Wrapping Up North Carolina

WRITTEN ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 19

Hello my loyal readers (all 20 of you),

It’s been awhile, a whole four days.  Then again, it’s better than eight months.  Anyhow, since I last wrote, nothing really exciting happened to me, but I’ll fill you in anyhow. Since I’m currently on a flight to Bermuda and have nothing else to do…here it goes…

Unfortunately, we never got to visit Duke or North Carolina.  I really wanted to visit Duke because I hate that school, almost as bad as I hate the Yankees.  I brought ample UConn gear with me on my trip just in case we got to visit the aforementioned universities and so I could show those schools what a real University is all about.  Our basketball coaches and programs are greater than Duke and Carolina combined.  I’m a huge Husky fan so even all the nasty comments I get from people calling me an idiot and that I don’t know what I’m talking about – I still know (not believe) that I am right and they are wrong.

Last Saturday in North Carolina was a pretty uneventful day.  We woke up at 10:30 and Kyle and I were extremely hungry.  By the time we got ready to go to breakfast, it was 11:00 and McDonald’s breakfast was over.  Doreen, Kyle and I went across the street from the hotel to the Crackel Barell.  The wait there was 25 minutes too long, so we had the team van pick the three of us up and we headed down the street to Denny’s.

This was only the third time that I can remember eating at Denny’s.  The other two times weren’t great, but hey, when you’re hungry, you have to eat.  Much to my surprise, I was blown away.  Denny’s had a lot to pick from on the menu including healthy options for yours truly.  I made my own “Grand Slam”: two whole wheat pancakes, two egg whites, chicken sausage and a fruit cup.  My oh my were the pancakes ever good.  I didn’t use syrup because I didn’t have to; they were that good.  Props to you Denny’s for a job well done.

To digress a little here, North Carolina isn’t in the Deep South, but they sure act like they are down there.  Everything is fried, barbeque, fried.  They talk with accents.  Most of the ladies down there are “Georgia peaches” – oh so sweet.  It is very hot and humid.  It seems like everybody and their mother goes out to breakfast.  I’m guessing that is why the Denny’s was so good, because breakfast is so important down there.  It isn’t like up North, where people are used to their food being rushed so they can move on with their day.  It’s just a calm and collective breakfast environment – people reading their newspapers quietly, “Would you like more coffee sweetie?”, “Yes dear”.

Since the game wasn’t until 8:00 at night, when we got back from Denny’s, it was around 1:00 and we had seven hours to kill.  While we could have possibly squeezed in a visit to Duke or Carolina, someone had to step up and take charge in order to plan an activity for the team.  If it wasn’t for Ken and Doreen, as well and Lou and Margaret Diaz, those seven hours would have be a colossal train wreck.

We decided to sacrifice our Saturday in order for the team’s benefit.  Plus, it helped the coaches relax and have some alone time, as well as allowing the team’s families to go out and have some fun.  Ken, Doreen, Lou, Margaret and I went to the local supermarket (Harris Teeters) in order to get fruit and movies for the team.  The hotel (and no we did not get kicked out) arranged a few televisions in the lobby for the players.  One of the Oxford players had an Xbox 360 so we used that for the team to watch Percy Jackson.

After we got back from the supermarket, we set up our freshly purchased produce.  I poured cups of Gatorade while Ken put together some good ole PBJ’s.  Doreen washed the fruit, while Margaret and Lou cut up the watermelon.  When I finished pouring the drinks, I put together fruit cups that we handed out to the team.  I forced each player to eat a banana because it was very humid and I didn’t want them cramping up.  It was an enjoyable afternoon for all; the entire team came together to just chill out and relax before their big game.

The movie ended around 4:00 and after that, each player went back to their room to take a nap or do whatever.  Around 4:30, D (Doreen) and I stepped up again and made dinner plans for the team.  We walked over to Pino’s Pizzeria and ordered a couple of pies, pasta and salad.  We fed them around 5:30 and they left for the game around 6:00.

We left for the game at 7:00 sharp.  Ken was adamant about that…if we weren’t in the car by 6:59 then find your own way to the game.  The field was pretty nice.  I mean, it wasn’t like Williamsport nice where they have a bunch of fields all on the same complex.  This was just one perfectly manicured diamond.  Since this particular World Series moves around year to year, that’s why there isn’t a complex of fields.

Once the sun finally set around 8:00, it was a perfect night for baseball, around 70 degrees with a slight breeze.  Ken and I set up shop right behind home plate, while Doreen sat with her sister and parents (who left from their Connecticut home at 5:30 am that same day and arrived in Wilson around 5:30 pm) on the grass.  Kyle was off kibitzing with his friends while trying to act fly and impress a certain girl.  Obviously, if you read my game recap, you know how the game turned out.

I’ll tell you one thing, the game environment was something like I never experienced.  I had goose bumps.  The Oxford fans were amazing.  One would honestly think that Oxford was a town of 100,000 people after hearing how loud and seeing how many people came out to support the locals.  The fact that we won was an amazing feat in and of itself.  My only regret is that I didn’t finish the game recap by the Connecticut Post’s deadline so it didn’t get in the paper.  Don’t worry, however because Fairfield American did.  Oh, by the way, this very same Oxford team defeated that very same Fairfield American team in a scrimmage.

After we got back from the game and I finished my recap, it was 2:00 am and time for bed.  We had to get up early for a 10:30 game the next morning.  I woke up around 8:30 exhausted.  We were leaving at 9:45 so I had to make sure I had everything packed because we were checking out of the hotel before the game.

**I’m putting this next part in bold because I realize how long this blog is, and I don’t care if you skip over everything else.  This is the part I really want you to read.**

Obviously, if you’ve been a follower of this blog, you know that my cousin Cole was on this team.  Please note that I’m not trying to brag or gloat, but Cole was the only 11 year old on this team.  Back in May, Cole shifted the growth plate in his arm and the injury pretty much shut down his baseball season.  If healthy, he probably would have been on the team from the beginning.  However, one player broke his arm and Cole (keep in mind he hadn’t so much as picked up a glove in over two months) was asked to join the team in the New England Regional round.  Here’s a kid who suddenly has to get his timing back on the fly against pitchers that were throwing beebes.

What I’m about to tell you next makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.  Cole was called in as a pinch hitter in Sunday’s blowout loss to Arkansas.  He came up to the plate with a runner on second with one out, and the locals being shut out.  The Arkansas pitcher was throwing pretty hard and was ahead in the count one ball and two strikes.  Honestly, if Cole struck out there, no one would have blamed him, but he didn’t strike out; he laced a run-scoring double down the left field line.

After Ken and I saw the hit, we were so happy.  I literally had goose bumps in 95 degree weather.  I think Ken had a tear or two in his eyes.  That moment right there made the whole trip for me.  My little cousin can now say that he had an RBI in a World Series game, a game dominated by 12 year olds.  Lou came over and high-fived us screaming as well.  So did a few of the other parents.  It was such a nice touch.

At the conclusion of each game, the tournament committee chooses an MVP from both teams.  Cole won it from his team.  Here, I am going to brag.  This is not to knock any other player on Oxford, but Cole winning MVP shouldn’t have happened.  Don’t get me wrong, he deserved it, but he’s only 11, had one at bat and delivered.  That was a remarkable accomplishment.  Here’s a kid who basically played the bench all tournament and he comes up and delivers.  I couldn’t be more proud of Cole.

Anyhow, let’s try to wrap up this blog.  We flew home Sunday night and it was a nice and easy flight.  The only hiccup was the driver that was supposed to pick Kyle and I up from the airport got stuck in traffic and we had to wait 25 minutes.  Oxford was up 8-1 against Boise, Idaho before falling 9-8.  Even if they had won, they wouldn’t have advanced.  However, if Oxford advanced, Kyle and I were going to fly back down on Monday, come home Wednesday and then I was going to leave for Bermuda today.  Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but the last game of the tournament I saw was my cousin winning the MVP so that was a good moment to go out on.

Alright, well I hear the pilot saying we are beginning our descent so I have to go.  I’ll keep in touch.  Cin and Carlos are renewing their vows on Saturday so I’m sure I’ll have some stories on here this weekend.

Thanks to everyone for supporting this blog.  It really means a lot to me.

-Matt-