First AAU Follies of the Off-Season

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Learned long ago that fans really don't give a damn about our rationale/thought process/rules/etc.

I re-learned that lesson yesterday, sitting amongst parents.

As I'm finishing my workout at my office's exercise room, I get a text from my kid (high school junior) that his friends' high school playoff baseball game is going into extra innings, 1-1. This is a little surprising, considering his school was the region's #8 seed playing the #1 seed and top rival. The game is mile away, so I make the quick drive to see the finish.

I sit alone among my town's contingency on the third base side, though surrounded by familiar faces. Maybe I should have taken a spot behind the plate, because it bordered on embarrassing being around some parents. I really don't know why I was surprised -- yelling at the plate ump on balls/strikes (never mind that our position to judge is lousy), yelling at base umpires to "ask for help" (like that ever works), or screaming that a center fielder dropped a ball (not even close!) when making a semi-diving catch. Oh, and yelling at the kid for making the catch! ("You should be ashamed of yourself!") I had to contain myself from pointing out what @$$es they were making of themselves.

Still, it didn't ruin a 3-2 eleventh inning victory, sparked by our star basketball center, er, first baseman, drilling one over the left field fence. I just hope I remember to sit amongst people who aren't motivated solely by their kids' victories.