Arctic Baseball

Baseball season has started here in London. Not that there is really any season for baseball here, most of the locals don't even know what baseball is. However, there are enough Americans here in Northwest London to make up a league. And that is exactly what has been done for several years. It (the league) is called London Sports. It is the organization that we played basketball with this past winter. It is completely volunteer and almost entirely American families.
We, yes we, started baseball a few weeks ago.

Even though I am not an official player or even an official coach, I still feel that I am playing. Who makes sure the uniforms are clean? Who makes sure the mitts are not forgotten? Who makes sure the "snack" is brought on our assigned day? ME. That's who. Not that I really mind, but it just exemplifies that baseball is a team sport for sure in this house.

Here is Andrew on the first day before receiving his uniform. It was cold, no freezing, that day.

Here is Andrew running the bases.

Last week as I was helping him get dressed for his game, he was explaining his strategy to me.

"Mom. I'm thinkin' I'm gonna have to slide today."

I wish you could have seen the expression on his face. It was oh-so-serious! And it made me chuckle because we are talkin' about T-ball, not the Major Leagues. Most of the other players don't even know the difference between the pitcher's mound and first base.

Sure enough, when Andrew had his turn to run to home plate, he slid.

It makes a mother proud.

Of course we realize that he is at a great advantage having an older brother........

Here is Alex in his uniform. He is on the Pirates. That's his bud Patrick behind him on the left. They were lucky enough to be placed on the same team this season.



As you can tell by the foliage.....Spring has not quite arrived here in London. (This was the week before the snow. (see previous post) )

We play our games at Wormwood Scrubs. It is a huge open field located next to a local prison.

Lovely.

I don't know the story behind the name, but I thought it was a joke the first time I heard it. It is nothing more than a huge open field. No markings. No backstops. No dugouts. Just soccer goals placed here and there that I think were left from last Fall. I assume it is for rugby practice normally; hence the "scrubs" part of the name. I don't feel that cricket could be played here.

Cricket is the closest resemblence of baseball to the British.

I have to say that this league is sooooo not like our Richmond leagues last year. What kind of coaching do you get when you ask a lot of bankers and embassy workers to coach?

Well, you can imagine.

Anywho, I have already completed my snack duty for the season. So I feel a great deal of stress has been lifted. I have seen the outcome when snack duty is overlooked by a family.

It is not a pretty sight.

I feel as though I might have been branded with that mark anyhow because I brought sliced bananas, apples, and grapes.

What am I? Not a single piece of fruit was taken. Not even my own son would have a piece.

It just so happens one of the fathers had extra mini chocolate muffins he had purchased for his kids earlier that morning for the ride over to the fields and he threw those into the mix (so he wouldn't have to carry them home). Those went like gangbusters.

I sense my Mother of the Year nomination has been revoked.