Kym Bays Photo Story

This summer my family and I drove from San Diego, California to Steamboat Springs, Colorado for the Triple Crown World Series baseball tournement my brother was competing in. The views from the car were breathtaking, for the first few hours at least.




















My brother plays for the West Coast Pirates, an elite club team made up of players from all over Southern California. My mom had this banner made for the tournament and I had to lug it around to all the games.

My brother's name is Grant, he is 14 now and almost 6'1". He is going to be huge and has always dreamed of being a professional baseball player. He wears the number 51 on his jersey. The number has alot of meaning in our family.

My uncle wore the number 51 throughout all of his years playing sports. He won the Rose Bowl at UCLA, had three Pro-Bowl selections and three Super Bowl championships. He is the Cinderella story of my family and my little brother looks up to him alot. If Grant stays focused like Uncle Randy, he can make it just as far. Wearing number 51 keeps him reminded.

You can see the fields where the Triple Crown World Series took place from the ski lift in Steamboat Springs this past summer. In the field on the lower left hand, my brother was competing in the Home Run Derby.

Grant gets super focused during games. He has always been a top pitcher but now he wants to focus on being a 1st basemen. He likes the position better, because "1st basemen get to hit homeruns".

Steamboat Springs isn't just a baseball field, it is a big tourist destination all year round. In the winter, skiing and snowboarding are fun, but when we went this summer you could rent intertubes and float around the town in the river. I think Steamboat Springs is one of the prettiest places I've ever been.

But Pirate players weren't allowed to go tubing until the tournament was finished. The team is very serious. When a new pitcher comes into the game all the players get out of the dugout, take a knee and study the speed of the new pitcher. On one hand, it is to regroup focus and on the other hand, it's used to intimidate the new pitcher.

After the games, even if they win in a blowout, the coaches have a long discussion with the team. If they lose, it involves lots of yelling. This is not Little League.

No matter how serious the games, or how big the players, I still remember my little brother on his first T-ball team. It is amazing to see how time has flown by. Back when he played for the A's, the boys would hit and try to run to third base. But just like my mom and her 5 other brothers and sisters were there through all the games with my uncle, I've been around since the beginning with my brother. One day I hope to watch him play in a big stadium too.