Cooperstown, New York Trip

Our Cooperstown Tournament is finally here! After months and months of fundraising and practicing, it's finally time to leave! We all flew out on Thursday morning, August 18th.

I think Brook and Coach Higgy had already had it and it was only the beginning of the trip!

Patiently waiting to board.

The plane had mechanical problems and we were delayed an extra hour.
Jed keeps trying to duck out of the picture!

We made it! Hopefully our luggage did too!

New York baby!

Hanging out with the team in Times Square.

As we were walking around the city, this limo kept following us. The driver kept asking us if we wanted to take a ride. Finally, Brook and Jeff went and talked to him to see how much it would cost. The driver gave us a deal: $5 per kid and $10 per adult. So we took the deal and hopped in!

After the kids were in, I think that dad and Jeff thought about paying the limo driver a little extra to take just us and leave us in the middle of nowhere.

The driver had the music pumping loud and we were rocking out!

The next day we went to take the Red Bus tour. It took us forever to get our tickets.

The Empire State Building

This is a church that is directly across the street from Ground Zero. Somehow on 9/11, it not only was spared from destruction, but it housed all the fire/police/rescue workers as a resting spot.

The scratches and marks that you see on the benches are from the firemen's boots. They would come into the church and take naps on the pews. They would sleep with their boots on because they did not know if they would have to quickly return to the site or not.

It is no longer used for worshipping. It has become a memorial of 9/11.

The outside of the church.

Welcome to Cooperstown!
Let's play ball!

Opening Ceremonies

As part of the opening ceremonies, 3 parachuter's came into the park carrying Cooperstown Dreams Park flags and the American flag.

The owner and founder of Cooperstown Dreams Park, Lou Presutti addressed the crowed.

Then all the teams came parading onto the field.

OUR DORMS

Do you think I am a little excited???

Trying to get all settled in.

MY TEAM

Nice pants Nick!

Hanging out at DiMaggio's. This was our favorite place to eat.

Here we are trying to sneak back into Cooperstown. We loved riding in the trunk.

In between games, we went into the town of Cooperstown to tour around. My dad, mom and I walked down to this lake.

Mom can't resist older homes and Cooperstown had plenty! Big, beautiful mansions on every corner.

Mom's favorite house by far!

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

This museum was huge. You could easily spend several hours in there. They had everything from championship rings to old vintage baseball cards to uniforms - and everything in between.

Pictures of our 3 favorite team lockers.

How cool it was to see all the memorabila of baseball's greatest!

Grandpa Darrell's favorite player's jersey.

Babe Ruth used to go to hospitals to visit sick kids. Here is a letter that he wrote to one of those such kids named Fred who was suffering from polio. It was a letter of encouragement wishing him well.

Lou Gehrig's locker.

Women of Baseball. Who says women can't play ball!

The night he died, Babe Ruth asked his nurse to bring him this book to autograph for her.

Mom found this old Episcopal Church built in 1810. She and friends toured through it and through the OLD cemetery out in front of it. Meanwhile Dad and I were stuck at the dorms!

Doubleday Field

Selby Brummett played here this summer.

Cooperstown Main Street

On Sunday our team was scheduled to play at 8:30am. It started to rain in the middle of the night and continued to rain all day long. Our games got delayed so our team went up to the trailer that mom and the other parents had rented for the week. There was a pond next to the trailers with fishing equipment and a paddle boat. We went out to hang out at the pond. There we were enjoying ourselves and minding our own business. Just soaking in the rain at the pond.

When here came Coach Higg -- aka-- Ricky! He likes to pretend that he has multiple personalities. Ricky is one of them. That day in the rain, Ricky came to visit us!

We all scattered!

Me and my friends Jens and Nick thought we were safe in the middle of the pond on the boat. "Ricky" was pacing along side the pond banks like a caged animal just watching us.

When out of nowhere he ripped his shirt off and dove in after us! He had no sooner jumped in after us when Nick jumped in the water too and he headed for the shore. Ricky tried to tip Jens and me out of the boat. When that didn't work, he tried to swamp it.

After he tried and tried to get us out and he couldn't, he decided to give up and go after the kids on the shore. Riley wasn't quick enough to get away from him and he ended up going in head first!

The games continued to get delayed hour by hour. Even though we never got to play that day, it still turned out to be one of the funnest days!

The next day while we were playing, the rain came back.

Before we knew it, it was pouring! Our game got delayed and we didn't come back to finish it until midnight that night.

But some good did come out of that day -- I got my bat!

My mom and all her friends in their matching sweatshirts.

Getting a pep talk from Coach Higg.

The first day of real games. (the rain finally let up)

Dad giving me some advice.

Hey what's up dad?

RUN FORREST RUN!!!

Dad trying to stratagize with us and give us a pep talk.

Now this is what I call ONE GOODLOOKIN' PLAYER!

The rain came back.........

Me and dad. He is my best bud!

Closing Ceremonies

Each one of us got to run through the sign after our name was called. We ran down to Lou Presutti. We were given a Cooperstown ring and inducted into the Hall of Fame.