It's 2:31 AM...I should be asleep

But, of course, I'm not. Why? Because I rarely sleep at the end of baseball season.

After the game, we boarded the bus, and despite the tough loss tonight the players were in a good mood. For three days, the Silver Hawks went head-to-head with the best team in Minor League Baseball (in terms of win/loss record) and quite honestly, outplayed the TinCaps in many aspects. They knew they had battled until the very end and gave it a great shot.

We arrived back to the stadium around 1, and the players packed up their equipment, said their goodbyes, and headed on their way. Some are driving through the night to go home, others have early flights out of the country, while still more players have flights at various times throughout the day tomorrow. It all happens pretty quickly. One minute you're on the field battling to make the next round, the next minute you are packing your bags, and a few hours later you are either in Arizona for instructs or home for the winter.

Some players will be back in South Bend next year. Some will move up to Visalia. Some may retire. Some may be released. That's how it works in Minor League Baseball.

But through it all, I am thrilled to have met each and every one of the players, coaches, and even some parents and grandparents along the way, and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

I will continue to blog through the offseason, and hope that even if your sons/grandsons/brothers/friends don't play here any longer, that you stop in and say hello from time to time.

Thanks for following the blog all season long, and as I said on the air tonight, "less than 7 months until Opening Day 2010."

Thanks again and Go Hawks!