Mid-Cities Longhorns - Win WORLD SERIES

The Mid-Cities Longhorns won the National USSSA 11 under AA World Series title in Beaumont, Texas this last weekend. After dropping the second game in the tournament, the Longhorns played their way back through the losers bracket to make it to the title game. The Longhorns would have to beat the undefeated West Brazos Sox twice to capture the title. They handled them easy in the first game, forcing the final determining game. In the championship game the Longhorns found themselves down 6-0 in the top of the fourth inning, rumors abounded that the fat lady was tuning up, but these cardiac kids who had no quit in them mounted a thrilling come back scoring 6 runs in the top of the fourth. Holding the number one team in the nation scoreless the rest of the game, the Longhorns finished the task adding 4 more runs to capture the title 10-6. When you see both teams offer up a prayer at the beginning of the game, does it make you wonder which team God is pulling for? I keep reminding myself that youth sports is really about character development and learning the lessons of life. Baseball is one of those sports where each kids accomplishments or errors are exposed. In football, basketball or soccer a kid can be in the game and somewhat go unnoticed, but in baseball there is always the potential that you might make a costly error that is highlighted for all to see. So it makes us more proned to pray. Since I can't always make the Sunday games as some are on Sunday morning when I'm leading worship, John Mark and I have an agreement.
The team always prays before the game, but I try and make a point to call him and pray on the phone when possible. I can always listen to the sermon online! If for some reason I can't John Mark will walk to where ever he's playing during the first inning and take his hat off as a reminder that win or loose we'll give God the glory. I think the movie "Facing the Giants" reminded us all to praise him in defeat as well as victory. I was blessed Saturday during the last game I'd get to watch when as the home team we had come back to carry a 6-5 lead into the top of the 6th and final inning. All we needed were 3 outs to put us playing on Sunday. You can tell by the picture that John Mark isn't the biggest kid, he's probably the smallest. He enjoys pitching, playing second, some third, and has been an asset in the outfield throughout the season We knew if we made it to Sunday we'd need our big pitchers to compete with the last two teams. I was curious as to whether we'd stay with the same kid or who would we go to. John Mark had been having a decent game playing left field. As the team took the field for the top of the 6th I saw him walking toward the infield. I thought he might be going to second or third, but was surprised when he walked to the mound and started warming up. For this tournament, I'd been sitting on the back row with my father-in-law Virgil. Ginger (a former cheerleader) had been sitting on the front row leading cheer after cheer. From six rows up I noticed Ginger had stopped the cheering and buried her head in her hands, she'd gone to praying. There is something about your kid pitching that makes you a little more nervous than if he's playing left field. Sure they might hit it out there, but you're a little more relaxed. I turned to Virgil who looked like he needed a cigarette or something stronger. I found out later that when the coach told John Mark to go to the mound to finish it out, he said ok. After he threw his last warm-up pitch he did something he'd never done before. As the team was throwing it around the horn, he knelt down to pray. I asked him later what did you pray and he said, "I just needed the Lord to help me and I was a little nervous." The cry throughout the crowd was "keep it low", I don't know if any of the opposing team players had hit a home run, but it was our greatest fear. First batter 2 pitches and a long fly to left field, left field parent sits up takes notice, left fielder catches the ball for out one. Second batter 1 pitch fly to right field, right field parent gasps, right fielder back peddles to warning track and snags it for the second out. Third batter, big hitter, crowd unusually quiet. First pitch ball, parent of pitcher, are we losing our groove? Light cheering as ball is thrown back to pitcher, crowd quiets, batter (big batter) steps in for the pitch.


Pitcher, calm cool and collective pitches ball,

parent of pitcher thinks to himself that seems a little high,

parent of batter - my son will tie the game,

coach - that seems a little high,

pitcher - the pitch i wanted to pitch, thank you Lord

batter - I'm going to swing

concession stand attendant, that will be six twenty five

mother of pitcher with eyes closed, what's happening

batter hits the ball - grounder to short

fans - slowly stand and point to short stop

short stop - I'm going to get the jumbo dog after this game

short stop - picks up the ball,

first basemen - i think I'm going to get the cherry apple snow cone

short stop - throws the ball

first basemen - or will I get the pinacolade snow cone

first basemen - catches the ball -

GAME OVER - Longhorns headed to games on Sunday

Pitcher - thank you Lord.






(I realize some people have a problem playing on Sunday mornings, and Ginger and I struggled early on with this, but we felt the experiences John Mark was getting on the team were invaluable. I've stressed that I must put God before John Mark, but not the church so Sunday mornings is really about God and if John Mark can honor the Lord on Sundays on a baseball field then we're fine with that)