2025 Ravens Baseball Season

[johnson2113]

"You don't want it printed? Don't do it. Or you will wind up on that Coconut Telegraph."

My God, Jimmy's music is evergreen. Up and down the road I have seen it all, every bit of it, zoomed in, 'Getting the Picture'. But tonight, tonight takes the (fruit)cake.

A thousand games, I really need to do the math some time. I've muttered bad words about a player, but never anything to call anyone of them out during a game. Afterwards, I am not the only guilty. A coach, absolutely. An umpire, okay I may have called that one in Oklahoma a blind son of a *****, but he still didn't kick me out.

Tonight, walking out of a game, the first thing that came to mind was the lyrics to Coconut Telegraph. I gwar-on-tee those hot lines were hummin'.

Let's just do a refresher. (The following is a true story, only the names have been changed, to protect... the GUILTY.)

Freshman year: 6 Catchers. 1. - Bub, 2. - 13, 3. - 26, 4. - 9, 5. - 47, 6. - 3

At this point, Bub has beaten out #2, #3, #4, #5 the only one he hadn't competed against was number #6.

#2 gets moved up to JV and Varsity, #3 gets moved to C-Team. Bub is left to fight for a spot on the freshman team. #3 gets "injured" and Bub gets moved to C-Team. The coach literally tells my sister and brother in law after watching Bub catch, "We f****d up."

Now, everyone but #6, Bub beat out to be the top catcher on the team, only because Bub and #6 were never on a club team together. #2's parents threw a fit to keep Bub from catching when Bub joined the club and when the coaches said you are splitting time with him, they quit and went to another club. Shockingly they went to the club that the high school baseball coach has his club team at.

Sophomore year: Bub gets bumped to JV, because, DUH! The coach immediately moves his summer club team to JV, which includes his son. Bub's playing, personally I don't care, just as long as Bub is playing.

Junior year(It always just says NOW): All the coach's "guys" are on varsity. So is Bub. Game 1 - #2, Game 2 - Bub, Game #3 - #2, Game 4 (non-league game, easy team gotta be the second string guy aka Bub), nope #2. Never FREAKING mind, Bub beat him out for the position the first time Bub played for a club team. Never mind Bub is head and shoulders better.

We can talk about me being biased. Hell yes I am biased and I also shoot every guy of every game, I compare everyone to their counterpart. Whether, it is a 'rec', A, AA, AAA, Major or a Cartel Team (We call them cartel teams because they travels around the country and literally fly in players to play for them). Not a one have I seen is head and shoulders better than Bub. I've seen it for other players, but at catcher, Bub is the man.

[johnson2113]

So, tonight, if IF, IF, IF, IF, if Bub is the second tier, not good enough catcher, then by God, he should have been catching, and he didn't.

Now, let's flashback about 14 hours. I'm up and around. Doing my morning thing, checking the grain prices, checking the stock market, yada, yada, yada. Planning my day around Bub's game. It's not a sinking feeling. When Bub's in a slump and struggling, I still don't have a sinking feeling.

I just had this feeling, the pear-shaped, balding loser, was going to do pear-shaped, balding loser things.

I have no problems swallowing my pride, I'll step and be there for the guys. I may be miserable doing it, but I ain't going to be the bad guy for anyone.

But every fiber of my being wants to be the bad guy, I hear it is a lot more fun.

Well, tonight, before the game, before I even unzipped my camera bag we walked the ever living F**K out of there, I've got goosebumps thinking about it. My sister and brother in law aren't there. No big deal.

BIL can make the excuse 'I've got to work', my sister, Ryanne has 'blah, blah, blah', me walking out, well that don't happen. I don't take joy in it, I'm always there for the team, but I am the most petty, competitive SOB to ever walk this God forsaken planet. 99% of the cells in my body say be the Chuckster(my grandfather), 1% says be like John(my other grandfather).

Unfortunately, for some, they may have opened Pandora's Box.

(To be continued...)

[johnson2113]

Now we are cookin'.

That old, Kel...(brother in law), I fell in love with. I mean that guy my sister, fell in love with and married and two amazing children with is creeping back out. Everyone was wildin'. Wish more people could have been there instigating.

Now if you all know me and I think you. I ain't, never worrying about Bubbalishes. His club team coach, I think I went over it. But let's add a little more to it.

I ran into him at one of Bub's summer teammate's high school games. Nice handshake, pleasantries and small talk.

So, today. I did what I have been doing for the previous two years. I played the Easter Bunny, I brought joy and smiles to the faces of children, parents and grandparents. Then I hauled ass to the city to hopefully shoot the second game of a doubleheader. Bub didn't catch the first game. Surely, he will catch the second.

He is the only catcher I have seen to catch every game, all the time, every game, every day. Sure enough, not this time. No let's put the catcher in who literally just lost the first game. Three stolen bases, all on the catcher's shoulders.

Bub is beyond disappointed, deservedly so. I don't worry about him. I love the Beach Boys, one of my favorite songs 'Be True To Your School' I take the old man's advice. F Them.

I don't worry about Bub, because of Bob. Bob is going to get that kid to some amazing school to play baseball. Bob may love Bub more than he does his own kid. He found out Bub wasn't playing today and came out to the game. I was heading out to left field to shoot pictures.

I see Bob walking in, I walk over to him and shake his hand. He pulls me in and wraps his other hand around me. We talk a little bit of s*it to each other. I'm not Bub's parents, but Bob embraced the hell out of me. I may say it a lot and a lot of people may say things over and over to convince themselves. I'm not convincing myself of anything. Bub is going to go onto bigger and better things, I know he has the best group of people around him that no he has worked for it. Stay on the Coconut Telegraph, it will get crazy before things get better!

[johnson2113]

Good, Lord, please some of my Parrotheads, pull me in off the ledge. We are wildin'.

It's ugly, and getting worse. I am the voice of reason, and that ain't good.

Might have to screen shot my text message, I am so good, too good. I've got a dozen things going on. Fill you all in soon.

[johnson2113]

The full story is coming.

3 years, I hope the old folks like myself are still around to hear it, accept my apology. Coming up on the last hurrah.

We are wildin', we are blutbottin', Top to bottom, and we hit bottom, but I am finally going to Kokomo.

[johnson2113]

One of my favorite lines. The following is(will be) a true story, only the names have been changed(they will not be) to protect the guilty. Nah, guilty will be exposed.

I hope everyone shows up for this, we goin' wild!

[johnson2113]

The last three years have not been easy. Every time I turned around it has been doing something for someone. I asked for one day and I did not get that.

Last weekend my camera decided to take a dive, it was during the last game. After 14 days on the road, KC to Indy to OKC and back to KC. My truck was dead, D-E-A-D. I told the outlaws, I'm taking Bub's Jeep and going home. Now, as many times as they have borrowed a vehicle they did not seem thrilled at that idea.

14 days of hotel beds and eating out, I did not care (We will get to not caring eventually), I was going to my place, I was relaxing for 10 minutes. They have four cars in the driveway, they can figure something out until my battery charges.

Of course the next morning the battery was dead, and I spent the early morning hours finding something that even sold batteries to change it myself. Kelb, found a place that would do it on a Sunday morning, 300 dollars and I have my truck back.

Plus a C-Note for Bub loaning me his vehicle.

Baseball coming next... (What a freaking s-show.

[johnson2113]

Bob's an old school baseball guy. The world has passed him by.

All season there has been a 'watch the first pitch' call.

We have faced team after team that throws a first pitch, strike, a meatball, down the middle and the team is just out of it after that.

Except for the dumba**es that just completely ignore the coach.

I fall into the mindset of either everyone listens to authority, or they completely ignore them. And I always ignore them. But, whatever.

400 teams in Indy, and we just half-assed it. We got a consultation game in Indy. What a freaking disaster. Bub scored the only run of the game. First time I have seen him run in years.

We should not have been in that situation and the team we played had not won a game and started trash talking one of our players. Umpires issued warnings, parents were screaming back and forth.

[johnson2113]

We went from Indy to OKC and we stopped in Uranus, MO. Fun stop, highly recommend.

We go out and play awfully in the first game, win the second game. OKC the top two teams make bracket. So we have to win.

Now, I am out there to shoot as many baseball games as possible. The guy that is backing up Bub, strikes out. He says, I don't care, after he strikes out. Well, a lot of guys on the team care.

College coaches are at all of the games.

The guy that is backing up Bub, strikes out, looking. Bub was DH'ing. This kid strikes out looking. That has been an epidemic on the team all season. He started making excuses. I'm raging, but one of the team leaders ripped him up and down.

My bil, shushed me. For the amount of money, I spent watching these games. Don't shush me, and I have reached a point that if you aren't trying to get recruited, then well...

Bub caught three foul popups. One of the BTL coaches has never seen that.

I don't know what is happening. We are in the lull, and I am focusing on myself for a while.

[SMLCHNG]

I don't know what is happening. We are in the lull, and I am focusing on myself for a while.

Sounds like the best thing to do right now, Jerred.