Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2000 | 11:10 a.m.
Paula DelGiudice's outdoors notebook appears Wednesday. Reach her at [email protected].
I hate baseball. I never realized it until this week. It isn't bad enough that we're in the middle of the World Series, it's also tournament time for those playing fall Little League.
Our son Kevin is playing fall ball for Red Rock Little League on the Angels team. His tournament season began over a week ago. The team's first loss (to the Yankees) sent his team to the losers' bracket after the first game.
They've had to fight and claw their way back to the top of the stack and have done it playing five additional games. The team eliminated the Yankees on Friday. Kevin played a small part in that victory.
Kevin's had a pretty tough season. This is his first season in player-pitch ball. He's 9 and is playing with kids who are 10, 11 and 12 years old. He's at the bottom of the pecking order -- as it is for any kid moving up into player pitch for the first season.
That would all be fine and good were he not pelted pretty good by a couple of pitches in a couple of his first games. Now, when the pitcher starts his windup, Kevin's head tells him to stay in there, while his feet are moving out of the batter's box.
He's been struggling at bat for two months -- a grueling two months. While the boys fall madly in love with the sport, the moms who spend their hours at the ballparks watching and waiting are learning to hate it.
It's not the time spent. It's not the sport itself. It's just that there are so few opportunities during a game for a kid to really hit his stride before the game is over. And there isn't a mom out there who wouldn't give everything she's got to see her son or daughter get a hit. It doesn't need to be a home run; any line drive will do.
It's not like basketball where a kid can handle the ball every couple of minutes, where there's always time on the clock and plenty for everyone to do. Baseball drags on interminably -- not only the games, but the season.
I hated it less Friday than I have in a long time. Kevin finally got a hit -- and not just any hit. It was a line drive into right field that scored two runs. His team won that game by those two runs and the Angels advanced to the championship game.
Tears of joy replaced those of disappointment that had filled my eyes all too often. Kevin usually managed to bottle his up pretty well except during this tournament when he wanted so well to do a good job and help his team advance.
He was accepted that night for his contribution to the team.
All the players' moms say they want the season to end, even if the Angels lose, because they're tired of being at the ball field. But deep down that's not the real truth. The truth is that it's a lot of stress, so desperately wanting that success and the confidence it inspires to come to each of our sons. It's also tough to come face to face with the reality that there's something in our kids' lives that we can't fix and make it all better.
It's a bitter part of watching your child grow up. A part that I'm not adjusting to very well.
Duck season opens at the management area on Saturday, Nov. 4, with hunting being permitted on the area on alternate days. NDOW offices will begin accepting reservations for available hunt days following the drawing.
Drawings for Overton's goose hunt opener will be held at the two offices on Monday, Nov. 13. Goose season begins in Clark and Lincoln counties on Nov. 18.
Designated as the featured bird for the contest is the lesser scaup. Each year a different bird is selected to appear on the duck stamp.
On a statewide basis, lesser scaup only account for one percent of Nevada's duck population. They are mainly migrants through the state, but there have been documented nest sites at Ruby Lake in northeast Nevada and Wayne E. Kirch WMA in Nye County.
The 2000-01 state duck stamp features a pair of canvasback ducks. It was painted by Delaware artist Richard Clifton.
Entries for the contest will be accepted through March 23, 2001. Contest rules and required contest entry certificate may be obtained from the NDOW, 1100 Valley Road, Reno, NV 89512.
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