The next best thing to playing in the Little League World Series has to be playing in the Cooperstown Dreams Park weekly tournament, where 104 teams from across the country compete over five days for the championship. The facility is like Disneyland for youth baseball, with 22 grass fields that are major league quality. A few teams in the tournament are built to win it all — as I jokingly told my wife, “some of these 12-13 year olds are 6 feet tall, have beards, and brought their own wives and kids too” — while most other teams, like my son’s, are more middle-of-the road: talented players, but with room for improvement.
Our team finished 3-5 overall, with a playoff victory, which was sweet for many reasons: the team played perfect defense, our pitchers had great control, and every time we fell behind, we stayed confident and focused and found a way to even the score again or take the lead. We were two outs away from winning the game, when a player from the other team hit a home run to tie the score. We went into extra innings, and with one out in the 7th inning, my son hit the game-winning home run over the center field wall. It was a storybook moment for him — his teammates cheering for him at home plate as he rounded the bases, and we went on to play another game.
Later that afternoon, on the long drive back home, I looked at my son in the rear view mirror, sleeping in the back seat. I can’t explain it, but there is something very peaceful and heartwarming about watching your child sleep, whether he’s an infant in your arms, a teenager in the backseat of your car, or (I hope and imagine) an adult resting in your guest room.
“Live the Dream” is one of the Cooperstown Dreams Park mottos. My son was living his dream playing baseball with friends this week, and in that quiet moment on the drive home, as I adjusted the rear view mirror and watched my boy sleep, I was living mine.
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Since I didn’t have much time to analyze this week’s supply chain and logistics news, I’ll just leave you with the links and provide my commentary next week.
- U.S., Mexico open first new rail link in over a century (Reuters)
- Southern California Ports to try Trucking Appointment System (WSJ – sub. req’d)
- Amazon expands Prime Now, offers U.S. alcohol for first time (Reuters)
- June 2015 North American Freight Numbers
- ATA Urges Congress to Move Forward with Driver Hair Testing Option
- Drone with drugs, porn seized near Maryland prisons, two arrested (Reuters)
Song of the Week: “Dreams” by Beck
