still have it
Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 4:21 pmWell a few years ago 25 years ago I coached a group of 15 year old boys baseball team and they was very very good. Now they are 40 year old and the Pony league team here in Marceline went undefeated this year and some way the two got to trash talking and the Pony league boys suggested that if they were so much better then they should be able to beat them now and a game was scheduled for last week.
That's how the old times game got started and the old times came to their old coach to whip them into shape the shape now being large and round.
The first practice things went really good and I entertained the idea we might just win this game old guys could still play some ball and with the right coaching . The morning after the first practice I told my wife how sore I was from practice and she told me you didn't do anything you are the coach that goes to show you what she knows about coaching and I was fast to let her know I hit ground balls for an hour and a half and when you toss the ball into the air to hit a fly ball to the outfield and miss it you have to run to third and get your bat back that flew out of your hands it takes it toll.
I was quick to tell her I also threw batting practice for an hour and in a discussed tone she said you were using a pitching machine well I told her someone has to put the balls into the pitching machine they won't get in there themselves.
OK to make a long story short we won the game 5 to 3 the young boys were in shock . The last inning I brought in Joe Terrell who had a uncle Charlie you would not believe we are talking 12 to 6 here back in the day and as I waved for Joe to come in when he got to the mound he had a cigarette in his mouth and the young second baseman said he couldn't smoke on the mound and I said why not he did when he was 13 years old. Well he struck out the last two batters and the game was over.
True story and they are already talking about one for next year there was a big crowd there and a lot of fun by all .
Harley Mick Hawkins
That's how the old times game got started and the old times came to their old coach to whip them into shape the shape now being large and round.
The first practice things went really good and I entertained the idea we might just win this game old guys could still play some ball and with the right coaching . The morning after the first practice I told my wife how sore I was from practice and she told me you didn't do anything you are the coach that goes to show you what she knows about coaching and I was fast to let her know I hit ground balls for an hour and a half and when you toss the ball into the air to hit a fly ball to the outfield and miss it you have to run to third and get your bat back that flew out of your hands it takes it toll.
I was quick to tell her I also threw batting practice for an hour and in a discussed tone she said you were using a pitching machine well I told her someone has to put the balls into the pitching machine they won't get in there themselves.
OK to make a long story short we won the game 5 to 3 the young boys were in shock . The last inning I brought in Joe Terrell who had a uncle Charlie you would not believe we are talking 12 to 6 here back in the day and as I waved for Joe to come in when he got to the mound he had a cigarette in his mouth and the young second baseman said he couldn't smoke on the mound and I said why not he did when he was 13 years old. Well he struck out the last two batters and the game was over.
True story and they are already talking about one for next year there was a big crowd there and a lot of fun by all .
Harley Mick Hawkins
LOL When my 2 boys were young they were in Little League for several years. At one point they wanted to play Dad's at season end. We did that. I was fourth batter and the other 3 were on base and I hit a triple way easier than I ever would have imagined and we certainly had the kids attention now. Next inning I hit it outa the field and over the fence. Others dad's didn't do quite that well but we were killin' 'em. I used to bat lefty sometimes so I started doing that. Can't do as well lefty but still hit a couple doubles and we waxed those poor kids pretty well. I think we did that because they were a bit too big for their britches about playing Dad's and thought it was in the bag for them. Some pretty long faces after game over. 
My youngest son was about 6' 4" and made all star so thought he was pretty good. He would come visit me at times and would try to hook up either with a crew from my station or E-8's crew to play a little ball. He came with 3 buds once who were players also and wanted to go try it. I called my station and the guys were heading to the gym pretty soon so we met up with them. Now mind ya this is A shift and they were better at basketball overall than my crew. Scotts Dad still holds records @ OR State and Scott was not far behind. Since we made a team with me we played half the crew at a time and full court which was killing me. They whipped us pretty well and Ric Clappe stole the ball from Cris 3x times which he absolutely hated. 
Once again long faces on some of those same boys. 