So this was our first year of playing Fall Baseball. Both of the boys decided not to play football this year. Tanner we knew from last season didn't want to play tackle after he was done with his flag years. Jake kept saying he wanted to play on the lightweights (under 105) team for his middle school. He went to off season workouts and weightlifting over the summer and decided he wasn't really into it, so we were able to get him signed up for baseball at the last minute. He was too old to play Majors and there was no Intermediate Division available in fall, so he made the jump all the way up to the big (high school) field. His team was horrible and he was the youngest kid on it, but also the best player for the most part. He ended up pitching almost every single game as well as playing catcher and Center Field. He really got a lot better over the course of the season. I wasn't able to see a lot of his games as I was coaching Tanner's Fall Ball team, but was able to see a couple. The rules change at this level to be real baseball, including leading off, stealing and balks. In the game this weekend, Jake picked off two guys while pitching, which I never taught him to do and he's never been able to do before. He still needs to grow into the field size with his pitching and hitting, but did really well. It's going to be tough for him to play in the Spring with his basketball schedule, but the coach he's going to play for in High School really wants him to play next season. He's going to have the ability to workout with the High School team in the winter/spring and them possible play on the American Legion team over next season (which in Boise is the pre-season HS squad for the most part). So he is coming to the end of his Little League career, and he likes Basketball better than Baseball, but he has a future in HS in the sport if he wants it.
Tanner played up a division in the Fall, playing with the 12 year olds. He played All Stars and there was no point in him going back and playing Fall Baseball with his own age group. His friends form the All Star team, Gus and Evan, played up with the 12 year olds also and all of them held their own. North Boise Little League had the best teams in the Valley in this Fall season. Our team only lost one game to a really good team of ALL 12 year olds. Tanner has done really well. I was hoping that playing up would get him set to play Majors next year (a year early) and not be too scared by the hard throwing pitchers. I think he will be fine and he impressed all of the coaches he played for and against. He pitched some, caught a lot and played his normal smart baseball in the field. The guy that managed his team will manage in majors and said he would draft Tanner to that division. Since Tanner pitched in Spring, Summer and Fall now, we're going to shut him down from baseball over the next two months completely. He'll play basketball, but no pitching or throwing of any kind to give his arm a break. After Christmas, he'll start up working out with the High School program in their youth camps. Both Marisa and I found we didn't miss Football Saturdays at all and really liked getting up on Saturdays to watch baseball instead. Tanner has already said he wants to play again next year, so we'll be back.
