Saturday, April 29, 2006
The Gilliam Blog - All the Blog While Its Blog
The Gilliam Blog - All the Blog While Its Blog
GILLIAM BROTHERS CARRY BIG STICKS FOR MARTIN TEAMS
In Fridays early game at the Martin, TN Baseball Complex, Cooper Moss Gilliam lead his General Supply team with 3 RBI's in an exciting 9-8 loss. Gilliam, a magnificiant utility player, performed well behind the plate even though his technique of crouching to the side of the plate and holding his mitt in a horizantal position was ususual at best. It is suspected that this was due to a previous game in which Gilliam caught a bad bounce in an unprotected area and, as told to this reporter by his father, he slowly toppled over like a statue. This is probably why this utility player prefers his pitching position on the team. In spite of his lack of enthusium for his role as catcher, his coaches were very complimentary of his quickness in getting rid of his helmet to prepare for plays at the plate. In his first at bat, Gilliam topped the ball which bounced in front of the plate and exploding toward first base beat out the throw with a step to spare driving in one run. In the third inning, facing a full count, Gilliam dug in, cocked his bat, and ripped a hard line drive between the first and second basemen which made it to the fence. Running like the wind, Gilliam sped around the bases and having missed third base and going back for the tag he still rambled in for his first inside the park home run of the season bringing in two more runs for his team. For his third at bat, which was temporarily delayed while he tied his shoestring at home plate----bringing back memories of his Uncle Mike who often experienced this problem in his younger playing days--- "Coop", as he is known in baseball circles, scorched a hard grounder to first and due to his speed was narrowly put out on a close play. In an interview after the game his grandfather, Ralph "Crazylegs" Gilliam was practically speechless. The senior Gilliam remarked that he never played the sport but always felt that "If you can't be an athlete--be an athletic supporter."
In a nightcap game in Dresden, home of former Governor Ned McWherter, formerly Ned Ray McWherter, and site of the area's annual Iris Festival which has been attended by those globe trotting Mike & Lisa Gilliam's, Sumner Cultra Gilliam picked up where his younger brother left off in an earlier skirmish and helped lead his Martin Farm Credit team to a 11-5 win with 4 RBI's with good hitting and excellent baserunning. Gilliam's first at bat was a slow roller which never made it out of the infield but due to his lightning speed, he beat it out safely and drove in his first run of the night. In the top of the third, Gilliam ripped a hard hit grounder to the first baseman which he narrowly missed beating out but drove in his second run in the process. In the fifth inning with the home team trying to muster a comeback, Gilliam lofted a nice high hit over the shortstop's headwhich brought in 2 more runs. While the late Pee Wee Reese of the Brooklyn Dodgers who later was co-announcer with Dizzy Dean would have referred to this type hit as " a little Texas Leaguer" , this reporter saw it more as "a big Alaskan Leaguer." His grandfather was so impressed with his sterling play that he "sprung" for a Big Mac Combo on their way home.
GILLIAM BROTHERS CARRY BIG STICKS FOR MARTIN TEAMS
In Fridays early game at the Martin, TN Baseball Complex, Cooper Moss Gilliam lead his General Supply team with 3 RBI's in an exciting 9-8 loss. Gilliam, a magnificiant utility player, performed well behind the plate even though his technique of crouching to the side of the plate and holding his mitt in a horizantal position was ususual at best. It is suspected that this was due to a previous game in which Gilliam caught a bad bounce in an unprotected area and, as told to this reporter by his father, he slowly toppled over like a statue. This is probably why this utility player prefers his pitching position on the team. In spite of his lack of enthusium for his role as catcher, his coaches were very complimentary of his quickness in getting rid of his helmet to prepare for plays at the plate. In his first at bat, Gilliam topped the ball which bounced in front of the plate and exploding toward first base beat out the throw with a step to spare driving in one run. In the third inning, facing a full count, Gilliam dug in, cocked his bat, and ripped a hard line drive between the first and second basemen which made it to the fence. Running like the wind, Gilliam sped around the bases and having missed third base and going back for the tag he still rambled in for his first inside the park home run of the season bringing in two more runs for his team. For his third at bat, which was temporarily delayed while he tied his shoestring at home plate----bringing back memories of his Uncle Mike who often experienced this problem in his younger playing days--- "Coop", as he is known in baseball circles, scorched a hard grounder to first and due to his speed was narrowly put out on a close play. In an interview after the game his grandfather, Ralph "Crazylegs" Gilliam was practically speechless. The senior Gilliam remarked that he never played the sport but always felt that "If you can't be an athlete--be an athletic supporter."
In a nightcap game in Dresden, home of former Governor Ned McWherter, formerly Ned Ray McWherter, and site of the area's annual Iris Festival which has been attended by those globe trotting Mike & Lisa Gilliam's, Sumner Cultra Gilliam picked up where his younger brother left off in an earlier skirmish and helped lead his Martin Farm Credit team to a 11-5 win with 4 RBI's with good hitting and excellent baserunning. Gilliam's first at bat was a slow roller which never made it out of the infield but due to his lightning speed, he beat it out safely and drove in his first run of the night. In the top of the third, Gilliam ripped a hard hit grounder to the first baseman which he narrowly missed beating out but drove in his second run in the process. In the fifth inning with the home team trying to muster a comeback, Gilliam lofted a nice high hit over the shortstop's headwhich brought in 2 more runs. While the late Pee Wee Reese of the Brooklyn Dodgers who later was co-announcer with Dizzy Dean would have referred to this type hit as " a little Texas Leaguer" , this reporter saw it more as "a big Alaskan Leaguer." His grandfather was so impressed with his sterling play that he "sprung" for a Big Mac Combo on their way home.
# posted by Pop & Momma Nan @ 7:55 PM 
