7th Inning Stretch: Bulverde Braves Reaching Fever Pitch
Local attention surrounding the Bulverde Braves-Navy, machine pitch division, has created quite the buzz around the ballpark. The tags from local tweets have been flooding the twitterverse. Tweets like this one from @SupaFlyGata after the Braves recent 11-2 blowout win "best game I watched all week! even though it was the only game I watched. 100 @Braves-Navy(MP)" . And another one saying "dem boyz be grindin out winz n da slop (fire emoji) @Braves-Navy(MP)" from @BsbllMom4Eva after a tough 3-0 win in rainy, wet conditions.
We decided to take in a couple games to see if the buzz we're all hearing is warranted. Oh boy is it. After that wet and wild 3-0 battle, we were able to catch up with Luke Ellison who broke open a scoreless tie with a hard hit inside the park home run. "I like playing in the rain." Ellison said. "When I get a hit, it gives me a chance to run with my mouth wide open and catch as many raindrops as possible." he continued. "I know I don't run as fast that way, but I knew I was scoring from the crack of the bat. I'm just glad I could help the team put one in the win column" he said.
The Braves woke up in a big way the following game. Scoring a total of 11 runs. Ben Reyna who went 2-2 with a couple of singles said "I'm just here to ball. It's a God given ability that I can only take partial credit for." Reyna said of his big day at the plate. "Hit the ball and run. It's not complicated." added Maefu Metai who also added a hit on his 1-2 day.
Landen Cobb was also able to get off the schneid with a hard hit line drive that resulted in an inside the park home run. "I just channeled the words my dad always tells me before every pitch. He wasn't here today to shout instructions at me, so I quietly did my job at the plate." said Cobb. "What's that like?!?!" shouted teammate Caleb Owens. Cobb just kind of smirked and gave him a shoulder shrug as if to say "you'll never know".
We were also able to track down Rent-A-Coach Trent Tebbetts who filled in for the shorthanded coaching staff to further understand what drives THE Braves of the machine pitch division. "I coached first base and every single kid that reached first base just shouted 'SLOW FEET DON'T EAT'." said Tebbetts. "It was kind of odd that it was the answer to every question I asked. I would ask 'what do you do when there's a passed ball'...'SLOW FEET DON'T EAT!' 'what base are you running to?'....'SLOW FEET DON'T EAT!' said one after the other. Apparently, this is a practice by the normal first base coach Roger Villa. I was terrified" he admitted.
After the win, the team gathers as they always do to get the post-game pep talk from head coach Garrett Owens. "I like what I'm seeing in the batter's box." says coach Owens. "Baseball is all about routine. Effort is a choi...." he continues before being interrupted. "Coach, do you want Caleb's belt back?" asks Ryan Villa. Coach Owens just nods his head yes and starts back into talking to the team. "I want all of you to keep working at home." he said. Mason Pawlik chimes in "Coach, it's hard for me to practice in my backyard." he said. "My dog takes the ball every time." Pawlik continued. "Can I bat first next game, Coach?" asks Jackson Hawes who is known to his teammates as Falcon. Overwhelmed by the players participation in his prepared words, Coach Owens just says "Hands in." , leaving the Winston Churchill type of motivational speech for another day. "1!...2!...3!...Braves!" they shout in a somewhat unified voice.
We're all hearing the chatter. I was able to witness it myself, and I can tell you the hype is real. The sound of the social media attention is deafening.....and it's reached fever pitch.