Bucky Diary

Bucky Diary 2000

Diary, Spring 2000 - don't forget to refresh or reload!

Day 1. Arrived about noon with as many kids as left the high school. Some slept, some sunned at the pool. Coach P asked the swimmers about 3pm who wanted to get grounders and 16 sleepy kids volunteered. Dinner was the typical Bucky cuisine - baked spaghetti and meatballs with ice cream bars. Evening practice was first rate - everyone worked hard until 9:30. Then, evening grounders some more for a few. Lights out at 11:30 (yeah). Some pictures of the first day:

Dane, bright eyed and bushy tailed after 2 hours of sleep and a rough evening. Watch this space for the developing sunburn. Finally, after a rough evening contemplating his debut as travel agent, Coach Rosekrans: . Discovered that Holt and Grand Ledge are both here with us. If it weren't for weird Michigan MHSAA rules, we'd be settling CAC and Diamond Classic rights this week. As it is, we have to be careful to hold our own at the food line.

Day 2. After the obligatory "don't destroy the plumbing" lecture from the Bucky staff, practice began at "Fenway", the affectionately named replica of Fenway Park with the Green Monster at 315ft . BOMBS AWAY...Gulick, bam, four times (he promised Chip to go long to right, but not yet)...Moraniec, bam, at least twice. Blake...bam. An observation: A righty pulls the ball to left (north at "Fenway") and Soviet satellites traditionally were launched and maintained in polar orbits. More space junk to join them as the fourth of Travis' balls over the Monster is still going, having reached escape velocity as it passed Orlando. Balls were flying and the poor automotive detailer whose business is on the other side of the wall threatened Wilbur with calling the cops if the balls didn't stop flying into his lot where his customer's cars were parked. The afternoon was spent in cerebral drills designed to foil the rundown. It was a traditionally chaotic event - picture this: 3 pitchers, runners on all three bases, double infielders, and at the signal from Coach Pendred rundowns commence on all three basepaths. The sunburns are beginning to glow and will shine brightly at Pete Rose's restaurant where the boys and resident families from East Lansing watched the Spartans demolish the Gators. This reporter, having risked drive-by shootings with a Go Spartans flag on his car is glad to get that thing off.

Day 3. Sore arms and tired players this morning...drills for infielders, outfielders, and catchers end early at 10:30. Siesta until 1pm, back out on the field for batting practice at Fenway. Danny took Mr. Hodgkins over the Monster for a second straight day while Travis chose to go 385ft to center. No problems with police today, unless the fashion cops show up at Bucky's: . . Hitters were on - both Otts continue to hit well, Morgan hit solidly, Hodgkins is working on opposite field, Evan hit well, Jeff got a sore neck from watching balls fly:. Benson looks good at the plate, During the evening the team scrimmaged with Pendred and Coach P throwing - Petrowitz won. Curtis put on a clinic at short - robbing Travis twice, Chad hit a rope over Mark's head but he got it back with a great throw, Gulick to Morgan. Terry grabbed a hot grounder over the bag and doubled off the runner at second. Evan had a nice running catch. Otts both had extra base hits. Jeff O spoiled Coach P's 0-2 curve. The pitchers report that they were both hot, but that the umping lacked. Wilbur hit a long one for extra bases, Moraniec, Hodgkins, Dane, and Terry had a extra base hits. Drop the Chalupa: . ...thought about going to a movie tonight - how about: "The Fly Who Shagged Me":

Day 4. Cool day...not just because Outslay arrived, but because the temperature is in the 70's. The morning was spent in offense and defensive bunt drills - all morning. Professor Brock gave a short, impromptu lecture on inelastic collisions and impulse. The change in momentum is equal to force times time: delta-p = F• delta-t . ...um, they weren't interested either. Anyhow, no more LCC bunting disasters for us. Afternoon on infield situations. Catchers are dropping like flies...arms are sore and hair coloring is reflecting both time in the sun and a growing awareness to citrus juices and attraction for their effects. Ants have been discovered in the junior's room...nobody can figure out how that could have happened. Croskey's concerned because he can no longer out run ants. Tonight, a caravan to Pro Players Stadium to watch the Marlins get crushed by the Giants. There was such a small showing for Miami's first games, that the franchise is paying michiganders to attend games. Kids learned that cool air does not mean no UV.

Day 5. This reporter tended to his day job in the morning...which, because there is at least one sore arm per player, was devoted to batting practice. I presume that the body shop was again pelted by baseballs fleeing the Friendly Confines of Fenway. Speaking of body shop...the afternoon was spent in Fort Lauderdale at the beach. This reporter - strictly in the interests of sociological research - set aside his relativistic quantum field theory lectures to accompany the team and assembled families. The trip was a resounding success: no arrests and nearly as many kids returned as went down. The only casualties appear to be the coaches, who are all exhausted from holding in their stomachs for 5 hours. The theme song was "With a Thong in My Heart" as anatomy lessons appeared to be the subject of the day for some. All manner of unusual hats and clothing articles were bought, fast food was eaten, and the sunburns were generally deepened into rosy glows which made headlights unnecessary on the return trip. I'm sure that players were all tucked in and exploring dreamland by 9:30pm. The digital camera did not make the trip, much to the dismay of those with blackmail in their hearts. (There's no truth to the rumor that Chip was wandering the beach paying photographers $20 to take his picture.)

Day 6. Defensive drills in the morning. Some cut assignments are different this year. Afternoon spent in a rousing game of "21". This is a 1-pitch game of 9 innings in which each team bats for 6 outs; with extra base hits adding 2 outs; bonehead running subtract an out; foul balls are an out; etc. Again, Gulick went long, this time a shot way over the center field wall, above the trees in this picuture. . In this game, you get to round the bases.... The Brocks demonstrated fine defense:, and a lesson in solar positioning . Coaches hit poorly, although Gulick and Petrowitz hit the ball hard. The winners were treated by Coach Outslay to ice cream, while the losers picked up the equipment ...and then also got ice cream. An album of pictures, courtesy of Coach Pendred's camera and Kimberly's steady hand. The evening was spent watching Florida's number 1 vs number 2 high school teams play a half hour away.

Day 7, Moving Day. Heavy machinery will be required and 4 hours are reserved in order to put Bucky's back into the 4 star shape that it was in when EL arrived. Before that, practice occurred on schedule at 0900. This time, guess what...Travis hit a baseball a very, very hard and made it go a very long way - breaking a window at the car dealer's which is way beyond the wall and beyond the parking lot. Evan, also, backbackbackbackback - gone. Then, the old guys: Jeff Hodgkins - gone. Coach Pendred - outa here. Brock - gone (...to the airport at 8:30)... Who gave up all of these longballs? Mustabeen Ed.

The thought for the day: count the kids in the morning and count the kids at Detroit and hope that the numbers are nearly the same.

Bucky's + 1 Day. All players accounted for... Thanks to Eric and Mark for a good trip.

the end.