One day last week, cousin Joshua was Camper of the Day at Home Run and guess who was the Camper of the Day the following day. That's right. Joe. I'm very proud of him. It's hustle that wins that award.

Joe is loving camp so much that he asked if we would leave him in "After Care" so he could play more baseball (kind of the opposite of Jack at Ramah). It normally ends at 3:00 pm, but Joe now stays until 5:00 pm playing ball with a few other kids who don't leave for one reason or another.



Here is everyone assembled on the bleachers for Coach Mac's pep talk. I like the character building even more than the baseball fundamentals. Joe may feel otherwise.

Your brother is the one without the hat sitting next to Joshua. Even though Coach Mac stresses the importance of wearing your uniform, Joe seems to selectively tune that out. Oh, and one other thing. Joe's cleats stink. Bad. Really, really bad. Make you want to gag bad. I take them and air them out each night but I think he redoubles his efforts the next day to make them reek of the foulest smell ever.



Jake is there for his last year as a camper. He'll be a junior coach next year. Jake continues to be an excellent player, and for the second year in a row he is heading up to Bristol, Connecticut for the Little League World Series semifinals representing Washington, DC.

He is so big now. I look at him and don't exactly think - "that's how big Henry would be" because you were definitely going to be on the short side. A lot of the FA kids take growth hormones. It seems to work.

Go Jake!



This is an email we all got early last week from Richard.

---------- Original message ----------
From: Richard Mintz
Date: Sun, Jul 13, 2008 at 12:33 AM
Subject: On to Bristol . . .

Hello baseball fans.

The Capitol City Little League won the DC Little Championship Tournament with a 14-7 win over Northwest Little League, qualifying for the Mid-Atlantic Little League Tournament in Bristol, Connecticut, the next step on the road to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Through the DC tournament, we won all of our games outscoring opponents 52-7 – very good all around team effort.

For the Mintz clan: Batting second tonight, Jake went 3 for 3, with two doubles, a walk, 4 runs scored and 4 RBI’s. He made a sterling stop at second base, saving two runs and then pitched in relief for two solid innings. Lots of work ahead of us to prepare for the tournament, just 18 days away.

We play games in Bristol on Aug 1, 3, 4, 5 and more if we keep on winning.

Let me know if and when you’ll be joining us in Bristol and I’ll make a room reservation for you at the Marriott Farmington.

Go Cap City!

Found this when cleaning out the garage this weekend. I don't think in the almost 13 years we've lived in the house that we ever parked a car in the garage. Now the Defender has a home.



Jack leaves for camp in about one more week. Joe is playing baseball at Home Run all summer. Oh, and we joined a pool! Mom and the guys went twice this weekend. I was busy cleaning the garage so I only got to meet up with them late yesterday afternoon. It is the pool that Mom went to when she was a girl. That kind of thing makes it all the more special.

Joe was the Camper of the Day a week ago on one of his last days at Home Run Baseball Camp over at Turtle Park. He really loves going to camp there. A lot of your friends and Jack's friends have gone, like Jake and the Stern boys.



I was there last week when a cameraman from a local TV station came and videotaped all of the campers yelling "Good Morning Washington." The first person you see is Coach RJ. I have told you about him before. He teaches at Beauvior, where you went to camp.



Joe is in the upper right hand part of the bleachers, but it is probably tough to see him. He loved camp. Camper of the Day is given for hustle and Joe has plenty. I am proud of him. He has a pure love for baseball.



We are going to see the Nationals play the San Francisco Giants tomorrow night at RFK. I am interested to see what the guys do when Barry Bonds comes to the plate. Both Jack and Joe call him a cheater.

Today is the first day of school for your brothers. Joe is starting kindergarten and his teacher is Mrs. Berliant.



It is nice that Joe has the same teacher that you and Jack had.

The last picture is of Jack. I had to take the picture from outside the door, 'cause class was starting. He began 5th grade today. He said "so long" to me and Mom and that was it. He (and you) was like that from his earliest days at the Gan. He didn't need us to hang around. He was ready to go. No "separation anxiety."

I need to show you some pictures of our vacation at the beach and I have some shots from when Joe was "Camper of the Day" at Home Run Baseball Camp. Speaking of Joe, he had to have a root canal yesterday. That is something really painful that the dentist does when your tooth is messed up. You would have been proud of him. He was really brave, just like you.

Your aunt and uncle's beach house was in a magazine. I am happy for them. It looks beautiful. You were really sick when we were there. I remember us all in that big cycling contraption. I think they fixed the house up after you died. Not sure. We haven't been for a while, but I bet we'll go over and visit when we go to the beach in August. We rented a house in Rehoboth for a week.



Jack is going away to Camp Ramah on Sunday. Mom spent last night ironing name tags into his clothes. That is something my mom (Grandma) did for me when I went away to Tel Shalom. I bought Jack a bunch of Simpsons comic books to read in his bunk. I think he'll be psyched. He'll use his headlamp!

I know he is excited about going. As excited as Mom is bummed to have him leave. I will miss him. Cousin Hannah is already away at her camp. Aunt Jen and Uncle Dan are coming to town on Friday for Papa Teddy's wedding.

Joe and Jack are going to Home Run baseball camp this week. Joe is going to go to camp at St. Alban's. I am not sure when he starts. Remember when you and Joe and I brought Michael to camp at St. Alban's. Joe was in a stroller. I was worried about how much walking we had to do. You weren't doing that well.

We went to Jake's 11th birthday party. It was a baseball birthday. Perfect.





I cannot think of a happier kid to be at this party than Joe. He got to be with a bunch of big boys and play baseball. He has a nice "stroke" and had some good hits. Everyone was impressed. I know for a fact that your brother loves to show off.



One of the coaches from Homerun Baseball, RJ, helped out at the party. He is going to teach Joe and some of his friends this fall. Mom is making arrangements for them to do it at Stoddert or Guy Mason. When he isn't playing baseball, RJ teaches school at Beauvoir.



It is good/hard to watch Jake and Ari and Simon grow up. I like to think what you'd be like at 11. Jake is really smart and funny. He is a good rapper too.



We are about to start the hard part of the year. I think it begins with your birthday next month then your death day and my birthday. Mom said something to me about us working together to get through it.

Joe is at Home Run Baseball Camp. The camp is run by Coach Mac.



He is a good guy. You would have liked going to this camp. Jake Mintz has been going forever. He'll be a coach there someday.



The other day something unusual happened. Joe and I went over to Stoddert for me to pitch to him. I outlasted him! After he hit about 100 pitches he said he had enough and wanted to go home. I cannot remember him ever wanting to call it a day before I did.

Ha.

Joe wears wristbands all the time. He looks very sporty. A real pro.