Kids of Summer

Saturday July 4 was no picnic. The 320 mile trip from Pittsburgh to Binghamton, NY, in a steady rain, took the bus over seven hours.

I made the trip in Coach Alex Rice's car. On long trips, adults in the bus travel party share rides, or drive the equipment truck just to provide company or a chance for the driver to get some sleep. I've driven the equipment truck to give Mo'ne's dad Mark Williams company and time to sleep, but he and Coach Chuck Jackson have teamed up in that van. Coach Rice, who managed the Taney Dragons in the LLWS, has been making crazy trips back and forth from the tour and work, so any company he gets cuts down driving alone. (Make no mistake, when it's hot, there is some skepticism regarding people in the bus "offering their services" to ride in an air conditioned vehicle. I just want to point out how cool it was Saturday morning, and the compelling nature of Coach Rice's conversation!)

Alex and I arrived about 90 minutes before the bus, so we drove around Binghamton, NY and grabbed a late lunch. When the bus arrived at the motel, a Red Roof Inn in mid-conversion from a Super 8 Motel, players had 30 minutes to check in and be back on the bus. The Monarchs were due at the Binghamton Mets NYSEG Stadium at 5:30. There would be no heady visits this weekend, just some baseball watching and playing...and playing, and playing.

The players spent pre-game in the Mets dugout. They chatted with players, handing out #GetOnBoard wristbands and comparing gloves. The Monarchs flash some serious leather (literally and figuratively) and the Mets players were duly impressed. The Binghamton players, and most minor leaguers the Monarchs meet, are painfully aware that this bunch of kids, and their star pitcher, are far more famous than any of them are, or will likely ever be. It's an amazing dynamic that the Monarchs are very comfortable with. It's not cockiness at all, they are simply comfortable and prepared to converse with anyone they meet, regardless of who they, what they do, or their perceived status in life.

Monarch players confidently fist bump every player as they enter or leave the dugout, and the players talk simply as ballplayers.

DH Aderlin Rodriguez greets the Monarchs on their way out of the dugout

The Monarchs are quick to ask their staple questions...who plays their respective positions, who has the most homers, and who is the fastest? The Monarchs joined the players on the field for the national anthem, sprinting out during pre game introductions.

Jared Sprague-Lott sprints out to the field with SS Gavin Checchini

The Mets won the game, uninterrupted by forecast rain, but played in an damp chill, on two homers; a grand slam by SS Gavin Checchini and a solo shot by DH Aderlin Rodriguez. After the holiday fireworks, it was back to the motel and a bit of a sleep-in night.

Sunday was a perfect Catskill summer morning, sunny and cool. Multiple players, refreshed by the no-wakeup call rest, played catch across the parking lot. The two hour ride to Oneonta was an audible from the itinerary, and Coach Rice, whose wife Pam and daughter Penelope made the trip, and stayed elsewhere because the Red Roof, mercifully, was sold out. He did not get the "memo", and about 45 minutes before game time, he called me from Cooperstown asking where he could meet up with us in the Hall of Fame, our scheduled destination. Coach Jackson, who makes it clear the only way to be in the right place at the right time is to be on the bus, had just chuckled.

The game, against the Oneoneta Hurricanes, was played at historic Damaschke Field, home of the NYCBL Oneonta Outlaws, better known as the long time home of the Short Season Rookie NY/Penn League Oneoneta Yankees.

The Hurricanes put up a fight, and were clearly one of the more polished teams the Monarchs played on this Tour, but again, brilliant defense, including countless pickoff plays run to perfection, and one long inning of runs, kept the Monarchs undefeated.

Brandon Gibbs takes a pickoff throw from catcher Scott Bandura

A futile jump over Jack Rice's tag only caused this Hurricane to overrun the bag and be tagged out.

2B action courtesy of CF Sami Wylie...any Monarch opponent strays from second base at their own risk

A Hurricane middle infielder tries to stay balanced, but makes the call on Jack Rice's steal anyway.

After the game, Hurricane families hosted a barbecue for the entire travel party as the Outlaws prepared to face the Syracuse Salt Cats. The Monarchs peppered these collegiate players with their same questions, and even challenged their fastest runner to a race, with Sami Wylie, Myles Eaddy and Nasir Jackson getting blown away by Salt cats speedster Evan Holland in a sprint across the outfield. (Granted Sami was running in socks, but...)

After a brief stop at the Super 8 Motel (grumbling about the motel was minimized by the promise of a real hotel in Boston tomorrow night) the Monarchs visited Cooperstown All Star Village where last season they had made it to the semi-final of the week long tournament. It wasn't long before the aura of the Monarchs was apparent. Elvis was in the building. One of the first structures we passed had enlarged baseball cards of anonymous former participants mounted on the side...the first being of the Monarchs hardly anonymous Mo'ne Davis. The team settled into the bleachers at the championship stadium to watch the game, but the players were soon on the hillside behind us playing a wiffle ball game against one of the participating teams.

And as sure as the temperature dropped along with the sun, people stared to realize Mo'ne was in house.

Most of the boys are curious but seem almost embarrassed, and simply stand near her...and she has the 'ignoring the boys' thing down pat! I understand the kids being enamored with her...they shyly request pictures and she either agrees, insists on including teammates or defers to manager Steve Bandura, who runs appropriate interference. For example a five year old girl, clearly in shock at being near Mo'ne, was escorted onto the bus Saturday night in Binghamton for a quiet picture; a team was allowed a picture, but only with the entire Monarchs team, and a mom that was rude and physically dragged her daughter towards Mo'ne was rebuffed. It is all accomplished with the perfect balance of letting the kids be kids, and managing what becomes a crowd of gawkers all too fast. And again, it's the grownups that make it weird....the kids are deferential and ask for pictures....most adults barge in or demand it.

Monday, Cooperstown and the HOF and a long trip to Beantown!