Not all dog piles stink – especially those on the diamond
Sports celebrations these days are often excessively
choreographed, with touchdowns and homeruns and goals followed with
shows of jubilation that look like they were practiced in a dance
studio.
So when the raw emotion of a real post-game celebration shines
through, it’s refreshing to see.
Not all dog piles stink – especially those on the diamond
Sports celebrations these days are often excessively choreographed, with touchdowns and homeruns and goals followed with shows of jubilation that look like they were practiced in a dance studio.
So when the raw emotion of a real post-game celebration shines through, it’s refreshing to see.
In San Luis Obispo on Tuesday night, the San Benito Babe Ruth 14-year-old all-star team battled back from a loss to Hanford earlier that evening to win the state championship in eight innings, a year after being the runner-up in the same tournament.
Seconds after relief pitcher Jacob Trujillo struck out the last batter, he threw his glove in the air and was mobbed on the mound by teammates and coaches in a dog pile worthy of the accomplishment. There was no dance routine or scripted, fancy moves; just a heap of happy kids being showered by cheers from their happy parents. It was classic, raw emotion.
There was no taunting or finger pointing of the opponent. Just smiles, whoops and tackling as these teens reached their goal of winning state and advancing to the western regionals in Utah.
I captured the moment on videotape, just a proud parent watching from the stands a year after being the coach of this team as it lost in the championship game. As much as I missed coaching them as they tried for redemption, it was still rewarding to watch them win from outside the lines.
In a town where the baseball history is rich, history was made this week when the Babe Ruth 13-, 14-, and 15-year-old all-star teams all won state championships on Tuesday night (see the full story in Sports). On the heels of San Benito High School’s appearance in the CCS baseball championship game after a tumultuous season, this summer’s success highlights the passion that our community has for baseball – among other sports.
I’ve been on both sides of baseball dog piles as a player and manager, watching the varsity baseball team pile up in front of Gilroy’s bench after big wins, standing just outside of the pile after my team won a Little League championship and heading back to the dugout trying to avoid the opponent’s celebratory mass of humanity after a tough defeat.
As a player years ago, jumping on the dog pile was worth the risk of being crushed or spiked.
Congratulations to all three teams as well as the Senior Babe Ruth 16- to 18-year-old squad as they represent San Benito at regionals over the next couple of weeks.
In other news…
– San Juan Bautista’s Leticia Candelaria, my classmate at San Benito High School (Class of ’87), will sing the National Anthem at the California Rodeo in Salinas this Sunday. Her voice is worth the price of admission.
– In the San Francisco Chronicle’s baby blog, “The Poop” (not related to baseball dog piles), five substitute fantasy leagues were discussed as the NFL lockout threatens to delay or derail fantasy football this fall. In one suggested league, the “USGS Earthquake Fantasy League,” San Benito County was a first-round pick, ahead of Inyo and Los Angeles counties. So we still are the earthquake capital of the world, even if we don’t promote it as much as we used to.
– And finally, I saw an ad in the San Jose Mercury News this week for California’s Great America hiring full-time ride mechanics and industrial control electricians. Candidates must have “5-10 years journeyman experience” and be at least 18 years old. So 18-year-olds who have been a mechanic since they were 8 would seem like a shoo-in for the job. That is reason No. 43 why I avoid theme parks and carnivals.
