True story: I helped coach the Diamondbacks last season for our township's Little League and really enjoyed working with the other coach, Rob. We made all kinds of plans this past offseason, and I was genuinely excited about me coaching/Doug playing with the Diamondbacks again this year. Doug and Rob's son Van got along really well too.
In February, the league announced they didn't have enough 9-year-olds and they had to "re-distribute" some players to equally balance the teams. Doug was now on the Red Sox. I was beyond furious, chalking it up to local politics, good old boys network crap that I wasn't privy too. I was going to make some calls, perhaps write a sternly worded letter to the league and demand my son be put back on the Diamondbacks.
I was baffled and I was going to fight the good fight to make the world right again. I decided to break the news to Doug that there was a chance he wasn't going to be on the Diamondbacks this season, but that I was going to do everything I could to make it right. I was very nervous to tell him.
"So I've been traded? To the Red Sox?" I feared the worst, and I thought there might be tears from Doug. "Yes, that's pretty much what happened," I told him. I started to tell him that I was going to get him back on the Diamondbacks somehow, but he interrupted me.
"That's the COOLEST THING EVER! I can't believe it! I was traded! I'm on the Red Sox now! When's our first practice? WAIT 'TIL I TELL THE KIDS AT SCHOOL I WAS TRADED!"
So there you have it. Doug is happy, he's the starting shortstop for the Red Sox and I was brought on board as a "coach to be named later." He can't wait until we play the Diamondbacks this season and I told Rob he'd need to change all his signs since I wouldn't hesitate to steal them.
I can't imagine a better move! I hope it works as well for Doug as it did for Shane Victorino!
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