. The fourth batter in the inning, Shockey, struck out on four pitches and left Chris standing on third base. When Jimmy was good, he was very good.

Jimmy Johnson: As a fourteen year old, Jimmy went up against Zack Stark on a very good fourteen year old team from Grassland. He struck out sixteen batters in seven innings to Stark’s fourteen strike outs. Stark went on to play and coach in the pros. Confidence, concentration, and control make a difference on the mound and in life. After Jimmy lost his grandfather life was more difficult. He became the man in the family without the influence needed to guide him. At it’s best life can be difficult. The past is a statement. The future is a question. All Coach knew was that Jimmy was made from the right stuff. Coach didn’t know the truth but when you are backed into a corner some bad things can happen. Common sense isn’t common.

Marty led off the top of the third with a home run. His bat was almost unstoppable. Darrell had another double and Owen walked. Rocket walked after Darrell and Owen stole second and third. Rocket loaded the bases. Jimmy’s bat was silent as he struck out. Alex hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Darrell but forced Owen out at third. Frank didn’t mind swinging the bat and recorded the second strikeout and final out in the top of the third. Coach liked to win ball games but he enjoyed watching his batters make an effort with their bats. Frank tried every time he went to the plate. Frank seemed to be well grounded. He came from a solid family that cared for their children. Frank became a bi-vocational minister after graduating from Tennessee Tech.

Darrell and Jimmy switched places. Darrell went to the pitcher’s mound and Jimmy went to first base. The score was twelve to zero and Darrell, at that age, loved to pitch. Rockvale sent up their number eight and nine batters to start the inning. Darrell didn’t always overpower hitters, but at this age control and a good defense make a big difference. He struck out the eighth and walked the ninth batters bringing them to the top of their order. All that talk about defense seemed wasted. They scored four runs on two hits, while the team committed two errors. Rocket had a lot of energy and his bat and speed made up for a lot of mistakes. His fielding showed that he did not have a lot of experience with ground balls. We can all learn from our mistakes.

Mike Williams was having control problems and, truth be known, was tired. He walked three batters in the fourth, struck out one and loaded the bases but did not give up a single run. How is that for trying harder.

Coach sent Rocket to the mound, Darrell back to first and Jimmy to his best infield position at third, to finish the game. Rocket struck out three and walked two in that inning while leaving two on base.

Jimmy led off the fifth with a double but Alex struck out. Teddy entered the game in the fourth inning taking Frank’s place in the outfield. He was anxious to bat and got a double. Derek ended the inning with a ground ball to third, getting an assist from first.

Time was running out on Rockvale. Rocket would be facing the meat of their batting order, but without the help of their lower batters there was little chance they could score enough runs to catch up. Rocket gave up two runs on two hits, walked two and struck out two. The game was over. All the Red team had to do was drive home with a victory. What you become depends on decisions not conditions. 

Nolensville Red 12, Rockvale 6

Every Coach’s Dream, A True Story about Dixie Youth Baseball in Three Small Towns, by Harold A Brown

Chapter 8: League Game Five – Nolensville Blue

You can learn from everyone.

Game number five was on Friday against the Nolensville Blue team so the Red team didn’t have time to feel remorse about another loss to College Grove.

Bobby Stephenson: Bobby coached the Nolensville Blue team. Bobby and his family were movers and shakers when it came to sports in Nolensville. His father, like Bobby, was one of a kind. If a boy’s father had played for Bobby then they wanted their son to follow in their footsteps. Bobby was a great guy and a good coach. If you didn’t like Bobby then you didn’t like anyone.

The Nolensville Red team was the home team and would start Marty Jones, a left hander. Nunn Arledge would start for the Blue team.

The league played under the banner of Dixie Youth. The rule for pitching was standard for that age group. You could pitch a total of six inning a week unless you started the game and it went into extra innings. That allowed the starter to pitch a total of seven innings. If you pitched three innings or less you could pitch the next day but if you pitched four innings you had to have 48 hours rest and a game between games in order to pitch again that week. Coaches were on the honor system. Some had honor and some didn’t.

Lou Ray Grimes would lead off the top of the first. His bat had been hot against the Red team. He hit the third pitch to Lajuane, the shortstop, and he got the assist by completing the play to first baseman, Darrell Skinner. Brian Cummings got on base when Rocket, fill-in second baseman, committed an error. Chris Wince struck out on three pitches. Nunn, the clean-up hitter would walk on four pitches. Nunn and Brian would both move up on the bases, giving the Blue team runners on second and third with two outs. The fifth batter in the inning would make the mistake of hitting to Mister Perfect at short. He made the toss to first for the third out.

Lajuane and Marty both walked and proceeded to steal bases while Teddy Hannah was in the process of striking out. Darrell followed Teddy with the same results. They now had two outs and two runs. Owen and Rocket did the same thing that Lajuane and Marty did while Jimmy Johnson was at bat. Nunn struck out three batters and walked four but his team allowed four runs to cross the plate without a single hit.

Marty was given a nice lead to work with. Adam Cook was the number six hitter in the lineup. He was a large strong boy with little confidence. When he started to believe in himself, his hitting and fielding were something to fear. He played on Coach’s team as a 13-14 year old. They lost three regular season games that year while playing in a tough Franklin league. Marty struck out Adam and then Capley. Vest, the eighth hitter walked on four pitches but Benjamin Holt hit a liner back to Marty. Out number three was in the books.

Alex Lankford walked on six pitches and stole bases like it was legal. Frank Ogilvie struck out on four pitches. It was hard to walk Frank because he wanted to hit something. Lajuane got his walk and also stole a base. Marty did the unusual and struck out. Teddy rewarded Coach for his movement up in the lineup with a single that scored Alex and Lajuane. While Owen was batting, both Teddy and Darrell scored on passed balls. Owen hit a nice shot to right field but Benjamin made the catch for the third out. 

Jimmy Johnson took the mound to start the third inning. Lou Ray led off with a single and stole second while Brian was striking out. Chris hit a fly ball to Teddy in center field and Nunn struck out on five pitches. A good start for Jimmy.

Rocket started the bottom of the third with a single and Jimmy walked. Derek hit a single and scored Rocket. Brad walked as did Lajuane. His walk would score Jimmy. Marty hit an infield fly for out number one. Teddy’s double scored Derek, Brad and Lajuane. Darrell hit a double and Owen walked. Rocket was up to bat with bases loaded and one out. Rocket struck out and Teddy was thrown out stealing home. The third inning was over.

Jimmy lost his concentration after a fielding error to start the fourth. Five runs scored before Coach brought in Darrell to clean up the mess. The defense made one more error before getting it together and crashing the Blue team’s hopes for a comeback.

Brian Cummings went to the mound at the bottom of the fourth. Time was running out and after sending four batters to the plate and scoring one more run, the game was called because of time. You can learn from everyone.

Nolensville Blue 5, Nolensville Red 14

Every Coach’s Dream, A True Story about Dixie Youth Baseball in Three Small Towns, by Harold A Brown

Chapter 7: League Game Four – College Grove

We have to learn as we go.

Nolensville Red would go to College Grove for game four. That gave the Red team a chance to make amends for the last loss. Some of these kids went to school together. Can you imagine the chatter that took place?

Coach was still trying to get his batting order adjusted. The first two were good but the rest needed some tweaking.

Mike House would start again for College Grove. Coach expected to see him for two innings. He struck Lajuane out and then got Marty to pop-up for the second out. Jimmy could not hit the curve that Mike was using. He struck out on six pitches. Out like a lamb. College Grove didn’t look much better in the bottom half of the first. Rocket struck out their first two batters, Keith Bennett and Toby Pace. Mike drove one to left center for a single. He stole second while Lakeith was in the process of striking out. Good inning for Rocket.

Rocket led off the second with a walk and then stole second. Darryl got on base with a single and drove Rocket home in the process. He was aggressively trying to turn his single into a double but wasn’t fast enough to beat the ball to the bag. Owen struck out for the second out.

Frank walked. The third out came when Alex couldn’t get his bat close to the pitch.

J.D. Martin, College Grove’s third baseman, would reach first on a fielding error. He would steal two bases and score the tying run while his team mates were batting. Rocket would walk the second batter and give up a double to center field that scored Martin. Rocket then struck out the next two batters and got Keith to pop-up to Lajuane at shortstop.

Mike was doing a number on the batters. With two outs, the Red team loaded the bases. Darrell was in a good spot to score some runs for his team but his cousin, Mike House, put him back on defense with the third strikeout of the inning. Coach was surprised that Mike had been allowed to pitch three innings. Coach Bennett appeared to be losing confidence in his other two pitchers.

Important Moment: Five years later Coach noticed that Darrell and Mike had a mouthful of smokeless tobacco. He approached them and asked why they would put that nasty stuff in their mouth? Of course they didn’t have a good reason which prompted Coach to tell them that they couldn’t continue that habit. They insisted that their parents didn’t care if they used the tobacco. Coach didn’t believe that a responsible parent would ever knowingly allow their fifteen year old child to use that nasty stuff. His response was, “if your mother tells me it is okay then I will allow it.” The next practice they both came to Coach and said that their mothers found no problem with them dipping. Coach was a bit shocked and replied, “I do and you can’t.” They appealed but Coach would not back down. He never saw them with tobacco again but was sure they didn’t quit. Death doesn’t exist for the young. Maybe Coach made a difference.

Toby Pace reached base on the second fielding error by the Red team. Toby stole second to put himself in scoring position. Mike hit a grounder back to Rocket and was thrown out at first. Lakeith hit the ball to right center for a single which brought Toby home for their go-ahead run. Martin reached first on another fielding error. What was happening? The next batter grounded back to the mound and was put out at first. The last batter struck out but the lead now belonged to The Grove.Owen led off the fourth with a single and stole second. Keith Bennett was now pitching and should have been very hitable. He had nothing special. With that said he proceeded to strike out three of the next four batters while walking one. Coach Bennett was looking like a genius.

Rocket struck out two of the next three batters while getting Keith to dink one in front of the plate and having Owen throw him out at first. The fourth inning was over.

The Red team sent six batters to the plate and loaded the bases before Frank struck out. Nine runners had been left stranded at this point.

Rocket worked another good inning. He faced four batters, striking out two. Mike got another hit, this one for an extra base. Toby grounded out.

The top of the sixth was the Red team’s last chance. They needed one run to tie and keep the game moving. Lakeith took Keith Bennett’s place on the mound after Keith hit Alex on the second pitch and Teddy came through with a base hit. Alex moved to third on the hit. Teddy stole second base, giving the team two runners in scoring position. Imagine the shock when Lajuane scored both of them with a double to right center. Lakeith didn’t have great control. The Grove never knew what they were going to get from him. Marty walked and stole second. Jimmy got two bases on a fielding error but Lajuane was thrown out at home. Once again the team had two runners in scoring position and only one out. Rocket and Darrell were up next but both struck out leaving the two base runners stranded.

They went into the bottom of the sixth with a one run lead. All Rocket needed to do was perform his magic. He struck out the first batter but could not find the strike zone and walked the next three. It could be called home field advantage or sour grapes. Keith Bennett was up with bases loaded. Whether you like it or not, he hit one to deep left field that seemed to have eyes. It landed just fair and drove in the two runs they needed to tie and win.

Rocket struck out eleven batters and walked four, three of the walks were in the bottom of the sixth. It’s possible he lost his concentration or simply gave out. Maybe, just maybe, Coach should have changed pitchers. Some things are hard to swallow.

We have to learn as we go.

Nolensville Red 3, College Grove 4