Birmingham Bulls: Bull Blog

Milton, GA - Somehow, baseball never really ends.  Before you get a chance to put your spikes away and put some perspective on the past year, the planning begins for the next.

2010 was a year of many firsts and a few lasts.  We saw Bill Reilly, our first coach, defer to his son and commit full time to his hockey.  We were blessed to have had Bill and Jake for all the years that we did.  Bill made each of our boys better ballplayers and better people.  Jackson Anderson, part of our original crew, hung up his spike to give lacrosse a try.  As hard as it is to see Jake and Jackson leave, they are following their heart and will be great at whatever they decide to do.

Darius Ryals stepped back into the spotlight to return as our coach.  Darius assembled most of these boys as 7 year olds.  He has been coaching them ever since.  Despite a new job and houseful of kids, he offered the time to take on the managers job and did a great job.

 We had our first tryout and selected 3 great kids and wonderful families.  It was fun to watch the old Bulls welcome their new teammates and to watch the new Bulls contribute.  They have been a great group and become a really talented club.

 We finished the year at Cooperstown and played very well.  Cooperstown has been the focus for so long, it was odd to finally get there.  The families all had a wonderful time and the boys and coaches had a ball.  Won a few, lost a few, and saw some very talented teams and players.

Now, we look forward to next year.  Three boys have decided its time for them to play closer to home to position themselves for their high school program.  It will be sad because they have been a huge part of our lives for a long time.  Can't wait to see where God leads them.  They will be great at whatever they do.  We will certainly look forward to running across them in the years to come.  Once a Bull always a Bull.

But this opens up new opportunities.  We will be expanding our roster again this year.  We will be having tryouts in early August to find 3-5 new families with which to share this ride.  God has led us to many wonderful friends through baseball.  The decisions will be difficult and exciting.  We look forward to the opportunity to fold together a new batch of Bulls in 2011 and a collection of new and old friends. 

Milton, GA - After 7 years of winter prep to get the kids ready to start spring ball, you'd think it would get easier.  It doesn't.  Sure you know your way around the process, but budgets/dues/sponsorships, scheduling games, sizing uniforms, registering for leagues, scheduling scrimmages/games/tournaments, finding Blackout dates for Spring Breaks/School Test/Concerts/Dances, repairing and prepping the field, etc...  All of which used to be overwhelming, but exciting, becomes tedious. 

Then, you get to your first practice.  Some kid walks up behind you and says in a newly deep voice "Hey Coach, what's up?".  When you turn around and see a young man standing where a little kid should be, you can't help but pause.  You look at each face and can still see the little squirts that thought more about snacks than scores.  Now they are growing into a whole new shape.

 As coaches we don't change lives.  We're not parents, teachers, doctors, or preachers.  We are given so much more than we give.  We try to make a difference.... be another ear to bend.  We encourage them, instruct them, pray with them, enthuse with them, show them what they can be, try teach them to deal with failure, embarassment, and success with humility.  We are not always very good at it.

But at the end of the road, it is they that have given to us.  The memories, their loyalty, their enthusiasm, and their childhood.  Ask any coach if they'd do it again, and to a man, I bet they say yes.

Thanks to God for the opportunity to enjoy these kids, this game, and this time. 

Milton, GA - Each year I say "This spring, more than ever, we really need baseball".  However, I can honestly say, this year more than the rest.  Last year, we suffered through an endless line of baseball celebrities being outed by the Mitchell Report as drug stuffed, cheaters.  How could it get worse than that?  Well, now the economy is in the dumps, friends and family are losing their jobs and John Smoltz is going to be wearing a Red Sox uniform. With all we have been through, I am ready to move on to 2009 and forget 2008.   

As dismal as 2008 has been, my son had an interesting take on it.

On a ride back from a hunting trip last month.  He said "You know Dad, I think 2008 was the best year ever!  We have been incredibly blessed."  I almost put the truck in a ditch as my head snapped around to ask why?  He said, "Because in 2008, our soldier Brian returned home safely, we had a great baseball season, we had an awesone vacation this summer, I got to play tackle football for the first time, and we got to go hunting a few times."

And there you have it.  In a nutshell, he hit all the things that really should matter in our life.  Our safety, our security, our family, and the precious time to share with them.  If you have those things, you have been richly blessed.

For that reason alone, I am really looking forward to baseball.  The spring, the time to spend with our families, the good health to watch our kids play the game that has given us pleasure and a distraction from all those things that we think are important.

For this I thank God. 

Milton, GA -  After all the excitement of last spring, summer was a relaxing break for most of the Bulls.  Camps, vacations, sleepovers, and long days at the pool filled the summer for most of the Bulls families.  However, before the brick dust had settled from the last tournament, the Teeters were packing up to take their family on a Church mission trip to the Dominican Republic.

Their days were full of long hours and hard work.  However, they were touched by the kindness they were shown and the faith that they witnessed by their hosts.  Knowing the passion that Dominicans hold for baseball, Boltin assembled his old baseball equipment and presented it to a group of players at a local park.  The boys were grateful and spent many hours playing baseball on their field.

Last Sunday, the Bulls hosted a couple of teams at BUMC for a scrimmage.  As is their custom, the Bulls invited their opponents and umpires to take a knee on the mound and thank God for our many blessings.  They were joined by the coaches and umpires.  However, as they bent their knee and removed their hat a new face appeared.  Pastor Rafael from the Dominican Republic came out to bless the boys and offer his thanks.

On the contrary, however, because it is we who are grateful and blessed by his visit!