Strange but True--Early Teen Baseball

[KG_Jag]

This from my sister about the recent baseball experiences of my nephew in central Alabama:

And so it goes...comedy baseball continues. After a strange start with Robert's middle school playing their first game during a snow! (and Robert pitching!?)

The German 7th grader, who never playing ball in his life, ran to 3rd base after a catcher's dropped ball on the 3rd strike (the batter can run to first) and everyone yelling at him to run...

This week, after a hit by pitch, our player was headed to first but was stopped by the ump to get the ball--it had landed in his jacket pocket! Little did he know--or did we!! Friday pm's double header was even more exciting as Robert was caught in a planned pickle betw. 1st and 2nd on an attempted steal--ball is thrown to the 2nd baseman who sends it back to the catcher while our runner makes it home safely. HOWEVER he lost the run and was ejected from the game (he later found out) after running into the catcher (his arms were crunched into his chest while he ran into the catcher--apparently you are supposed to slide home). Well....while celebrating in the dugout, player who thought he had just scored a run was jumping up and down celebrating and hit his head on the top of the dugout causing one player to yell--there's blood in the dugout! Which there was and a lot--boy is taken out and cleaned up and seen by school trainer (mother had me check on him as "she doesn't do blood well"). Now he is out of the game--thrown out and out with head injury--not to mention he was our pitcher.

The very next play--their first baseman, a rather short, heavy uncoordinated? fellow went (slowly) for a foul ball, tripped over 1st base and landed on his back over the bag and the ball falls and hits him on the head--he is taken out of the game (no info on his status). I am laughing as I write this as it was so unreal! Robert was on 2nd and told me he and the other team's players were cracking up! Did I mention we were actually ahead b4 all of this happened? We lost the game...Life can only be so funny!

[KG_Panzerschreck]

Bill - How long has it been since you have seen teenagers play sports? LOL

While all of that is alot to happen in one game, i have seen many clumsy pre and post pubescent boys over the last 10 years to to write a set of encyclopedias worth of stories over, LOL. I have had several Nephews go through school lately and the funny stuff ive seen i couldnt even begin to tell you. :^)

[KG_Jag]

Kent, I've seen my now 10 year old nephew, who lives in Austin, play football several times over recent years. Their play is much better than that described by my sister of kids a few years older.

Things sure must have changed since my friends and I played in the 60's. We'd be embarrassed to the point of hiding inside for the entire Wisconsin summer, if we did almost any of the stuff my sister described.

Maybe this is the end result of too many trophies issued for just showing up.

[KG_Kharkov]

I can't tell you how tired I am of participation medals and the just have fun attitude. I've had parents look at me like I was a freak because I instantly didn't congratulate my son on the two goals he scored in a losing effort in soccer but instead talked to him about how his shot selection could have been better and how there are times when he should have dribbled rather than passed.

I'm the captain of the D league hockey team and I always tell the guys "Have fun with your girlfriends and Xbox; we're here to win -- and winning is what is most fun."

[KG_Soldier]

My pre-game speech to my youth basketball teams back in the day:

"I don't care whether we win or lose. I really don't. What I care about is that we play harder than the other team. If we lose by 20, they better be 30 points better than us.
If we're losing by 20, we better still be playing harder than them."

Of course, we won 7 championships in 10 years. Playing harder than the team you're playing will get you the win 9 out of 10 times.