"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM, HONEY"

Summer days and baseball games. If you look very, very closely you might spot my son pitching to his son in a typical baseball setting where 6 and 7 year olds are just beginning their baseball careers. The coaches usually pitch while the best defensive players man the pitching position, simply because that's where most of the action is.

When our son was that age, I could watch his games because after teaching Summer School I was free for the afternoon. I coached him and our daughter, too, in baseball, basketball, soccer, football, and golf. But that's not what this blog entry is about.

It's about parents. A particular parent. While I was watching our son circa 1981, another teacher with a son on the same team and I would sit in the bleachers. I was almost always quiet with an occasional encouraging yell to Scott or one of his friends. My teacher friend wasn't quite as subdued.

One of our players at the pitcher's position would field the ball hit to him, but instead of throwing it to the first baseman, he would try to run the hitter down and tag him out.

"Son," my friend Bob exclaimed, "don't run after him; throw the ball to the first baseman."

Of course he was absolutely correct. And for me to be absolutely correct it should be noted that neither of the coaches had tried to encourage the fielder to throw to first.

"Don't listen to him, honey," was the retort made by the fielder's mother.

Now I'm embarrassed just sitting there.

"Fine, fine, if you don't want him to learn how to play the game," Bob yelled at the mom.

That's where the story ends. Thankfully. Nothing else was said by either. I breathed a sigh of relief and thanked my lucky stars I wasn't coaching that season.