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Americus Travelers - Moose's Blog
Welcome to Moose's Blog. I'm Kenny Harrill, webmaster for the Americus Travelers Baseball Club. Here, I'll be sharing commentary on the current season plus memories of Travelers past and even some of my own personal insights on different things from time to time. Enjoy!
May 25, 2014 - The Season So Far...And The Reunion To Come
At this point, the Orange and Navy elite have played three tournaments; the Travelers took first place in the first two. The fellas went 3-1 in the Rawlings T&G All Sports Classic in Peachtree City, highlighted by a 12-0 shutout against the PTB Foundation A's. Americus then went 3-1 in the Arbor Day NIT at Jones County. Clint Sellars had a homerun in the team's 8-5 win against the Bombsquad. Later they shut out the OTC Rattlers, 7-0. In the Mother's Day Shootout at McDonough, Americus went 2-1 (the tournament was single elimination in post pool play; their loss prevented them from going any further). There are five tournaments still to come, including the Global World Series at Orange Beach, Alabama in July. Stay tuned, Travelers' fans. There's a lot more baseball to come.
NEWS/NOTES:
** There is a possibility that we will have a fund raiser golf tournament in the fall. Stay tune to the website for further details.
** Former Americus Traveler Bobby Ryals is heading up a 20th anniversary for next spring. Plans are still being developed, but more likely will include a golf tournament, a banquet and baseball games. Stay tuned to the website for further details as they develop.
That's it for now - short and to the point. Ciao!
Moose
March 31, 2014 - Time To Head Home To The Dugout
It's time to stop staring out our windows and time to head home to the dugout. Americus Travelers Baseball 2014 is upon us! This will be the 15th season for the elite Orange and Navy club. The 2014 campaign begins April 5 & 6 in Peachtree City with the Rawlings T&G All Sports Classic. Be sure to check out the schedule as well as the tournament locations page on the website.
Since the last time we visited here in the Moose Blog, the team went 3-1-1 in the Uppercut Wood Bat Tournament in Montgomery, Alabama. Then the crew played up one age division and emerged as the runner up in the USSSA 15 and under Fall State Tournament in Macon.
A big welcome back to Cameron, Harrison, Tommy, Chandler, Chance, Will, Reid, Clint, Camron and Jarrod. Joining them this year will be Zach Parrish, who attends school in Lee County and plays both pitcher and shortstop.
Our theme for the 2014 campaign is "The Tradition Continues," and I'm looking forward to keeping you up-to-date here at the website on the recaps, scores and statistics. I'm proud to say, too, that this will be my 12th year doing so. Going to keep this blog entry short and sweet, so suffice it to say - Welcome to 2014 Travelers ball, fans! And to quote Head Coach Tim Estes - "Are you ready? Are you sure?"
See you soon! Ciao for now!
Moose
October 5, 2013 - Our Loss, Heaven's Gain
Been a while since we've visited here in the blog. I'm just now finding myself at a point of being able to write anything...
Monday, September 9 started out as just another Monday. The team players went to school and then to practice later. Our parents and families were carrying about their normal routine. Me? I was at work. Got off early that day and facing another evening at home with no computer. Just a quiet Monday evening. No phone calls. I got to work Tuesday morning, powered up my Dell and logged in to Facebook to check out the latest. Two messages were waiting on me, and reading one of them left me stunned. I got up, closed my door and made an announcement on the intercom at work that I wasn't to be disturbed. I just sat there frozen for the longest. Our beloved #14, Noah Young, passed away Monday night. I told my bosslady what had happened and she got word to everyone else. One by one, a few of my co-workers came by. It was so hard to concentrate on anything, but I was glad for the support from work. I didn't even want to be there. I wanted to head home, pack a few clothes and go to Americus to be with my Travelers family.
Quite a few posts were made on Facebook. A number of Noah's friends made posts and comments on his page and I added one of my own. I then put together a special tribute page to him on the website. My friend, I do think I did you proud. It got comments not only from people in Southwest Georgia, but also from right here in my area. It was from the heart, my friend. You were a great athlete and a great person as well.
A community wide prayer service was held for the family that very evening. I couldn't attend, but when I got home I took my phone off the hook and closed and locked my doors and sat and prayed in silence. I was thankful for the time that I did have with him. Visitation was Wednesday; the funeral was Thursday. The family didn't want flowers, but wanted donations made to the Travelers. I was also touched that they wanted the team to be pallbearers. I hated like heck that I could not make it for the funeral; both my boss and co-partner were out for the day and I had to be on hand.
Originally, I was planning to "sneak in the back door", so to speak, for a double header that was scheduled for that Saturday in Thomasville. I was going to stay the night in Valdosta Friday and drive over to Thomasville the next day to surprise everyone. A get together was instead planned for Saturday night at the Wall's residence in Ellaville where the end-of-season cookout took place. The team had been selling raffle tickets and the winner was going to be drawn, plus there would be a cookout. At work, Rhett returned Friday and I got permission to leave early Friday so I could be with the team that weekend. Not only that, but it turned out that the Wildcats were playing football at home in Ellaville that night, so I decided then to go to the game as well. But...let's face it. My Mojo doesn't do well at football.
The get together was fun - and let's face it, the players, coaches, parents, families all needed it. I enjoy any time I get to spend with my Travelers family, and especially my young brothers in baseball. Awesome food, great fellowship, lots of laughter. I even ended up both throwing and kicking the football around with my brothers (and you thought I only enjoyed baseball - ha!). I was even told I was welcome to stay the night at the cabin, but opted to return to the hotel as I was leaving early the next morning. Please know, though, that I was honored to be asked. And as I was leaving the cabin, I heard several of my brother say, "We love you, Moose!" That is mutual. I can't help but be happy knowing that I have a great extension of family who I love being with so much!
In time, the team returned to baseball and prepared to compete in the NMP Classic in Macon. We all knew it wasn't going to be easy without Noah there, but we all knew that he would watching from the best seat in the house. He's now a guardian angel and will be with my brothers every time they take the field from now on. The fellas ended up 2-2 in the tournament. In game one, the Travelers were down 8-0, against the South Georgia Hitmen, and wound up making a big comeback attempt, putting seven on the board. We rebounded and beat Code Red, 7-4, and the CBA Copperheads, 11-3. Unfortunately, we wound up losing in the re-match against the Hitmen, 6-4.
Currently, we are 5-3 on the fall season. Next up is the Uppercut Wood Bat Tournament in Montgomery, Alabama, followed by the Fall State Tournament in Cordele, which I will be on hand for and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again one more time this year.
Moose Q & A
Time now to field a couple of questions from that ever growing file called The Moose Q & A.
Okay - I've got to know. How do you prepare a Mooseburger?
Glad to share the recipe! This is my own version of the mushroom and swiss. I bet you have never had a cheeseburger like this one! And this recipe has a twist to it!
MOOSEBURGERS
3 pounds of fresh ground beef, about six ounces per person
Pepper
8 1" x 2" pieces of Cheddar Cheese
Form the hamburger meat into patties. Season with pepper. Place one piece of cheese into the center of each hamburger patty and reform, hiding the cheese in the center of the burger. Cook until desired doneness (I like mine well done). Serve topped with the Mooseburger Sauce (see recipe below).
MOOSEBURGER SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup red wine
Saute' sliced mushrooms in butter until they're golden. Add garlic. Add wine and mix all the flavors. Remove from heat and serve warm with Mooseburgers.
Try it sometime!!
Tell us about this "After Hours" show you listen to on the radio
Gladly! The show is broadcast every night from 7:00 PM to Midnight on 1130 AM out of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and it is called "After Hours." The music is smooth jazz and timeless relaxing favorites! I have become a regular listener; oftentimes, I will save doing website work till the nighttime hours just so I can work while the music plays. If you would like to listen to "After Hours", CLICK HERE for the station link and then click on the Listen Live image to the right. Hope you enjoy it! Their morning show, which airs from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM, Monday through Friday, is hosted by Monty Jett, one of my longtime favorite on-air personalities. Give him a listen sometime, too!
That will do it for now! Be sure to join me here next time for another edition of the Moose Blog!
Be seeing you!
Ciao!
Kenny Harrill, bka "Moose"
September 7, 2013 - The Second Season: Carrying The Momentum Over
As of this writing, the Travelers are now into their second season and are now officially a 14 under team instead of a 13 and under. Not only that, but my awesome brothers in baseball have even won the first of four tournaments, the Tallest Trophy Bash NIT Tournament in Macon. We are now 3-1 into the new season, and with trophy - not bad!! It tells me that you guys have carried the successful summer momentum forward and over into the new season. Awesome! Doing the website is so much fun, especially when you can post the news of a tournament win. When I think of my brothers, a quote from Michael Jordan comes to mind. "Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen and others make it happen." Americus Travelers make baseball happen! And believe me, I smile because I know Cameron, Harrison, Tommy, Chandler, Chance, Will, Reid, Clint, Camron, Jarrod and Noah make our team happen, with great help and guidance from Coaches Estes and Fussell.
Speaking of Fussell - I wish I could have been on hand for the Tallest Trophy Tournament, what with the ORIGINAL Coach Fussell, "Funtime", with you. I'm sure he had as great a time as the team did. I also want to send shout outs to both Ms. Vanessa Wall and Ms. Angie Bell. I really enjoy the photos that both of you post to the Facebook page and look forward to those with each tournament played. Both of you do such a great job!
Hope you guys had good luck with getting your raffle tickets sold! Going to be interesting to see who winds up with that big television!
Still to come are the Iron Horse Classic, the Uppercut Wood Bat Tournament, and the USSSA Fall State Tournament, which has been moved to Cordele. Personally, I'm looking forward to that one; I'll be coming over early not only for baseball, but this will mark the first time I've ever been to a Wildcats football game. Looking forward to it! There's also going to be a double header played at Thomas University in Thomasville against Figueroa Baseball. Hey, lots of baseball to come!
With this edition of the Moose Blog, I'm also going to be sharing personal notes and insights and even some Moose Q&A from time to time. I've decided to share some questions that have been asked of me over time during visits to Americus. Hope you enjoy it!
What was the first restaurant you ate at in Americus, both when you first came with the Wayne County team and when you first came on your own?" The answer is the same in both cases - the now long gone Golden Corral.
Did you ever expect that you would meet as many people as you have over the years? No, but in the beginning, I didn't even visualize coming over for other things like football and shows at the Rylander. The whole adventure over the years has been like grains of sand forming to become a unique mountain. I'll be honest, too - I wrote Coach Estes and the Travelers a congratulatory note after the '97 GRPA Tournament was over. My intention at that time was to come for maybe one doubleheader and ending it at that, just to say I came on my own. Nobody - myself included - could have seen what was coming. Everything fell into place by itself - and I'm grateful it did.
Someone said you enjoyed art, painting and sketching. Are you good? Not really, at least in my opinion. I've been known to take along a pad and charcoal sticks to the beach to do charcoal sketching. Nothing to brag about; it's mostly drawings of the beach.
What's your favorite mode of transportation when traveling - not including your beloved Orange Crush? Airplane! I feel safe up in the wild blue yonder! And it depends on where I'm going - I don't mind taking Amtrak, but I won't buy food from the snack car. I'll pack my own lunch and take it on the train.
Is it true - you love peanut butter? What's your favorite brand? Jif's low-sugar, low salt creamy peanut butter. Goes great with banana slices on whole grain bread.
You cook, Moose? You're kidding! What in the world can you prepare? I love making homemade spaghetti with meat sauce. I also like cooking "Mooseburgers." It's my own version of the mushroom and swiss burger.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what are the things you would absolutely have to have with you? A radio. A computer with good Internet access. And obvious stuff like bug repellant and a good food supply.
You've been out of high school a long time. Have you changed much or are you pretty much the same?" I feel I'm much more direct with people now. My sense of humor is definitely better. I've dealt with health issues and have been close to death a few times. If anything, I have learned NOT to take life for granted. It's good, but it could all end tomorrow.
I'll answer some more of the most asked in future editions of the blog. And I hope you've enjoyed this edition!
That's it! Ciao For Now!
Yours In Baseball
Kenny Harrill, aka "Moose"
August 9, 2013 - Here's To Memories...And Memories Yet To Come
As I'm preparing this, some of the team players and their families have made the trip to Warner Robins for the Little League Championship game. Hopefully, our entourage will even be shown on ESPN. But I know they'll have a great time nonetheless - not to mention, they're going to enjoy pizza somewhere tonight! Not all were able to make it, and yours truly is back in Odum and here at home plate, aka "Moose Lodge," putting another blog entry together. I'm happy, happy, happy to tell you that I had three fun filled days over in God's Country last week; the climax was the Travelers End-Of-Season Party, held at the home of Johnny and Nell Wall in Ellaville. In those three days, I enjoyed getting out on my beloved "Orange Crush" and cruising the countryside. Drove around a few familiar neighborhoods, and also made it a point to make not one, but two, visits to the Pizza Place in Ellaville. Great lasagna, and great chicken salad, also! You just can't get delicious lasagna and chicken salad just anywhere! (Am I making you hungry? Good!) I also enjoyed having lunch with Coach Estes at Little Brothers Bistro, right next door to the Windsor where I stayed at this time. Speaking of the Windsor, they have a great restaurant inside called the Rosemary and Thyme. Had two very delicious pancake breakfasts there while in town. I also enjoyed pancakes at one of my favorite places in A-town, Granny's Kitchen.
Okay - I know I'm going to catch HECK from some people for this, but WHY the Windsor? Well, this was a special occasion weekend, and I really wanted it to feel like a nice mini vacation. It turned out that and more! The Windsor is so awesome; there are nowhere near enough words to describe it. I felt very comfortable there, and my room was absolutely great! I have stayed there only one other time before in 2004, and I will admit that this visit topped the previous one. A few of the legacy Travelers players even caught up with me there and stopped and chatted briefly - Chandler Holloway, Sean Kobs, John Williamson and Fuller Timmerman. It's always great to run into long time friends!
Saturday afternoon as I started my ride out to Ellaville, I began having flashbacks of the season gone by - coming to Americus to meet the team and families at the spring camp; the Roadrunner Classic in Cordele; getting to welcome our entourage to what the locals call Buckwild Friday in B-town, aka Brunswick; and the USSSA State Tournament in Valdosta. Some great baseball. Even greater fun, shared meals (I'm being biased here, but my favorite was our late dinner at IHOP), awesome fellowship, and the privilege of getting to meet my new little brothers in baseball. I've had quite a bit of fun, and I'm very thankful that my health and time allowed me to come to the events I was able to; I regret I don't live closer to Americus so much. Again, I'll say when it comes to people and friends, I look for quality not quantity.
One by one, everyone arrived. Some enjoyed swimming and a good game of cornhole, but everyone enjoyed gathering to say hello and share in the great evening, and share in that awesome thing called Travelers baseball. We were a big happy family again for a short while, but then baseball is the tie that binds us all, no matter where we call home. What's a party without great food? We enjoyed hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, some great iced tea. And that cake a little later was very delicious! Two videos were shown - one with highlights of the World Series, the other a retrospective of the 2013 season gone by with photos from all the tournaments. I couldn't help but smile with pride watching it and watching the great season of my little brothers - and I couldn't help but laugh when I saw a key goofy photo of myself (thus, I gave myself the nickname "Big Goofy." No telling how many nicknames I have now).
One of the original Travelers, Bobby Ryals, came and spoke to the players. His message was real inspirational! I'm going to share some words from a post he made on Facebook that pretty much was along the lines of the message he brought to the fellas - "Growing relationships from teammates into brothers was worth it. Learning the concept of teamwork was worth it. The most important quality I've gained from baseball is perseverance. I learned to never give up until that final out. If I didn't get it done, I have the next game. A dream never dies until YOU stop pursuing it. Some dreams weren't meant to achieve in short time.. Who's to say when you let that dream go? YOU are! Chase that dream until you catch it, even if it takes a lifetime!" This was my first time to meet Bobby, though I had heard of him quite a few times before.
Then it was time for presentations. Coaches Estes and Fussell presented plaques to all of the players. We also learned that Clint Sellars, Noah Young, Reid Ragsdale and Jarrod Wall were named to the All Tournament Team, so big Congrats to those fellas! I was going to have some special t-shirts made for the players and coaches, but decided instead to go in another direction - I ended up having watches made with the team logo, plus mugs with the team and coach roster and the logo. And I was very honored to get to pose for photos with all my little brothers and their families. And yes, for those curious - I was about to get a little emotional up there! I have to watch myself carefully when my eyes start to get tears because they have a tendency to burn something awful, but I think everyone knew how proud I was of the Awesome 11. After the plaques were given, both coaches and myself were given special prints of the team. I'm going to be hanging mine in my office at work - whenever I get to feeling down, I can look at that print and look at my team and coaches. Now THAT is inspiration! Cake was served after the presentations were finished.
One by one, families began to leave. Several of the fellas came to shake my hand before leaving, and I'm real appreciative of that. I was one of the last to leave, actually. It came down to the Walls, Ragsdales, Estes and myself. I hated to see the evening end. If it could have lasted a while longer, I would have stayed. I really enjoyed myself.
The summer season is over, and now the fellas are going to play a short fall season of four tournaments. You can check out the fall season schedule on the website! And with this writing, we welcome Chandler Davis and his parents, Russ and Amy, to the family. You can check out Chandler's page on the website for a little bio information on him. I look forward to meeting the Davis family in the future.
And now a little reflection. Back in November 2007, I traveled to Americus for the championship ring ceremony to celebrate the team's big first place finish at the USSSA Nationals in Gastonia, North Carolina. A feeling came over me at the time that that was going to be the last Travelers event I would ever attend. I kept the website going until March 2009. Not long after that, a Facebook page turned up with many of the legacy players, coaches and myself. I soon began to hope that one day - and I still hope for this - that there will be a reunion of the legacy players from 1995 to 2007. I definitely would come to town for this! I never thought that there would be another Travelers baseball team at all, and I have to admit that even when Tim told me last year that it was coming back, I was a little bit of a skeptic. The team and parents meeting took place and the old website was mentioned; Tim Estes said at the time that he would get in touch with me, but he couldn't guarantee that I would return, much less bring the website back.
I didn't really want to at first - call it being set in my ways if you will. But then I took a real good look at things. What was I doing with my time on weekends now? Not a whole lot. I have to go in to work on occasion on weekends, but apart from that, weekends mean a trip to Walmart, definitely drive somewhere to enjoy a meal out. Visits with friends on occasion, but I had not been to a baseball game since 2008. Then it hit me - "Moose, you're the one who put the Travelers on the World Wide Web to start with - and NO ONE expected that! You ought to give it another shot!" Sure enough, didn't take me long to get back into webmaster mode! That was the easy part. Coming to meet the new players and families - well, I was very nervous walking up to the field at the complex to meet all of you, but you made me feel welcome!
How do I feel now? Fantastic! And I feel proud to say that I have made some wonderful new friends this year! And I now have 11 new little brothers in baseball who I'm extremely proud of. I deeply appreciate all of you fellas and your families! Ya'll mean the world to this Moose! Email me or contact me through Facebook anytime! And DO keep in touch!!
Okay - I'm not going to say goodbye! I hate that word! Suffice it to say, I'll see you down the road! The good Lord willing I'll be back sooner or later enjoying another Travelers game and the fun and fellowship that I'm privileged to share with this entourage once again.
In closing, here's to memories! And here's to memories yet to come!
Focus! And Mash On It!!
Your Big Goofy Brother in Baseball - And Definitely, Your FRIEND,
Kenny Harrill, bka "Moose"
July 26, 2013 - Blast From The Past: Baseball In The Land Of Magic
With the current season over and on the eve of the season ending get together, I thought I'd share some fun Travelers memories from 2006. Enjoy!
I had the opportunity to go to the AAU 16 and Under Division II Nationals Tournament in Orlando. For me, it wasn't only a tournament. It became a full fledged vacation. This marked the first time that I had been to the Sunshine State in quite a while. I wasn't able to get there until Sunday, July 16th, though, due to having to work the prior Friday and needing that Saturday to buy needed stuff for the trip, pack and get ready. And for those of you curious - NO, I did not drive my Silver Bullet to Florida. That would have been some sight - me toting that bigger than big suitcase! I rode Amtrak to Florida - wouldn't you know it! I thought I was going to miss the train because the taxi was so late picking me up to start with, but the train didn't show up for quite a while once I got to the station (typical of Amtrak).
Once at Disney Pop Century Resort, I had to catch one bus, then another, to get to Disney All Star Sports Resort, where the Travelers crew was. But I was happy to see everyone and vice versa. The fellas had already gone 2-1 in pool play before I arrived. Monday's game was a close one, a 5-4 win over the Sumter County (FL) Warriors. It proved an unusual way to win - the game was knotted 4-4 and with ducks on the pond, Michael Swain was hit by the ball, which advanced the runner home. The rest of the week, though, didn't go so hot.
We lost a pair to the West Coast Rattlers and also lost to the defending National champs, the Hamlin Park All Stars. That game featured two of the DUMBEST umpires I have ever run across. The one behind the plate was a complete idiot - some said he reminded them of "Gilligan" from the island. Personally, he reminded me more of "Cosmo" from Seinfeld. And don't even get me started on the other umpire; my blood pressure is high enough as it is.
Two of the games I went to took place at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex, while two were played at a high school close to the Orlando area. The facilities were great all around, though. I was really impressed. The season ended for the fellas on Thursday. We ended up 5th in the World Series, but as a result of the Top 5 placement, the team won a berth to the 2007 National Tournament. Michael Swain and Adam Fussell were named to the AAU All American Tournament team. All of the players got medals, as did Georgia Forest Products for being the sponsor for this year's team. Yours truly also got one for the website. I wore it proudly to work the Monday after I returned home.
It wasn't all work and no play. The fellas were treated to dinner at Capone's; the staff there also puts on a show about Al Capone and ol' time Chicago. If you ever get a chance to see it, it's great. The buffet was excellent - Italian! I had several people laughing when I made the point that a Moose loves to eat! We also went as a group to Downtown Disney on Wednesday; several of us enjoyed dinner at Planet Hollywood. After the game and the ribbon ceremony on Thursday, yours truly Travelers fan treated his team and coaches to lunch at the All Star Sports Resort. Oh yeah - DON'T even think of asking me how much the lunch cost. That goes to my grave! The fellas and families also enjoyed time at other spots in Disney. I know that some of them went to the water parks, some to play golf and/or miniature golf. And from all indications, a great time was had by all. Some of the crew left for home that Thursday evening; others waited until Friday.
I know what you're probably thinking at this point - what did you do with the rest of your week, Moose? Were you a good boy? Yes (Whoop there it is - I can hear you now! A chorus of "Yeah, Right!"). On Friday, I actually went back over to the Sports Complex just to watch some of the championship games in the tournament. Later that day, I made my first visit to Animal Kingdom. I enjoyed the Safari ride to see the animals, plus I also walked the Exploration Trail to see others. Later, I went over to the Asia section and walked the Jungle Trek, where you can see tigers and fruit bats, among others.
Epcot remains one of my favorite places to visit and I went there Saturday. I can never resist taking a ride aboard "Spaceship Earth" (you know - the thing that looks like a huge golf ball in the center as you enter), and I enjoyed a walk through the Innoventions section as well. Club Cool was indeed cool - it's filled with Coca-Cola items, and you can drink a free sample of cola from other countries. The China cola tasted great. I could spend hours in the World Showcase section, and I have before. I love spending time in all of the country pavilions to see what life is like in those countries. A visit to the China pavilion is never complete without stopping at the Lotus Blossom for egg rolls and raspberry iced tea.
And for those curious - NO, I did not go clubbing in Downtown Disney! I didn't want to go inside wearing my sneakers; forgot my dress shoes, so I skipped it. I also enjoyed just walking around the resort. Pop Century celebrates the decades of the 50s through the 90s - you see giant sized yo yos, Play Doh cans, and Rubik Cubes (I hated having one of those, but that's another blog, another time). The Travelers crew all stayed at the All Star Sports Resort, which celebrates - what else - sports.
Between the AAU Nationals, the Travelers Weekend Challenge in Americus, and the 4th of July Tournament in Albany, this was the most time I had been able to spend with the crew in a few years, what with family deaths and changing jobs and homes. My goal, actually, was just to attend the weekend tournament in Americus, but I enjoyed myself so much and enjoyed being with everyone in those three days that I wanted to make a better effort. Sound familiar?
A short time later came the end of season get together. On a very warm Friday evening, August 18, yours Moose Traveler truly ventured to Southwest Georgia for the end-of-season banquet. I stayed over in Americus at the Holiday Inn. The desk clerk was surprised that I wanted to stay the night - when he told some people what the rate was, they ended up leaving. It was a bit on the high side, yes, but I'm at ease there as opposed to some of the other hotels in the area. After stepping in to freshen up and change clothes, I headed to Roman Oven for dinner, but not before I overheard this, well, we'll call him IDIOT on his cell phone badmouthing Americus and the people there. Just about got my blood pressure up and made me lose my religion!
There are a lot of things you just don't do in front of me - and one of them is you don't BAD MOUTH the beautiful Americus! Anyway, I enjoyed my usual spaghetti dinner at the Roman Oven. Had the privilege of joining former Traveler, Tee Reddish, and a friend of his while there. We talked over old times baseball. The highlight of the chat, for me, was in both of us exchanging the history of my nickname and why he chose to call me "Mice."
Let's face it - Moose, Mice, Meeses, Elk, Caribou, Mongoose, Big Guy, Big Kid. I don't lack for nicknames in Americus, but it sure beats the HECK out of people ignoring me. Now that hurts!
After a great night's sleep and a good light breakfast at Holiday Inn, I made the drive to Preston to the Bear Creek Quail Lodge, where the banquet was taking place. I was really taken with Bear Creek, and felt right at home once I arrived. The barbeque and food were already being prepared and several of the fellas and families were there; others showed up as the afternoon progressed.
When everyone arrived, the team players had the chance to shoot some skeet. Some also enjoyed playing pool. TVs were on, and naturally, the Little League World Series drew our attention, what with one of the contenders being the fellas from Columbus. I was able to eye-witness a good hit, too - now that was MASH!
Later, we all enjoyed a very delicious meal, and then it was time to hand out some well deserved awards. All of the players received one type of award or another. I took several photos around the lodge. Jeff and Felicia Alexander also accepted a plaque for Georgia Forest Products sponsorship of the 2006 team.
After the banquet, time to say goodbyes. Wasn't quite time for me, though - I had the privilege of staying the night at the lodge with several of the team as well as Roger Swain and Alan Lee. Goodbye came the next morning, and this time it really felt like goodbye, too. We all got up pretty early and cleaned up. Goodbye, actually, is a word that I hate. I preferred to put it as "I'll see you down the road."
I've got to share this with you. As we finished getting things cleaned up, Adam Fussell asked me, "Moose, have you ever worked as a garbageman?" "No, why?" "That was professional, man!" Truth be told, I'm used to cleaning, what with having to keep Moose Landing as tidy as possible (though my place was NOTHNG to brag about at the time, what with the re-organizing I was doing), and we rotate cleaning chores at work, too.
Still couldn't get over how much time I spent with the team in that summer. After three seasons of only 1-2 games per summer, I was ready for serious baseball, and I'm glad I took the time for the traveling. Time very well spent. I love this group of people and even told them so at the banquet!
Special thanks to Coaches Tim Estes, Chip Langston and Stephen Gordon. And to the Travelers 2006 rotation - Jess Alexander, Caleb Cochran, Chad Crook, Adam Fussell, Will Gordon, Chandler Holloway, Sean Kobs, Miles Lee, Michael Swain, Fuller Timmerman, Will Webb and Howell White. Not to mention their awesome families - parents, grandparents, siblings. A lot of new friends that summer. A lot of new second family.
Have to give props, too, to the Jerry Jones family, who own and operate Bear Creek Lodge. They showed some really great down home hospitality. They even took a group of us to see some neat antiques and the other lodge. I enjoyed myself immensely.
Hope you liked the trip down memory lane. We'll do the blog thing again soon, as we'll be recapping the 2013 End of Season Party. Take care, all. Ciao for now!
Kenny Harrill, bka Moose
July 19, 2013 - Four Out Of Eight + A Runner Up Finale = Awesome Season
It doesn't seem all that long ago that eleven young men were selected for what would be the re-boot season of one of the best youth traveling teams anywhere. From practice to practice to spring camp to tournaments, quite a bit has been accomplished in such a short space of time. To many it was a brand new ballgame, a brand new year, new players. To some of us, it's a story that finally has a continuation to it after a few years hiatus. It's that way to me, definitely. It's hard to believe that it's been 18 years since the first rotation of the Travelers were assembled. All told, there have been 14 groups, and the 2013 rotation will always stand out as one of the best. And with this edition of the Moose Blog, I'm adding my Awesome 11 to the big Hall of Fame that also encompasses 117 other players - an induction if you will.
I'm writing this column on the eve of Coach Estes' birthday. Face it - what an early birthday present he got last weekend, too; runner up in the USSSA World Series in McDonough. I can only imagine the number of calls, emails he's received, and rightly so. And before I forget it - Happy Birthday, Tim! I hope it's a Fantabulous one!
Hard to believe it's only been three months since I made the initial drive over for Spring Camp. I'm never going to forget walking toward the field very nervous about meeting the new players and families, but that nervousness wore off very quickly; everyone made me feel right at home from moment one. Not to mention, getting to renew old ties with Tim as well as Adam Fussell and Chad Crook. Made for a great weekend.
Along the way, I was able to be at three of the eight tournaments. Before I even made it to my first one, the fellas had already gotten one win at the Arbor Day NIT Tournament. Thanks to GameChanger, I was able to log in to those games and almost every other one that I wasn't able to be on hand for and track the action myself. The Roadrunner Classic was moved from Leesburg to Cordele, but it worked out good for me travel wise. Best part? The fellas won the tournament with a 3-1 worksheet. And to think I had almost said No to returning to my ringside seat! Makes you wonder what was I thinking? It's a real privilege to be able to be with the team and the coaches in the dugout, by all means! It wasn't just the games and serious business; this marked my first time to eat with the group and enjoy great food and fellowship. I ended up being given one of the championship plaques, too. Awesome weekend.
A few weeks later, I was welcoming the group to Buckwild Friday in B-town, bka Brunswick. It was the weekend of the Surf & Turf Tournament - and once again, the Awesome 11 took first place. A perfect 4-0 this time. For those interested or curious - No, I still haven't finished the lyrics to that song I came up with that morning as I was getting ready to head to the complex. Maybe one of these days. I ended up being given another plaque. I thought that was pretty cool, but the key moment that meant more to me than anything was when the fellas asked me to join them in their circle of prayer right before the Championship game. I was honored!
The very next week I joined our entourage for the USSSA State Tournament in Valdosta. Unfortunately, a three peat with the Moose Mojo wasn't meant to be; we went 1-2 in the tournament. At least we had a pretty good third game, winning a revenge match against the Cardinals to determine seeding for the Nationals upcoming. A highlight for me this weekend was treating my players and coaches to dinner; we ended up at IHOP, and quite a few of the families showed up for good food and great fellowship.
Right before the USSSA World Series, the fellas put another "W" in the record books and took first in the Comebackers Classic in Monroe with a perfect 4-0 worksheet. Awesome! Four first place finishes out of eight. Not bad! Not bad at all. The Travelers won five and lost four in the World Series, but ended up as runner up. Though of course I would have loved to have seen my Awesome 11 win the big title, I was thrilled, too, with second. We've come such a long way in so short a time, it's unreal.
The games are over for now, but we will be playing in some fall tournaments soon. In any event, the good Lord willing, I will be back on hand to watch my team play again. I regret I wasn't able to make it to many of the tournaments - one disadvantage of living a few hours from Americus. When I look at friendships, though, I consider QUALITY not QUANTITY. Between the three tournaments and spring camp, plus keeping their website updated and being able to log in to Gamechanger and watch the action, I think I've made a pretty good effort for the re-boot year. To Cameron, Harrison, Zach, Tommy, Chance, Will, Reid, Clint, Camron, Jarrod and Noah - Thumbs Up, fellas, and Big Congrats on a very successful season. If anything, you've come together, gelled as a team, and now have a pretty good idea of this awesome thing called Americus Travelers Baseball. It's an honor to be your voice on the Internet - and I feel honored, too, that between you and your families, I have made some awesome new friends this year. I look forward to seeing ya'll again in the future.
In the meantime, I'm looking forward to the season finale get together on Saturday, August 3. I will be coming over a couple of days early so I can enjoy some time back over in God's Country. And if you saw my post on Facebook, I'm planning on coming over to Ellaville during my time there to try out the Pizza Place (if any of ya'll want to get together for pizza, do let me know. I'll be staying at Quality Inn in Americus, so by all means, give me a call while I'm in town). I've also got a couple of surprises being brought in for the get together - but, I'm going to make you wait for August 3. As Schultz would say on "Hogan's Heroes," I know nothing! (ha!).
Thanks for reading again! I deeply appreciate all the compliments on the website and the Moose Blog. And I deeply appreciate ALL of you!!
Ciao For Now
Kenny Harrill, bka "Moose"
July 5, 2013 - What We're Going To Do Here Is Go Back...Way Back...Back Into Time. To....1998
On the eve of the USSSA World Series this coming week in McDonough, I'm happy to report for our Moose Blog readers out there that the Orange and Navy elite won first place in the Comebackers Classic in Monroe, going a perfect 4-0. This makes four tournament wins for the year - not bad for a group getting back into the swing of things. Gosh only knows I'm proud of the Awesome 11, as I call them, and Coaches Estes, Fussell and Crook. Great job, fellas! You can check out the 2013 Schedule to see who the team will be facing starting Wednesday, July 10.
I've decided to take a few steps back in time with this edition of the blog. We're turning the calendar way back to 1998 and to share with you a recap of the game that brought the very first USSSA State title to the Travelers. That year marked my first with the team - and, of course, the first for the website that you're viewing right now.
Five innings was all it took on a warm Sunday afternoon for the Orange and Navy to win against the Toccoa Cobras, 9-1. The win here led to competing in their first USSSA World Series in Lakeland, Florida, July 20-26. Americus proved to be formidable, but to hear then Head Coach Billy Nicholson put it, they weren't overly confident.
"When you're on top, everybody shoots for you. Everybody comes at you. We were a little flat in the first game, and I told the kids'you know, you can't just expect a state championship to be given to us; we have to work for it from beginning to end.' It was just a matter of coming together and gelling as a team. We've got three different high schools in this team, but they came together really well and really gelled together in this tournament. I hope it carries on into the GRPA Tournament, where we'll determine the state championship."
Brad Hagerson would pitch all five innings for the win; he allowed only one earned score from Toccoa. Americus plated three in their initial at-batter, then Edgar Smith added one in the second, singling in Todd Sellars. In the third frame, Terence Duncan's double brought in Chip Spann, Sellars' score batted in fly out brought Duncan home, Smith batted in Chan Short, then Greg Dominy's hit brought Ernest Polk to home. Duncan's fly out to right plated Spann in the top of the fourth to put Americus to 9-1.
Americus also contributed great pitching and fielding. Hagerson ended up pitching out of a potential scoring threat with a strike out that closed the fourth, then Eric Rutherford made a difficult throw from right field to third that put a Cobra runner out.
Before the tournament, my first game with the Travelers was a double header against the East Cobb Chargers that Americus ended up splitting; no one expected the Travelers to win either match. I had returned to Americus to watch the team play having come off that grueling 12 inning matchup between Americus and the Wayne County Major All Stars that went 5-4 and resulted in the Travelers winning their second straight state title (GRPA). I came away impressed with the team and wanted to see them play again. Sure enough, this double header somehow is the where the Good Luck Charm tag got put to me. I enjoyed myself, and several people hoped that I would come back again. The tournament was mentioned - and sure enough, I was there! I feel good in saying "We" went a perfect 6-0 in the tournament.
I don't know what resulted more - me adopting the team or the team adopted me. Who knows? I'm just glad it happened. It was only the beginning! This marks my 11th season - hard to believe.
Join me next time for more on that awesome thing called Americus Travelers Baseball - the BEST game on dirt!
See ya!
Kenny Harrill, aka "Moose"
June 19, 2013 - Sometimes It Pays To Re-focus
This past weekend, the Orange and Navy entourage journeyed to Valdosta for the USSSA State Tournament. I'm going to be completely honest here - sometimes I have to wonder about the USSSA, what with all the tournament re-shuffling, venue changes, etc. It has made for a very interesting re-boot season for the Super 11, but I digress. The players and coaches have toughed it out. As of press time, there are only two tournaments left; the Macon Classic and the USSSA Nationals in Atlanta. If I know this crew, somebody will definitely ask, "Did you bring the Mojo?" With that in mind, I packed not one, not two, not three, but all four of lucky shirts - the orange shirt that the parents had made and the three in grey, orange and gold that I did for my team. I figured between the four, hopefully, there was luck somewhere.
In what proved an interesting departure this time, I got to Valdosta and realized that I did not pack my Travelers baseball cap. Interesting. I could have gone and bought just any plain old cap, but - nah! It had to bear our emblem, so I did without. I figured I was going to be in the dugout for the most part anyway, so I wouldn't have to worry completely about my head getting tanned. If you have seen Ms. Wall's photos, you did notice that there were a couple of VERY noticable shots of the back of my big head. And for those of you who can't take looking at hideous things, I'm sorry I didn't wear the baseball cap!
Thursday's ride over proved to be a long, tiring one. Between that unbearable heat, crazy traffic from Waycross to Valdosta, ripples in the road in Clinch County (do keep in mind my beloved "Orange Crush" has two wheels), and the crazy detour mess in Valdosta, I felt like I had been through a stampede by the time I reached the Super 8. I got checked in and immediately asked about using a computer. Turns out I had to walk next door to the Holiday Inn to use theirs. The third time had to prove the charm in this regard as both computers were being used when I walked over the first two times. I finally managed to log in to Facebook and let the crew know I had made it - plus let them know that the Super 8 was pretty nice. It's one of the better ones, for sure!
Dinner was a no brainer - IHOP! Ya'll know by now that ol' Moose loves him some pancakes! I wound up having a total of five meals here - one of which was real special to me and we'll cover that shortly. Incidentally, I wound up having the same meal each visit. Got to keep on the healthy kick, you know. At my age, every effort helps. I only ate at one other place - more on that shortly.
Friday was a pretty lazy day for the most part. I enjoyed getting up late and doing as little as possible. I was glad to have the time off. As the late afternoon rolled around, I looked forward to the crew arriving. As they did, it really brightened up my day. I'm enjoying this group so much more and more. Charles Standridge, aka "Duck", who was the bookkeeper for the Travelers in the early years, invited me to dinner at Crystal River Seafood. The food was awesome here (great grilled chicken). We sat and talked about Travelers past; he covered quite a bit of ground on the Panama City trip, the now legendary game against the Silver Bullets girls softball team, and games at Thomas Bell. He then told me that when I came aboard in 1998, several of the players picked at me something crazy - and what endeared me to the team was that I let them have it right back. Think of it as a battle of the one liners between two comedians. I hadn't laughed that much in a long time.
The team and coaches got together for a meeting late that evening to talk over the state tournament and strategy. I told them that I didn't think they were capable of winning - I knew they were. I was as ready as they were!
Unfortunately, things didn't wind up going our way. We figured the first match against the Elite Gamers would be the real big challenge - we ended up losing 7-3. In the follow up match, we lost to the Macon Cardinals, 8-7. With the double dip pool play losses, we had to go to the consolation round to determine seeding and regardless of win or loss, we wouldn't go any further. Several of the crew headed back to Super 8 to crash and relax and get ready for game #3. We returned, and I noticed a lot of the entourage seemed relaxed. We were going against the Macon Cardinals again - I like to think of it as the revenge match. Sure enough, we won this time, 11-1. The Super 10 (unfortunately, Will Lanneau and his family were away this weekend) discovered that sometimes it pays to re-focus a little on the game. When they're relaxed and focusing and they have good momentum going, great results can happen.
Someone definitely correct me here, but as I understand it, we ended up with the #3 seed going into the Nationals in July. But definitely, we were happy to leave the field with a win in the record book for this tournament. With the game over, Coach Estes announced that yours Moose truly was treating the players and coaches to dinner. At the late hour, we knew there wouldn't be many choices available, so we settled on IHOP. I had heard that some of the crew were going to go back that night, but I was hoping that some would come for dinner. I was thrilled with the turnout.
Several families were there, and if anyone happened to walk by where we were seated, all they would have heard was laughter. The atmosphere was loose, the food was great, the service was top notch - and I couldn't have been in better company if I had wanted to. There wasn't a person there who wasn't appreciative of the gesture I made, and I couldn't help but feel great. I knew I had wanted to contribute in some way sometime during the season. I had hoped to put this together during the weekend in Brunswick, but plans just didn't seem to go in a good direction.
You have to understand where I come from with this awesome happening called Travelers baseball - baseball means team. Team means family. Blood is thicker than the mud when it's a family affair. As we were enjoying our meal, I looked around at the players and thought back on the weekend that I drove over to Americus for spring camp and that I was nervous about meeting all the new faces. Thanks to being at three tournaments, not to mention logging into Gamechanger and watching the games and maintaining the team's website, I began to feel real appreciative of this great group of people. I'm having a blast!
Regretfully, I won't be going to Nationals, but I definitely want to see this team play again in the future! The good Lord willing, this is not the end for ol' Moose. I'm looking forward to the next chapter.
I appreciate the comments and compliments about the Moose Blog. It's fun to put this together. Join me next time for more about this great thing called Americus Travelers baseball. The best game on dirt.
Ciao for now,
Kenny Harrill, bka "Moose"
June 9, 2013 - Surf & Turf: Against All Odds
Since we last visited here in the Blog, the Orange and Navy have taken part in the Panama City Beach Blast Tournament, ending up 2-2. Worth noting that their first game was against one of the top ranked teams in the country, the Panhandle Sox. They defeated them 10-9 in five innings. June 1-2, the Travelers journeyed to LaGrange for the Champs Wear The Rings Tournament, going 1-2. This weekend, yours truly was able to be on hand for the Surf and Turf Tournament right down the road from me in Brunswick.
It only takes me about an hour to reach B-town as I call it. Actually I had to be in B-town on Friday anyway, what with an appointment at Southeast Eye, so I stayed over so that I would be on hand right in the area for the tournament. Around 5:00, I made my way to Country Inn & Suites to see who had made it so far. A few had, which led me to welcome them to Buckwild Friday in B-town (don't blame me for that one - the radio stations had already given it that description a long time ago!)
The Estes, Sellars and Bell families all made the trip a few miles away to Red Lobster to enjoy dinner. The Ragsdale family had also arrived at this point. Coach Estes and the family and I drove to track down the complex not long after; only a few miles away from Country Inn. Going back, it was fun to just chill and unwind, and a goodly number of the team enjoyed the indoor pool. A stick ball (?) game got underway. Who was the last person you'd expect to chase down the ball around the pool so the fellas wouldn't have to get out and back in? Told you I was part of this team!
SATURDAY: I was already up at 5:00 AM, doing a morning walk up and down Perry Lane Rd, then walking over and braving the traffic to enjoy Banana Pecan Pancake Breakfast at Dennys. Few hours later, got myself ready for some baseball. I've got to share this one, for sure! I had my radio on and set to B92.7 Jams, an R&B and old school soul station in town. What should come on but "So Much In Love" by Jill Scott and Anthony Hamilton. With that music going, I pieced together a little song with baseball lyrics to that tune:
From my jersey to my cleats
Put me in, I'm ready to play
Wearing orange and navy with my boys
We're gonna win today!
Hand me that good ol' Easton bat
I'm gonna smack that ball real loose
They're gonna ask me big guy who are you
I'll them all I'm Moose!
Mash On It - Homerun!
Mash On It - Homerun!
Mash On It - Homerun!
Mash On It - Homerun!
You get the picture. I didn't exactly finish the song, but I may just have to do that soon! I decided to go on over to be with the crew. The Ragsdale family asked me for directions to the big bridge (Sidney Lanier), and I was only happy to help out. They were going to see it before the games got underway. Coach Fussell and I made our way to the complex and not long afterward, it was game time!
Awesome to see the families again and my Super 11. One by one, we went through four games and went a perfect 4-0.
SOUTH GEORGIA HOOKS: This one went 11-3 in four innings. We scored six in the 4th alone.
CLAY COUNTY CRUSADERS: Went 16-3, and we scored 12 of those in the first frame alone. Four more of the Orange and Navy crossed in the third. A shutout would have been sweet, but the Crusaders did manage to score a few. Clint had a homerun in this game. With this win, we ended up in the Gold division. Turns out we had beaten two AA teams and would now be facing AAA next.
NORTH FLORIDA HURRICANES: This would be the game that almost turned the tide, and where things got pretty interesting. The Canes put three on the board, so we had to battle back and by inning #3, we knotted things at 3-3. They put one more across; we put two to get the win. Now - why interesting? Where in the heck did they find that home plate umpire? That had to be some of the most ridiculous calling I have ever seen in my life. One of our players should have gotten a free pass on four balls and he was calling strikes on some very high throws. Unreal. We have an umpire here in Wayne County who is just as bad; I won't name names.
NASSAU COUNTY RANGERS: We got out front early and kept the lead from there. The game ended up 8-5, Americus - but again the umpire made a number of very questionable calls. I've got news for Clint - he wasn't the only one ticked off with the officiating. Before what would be our last inning at bat, I told the fellas, "Let's let our playing do our talking for us. Focus on the game." That helped big time! And right before the game, I was honored when the fellas asked me to join in the circle of prayer.
I came away from this feeling that this was an against all odds win, what with the bad calls and the fact that the Hurricanes could have taken the win in their game. The Travelers are one scrappy bunch; they faced the challenge and met it direct. If you ask me, all eleven of these players were MVPs tonight. All of them contributed well to the effort, and I feel they kept the momentum and that key word FOCUS in perspective from moment one to the very end. After the last two tournaments, I know the players had to be feeling great with that win. I hope they'll carry that over into the State Tournament.
This makes my third time this season to be with the team, what with spring camp and the Cordele tournament prior, and I'm enjoying getting to know everyone more and more. The fellas included me in conversation a lot more yesterday, and more and more, this group is not only made up of talented athletes, but people who are just fun to be with. It was fun to see the reaction of a few of the players when I pointed out that now they had an idea of what I had to go through travel wise to see them play in Cordele and coming up for the camp. I'm looking forward to State Tournament in Valdosta next weekend, for sure.
I found it cool at the end that both the winning team and the runner up team got to be in one photo. I have never seen that happen before now in all the years I've following baseball and thought that was great. Then came time for us to pose for the group photo. No telling how many took photos and it was too easy to keep smiling!
For the first two games, I wore the orange t-shirt that some of the parents had printed; for the last two, I changed over to one I had done - in a bright gold color, at that. I have to admit that was intentional; what with playing in the home of the Golden Isles, I thought it would be appropriate to sport the team logo and the roster that way. I was beginning to wonder if I had messed up the Mojo doing that, but no! We took the win to the house.
I deeply appreciate the support and comments and greetings I got from the families. You have no clue how much all that means to me. Sometimes after all these years, I still feel like the outsider looking in - but in some ways, I don't. I just think of myself as one of the Travelers.
Felt nice to kept hearing "Good Luck Charm," but I credit all of this win to my Super 11 and the coaches. Rodney Wall called me "Mojo Moose," and Bill Butler kept telling me, "Make sure you're sitting in YOUR spot." I told the players at the end, "I don't call you the Super 11 for nothing; now you know why." Another great Saturday spent with my team and their families, and once again, I had the best seat in the house. I couldn't have been in better company!
With the game over, some families made the trip back home. Others stayed over to leave in the morning. Me? I enjoyed an unusually early morning Sunday breakfast at Dennys - a repeat of the Banana Pecan Pancake Breakfast. That was around 1:00 to 1:30 AM. I couldn't sleep at all, what with being in Happy Happy Happy Mode for the team. I ended up with another plaque for the wall. Another tournament down, and next week the Orange and Navy head to Valdosta for the USSSA State Tournament. Join me next time here in the Moose Blog when we'll recap that. In future editions, we'll take a little trip down memory lane with the legacy years and I'll answer some of the frequently asked questions.
Ciao For Now,
Kenny ("Moose")
May 18, 2013 - Baseball And Breakfast Food On Saturday. There Isn't Anything Else!!
Greetings from the Clubhouse! I'm Happy Happy Happy writing this one,and that should be obvious! First, let's catch things up. The Orange and Navy Super 11, aka the Travelers, didn't do very well with the Mothers Day Tournament in McDonough. From chats I had, they were ready to show they could focus and put some good down home Mash On It on the bats with the next tournament - the Roadrunner Classic. The tournament ended up getting moved from Leesburg to Cordele. Closest the fellas may end up playing to home. I had made plans to come to Americus and drive over to Leesburg, but when it got moved, it worked out for me, too. I ended up not having to drive 32 extra miles one way. This was the first time I have ever stayed over in Cordele, and it proved pretty great. Yours truly fearless webmaster left work around 1:30 or so and reached Cordele right at the 4:00 PM hour. Not bad at all.
The Quality Inn proved a great choice as far as a place to stay. Very clean and the staff here was top notch. I obviously wasn't paying half attention on the ride over, though - I had remembered Cordele now had a Chick Fil-A. After I checked in, I walked down 16th to try to find it - in the completely opposite direction. After going what I figure was a good mile or so, I went back. Lo and behold, sure enough - it was right near me all along! Food that good was worth it! After dinner, I drove over to check out the ball field.
Night came quickly, and I made sure to post a message on Facebook that I had arrived safe. I didn't sleep that entire night; guess I was way too eager to see some baseball. I figured since I was already awake at 6:00 AM, I'd just lace up me shoes and go for the morning walk/run. I figured I covered a good mile and a half. My breakfast was simple - orange juice and a banana. I headed to the field at 8:00 and wound up having to wait for a train. But it was cool to end up between the Bell family and one of the other families. Sure enough, I arrived and had greetings from new faces and long time familiar friends.
Coaches Estes and Fussell both called out, "Get in that dugout!" I wound up saying no at first, but then Will Lanneau walked over and said, "Hey, Moose, the coach wants you with us in the dugout." How could I say no when one of the players asked. Sure enough I went to my old ringside seat. Gosh it was awesome to be back! Felt like old times. One by one, several of the players came and greeted me. Most are calling me Moose, but I want to note Cameron Belcher actually calls me Mr. Kenny. Either one is okay with me.
We gathered for team prayer and the games commenced, and we wound up going 3-1 for the tournament. The fellas started out with a strong 5-4 win against the South Georgia Double Play. Unfortunately, the matchup against CC Baseball wound up with a 5-2 loss. Nonetheless, we were able to continue on and wound up shutting out Team Elite Gray, 11-0, then came the deciding game - an absolutely SWEET 8-4 win over the Patriots.
In between game #2 and #3, our group made the drive over to Cracker Barrel. Believe me, nothing but nothing beats good food and great fellowship. I had a great time and no doubt so did everyone else. If a person happened to walk by the area where we were all sitting, all they would have heard was laughter; all they would have seen were smiling faces.
Along the way, the first game started out pretty easy. Game two proved challenging because CC wound up being a team who knew the word fundamentals; they played as such. The third matchup went totally our way. The championship game proved challenging at first, but we ended up taking charge and taking the win. I think game #1 pretty much belonged to Clint, both on the mound and at bat. Reid also had some pretty good innings on the pitcher's mound. Good hitting all the way around, too.
This is what I would call a scrappy bunch of youngsters, but too, emotion plays a key role in baseball. Harrison ("Bear") and Tommy both did well, but both had a couple of struggles later. Those emotions reminded me of me - points in my life where I had wanted some things to go right and they didn't. It's a matter of focus, moving on and learning from things. Tommy got us where we needed to go in the fourth and deciding. Noah had a time with early hits, but then had a first pitch homerun in one game, which really helped turned things around. All of the fellas contributed well in their own way, and one thing is for sure - I like this group.
I felt they blended well together with the spring camp and their playing together is going in the right direction. I'm hoping these fellas will apply that key word "Focus" a bit more in their remaining tournaments. This is one great group of athletic talent as far as I'm concerned. I don't know if they noticed or not, but in the second half of the tournament I started referring to some as brother. Well, I've seen them practice and now I've seen them play. I know they're capable of great things, so I'm happy to say they're my brothers in baseball now. Next up for them is the Memorial Day Beach Blast at Panama City Beach. I'll be joining them again for the Surf and Turf Tournament in Brunswick, and am looking forward to it, as well as keeping track of their progress and keeping their website updated!
It wasn't all just the games themselves. I like this group because they keep the atmosphere loose and fun, and I also appreciate some of the fellas talking to me, asking questions about the website (some were real complimentary), my drive over, and baseball in general. I'm getting time off from work around the time of the state tournament, and I'm hopeful to be joining them for that. I also want to mention that the families have been really great to meet and I'm enjoying getting to know them, both via Facebook and my visits. I have missed the total atmosphere of Travelers ball so much, and I"m honored it's a part of my life again.
A few notes. The team was reclassed to AAA instead of AA. As a result, one or more of the June tournaments could end up being changed to a new location, so keep tuned to the website and I'll post changes as quickly as possible. I was also asked during the tournament if the website is a big chore. It's NO chore at all, but something I like doing! I told a couple of my co-workers recently you have to like baseball and people to do what I do, and I like both! It's fun, let's me get the message about this awesome team out to the masses, and it lets me be a part of the team even when I can't be there. I enjoy this so much!
You may be wondering about the title of this entry. To me, there are very few things more worthwhile on Saturday then enjoying good baseball and even good breakfast food. After a long, sometimes crazy week at work, I find I like comfort food on weekends, and breakfast food does it for me. When we went to Cracker Barrel, I ended up ordering pancakes with berries, eggs and turkey bacon. After the championship game, I enjoyed a late breakfast meal at Dennys - pancakes with bananas and pecans, scrambled egg whites and turkey bacon. Mmmmmmmm! I could write much more about this, but I'll save some for future entries.
Finally, I deeply appreciate being given one of the plaques. I have already shown it to my two best friends at work and am looking forward to showing it to the rest of the crew. Also, I'll be posting more of the frequently asked questions next time around. I figure I've done enough rambling for now. Thanks again, Coaches, Players, Families. It was worth the mileage driving my beloved "Orange Crush" to Cordele. Looking forward to seeing ya'll again, and I look forward to YOU joining me again here in the Moose Blog!
Yours In Baseball
Kenny Harrill (bka Moose)
May 4, 2013 - So Far, So Good And Answering Some Questions
As of this writing, the new 2013 crew is 5-1 on the still young season. And once again, a BIG congratulations to the Orange and Navy elite for winning the Arbor Day NIT Tournament in Forsyth! The championship game went 12-0 - you should have heard me yell "Sweet!" real loud! That was awesome! Next up for the Travelers is the Mothers Day Tournament on Saturday, May 11 in McDonough.
We have found out that one or more of the tournaments in June could end up at a different location, so stay tuned to the website and we'll update things as we get word here. Right now, I'm planning to be on hand in Leesburg for the Roadrunner Classic on May 18. I'm looking forward to seeing the team play, as well as hopefully meeting some more of the family members. Stay tuned!
I thought I would share some Frequently Asked Questions based on Travelers past:
What's the most intense game you have sat through, Moose?
(NOTE: The following is entirely my opinion) Hands down, that would be June 27, 1999 - the game against the West Cobb Mudcats that ended up bringing a second USSSA state title to Americus. We ended up winning 2-1 - but it wasn't an easy one. When Caleb Cripe hit that mad bomb that started off the seventh, I felt the tide was going to turn in our favor. Brent Carter styled and profiled on the mound, going the distance for the win. We had a 1-0 lead in the sixth. Travis Rush walked, then Carter bunting to bring him to second. Rush was able to get home plate because of a throw error. Travis ended up being named MVP of the tournament. Now - why intense? The Mudcats didn't make things easy, for sure, and some people in their camp showed some real cocky attitudes from the beginning of the tournament. But we held things together - and I mean players, coaches, fans, supporters. We won against all odds that day.
Where did the "Good Luck Charm" term start?
I have a pretty decent track record for the Travelers as far as winning when I'm on hand, though they didn't win every time I was. One such case was a double against the East Cobb Chargers in 1998. This was the first game that I attended as a Travelers fan after having been on the outside looking in with my home county. Americus wasn't even expected to win either game, but the fellas pulled out a good victory in the first one. Todd Sellars got that win on the mound. At halftime, I had a few of the parents refer to me as the "Good Luck Charm." It stuck.
You were on hand for the first Old Timers Game. Which side did you cheer for?
The 2000 team, and you better believe I caught HECK from the old timers. But I remember that as a fun day overall. I even got to throw out the first pitch - but that was NOTHING to brag about. Don't ask!
Was it true that you sponsored some of the golf tournaments for the team?
I do believe I bought a sponsor sign for all of the tournaments from the legacy years - and it ended up becoming a tradition that I sponsored hole #1. It was a bit odd seeing a sign that just said "Moose,", but it did make me feel good to contribute. I was on hand for a couple of the tournaments, helping out with registration and so forth. It was pretty fun.
Which of the Travelers teams was your favorite?
There is no way I could choose just one, and I won't. I ended up meeting some great players and parents from each team, and I'm very proud of the fact that I'm still in touch with so many people from the legacy era. I really feel the friendships and camaraderie have been even better for me than the baseball games themselves.
That's it for now. I'll share some more with you in future editions of Moose's Blog. If you have a question, you can send me an email via the link on the home page. Till next time - Batter Up!
Yours in Baseball
Ken Harrill (bka Moose)
April 22, 2013 - Spring Camp
Over the weekend of April 20-21, I had the opportunity and the privilege to make the trip to Americus from my home in Odum to meet the new 2013 players, renew old ties with Coaches Tim Estes, Adam Fussell, and Chad Crook and meet, without a doubt, some very enthusiastic and great parents. Making up this year's new crew of players are Cameron Belcher, Harrison Bell, Zach Britt, Tommy Butler, Chance Hollomon, Will Lanneau, Reid Ragsdale, Clint Sellars, Camron Vanlerberghe, Jarrod Wall and Noah Young. Of the eleven, I was familiar with members of Harrison and Clint's families, but the way I see it, meeting new people is always a treat and a privilege.
Practice commenced with pitching/catching drills and batting practice in the cage, then the fellas took to the field to work on bunting, learning the various calls, and other outfield situations. As you can tell by going through the player bios here on the website, a few of the new Travelers have previous travel team experience. I was glad to put names with faces and share my very own welcome aboard message with them. These eleven youngsters are now part of what some may call a baseball dynasty. But heck, we just prefer to call it what it really is - tradition.
Tim Estes founded the program in 1995; it's no surprise that he brought it back after a six year hiatus. You may even say that it was a matter of time. I have known Adam Fussell and his family for some time. He played baseball himself a number of years. And I'm also glad that Chad Crook has come aboard as a coach. Many don't realize this, but for him, it's full circle. He's been a batboy, a player and a coach.
Of this year's group, the majority of the team attend school at Schley County. We also have one from Southland, Lee County and Crisp County. That's one of the best things I like about Travelers baseball. It brings players from many areas together to get to know not only the game but one another. Countless friendships have been made over the years. I, myself, am privileged to still count a goodly number of the former Travelers players (and their families) as friends. In many cases, they are among my closest friends. The camaraderie that has developed as a result of my years with the team is like no other that I have in my life.
In closing - to Cameron, Harrison, Zach, Tommy, Chance, Will, Reid, Clint, Camron, Jarrod and Noah: Welcome to a very elite group and a true baseball tradition. I'm looking forward to being at some of the tournaments and I hope to get to know you and your families better over time.
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