As we approach the end of the school year and the conclusion of William’s Little League season, it seemed like a good idea to post the pictures from opening day that I’ve been sitting on for the last few weeks.

This is William’s first year in the Minors division of the local Little League. Minors differs from the Farm division he played in for the last couple years in one critical way: in the Minors division, the kids pitch instead of the coaches. This has made batting a little nerve-wracking for William, who just hit his stride staying in the batter’s box and swinging away last year, confident that his coaches weren’t going to hit him.

Because I’m writing this at the tail end of the season, I can say that he has made great strides over the last few months. He’s much more confident catching and throwing the ball, and he’s developed a better grasp of the rules of the game. He’s still a little skittish about getting hit, but he’s got a great swing, and will be fine once he gets comfortable at the plate.

The team opened the season playing on the field normally reserved for the Majors division—that’s why it looks a little more luxurious than you might expect of a baseball field for nine year olds. This was the culmination of a comedy of errors that left the Minors field unplayable for the first half of the season, and left the league without an operational snack shack for the entire year. I don’t know the details of what happened, but from what we’ve heard, certain members of the league staff butted heads with the city parks officials who are responsible for access to the fields and facilities, and things went downhill from there. Hopefully things will be sorted out be next season: I miss being able to enjoy a soft pretzel or burger at the park during weekend games, and the kids really miss getting post-game snacks from the snack shack as a reward for their efforts.

Gallery: Opening Day 2023