I wish I loved baseball...
I played Little League baseball for two years, the picture is of my second, or more successful season. We were the Hawks, not the A's, or the Reds, or the Phillies, but the Hawks.
A game currently on TV reminds me of when I was a kid and when I played the game. Growing up everyone played baseball, with a real ball and bats and leather gloves and bases. We would have laughed at a simulated game on TV.
Maybe I don't follow the game because I was never any good. To illustrate my talent level, I played Left Field. Anyone who knows that game knows how good I was(n't)... Using that logic, I shouldn't follow basketball (although I blame my lack of an ability to play basketball due to a bias I had that short people didn't play basketball--I shouldn't have listened to them...).
In the picture of hardened ball players above, there's Todd, David, Kerry, Me, Derek, Jason, Jeff, a of kid who's name escapes me, Morgan, Garth, Todd, and Scott (who actually played basketball for BYU...), and, of course, the coach (I don't remember the coach's name, either).
I don't recall us being particularly good, but we weren't the worst. We had some good athletes on the team, and, except for hitting, catching, and throwing, I was okay.
I remember some of the games, but I remember my friends more. Just going by demographic averages of our community (if they're still live in the community...) most of us are married, or have been married. Most will have children of our own. I wonder if my friends signed their kids up to play Little League baseball. My wife and I signed up my kids in soccer when they were younger, but not baseball. Maybe if I loved the game more my kids would know how to hit a real ball and not just some digital facsimile on television.
I'm watching a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. It just started. Some early season distractions makes this game interesting for reasons other than hitting, pitching, stolen bases, and strike-outs. The Giant's pitcher is a tall skinny guy with longer hair than Hermine Granger, and the announcers say the pitcher used to weigh 155 lbs, but now he's over 180 lbs. That's just crazy.
People who love baseball, like my nephews, LOVE the game. Sometimes, I wish I did, too...
Last year I encouraged my #3 to play baseball. When he was younger, he played on a t-ball team with his older brother and I remembered some talent there. Soccer and basketball seemed too physical for this particular child. He did fine (although he'd cry if he struck out) ... the best moment was a triple play (he caught the ball, tagged a runner and then threw to first). I think that was our one and only year of baseball for our family though. He's gone back to basketball (and is doing well). It took me a while to get used to the game (not as much action as basketball) but on Tuesday nights as I walk the baseball park while waiting for his basketball practice to end ... I miss it a little.
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