Orem Dodgers

GAME 2 SUMMARY - DODGERS WIN!

Michael Leavitt — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:55:00 GMT

It ’s a joy to win games because we get to award one of our players with the winning game ball. In today’s win we broke the normal tradition and awarded two balls instead of just one.

GAME BALL 1 - Our first game ball went to Shaun who pitched two great innings and hit a huge deep ball to right center that brought him sliding safely into third and then onto home after an overthrow. When I say it was huge, it was the type of hit from Shaun that the rest of us have seen regularly at practice, but we had yet to see at the 3 prior games. The ball was a solid line drive that sailed out within 20 feet of the deep right center fence, while the infielders were playing half depth. Our dugout exploded with delight and cheers and everybody rushed out to give him high fives. Click on the photo above and look at the joy on Drew, Coach Petersen, and Adam’s faces... Did I mention that it was a huge hit?

GAME 2 SUMMARY continued

Coach Leavitt

NEXT GAME FRIDAY 5:30 - Arrive by 4:30 to loosen up.

GAME TWO - TUESDAY - May 6, 2008 - 5:30 PM

Michael Leavitt — Sun, 04 May 2008 16:02:00 GMT

Please check the next two week’s of games listed on the www.OyBaseball.com website. Coach Bill Street and I have spent a bunch of time updating their website. The calendar idea is his dream realized. You will notice that our second game is on Tuesday against the very same team we played last Friday. Consider it a mulligan in golf, a do-over, if you will. The weather will be warmer and the #1 pitching aces for both teams are required to stay off the mound for one full game. This means that each of you should be dreaming of hitting the ball hard against the Cub pitchers that are still polishing their pitching skills while you are polishing your batting skills. Dream of HITS HITS HITS!!!

GAME 2 - TUESDAY - May 6, 2008 - 5:30 PM - Please arrive by 4:30 PM to the Orem City Center Field

I have done a write up on the first game. GAME 1 SUMMARY

You are all great ballplayers and we are going to have a great second and third game on Tuesday and Friday….. BTW, Friday’s game is against the Cardinal. Yes, we played them well in the scrimmage game, and we should continue to do well as we become more confident on the mound, in the field, and at the plate.

Coach Michael Leavitt

Scrimmage Two - Player’s Perspective

Michael Leavitt — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:57:00 GMT

PLAYER PERSPECTIVE BY ADAM - Today we played a scrimmage game against the Cardinals. The score was 14 Dodgers 6 Cardinals. We played really well and it was a lot of fun. I got up to bat 3 times out of 4 innings. My first time up to bat I had 3 balls and 1 strike and the pitcher threw a really high one but I didn't want to walk so I swung and hit a grounder to third. Then I stole all the way around and finally stole home. The next 2 times I got up to bat I was walked by the pitcher and did likewise all the way around the bases with a bit of help from hits by Julian and Matt.

It was amazing, everyone hit the ball today. Zack did an amazing job at second base in the second inning. He got all three outs that inning and he did great. Matt caught several line drives, one at third base that was about to hit the ground. Matt could have just tagged third base for the last out but he wanted to make us hold our breath as he picked it up and hucked it to first base and got the runner out before he could tag up.

In the last inning there were three amazing plays to end it. The first out, the runner got to first on an error, then I told Matt to pick him off cause I knew he would steal. Matt did and caught him sleeping, Drew picked the ball up out of his glove and immediately threw it to Shawn at second who then tagged the runner out. Out number 2 was a line drive hit to Tyler at second base who caught it with a startled look on his face at the speed of the ball. Then to end the game the next batter came up and hit a line drive straight to Matt at pitcher who scooped it up calmly for the last out of the game. There were tons of amazing plays and we played great.

Adam

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE GAME AGAINST THE CARDINALS???

PRACTICE MONDAY 4:30 - 6:00 PM - WINDSOR FIELDS

Michael Leavitt — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:00:00 GMT

Dodgers:

NEXT PRACTICE: Our next practice is Monday at 4:30 PM at the Windsor Fields. We will be having real time pitching, hitting and fielding. Matt, Shaun, Tyler, Aaron, Brian, Julian, and Jeremy should be ready to throw about 30 pitches each. I look forward to another great practice.

FIRST GAME: Thursday, 5:30 PM at the City Center - Arrive at the fields one hour early to stretch, loosen up, and smile for the camera.

SCRIMMAGE TWO A GREAT SUCCESS!!!

Michael Leavitt — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:55:00 GMT

Dodgers & Fans:

What a wonderful Saturday afternoon at the ball field. Sure it was a bit chilly for those fans sitting on the metal bleachers, but we had a team goal to make contact and hit the ball. With that as our main objective, we did it. Take a moment to look over the scorebook at the bottom of the page to compare the difference between this game and the bone chilling, snow blowing, freezing first scrimmage against the Red Sox.

Today's game was played against Coach Chuck Cornett’s Cardinals. Coach Chuck had the biggest draft as he was starting out with the fewest returning players. His team has so many huge players, such as Fernando Vargas and Asa, that they looked like they could easily hit for the fences. He started out the game with 11 players and a couple of them had to leave mid-way through the game. They have a lot of potential and he will have his work cut out for himself as he tries to mesh the talent with the inexperience.

I was so impressed with our Dodgers as I showed up about 5 minutes before our planned 4:00 PM start time and there were already 8 Dodgers loosening up. At 4 o’clock straight up, Tyler showed up and apologized for being late. What a great spirit to have 10 players show up when they were scheduled. Jonas went with his family to Idaho and Brian went to meet a family member who came in from duty in Iraq. I encourage all of our 13-14 year olds to not miss those important family events. I just think that we are really blessed this season as we have 12 players who really want to play ball.

To view the rest please visit our www.OremDodgers.com website under the schedule and practice tabs... www.oremdodgers.com/practice.html

Coach Leavitt

NEXT SCRIMMAGE SATURDAY 4:30 PM

Michael Leavitt — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:35:00 GMT

We have scheduled the next scrimmage for Saturday at 4:30 PM. The weather should be outstanding. Please arrive by 4:00 PM at the City Center field. Wear your full uniform and let’s take some good pictures before the game. We will loosen up on the side of the field until it is our turn to use the field at 4:30 PM. We will be playing Coach Chuck’s Cardinals. They may be a player or two short, so we may have some of you play defense on their team until it is your turn to hit in our lineup so there are no gaping holes in their outfield.

We are expecting everybody to attend. Please contact me by email if you cannot make the game. See you Saturday afternoon!

Coach Leavitt

1ST SCRIMMAGE GAME AFTERTHOUGHTS

Michael Leavitt — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:15:00 GMT

My feet and hands are just starting to thaw out after a long evening of baseball. This was our first game and we went into it with the understanding that we did not care if we won or lost. Every inning we used a different pitcher and most innings found a new player at every position. This often created havoc, but it gave every one of our players some great experience. I loved it when Tyler said, “I don’t need to play third base again.” After the game I spoke with him further and found that while he did not like third as much as he enjoyed second base. He really did enjoy the action at second base as he held the base runners back to an honest lead off. That was the goal of this game in a nutshell. We set out to play everybody everywhere and assess our player’s skills, heart, and hustle.

CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR THE FULL ACCOUNT AND PHOTOS www.oremdodgers.com/practice.html

Please read the account and then send along your thoughts about the game. I would expect each player to share their thoughts as almost each one of them played a position that was not in their normal comfort zone... How did you feel about playing the positions that you played?

THURSDAY NIGHT GAME TIME CHANGE - ARRIVE AT 5:30 PM

Michael Leavitt — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:55:00 GMT

TIME CHANGE: Arrive by 5:30 to be ready for a 6PM start.

Dodgers & Fans:

Our first scrimmage game is announced against the Red Sox.

DAY: Thursday - 4/24/2008
GAME TIME: 7 6 PM - Please arrive 30 minutes early at 6:30 5:30 PM
UNIFORMS: Yes, Yes, Yes! - We want to take a team photo. Gray pants, Dodger royal blue belts and socks are preferred. Everybody should have their jerseys and hats. The number 6 is a medium jersey and still unassigned if you need to make a switch then please let us know.
WHERE: Orem City Center Juniors’ Ballfield - There is a prior 5PM game also scheduled with other teams.

FOUL WEATHER: The forecast is for rain and this game may be rescheduled for Saturday. If this is the case, then I will update the BLOG immediately. Check back here for details. blog.oremdodgers.com

Coach Michael Leavitt - 636-6816

City Center Practice Announced - Saturday 4:30 PM - PLEASE BE FLEXIBLE

Michael Leavitt — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:21:00 GMT

Dodgers:
The league has just announced the current practice schedules for the official Field 1 at the Orem City Center. We have it for tonight’s game, but we also have it for Saturday, April 26th at 4:30 PM. I have extended an offer to the Nationals to have a scrimmage game in the 4:30-7:30 time slot that we both have the field and I am just waiting to hear back. If they decline, then we will ask the Cubs who have the field before us. So our scrimmage may be from 3 to 6 or 4:30 to 7:30 depending on which team takes us up on the offer.
Coach Leavitt

FIRST LEAGUE GAME ANNOUNCED

Michael Leavitt — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:40:00 GMT

Dodgers & Fans:

The league just released the first game dates and times for the Juniors’ league. I have all the first games listed on our website at www.oremdodgers.com/schedule.html

We are playing the Cubbies on may 1st at 5:30 PM... Don’t be surprised if the game time is altered to 5 PM like they did last year. We’ll keep you informed. Also remember that we want player to arrive 1 hour before game time. This may sound extreme, but it really helps them prepare for the event.

TODAY’S SCRIMMAGE GAME TIME IS CHANGED is still on, unless the heavens open up and saturate the fields later on today. Please arrive by 5:30 PM in full dress for pictures. The time for this has changed a couple of times and currently we are listed as having the field with the Red Sox from 6 PM to 8:30 PM. Please arrive promptly at or before 5:30 PM.

PARENTS: Bring you cameras for some good photo opportunities before and during the game.

SCRIMMAGE GAME ANNOUNCED - THURSDAY NIGHT

Michael Leavitt — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:25:00 GMT

PLAYERS JERSEY #’S

Michael Leavitt — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:55:00 GMT

The following are the jersey assignments for the 2008 Dodgers.

1 - Julian Chavira
2 - Aaron Brown
3 - Jeremy Street
4 - Adam Leavitt
5 - Zach Riser
6 - Unassigned Medium
7 - Brian Farnworth
8 - Shaun Snow
9 - Jonas Hatgrove
10 - Tyler Hill
11 - Matt Petersen
12 - Coach Matt Petersen
13 - Drew Hatch

NEXT PRACTICE - MONDAY 4/21/2008

Michael Leavitt — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:15:00 GMT

This week’s calendar...

PRACTICE: Monday 4-5:30 PM - Windsor Fields - 4/21/2008
COACHES MEETING: Monday 7:00 PM Rec Center Upstairs - All Junior League Coaches
TEAM MEETING: Tuesday 7:15 PM Sharp - 1000 N. Main Street - Orem - Relief Society Room
PRACTICE: Thursday 4/24/2008 - Windsor Fields 4-6 PM CHANGED
SCRIMMAGE GAME: Thursday 4/24/2008 7PM - City Center Juniors’ Field

PRACTICE 3 SUMMARY 4/18/2008

Michael Leavitt — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:10:00 GMT

THIRD PRACTICE SUMMARY: Infield, infield, and more infield! Today‘s practice was completely geared towards infield skills. It was our hope that the players could learn the different infield positions. By learning where each position should be and where the person playing it wanted to receive throws, it is our hope that we will be more considerate as we make plays. We play as a team and where we decide to throw the ball greatly depends on how we make our teammates look as they try to complete the play. And since we like our teammates, we would never want to embarrass them by making a horrible throw.

With only six of our players, 3 of our coaches, and a couple of young bucks present, we made the best of it. As we stood around first base we learned the correct positioning to receive a throw. We learned where the throw should be made. We also learned where to place our feet when making the play so as not to get your ankles broken. This approach seemed a bit off to several players because they knew that they never wanted to play first base and they wondered why they were receiving the training. It all became clear as we had some of the players go to second base and make throws to them while standing on first. They realized very quickly how much easier it is to finish when there is a good throw made to that base. And if nothing else, we learned that bad throws make everybody on the team look bad.

NEXT PRACTICE: Monday, April 21, 2008 - Windsor South - 4PM

PRACTICE TWO SUMMARY - 4/16/2008

Michael Leavitt — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 02:36:00 GMT

SECOND PRACTICE SUMMARY: Hits, hits, and more hits. This was a straight batting practice that saw everything flying off the bats. We had both Brian and Zach join our ranks and it was fun to see so many balls being hit so hard. I get so excited just thinking back to our afternoon of fun.

Sure it was freezing cold, but the sun was bright and the wind was blowing. If the sun had not been shining brightly, we would have called it quits early in favor of staying warm and healthy. After loosening up, I asked the team if we should do batting practice or fielding practice and everybody enthusiatically said “Batting practice!”

I am amazed at how much more confident the returning 14 year olds are when compared to their first practices when they were first coming into this league at the beginning of last year. Maybe it is their comfort level with the other returning players, maybe it is just because they are that much better as ballplayers.

The shining star in the outfield today was Adam. He took off running to short left center from the center field position and he took a flying dive, caught the ball fully extended, and then tucked in his shoulder and rolled over to complete the great feat. Talking with him later he aid that this was the first time that he had ever been in game mode and actually dove and held onto the ball. Being the primary catcher, he doesn’t see a whole lot of time diving for balls in the outfield. “All of the time we spent practicing the diving catches really paid off last year” he said. It was fun to see him so excited about making a great play.

The good news is that we had both Brian and Zach join us in practice today. Both are valuable returning players from last year. During the draft last week, both Zach and Brian were highly coveted by Coach Chuck, who is now coaching the Cardinals this year. He wanted both of them on his roster. In fact, he wanted every one of our returning players; imagine that!

ZACH - Zach has grown quite a bit since last year. He is a taller version of himself with the same build and the same big smile. I loved watching him hit the ball at practice. He has gained a lot of consistency and he will be a good hitter this season. Even with the cold weather and hoodie sweatshirt, Zach showed off his form with a good swing that is sure to get him on base a lot this season and help us score a lot of runs. Last year Zach played a lot of second base and outfield. It is great to have his returning experience as he knows where to be and where to throw the ball when it is hit to him.

BRIAN - Brian came to the plate and hit powerful line drive after line drive to right center field. I liked seeing his smile as he realized just how hard he can drive the ball. I have always felt that the lefties have the advantage of hitting with power to right field. Our games are usually at the Orem ballfields in the late afternoon evening and this puts the sun right into the eyes of the first baseman, second baseman, and right fielders. When Brian hits the ball as hard as he does to the right side, it is really difficult for the fielders to get the ball. Brian plays a strong first base and loves to pitch. He has the right attitude and rarely shows any stress. His smile is contagious and he is a great asset to our team. We look forward to Brian making great plays this year and hitting some great balls for extra bases.

Please visit the Practice section of our website for more pictures of our players.

NEXT PRACTICE - FRIDAY 4/18

Michael Leavitt — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:23:00 GMT

NEXT PRACTICE: Friday 4 PM - Windsor Fields - 4/18/2008

SECOND PRACTICE - WEDNESDAY 4 PM

Michael Leavitt — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:11:00 GMT

SECOND PRACTICE: Wednesday 4 PM - Windsor Fields - 4/16/2008

FIRST PRACTICE SUMMARY 4/14/2008

Michael Leavitt — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:06:00 GMT

FIRST PRACTICE SUMMARY: I was very impressed with the first practice of our 2008 team. We only had 6 of our 11 players present, but we knew that it would be difficult to get a large number when so many vacations had already been planned during spring break.

Returning players Matt, Julian& Adam showed remarkable improvement from last year due to maturity and more body strength.

MATT - Matt was agile out at third base and his arm strength and accuracy are great. I saw a quickness that shows he has been working during the off season. During our rapid agility drill that puts you up against a fence while your teammate throws difficult grounders at you from about 20 feet away, he was snagging everything that Julian could throw at him. I was also impressed with his ability to get the jump on the balls hit his direction when he was at third base and at the pitcher’s mound. He caught most of those hit his way and there is no doubting his ability to make the long throw to first. He has a rocket for an arm. I was also impressed with his hitting as he took one out of the park for a home run. Matt also had several deep flies that were close to the fence and several other hard line drives. Matt is going to be a deep threat to every team that we face.

JULIAN - I don’t think Julian has grown an inch since last year, but he has matured and he is faster and stronger this year than last. Julian played second, shortstop, and third base and his fielding was impressive. I look forward seeing him play most of the infield positions and outfield positions throughout the season. He is also very smart out on the field and knows right where to throw in each scenario. His batting was strong as he hit line drive after line drive with hard grounders mixed in. I look forward to placing him in the lineup so that he gets on base and has the ability to steal with his speed. I also feel sorry for the opposing pitchers, as his strike zone is still the teeniest in the league. Out in the field Julian showed his quick reflexes and strong throwing arm. He was able to catch some very wicked ground balls, as the field was not very well groomed and there were a lot of bumps.

ADAM - Adam has also improved his arm strength over the off season. He is sure to get those throws down to second base for the put outs on the steals. Today we had him in center field and he quickly caught on to the fact that he needed to anticipate the jump on the ball instead of watching the ball fly off the bat and then say, “Hey maybe I can get that... Man, it is going to bounce.” He was once again up to his diving antics and he is going to be a great influence on the light-hearted and relaxed nature of our team. While at bat, he made lots of contact. This means that his eye to bat coordination is dead on. It was very obvious that Adam needs to stay back on his rear foot and get some power back into his swing. I was impressed as he came home and worked on this with his hit-a-way batting trainer to implement what we were trying to convey during practice. Adam is a great student of the game as he takes coaching tips well and continues to learn. He is so much fun to have on the team.

We also were able to integrate three new players to our team. Jonas, Drew, and Shaun are also going to be great assets to our lineup.

JONAS - Jonas has not played organized ball since 2006 and then it was just for one season. He has the natural physique for sports and he looks intimidating. Even with all that time off, Jonas was still able to catch outfield fly balls. He has a strong arm and he is the perfect asset to either of the three outfiled positions. It will be fun to bring Jonas into the infield more and teach him where to play, what base to get the out, and how to best be in the right place at the right time. He played some first base today and he was very teachable. Jonas is like a sponge and he is very receptive to coaching advice. Now all he needs is more experience. Jonas had to leave before he could bat, so he didn’t get any opportunities today, but I am certain that it will quickly come back to him.

DREW - We are so excited to have Drew join our team as he is joining us from the Braves. He will be the only other Dodger at Canyon View Jr High besides my son and I'm glad Adam will have a teammate to pal around with at school! We thrust Drew right into the acton at first base and I saw some good play from him as he was positioned correctly and was able to stop many of the wild balls because of his prior experience. I look forward to coaching him at this position as it was one of my favorite spots to play when I was his age. I think that he could benefit greatly from a larger glove (hint, hint, Mom!--maybe even a first baseman's glove?!) I saw a lot of promise in Drew's ability to hit. He quickly picked right back up on hitting the balls and before we knew it, he was hitting strong fly balls, grounders and line drives. It was fun to watch Drew's good-natured smile beam when the balls would zing off his bat to the outfield. It is as if he was saying to himself, "Hey, I really do like this game!" which is what I love to see!

SHAUN - Shaun is a great ball player. He has endurance, quick reflexes, and speed.We had a drill where we ran the bases. He dusted the other players with consistent passes in the 11’s while the next quickest players were in the 13’s. The first time he did this the other players thought I must have made an error with the stopwatch.When he did it again, the rest of the team were jazzed knowing that he was going to be a good asset running the bases. Shaun moves well, he fields well, and he is extremely accurate in his throws. I love his speed at shortstop, but we have to decide if his being a lefty is a detriment. I can see scenarios where he will play shortstop, third base, pitch, and any of the outfield positions.It is great to have this type of versatility. I was also very impressed with his positive disposition on the field and with the other players. When Shaun came to the batting box, he was rusty for about the first 8 pitches.I made the comment that he was dropping his elbow a bit and swinging under the ball about an inch and the next twenty strikes went deep to the outfield in the form of rocket line drives and hard hit deep fly balls.

NEXT PRACTICE: Wednesday 4 PM - Windsor Fields - 4/16/2008

CALLING ALL MOTHERS!!

Shelly Leavitt — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 03:44:00 GMT

This is the Coach's wife and Adam Leavitt's mom. I thought it might be fun to have a "Mother's Corner" where we can all chat about the games and the boys and anything else we want! I am really excited for this season to start! Nothing better than sitting on the bleachers at the park and watching your son play ball! Well, there is one thing better: sitting on the bleachers at the park watching your son with two of your favorite friends who are also watching their sons play WITH your son and not against him!! "Huh?" you say. Two of my favorite people in the world have sons who are joining our team and I am so excited to be able to see Mary Street and Lisa Hatch at each game. Last year, Lisa was "the enemy" (her son played on another team) and Mary's son was not old enough yet. So this year it has all come together nicely-for me anyway!! I look forward to meeting the new parents and seeing the returning parents again and enjoying nice summer nights at the ball field. Don't be afraid to sit on the bleachers with us and cheer on our boys.

Coach Leavitt (or Michael, as I refer to him) is really excited for this season. You should check out last year's photos to get an idea of what to expect this year- and I don't mean winning the championship- I mean the camraderie and the photos and comments of each game. It really helps the players feel a part of something important and helps to alleviate the sting of losses because it focuses on the positive things in each game. Michael's goal is to focus on the boys and their enjoyment- not winning! We hope that this season will be a positive baseball experience for your sons. If you take any pictures during the games, send them to Coach Leavitt and he will post them on this website for all to see. You can even have grandparents and other relatives come to the site and see pics of your son.

Well, I would love to hear what your favorite thing about baseball season is. Do you like watching baseball or is it something you do to support your son? How well do you know the rules? Do you have any questions for me or Michael? I am pretty well-versed in the rules as I grew up playing girl's softball and there are only a few small changes. So if anything happens at a game that you are confused about, post a comment here and I will answer it or have Coach explain it to you.

Here's to an enriching, fun baseball season! Go Orem Dodgers!!

Shelly Leavitt

PRACTICE SCHEDULED

Michael Leavitt — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 01:15:00 GMT

Dodgers:

I know that some of you are going to be away for the week due to spring break. I am glad for those that get to take a vacation, but I look forward to meeting with the rest of you during spring break.

FIRST PRACTICE - Our first practice is set for Monday, April 14, 2008 at the Windsor Park ballfields from 4-5:30 PM. These are located at the park just to the west of Windsor Elementary School which is located at about 1300 N. Main Street in Orem. This is not the ballfield on the north side of the school, but the two ballfields located to the west of the school. The easiest way to get there is to go north on State Street to 1200 North and turn right. Turn left and go north on 100 West and it will dead end into the deep outfield of the ballfields.

WHAT TO BRING: Glove, cleats, personal protection, bats, and water. I believe that the water fountains are still shut off at Windsor. The bathrooms should be open. If it is sunny, then bring a ball cap and sun glasses. If it is like the tryouts, then bring an arctic parka and lots of hot chocolate.

PROTECTION: Parents, please understand that your player should have a protective cup. Most think they don’t need one, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Please discuss this with your son and make sure that they have one that fits their growing bodies.

WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY PRACTICES: We will also be having practice on Wednesday and Friday at the same time and location.

TEAM MEETING: We will have our “Meet The Coaches” team meeting the following week after spring break. I would love to do it Monday, but people will be missing. We have yet to set the place and time, but we want you to look forward to the meeting.

Please email me and let me know if you can make the practices. Michael@TheHomeInspector.com

TEAM MOTHER: We need a team mother that can help set the refreshment schedule and handle the important notification process. The majority of our communications will be via email and this blog. I don’t expect there to have to be a lot of weekly phone calls. If you are interested in being the Team mother and help plan the social aspects of the season, then please let me know privately.

EMAIL ME & SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG: Please email me when you have read this team blog entry so that I know who has read the information. I also recommend that you subscribe to the blog over on the left column and you will be notified of all updates.