High point of the year

When my players dumped the cooler of ice water over my head during the post-game victory speech today, they washed away all the bad feelings I have had about this season. The players were leaping around like they just won the World Series, I was dripping wet, and I couldn't have been happier.

And, really, this was my best moment as a coach, ever. After beating this tough team with the best record in the city - a team that beat us twice in the regular season - we've now made it to the third round of the playoffs, the farthest we've made it in at least a decade. During the game today the team demonstrated everything you'd want out of a baseball game: intensity, team spirit, heart, clutch hitting, and superb pitching. And it's almost all the kids, but I'm proud of myself for some minor pinch-running and pinch-hitting moves I made in our 4-run fourth inning that I think messed with the rhythm of the opposing pitcher, who started the game by retiring our first eight hitters.

We're on to play a big county team on Wednesday. I don't know if we'll make it to the State championship, but it feels darn good to get where we've gotten so far. The nucleus of the team are a group of guys I've coached for four years, and I'm so proud of them.