Thunder & Lightning in the Ring and on the Field

Day 14 of the Anderson Monarchs Civil Rights Barnstorming Tour and the first signs of exhaustion are starting to show.

The day started with a two-plus hour bus ride to Louisville, and a stop at the The Muhammed Ali Center. More than just a museum to honor the life of arguably the greatest and most recognizable athlete in history, the Center is an interactive learning center that focuses on the six core principles of Ali’s life: Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, & Spirituality.

I knew the story of how a young Cassius Clay got involved in boxing; how his bike was stolen and he sought out a policeman to report the theft; how that officer, Joe Martin ran a boxing gym and suggested Cassius channel his desire for revenge into some boxing skills. The Center staff however presented this as a "red bike moment" and asked the kids how they had responded to their own "red bike moments." It was a very clever concept I wish I'd had in my parenting arsenal nineteen years ago!

The displays do not glaze over the angrier, brash, young Cassius Clay's comments, but show his growth as not just an athlete, but as a man.

The kids, a little museumed-out I believe, listened politely, and walked through the text-heavy maze. But the connection they really made was with Ali the boxer. Handed a small gift of a mini boxing glove as they entered the theater, many of the players purchased a second one in the gift shop and boxed with them in the lobby. It was again a reminder that despite all the weighty things they've seen and discussed on this trip, they are still after all kids.

At some of the boxing specific displays Tamir and Trevor wowed the players with their work on a speed bag, and Terrence and Brandon (below), whose dad's both boxed, hand-sparred in a boxing ring.

After an emergency hospital visit by one of the players for "abdominal blockage" (surprising given the McDonald's breakfast this morning) we wrapped up our Ali Center tour.

By mid afternoon we were back on the bus, heading for the hotel for a 15 minute check in, and then back on board for our game against the Vipers.

The Vipers held a tailgate party for all the players and families before the 7pm start at beautiful Skyview Park. Much like the Montgomery Biscuits stadium, the field had train tracks running past the outfield, and the CSX freight train that rumbled past during warmups was deafening. Of greater concern were the gathering dark clouds in the west. The game was halted three times for lightning or rain, encouraging the umps to call the game after less than 5 innings, with the Monarchs well ahead.

The game was a bruiser for the Monarchs, though, as Zion was hit by his 4th and 5th pitches of the trip, Scott was spiked on a play at the plate where the sliding runner lifted him up off the ground, and Jared rolled an ankle fielding a grounder.

The team is playing great baseball right now, though I don’t feel they have really played a team that could give them a challenge (these games are put together by the goodwill of the organizations the Monarchs contact, and there is no way to know in advance the caliber of the teams they will play). The Monarchs are hitting on all cylinders defensively and Monarch pitchers rarely hurt themselves with walks. Countless base runners are erased by smart pickoff moves, and simple, solid defense.

Jared, the sure handed, strong armed SS, left the game after rolling his ankle, but only for an inning

The first pitch after replacing Jared at short, Zion made a bang-bang tag play on a grounder to end the inning

On offense the heroes are spread throughout the lineup, but most of the runs are set up by smart, aggressive base running. If you make a mistake against the Monarchs, or even simply hesitate for a second, the Monarchs make you pay. They are a well oiled machine. Scott lives on the bases and Tamir is driving the ball As we head into the holiday weekend we face a stretch of long bus rides, so the cooler, drier (not dry, drier) Midwest air is a welcomed relief. Next stop, Great American Ballpark for a Twins/Reds game, and a Monarchs night game against the Reds Urban Youth Academy.