A Kid’s First Double Play

I was eight years old when I first joined Little League baseball. What an exciting time that was. I got a new uniform with a blue baseball hat, new sneakers, and a new youth baseball glove. I was ready to play ball! My new team had a manager who assigned us to positions, not necessarily where we wanted to play, but where he thought we would do best.

 

He decided that I would be good at playing second base, so that’s where I started my “baseball career.” I watched a lot of major league baseball games on television, so I kind of knew what a second baseman was supposed to do. We were playing about our fourth or fifth game of the year when the other team got a runner on first base with nobody out.

 

Nothing unusual there, but what happened next was kind of unexpected. The batter hit a sharp grounder toward second base and I was on it in a flash. I scooped up the ball, ran over and stepped on second base for the force out, and whirled around and threw to first base to complete the double play! My manager went nuts with joy. He couldn’t believe I actually knew how to do that. I didn’t know what the big deal was. After all, I saw a play like that two or three times a game- on television…  

Related posts:

1. A Homerun-er-A Run Home
2. Playing “500″ With the Gang
3. My First Season as a Catcher
4. Softball at a Church Picnic
5. My First Year in Little League