Ok, so being this was like almost 2 months ago, it’s time to finish posting the last of the pictures. This was their first playoff game of two. I forgot to mention on the last blog post that Anthony STOLE HOME! And of course I have NO pictures of that amazing event because we were playing that team from New Hampshire that was so horrendously behaved and the worst sports ever and I was in a terrible mood so I put the camera away. And then he stole home. It was freaking awesome!! (the NH Cats were the team that was winning 20-4 and still talking sh*t in the field and dugout, and put in a new pitcher- who was in no way 12 years old, not even in an alternate universe and was throwing at like 90 mph- when they were already up 20-4. Asshats.) So onto a better game against a nice team!

Johnny C.
Jamie.Getting some tips from Coach John H. The whole game was back and forth for the full two hours. It was so nerve wracking!!Bobby and his home run! I think he was a little happy!!

Jack.
Kevin.Jamie and HIS home run!He was pretty happy too!Anthony & Jack.Jack.Patrick.
Kevin.Nail biting game. Seriously!And the final score with the first Royals win for the week!I was so exhausted after the first game roller coaster that I kept the camera in the bag for the second game. The boys didn’t even have time to eat between the first and second playoff game, had to change their shirts and socks and get right back to playing. It was a total endurance marathon. They lost the second game to a great California team- and the one shot I took is below.And that was that. So we headed up to the main signs to take some team photos. From left: James, Glenn, Johnny C, Anthony, Kevin, Bobby, Jamie, Johnny H, Mike, Zach, Patrick, Jack C, Jack B, and Michael.Yay! Baseball is over!!The Kliers. And a little wrestling (with Timmy too of course). Thursday night was the closing ceremonies. The dog at the place I stayed (Gateway Inn and Suites). Timmy getting in his last licks on pin trading.The team banner displayed by Thomas and Timmy. The ring ceremony. (Which I honestly could’ve skipped. It wasn’t much of anything.) Oh, and John does not run.Jamie and Timmy.
I left Cooperstown immediately after this- and made it home in a record 3hours, 31 minutes door to door. Ya think I was ready to get the hell out of Cooperstown? Honestly, it was a great trip for the boys and I’m so glad they did it (and I’m glad I got to see them all play). I had a fantastic time with all the parents- they were all a super fun bunch to spend a week with!

More from Cooperstown. Finally a whole entire Royals team picture.

If you missed the story on this one when I posted it from Cooperstown there was apparently a nuclear explosion level of fart in the barracks and there was one culprit. Can you guess who? (reenactment here)Mike.Michael with a pickoff to first. Glenn.Jack.Jamie.Johnny.Anthony.Zach.Patrick and his sliding/diving catch. Which is so ridiculously blurry (yeah, I’m a photographer) but I couldn’t get rid of the picture cause it was a great play. Immediately after. Of course this one’s in focus.Chase down. Anthony, Jack C, Glenn, and Jack.Jamie.Jack. And Patrick at first.James making a great catch in the field.Patrick and John.Jack.A little Royals cheer.Afternoon game. Bobby.Kevin.James after getting hit in the ankle with Coaches John & John. (he was okay by the next day)Jack. With Patrick at first again.Brothers meeting on the mound.Timmy and his buddy Mr. Allen. And his pins, of course. You can see the collection growing each day.Timmy and his other best buddy Mr. McNiff. Who never ever smiles (for pictures or in real life) but Timmy can always make him smile. Always. Its awesome!!He’s like the team mascot. 

Baseball. That is pretty much all. Although we can add in baseball in the rain. Sooooo much better. (Not really at all.)

Anthony.BobbyJack B.Jamie. (it was a ball)Johnny H. (I believe that this may have been his over the wall home run)Patrick.Jack B.Kevin.Have to get one of Anthony running at least once a game.Jamie.Jack C. (he was safe)Timmy pin trading. He even got the owner’s (pictured on the left) special pin. How lucky! Kids would come around to see Timmy from the other dugouts, he would roll out his towel like a merchant in an Arab market and say “and what are you interested in?”And when he wasn’t pin trading, he was playing catch with the other Royals kids, Mr. McNiff or Mr. Allen. Kevin. Johnny C. pitching and Jack B. at first.Johnny C.Jack C. (he was out)Patrick.Zach. (this was right before they had a rain delay)Jack, Jamie and Bobby.Michael making another great outfield catch.Mrs. Klier and Julia- besties.After a loss in the first game, it was time for a night game. It wasn’t all that bright even under the lights so as it got darker the pics got blurrier so I didn’t take many.

Patrick.Bobby.Glenn.Patrick.Kevin.A run down. Mike, Zach, Johnny H, Kevin, Anthony, Jamie. 

Still more to come soon.

Finally, finally got to edit the Cooperstown pictures, so I’ll be posting a bunch over the next few days. Some of them you may have already seen a few of the photos on the blog, but putting them back in so that the story makes sense. Lots of new ones included though.

You know how much I don’t like baseball as a general rule, but I have to say that I had a really good time on this trip. I loved watching all the boys play, hanging out with all the amazingly great Royals parents and Dreams Park really is the Disney of baseball. Keep in mind I’m NO sports photographer, but I did my best from my spot in the parents dugout area. It’s very stressful watching the games thru the lens, trying to follow the game, cheer and not shake the camera!

Opening ceremonies- all 104 teams marched in with their banners. Then it was off to the ’round the horn, speed, home run, pitching accuracy competitions.

The boys waiting their turn for the ’round the horn competition. Johnny went to the home run derby, Jamie to the throwing accuracy, Anthony to the speed competition.

After the ceremonies, Timmy and I headed back to our hotel and all the boys went to get some sleep (I don’t know if that actually happened though) in the barracks for the first day of games the next morning. And so it begins…

Game One:

Michael pitching.

Zach.James.Jack C.Johnny C.Jamie (he was safe).Johnny C.Glenn, Johnny & Anthony.Glenn.Patrick.Getting a little ‘atta boy’ after their first game which they lost. Game Two later that afternoon. It was really pretty there. Bobby warming up.Patrick.Patrick.Johnny H.Michael made some amazing catches in the field. Patrick did his share out there too.Jamie hitting, Anthony running.You cannot beat Anthony. 
Anthony.Jack.Bobby.Jack C.Timmy was having a great time, especially with the pin trading. More on that later. We were all invited over to the house the Ryans and Luvins were renting for a little pool party and bbq. So fun!