Who Is That Boy On The Pitcher's Mound?

Baseball season is in full swing.  We had 3 games, in 3 nights last week, one rain delay and really late nights especially for school nights.

By night 3 we were treated to a different side of Eli on the pitcher's mound....his irritation factor had been reached.  The team we were playing was tough....mainly due to the poor sportsmanship screaming out of the dug out.  Very much against league rules which are supposed to be strictly enforced...that did not happen.

Eli is usually on remote control on the baseball field.  He sees the challenge, he meets the challenge.  You don't hear a word or usually know what is going on in his head, he is ice.  Well.....the ice melted about the time he decided he'd had enough heckling and then the "Filipino Fire" lit and he visibly changed into a pitcher that was not going to allow one more lead off, attempted steal or run.

I'm not sure how many runners he had eating dirt or eventually giving up and staying put.  No it didn't help him out with the other teams heckling but it did get him to smile...a little wickedly.  I have to say from my mom's eyes, it was a slightly (no hugely) proud moment and slightly scary to watch him come off that pitcher's mound and run or throw an imposing player out or back to base.

The self control and confidence he has developed is amazing.  He's usually very careful with who sees his emotions and controls them in public....yep I think it's safe to say that he's comfortable with baseball and the rest of the season should be really interesting.