Thursday Off-Topic Thread: What was your best Little League memory?

No Royals game today as they head home for a weekend series against Cleveland. With the Little League World Series underway, I thought we’d sit back and relive some glory days. What was your favorite Little League memory?

It doesn’t have to be some great athletic achievement. Many of our best memories come from the camaraderie of being on a team, the pranks, and chants, and stupid speeches our coaches would give us. And Shasta, so much Shasta after the game!

I peaked athletically in eighth grade. I could throw pretty hard and had a good curveball, so I could strike out pretty much anyone that wasn’t destined to move on to high school ball. I was once an out away from a no-no when a kid bunted on me for a base hit, causing Brian McCann to descend from the stands to chastise him on the unwritten rules of the game*. I struck out the final hitter for the one-hitter, which was still pretty neato. I think we got to eat at Gino Schiraldi’s Pizza after the game.

*-that didn’t actually happen, but the bunt did

I hit a home run that summer and got to play for some tournament teams. Then I went to high school the next year and found out that everyone was bigger and stronger than me. I gave up two home runs in my first start, which also turned into my last start in a high school uniform. My professional baseball career never got started, leaving me to venture down a dark road that included a liberal arts degree and a job in the legal industry. What if.

If you never played Little League, well then what about your best memory from playing any athletic competition? And if you didn’t play sports, well, tell us your best Dungeons and Dragons memory. C’mon, share your memories, we want a pitcher, not a belly-itcher.