The wind was surprising subtle. Unlike the Sam Kekovich winds of earlier in the week. The sun had a little sting. Shorts were dusted off. Finally.
James started pitching after whispering to me that he was up for this assignment at a team dinner last night. No drama and no spotlight. His excitement was evident however. The pressure for us is intolerable. For him, he thrives with the responsibility. In the moment.
He was smiling again when he told me he was starting again today. Quiet confidence. Anticipation. We were all invited to Geelong Grammar to a tour of the school this morning where they are all staying together as a team. His little patch in his room was laid out with all his gear. Neat. Blue jersey prominent and poised.
The game started with four strong runs to us. Ben Hunt (2/3) hunted once more. Philibossian (3/4)hit powerfully and we eeked out a couple more runs with a double to Moran and well made singles to Mayo (2/3) and Packer.
Enter James McCallum. He pitched confidently and wisely. Mixing up his pitches as the Victorian boys tried to axe him. He kept them low. Change ups. Fast balls. Guy Bohan-inspired advice. In fourteen pitches he had taken out six of their batters in two innings.
He then dismantled them. He had pitched three innings then four. At the end of the fourth innings he had pitched 24 strikes and 7 balls for 31 pitches. Unheard of at this tournament to date in such a short space of time. Four innings can usually take well over 50 pitches. Sometimes over 80! Typically a pitcher will not last that long as the batters take control.
Around him his teammates were superb. Outstanding catches in the outfield, one wonderful grab by Cameron Power at first base, crisp throwing from Dean Frew, Ben Hunt and brilliance with ground ball pick ups by the strong captain, Philibossian - all supported him magnificently. In addition, the catching was exceptional - Mayo, Bova. Three strike outs – two with curve balls – positioned the team beautifully.
The strength of the teammates' collective faith in him was reflected in the coaches. When one’s son pitches, a glance to the bullpen will point to their angst level. Who are they warming up? It reflects the state of mind of the dugout. Today the bullpen looked like a Federal Government policy ideas booklet. Empty. James was in the frame. No pressure. Confidence was well placed in him instead.
We had struggled after the early hitting spree and sat glumly on 4-0 for three completed innings. Not imposing or dominant at that point. Yet as we entered the fifth innings, the team smelt a mercy victory (this is achieved if after five completed innings for both teams there is a 10 run lead). We hit the accelerator. James Philibossian hit another home run over centrefield, causing a bloke to jump out of his car and try to ‘protect’ his car. Baseball 101: never park your car close to the ground. A baseball hurts more than hail.
Dean Frew punched yet another ball through the hapless infield and Gavin Dixon smashed one to the centrefield fence as well. Gavin pitched magnificently earlier in the week, but hits the ball better. His third at bat for the tournament demonstrated his rich talent. There are plenty more where that came from.
We ended the fifth innings on 13-0 and required James to complete the game. He was aiming for a complete game shut out. One game – one pitcher - no runs. A special moment in any baseball game. The coaches gave him that honour and he had earned it.
This was soon done and with it came great moments of happiness and joy for a young red headed lad from Baulko. Contained and measured as always, but very uplifting and reinvigorating. His team mates and coaches were delighted for him.
More importantly, for the team it meant a lot more. It means that as the semi finals start tomorrow, we have all pitchers available to continue our assault on winning the National Championships. James had spared the coaches any need to call up anyone else. Not one pitch was wasted. 13 blot.
James had pitched a whole game giving up three hits and no runs. Remarkable (particularly given his earlier pitching assignment v ACT!). His smile and appreciation of the generous encouragement and warmth of the parents was outstanding. A young man all of a sudden. The support of the parents for the children of others has made this a super experience...particularly at the tough times. Not always personally satisfying for some, but guided by composed and knowledgeable coaches, we have positioned ourselves grandly. There is much to appreciate.
James was trudging away, head bowed a little as usual with a bottle of Gatorade in hand as we exited. He had arrived. Black Friday could not have been brighter. Liam was proud.
We were later told he was well in line for the MAN OF THE AFTERNOON Award based on his efforts. This is awarded for the best performance by a player in the afternoon games. This could be a mirage...we'll see.
How the sporting wheel turns.
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