Guess who's back
I apologize to my readers as it has been a ferw days since I wrote last. Well in typical fashin I will do a paragraph on the day explaining the ongoings here in Dublin.
Thursday
Our last day with the camp. Great day had 10 young kids and then 8 older kids. The reception, of the kids was great they were very nice in thanking us for helping them out and all. Even ne kid gave each of the coaches a card thanking us individually. Practice was much of the same, with the exception that Jason Hoye, came over from the states. Hoye played outfield for Wheaton college, and rumor had it that he could catch. A catcher is certainly somethiong the team was lacking as Ruidrhai MUrphy had the left the team to pursuit a career in professional rugby. Things have worked out pretty well thus far as I will explain later.
Friday
First day off, quite needed as well. John and I ot up in the morning and then decided to go on a tour just driving aropund and figuring stuff out as we went. Started offf going to Dun Loughrie (sp?) which was a nice little sea town as I needed to look for a charger for my camera. We stopped as some food walked arounfd the town, which is full of life as a result of a ferry which leaves from there. We then wandered around to Dalky, just driving and looking at things on the way. People we had been n contact with told us we should go to Glendalouch as it is pretty niuce. Well so as we are on our way we get lost. And by lost I mean lost, some of it was intentional and believe me we saw some unbelieveable things on aour way, but we got well taken out of our way. As for Glendaloch, uhh not all that inspiring in fact one of the two lakes was dried up, no word of a lie. John and I then made our way toa little village called Hollywood, whch we stopped in and had a pint at the Hollywood Inn, why you ask would you stop at a little two bit village where there is nothing but two pubs. Well the film Michael Collins was filmed in the Hollywoood Inn and immediately upon entering the place it jumps right at you. After this we evnetually made it back to Kindle's place where the fun begins...Kinle's next neighbors were having a bbq Friday night, so John and I joined in on the festivites and pretty the Heineken's were going down easy. Well needless to say soon it became 1:30 am and we needed to be at the field at 9:00 for our games onb Saturday...
Saturday
Wow, pretty foggy this morning but nothiong like I will exerience on Sunday, but to that in a moment. The Ireland Nqational team was taking part in the Dubln International tourney thios past weekend and let me tell you it was a great showing. The first game we squared off against the President's Nine which ended up being a great game, unfortunately we fell 5-4 as time expired. See over here in tourney's such as this (but not in the European Championships) games are timed as to be certain all the games ar gotten in. Each game has a time allowance of 1:45, with no new inning beginning at this point. I feel were we to play nine innings against the P-9's we would have taken this game. Our next game began at 4:00 pm so much of the time between games was jusat spent lounging around the field relaxing hanging out with the guys and well that was pretty much it. So Game Two saw us taking on the Menwith Hill Pattriots, now Menwith Hill is an Air Force base in England and this is a collection of guys who are the base. Well a few of these guys were great guys, but as in all things, there was a couple of real jerks. They kept whining and going on about how they used wood bats, and the field, and the mound and everything, really making a poor representation of America the whole time. Oner guy actually said if we played in the finals and he was ptching he would intentionally drill some people for laughs. Now this guy was no more than 5'5 and probably a good 2 bills of fat. Well pretty much we took it to them dropped the 16-4. A very good game execution wise and really a great way to end the day on a high note.
Saturday Night
This deserves its own section, as what unflded Saturday night was unbelievable. So when John and I got back to Kindle's place after the day, we decided we would head down to Temple Bar to meet up with the guys as they werre meeting at a Pub called Porterhouse. Actually a pretty cool place as it brews its own beers, had a pretty decent cover band playing and a lot of the guys from the teams in the tourtney made it down. But to get there John and I thought well we'll spring for the cab on the way home, so lewts take4 the bus in there. We got on the bus at 9:45, and after an hour and 15 minutes we finally reached Center City Dublin. Honestly this trip shoudl take no more than 20 minutes, but whatever we had a good time. You know afte haviung about five beers, I was like alrigh you know bifg day again tomorrow it is time to go home. So John and I left the Porterhouse at 1:00 and arrived back at Kindle's at 1:30. Oh hell this is where the night took a drastic turn which made Sunday unbearable. As soon as the cab pulled up to Kindle's John goes to open the door and it flies open. Kindle is standing right there and goes 'Niall's and Mary's you two are joining us for karaoke.' WSell yeah, pretty much they had no beer at Niall and Mary's so what is a good man to do, drink wine. Big mistake. Pretty much the next thing I know it is 3:45 and again we have to be at the field at 9:00 in the morning, a night that had gone so smotthlyall of a sudden left me in shambles. Honestly I dominated Beatle's karaoke, expect a world tour soon. On by the way Kindle called my pops while all this was going on and left a message to the like 'Eddie and I are over here signing karaoke at 2:30 in the morning having a great time, give us a shout.' Honestly when my Mom sent me an email the next day asking about it, I had no clue...
Sunday
There are hangovers and then there ar HANGOVERS, well you could say I had one of thoseon Sunday. First off I slept in my clothes, which is always a good time, but you know rolling on 5 hours of sleep never helps anyone. Pretty much got the ield without a shower and bopom right into it. Our first game of the day was against the Hurricanes (a club team from Ireland that has won the Leaguer Championship the last three yrears). As expected we took it to them 10 to 3. Excellent pitching perforance from junk baller Daniel 'Woody' Woodburne. He was really on and pitched an excellent game. Now this is where the day turns for a long day. As punishment for drinking the night before, Sean asked me if I would ump the next two games, because the regular ump was playing for Menwith Hill as they only had eight guys. I said sure, thinking I would do it behind the mound. Well guess what I was behind the dish. Remember I haven't umped a game since I was thirteen, and all of a sudden all hungover they throw me out there and say go out it. You knwo playing enough ball in the past you know how keep things on, so I mean I did a fine job, but you knwo it completely wiped me out. I mean umping back to back games after coaching third base in the first, was prett devastating. But you know I got through it and almost actually bounced the previously mentioned jerk from Menwith Hill as he was tryting to give me a bunch of crap. Pretty much i told him I heard enough crap out of him for the weekend and I want to hear no more, for I have nothing left for him. He procceded to shut up.
Well the National team advanced to finals of the tourney and again met up with the P 9. Man we ended up losing 8-7, but we saw some great things out of this game. First of all we battled back after being down 7-2. We realize that the team needs to get undertsand that getting to finals isn't good enough anymore, we want to win and we need to establish that mentality as we go on to London and Belguim. Also we were able to pick up on soem things we need to work on in practice this week notably run downs, and some base running situations. All in all a great tourney and as mentioned before an excellent learning experience for many of these players.
Pretty much I was shattered when we made it back to the Kindle's after the games. Well as soon a we got there there wa a note on the door at Niall's and Mary's drinking come down. Well, I went in took a shower and then John and I made our way down there. Fiona, Mike, Niall and Mary had been drinking since 12:30 and when we got over there it was about 8:00. So I had a couple glasses of wine, but it wasn't happening, there was no way I was going to do it. So we had dinner over there hung around for a little bit and eventually made it home.
Monday
Well as wiuth all good things, some must come to an end. After a week of running youth baseball clinics and really enjoying myself and the kids, John and I had a miserable experience Mondaqy. So we go to this American Sports Camp that is being organized by the Sport Council of Dun Loughrie, pretty much a version of our Parks and Rec department in every town. Well we go there expecting to have the same sort of kids as before, but no no we did not have the same sorts of kids. First off, the American Football coaches never showed, they were afflicted by 'food poisoining' aka didn't want to come. So John and I had had 40 kids ages 7 to 17 that we had to work with. So each of us took a group of 20 kids and began to go through our routine. It was at this point things began to snowball as these kids were just not good kids. Some of the kids started flicking us off, others were cursing at us and pretty much just being little punbk kids. However one little sh!t thought it would be funny were he to throw a ball at John's head when he wasn't looking, well luckily John turned around in time not get hit by the ball, however he was hit by a bat later thrown by another little turd. All while this was going on we had these adults we were supposed to be helping us and were chaoperoning this kids, just sitting on the sides enjoying abeautiful day as though nothing was happening. Pretty much it was a display of total lack of respect, and we have backed out of the camp completely. This was not a decision made by John adn I but by the President of Baseball Ireland.
The Movie Premeir
Well I have seen the Emerald Diamond three times previous to this, once in NY at the world premier, once in Boston and then again in Providence. Great film, not so much about baseball, but trully is about passion, and the passion that these guys have about baseball and to achieve their dream of getting to the A pool. So I ewent to this movie with l great anticipation as to how it would be recieved by an Irish audience, well let me tell you, it was very well recieved and actually I may have enjoeyed this viewing the best of all the times I have seen it. The crowd was great as it weas filled with great pride any time a minute goal was achieved and believe me if you haven't seen it I highly recommend you get your hands on it.
Well the DJ never showed so I wasn't busting any slick moves Jake. But Jason Hoye and I though t it would be an awesome idea to drink pitcher's of Long Island Iced Teas. Well let me tell you, if by chance you go to a bar and they serve pitchers of Long Island Iced Teas, do it, go straight for it. Such a good time. After about four or five of these things Hoye and I were enjoying selves quite a bit. Yeah pretty much I was slow to rise out of bed this morning, but John adn I went down to grab soem eatsin Dun Loughrie and then came back to hang out at Kindle's. I packed my bags thisd morning as I am moving ove to the Manning's house tonight for the remainder of the week.
Well i have to run to go get ready for tonight's practice. We will be having an abbreviated apractice as many of the guys want to go and watch the film again. I will attending but taking the night easy as I will have to drive back to Mick's house. Alright I hope all is well, and man was this long....
Thursday
Our last day with the camp. Great day had 10 young kids and then 8 older kids. The reception, of the kids was great they were very nice in thanking us for helping them out and all. Even ne kid gave each of the coaches a card thanking us individually. Practice was much of the same, with the exception that Jason Hoye, came over from the states. Hoye played outfield for Wheaton college, and rumor had it that he could catch. A catcher is certainly somethiong the team was lacking as Ruidrhai MUrphy had the left the team to pursuit a career in professional rugby. Things have worked out pretty well thus far as I will explain later.
Friday
First day off, quite needed as well. John and I ot up in the morning and then decided to go on a tour just driving aropund and figuring stuff out as we went. Started offf going to Dun Loughrie (sp?) which was a nice little sea town as I needed to look for a charger for my camera. We stopped as some food walked arounfd the town, which is full of life as a result of a ferry which leaves from there. We then wandered around to Dalky, just driving and looking at things on the way. People we had been n contact with told us we should go to Glendalouch as it is pretty niuce. Well so as we are on our way we get lost. And by lost I mean lost, some of it was intentional and believe me we saw some unbelieveable things on aour way, but we got well taken out of our way. As for Glendaloch, uhh not all that inspiring in fact one of the two lakes was dried up, no word of a lie. John and I then made our way toa little village called Hollywood, whch we stopped in and had a pint at the Hollywood Inn, why you ask would you stop at a little two bit village where there is nothing but two pubs. Well the film Michael Collins was filmed in the Hollywoood Inn and immediately upon entering the place it jumps right at you. After this we evnetually made it back to Kindle's place where the fun begins...Kinle's next neighbors were having a bbq Friday night, so John and I joined in on the festivites and pretty the Heineken's were going down easy. Well needless to say soon it became 1:30 am and we needed to be at the field at 9:00 for our games onb Saturday...
Saturday
Wow, pretty foggy this morning but nothiong like I will exerience on Sunday, but to that in a moment. The Ireland Nqational team was taking part in the Dubln International tourney thios past weekend and let me tell you it was a great showing. The first game we squared off against the President's Nine which ended up being a great game, unfortunately we fell 5-4 as time expired. See over here in tourney's such as this (but not in the European Championships) games are timed as to be certain all the games ar gotten in. Each game has a time allowance of 1:45, with no new inning beginning at this point. I feel were we to play nine innings against the P-9's we would have taken this game. Our next game began at 4:00 pm so much of the time between games was jusat spent lounging around the field relaxing hanging out with the guys and well that was pretty much it. So Game Two saw us taking on the Menwith Hill Pattriots, now Menwith Hill is an Air Force base in England and this is a collection of guys who are the base. Well a few of these guys were great guys, but as in all things, there was a couple of real jerks. They kept whining and going on about how they used wood bats, and the field, and the mound and everything, really making a poor representation of America the whole time. Oner guy actually said if we played in the finals and he was ptching he would intentionally drill some people for laughs. Now this guy was no more than 5'5 and probably a good 2 bills of fat. Well pretty much we took it to them dropped the 16-4. A very good game execution wise and really a great way to end the day on a high note.
Saturday Night
This deserves its own section, as what unflded Saturday night was unbelievable. So when John and I got back to Kindle's place after the day, we decided we would head down to Temple Bar to meet up with the guys as they werre meeting at a Pub called Porterhouse. Actually a pretty cool place as it brews its own beers, had a pretty decent cover band playing and a lot of the guys from the teams in the tourtney made it down. But to get there John and I thought well we'll spring for the cab on the way home, so lewts take4 the bus in there. We got on the bus at 9:45, and after an hour and 15 minutes we finally reached Center City Dublin. Honestly this trip shoudl take no more than 20 minutes, but whatever we had a good time. You know afte haviung about five beers, I was like alrigh you know bifg day again tomorrow it is time to go home. So John and I left the Porterhouse at 1:00 and arrived back at Kindle's at 1:30. Oh hell this is where the night took a drastic turn which made Sunday unbearable. As soon as the cab pulled up to Kindle's John goes to open the door and it flies open. Kindle is standing right there and goes 'Niall's and Mary's you two are joining us for karaoke.' WSell yeah, pretty much they had no beer at Niall and Mary's so what is a good man to do, drink wine. Big mistake. Pretty much the next thing I know it is 3:45 and again we have to be at the field at 9:00 in the morning, a night that had gone so smotthlyall of a sudden left me in shambles. Honestly I dominated Beatle's karaoke, expect a world tour soon. On by the way Kindle called my pops while all this was going on and left a message to the like 'Eddie and I are over here signing karaoke at 2:30 in the morning having a great time, give us a shout.' Honestly when my Mom sent me an email the next day asking about it, I had no clue...
Sunday
There are hangovers and then there ar HANGOVERS, well you could say I had one of thoseon Sunday. First off I slept in my clothes, which is always a good time, but you know rolling on 5 hours of sleep never helps anyone. Pretty much got the ield without a shower and bopom right into it. Our first game of the day was against the Hurricanes (a club team from Ireland that has won the Leaguer Championship the last three yrears). As expected we took it to them 10 to 3. Excellent pitching perforance from junk baller Daniel 'Woody' Woodburne. He was really on and pitched an excellent game. Now this is where the day turns for a long day. As punishment for drinking the night before, Sean asked me if I would ump the next two games, because the regular ump was playing for Menwith Hill as they only had eight guys. I said sure, thinking I would do it behind the mound. Well guess what I was behind the dish. Remember I haven't umped a game since I was thirteen, and all of a sudden all hungover they throw me out there and say go out it. You knwo playing enough ball in the past you know how keep things on, so I mean I did a fine job, but you knwo it completely wiped me out. I mean umping back to back games after coaching third base in the first, was prett devastating. But you know I got through it and almost actually bounced the previously mentioned jerk from Menwith Hill as he was tryting to give me a bunch of crap. Pretty much i told him I heard enough crap out of him for the weekend and I want to hear no more, for I have nothing left for him. He procceded to shut up.
Well the National team advanced to finals of the tourney and again met up with the P 9. Man we ended up losing 8-7, but we saw some great things out of this game. First of all we battled back after being down 7-2. We realize that the team needs to get undertsand that getting to finals isn't good enough anymore, we want to win and we need to establish that mentality as we go on to London and Belguim. Also we were able to pick up on soem things we need to work on in practice this week notably run downs, and some base running situations. All in all a great tourney and as mentioned before an excellent learning experience for many of these players.
Pretty much I was shattered when we made it back to the Kindle's after the games. Well as soon a we got there there wa a note on the door at Niall's and Mary's drinking come down. Well, I went in took a shower and then John and I made our way down there. Fiona, Mike, Niall and Mary had been drinking since 12:30 and when we got over there it was about 8:00. So I had a couple glasses of wine, but it wasn't happening, there was no way I was going to do it. So we had dinner over there hung around for a little bit and eventually made it home.
Monday
Well as wiuth all good things, some must come to an end. After a week of running youth baseball clinics and really enjoying myself and the kids, John and I had a miserable experience Mondaqy. So we go to this American Sports Camp that is being organized by the Sport Council of Dun Loughrie, pretty much a version of our Parks and Rec department in every town. Well we go there expecting to have the same sort of kids as before, but no no we did not have the same sorts of kids. First off, the American Football coaches never showed, they were afflicted by 'food poisoining' aka didn't want to come. So John and I had had 40 kids ages 7 to 17 that we had to work with. So each of us took a group of 20 kids and began to go through our routine. It was at this point things began to snowball as these kids were just not good kids. Some of the kids started flicking us off, others were cursing at us and pretty much just being little punbk kids. However one little sh!t thought it would be funny were he to throw a ball at John's head when he wasn't looking, well luckily John turned around in time not get hit by the ball, however he was hit by a bat later thrown by another little turd. All while this was going on we had these adults we were supposed to be helping us and were chaoperoning this kids, just sitting on the sides enjoying abeautiful day as though nothing was happening. Pretty much it was a display of total lack of respect, and we have backed out of the camp completely. This was not a decision made by John adn I but by the President of Baseball Ireland.
The Movie Premeir
Well I have seen the Emerald Diamond three times previous to this, once in NY at the world premier, once in Boston and then again in Providence. Great film, not so much about baseball, but trully is about passion, and the passion that these guys have about baseball and to achieve their dream of getting to the A pool. So I ewent to this movie with l great anticipation as to how it would be recieved by an Irish audience, well let me tell you, it was very well recieved and actually I may have enjoeyed this viewing the best of all the times I have seen it. The crowd was great as it weas filled with great pride any time a minute goal was achieved and believe me if you haven't seen it I highly recommend you get your hands on it.
Well the DJ never showed so I wasn't busting any slick moves Jake. But Jason Hoye and I though t it would be an awesome idea to drink pitcher's of Long Island Iced Teas. Well let me tell you, if by chance you go to a bar and they serve pitchers of Long Island Iced Teas, do it, go straight for it. Such a good time. After about four or five of these things Hoye and I were enjoying selves quite a bit. Yeah pretty much I was slow to rise out of bed this morning, but John adn I went down to grab soem eatsin Dun Loughrie and then came back to hang out at Kindle's. I packed my bags thisd morning as I am moving ove to the Manning's house tonight for the remainder of the week.
Well i have to run to go get ready for tonight's practice. We will be having an abbreviated apractice as many of the guys want to go and watch the film again. I will attending but taking the night easy as I will have to drive back to Mick's house. Alright I hope all is well, and man was this long....
posted by Coach 16 at
9:11 AM
2 Comments:
You gotta hate it when there's balls flying at your head. Too bad the little shits started off the week poorly for ya. Nothing a few Pints and some horrible kareoke (sp) can't take care of.
~Smitty
By
Anonymous, at 8:52 PM
Hi Ed!
Greetings from NU. Just want to let you know the library is holding a special SPSS workshop. I'll have Brian and Mara take notes for you... See you in September!
-Lauren
By
Anonymous, at 3:12 PM
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