Category Archives: Baseball

Apr 05 2024
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Baseball

Everything Is Possible

“Opening day. All you have to do is say the words and you feel the shutters thrown wide, the room air out, the light pour in. In baseball, no other day is so pure with possibility. No scores yet, no losses, no blame or disappointment. No hangover, at least until the game’s over.” This quote, from Mary Schmich, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist at the Chicago Tribune, says it all. At least to me – and to baseball lovers everywhere.

Today is April 5, 2024 – and while the country is buzzing in anticipation of Monday’s eclipse, in the world of baseball all that matters is – IT’S BASEBALL SEASON! The now annual right of passage here in Colorado is, of course, the Colorado Rockies home opener…a day that my husband and friends have made an annual celebration of possibility, shenanigans, and generally a day to embrace the outlook of a pure optimist! (Let’s set aside the fact that the Rockies have already sort of blown the optimism of any sort of possibilities once again this season but HEY, we’re only a week in people! Stay with me here…)

But wait, there’s more! Today also marks OPENING DAY for the Midland Rockhounds! The AA field team for the Oakland A’s, who’s roster includes our son Jack…who, along with his brother Kyle were, of course the inspiration for this blog more than a few years ago. Once again, today, Jack gets to PLAY. BASEBALL. Imagine – run onto the diamond, feel the grass, look up at a blue sky. And we, the sports parents, get to go along for the ride.

How will you step into the day today? There are the things we can choose to carry into each day – a heaviness about the world as it is, the suffering taking place in different parts of the world, anxiety about the future of the planet, perhaps your own personal struggles at the moment. But maybe, today we can all step out of the worry, set down or let go of the heaviness, for a moment. And look up at the blue sky, kick off our shoes and feel the grass under our feet, and just know that every day, if we decide to embrace it, anything is possible. Especially on opening day.

GO ROCKHOUNDS, GO ROCKIES, and forever in our hearts..GO TRIBE! (you can take the girl out of Cleveland…)

PLAY BALL!

Jun 18 2022
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Baseball, Uncategorized

And…we’re back!

The 2019 Collegiate Division one baseball season started strong! We launched the HOTDOGBLOG- Miami U went to playoffs, the USF Dons as well – we charged into the 2020 season with a dedicated fund to travel to college baseball nearly every weekend – with a Senior and and Sophomore healthy and ready to rock. And. Then.

But here we are – 2022. The inspiration for this blog are now college graduates, both with degrees and Magna Cum Laude status and student-athlete accolades. From T-Ball to D1 college, what a ride. But…the ride continues, and you are invited to come along, still. I’m back on the blog. We are still in the bleachers. I remember the first bleachers – a three-row job but then we sat on blankets. Watching dads who just wanted to teach the game to their tots. Not yell, not scream, not throw tantrums. Baggy jerseys, ill-fitting helmets, awkward swings, a little brother who was not technically allowed to approach the T. And here we are today, from seats along first base line in Lansing, Michigan at Jackson Field. Home of the Lansing Lugnuts, high A team for the Oakland A’s, still cheering, still rating hot dogs.

Is this heaven?

Mar 14 2020
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Baseball, Youth Sports

Say It Ain’t So

Just your basic mid-week game. No streaming video today so I clicked on the stats link to follow Kyle and the Redhawks as they take on Penn State at home in Oxford, Ohio. A true field of dreams.

As I clicked from the stats page to my email, to an open document the pings started rolling in on imessage…Kansas has pulled out of the NCAA tourney. Wait, now NCAA has cancelled March madness – THIS is madness. It’s bottom of the 3rd in Miami and the Hawks are down 1-0.

Then a message from Jack…their team bus has turned around mid-trip to Pepperdine for their weekend series. What? The games are off. Kyle’s up in Oxford. A single to right! An alert on twitter: MLB Spring training is cancelled. What? THIS is madness…say it ain’t so!

Click over to the game happening in Oxford – could this be the only baseball game happening in the USA today? Miami pulls ahead in the 5th it’s 3-1 go Redhawks!

Another text from Jack – their college baseball season is suspended. The disbelief, disappointment confusion is palpable even via text message. I click over to twitter – NCAA has cancelled all championships and spring sports. Slowly it becomes clear: this happening – this is the last baseball game. The boys in Oxford have no idea – they’re just playing a ball game.

The seniors have no idea that they quite likely playing the last game of their baseball career.

The last baseball game. You know it’s coming. For those of us on the bleachers and those on the field you know it’s a gift to get to keep playing and watching your kid through high school, then college…maybe you make it to the next level but at some point – it’s the last game. For our part, we thought – well, it’s quite likely this May – maybe they’ll stretch it to the spring tourney. Travel plans are in place to take in as many in person as possible…soak it up, the end will come. Soak it up.

Kyle’s up again, bottom of the 8th – another single! Thank God – because we know what he doesn’t – that was likely his last at bat. Because this is not just a mid-week game. This is the twilight zone, this is no longer baseball season, no longer college basketball tourney season, no longer spring training season – it’s “Corona Virus season.” Kyle’s waved home! Miami stretches the lead to 4-1!

The heartache is real, it’s physical. These athletes – these kids – have not known a day without thinking about their sport. It’s a workout, a practice, hitting, planning meals, fitting in homework, sleep, social life – it ALL revolves around the game. The beautiful game. The last game.

Miami wins! Final 5-1! Game 1 of a 3 game series, that won’t be played out. As I gaze at the final on the stats page I can see it in my mind’s eye as clear as it was last week – the team is high-fiving, criss-crossing the pitchers mound shaking the other team’s hands, then, routine as ever, heading to the outfield to hear from coach. It’s the post-game talk they could have not imagined. The one they are not ready to hear. The one they will never be ready to hear. How do you tell them? How can you prepare for the last game?

I click off the screen. A short while later my phone rings and Kyle’s image pops up. Please, please say it ain’t so.

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Mar 08 2020
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Baseball, food

HOT DOG BLOG II: Goodwin Field Cal State Fullerton

HOT DOG 2 – Road trip 2 on the season and excitement is high! Expectations: same! The main event: USF v. Cal State. Great series, great fans, great kid. The hot dog? Another disappointment. 😩 Bland at best. These dogs looked to be on a roller. We’re finessing this system as we go – future dogs will be limited to onions, mustard, onions and relish – but this dog cried out for some oomph – so we did add jalapenos – but even then – blah. We found the sun in SoCal but nothing heartwarming about the Titan dog.

The park is Goodwin Field, home of the Cal State Fullerton Titans.

Wiener rating: 🌭

Price: $6

Color: decent

Taste: bland

Texture: mushy

Snap: lame

Bun: ends stale – inconsistent

Boring, boring boring. This dog also seemed too small for the bun, but here at the Hot Dog Blog we insist size doesn’t matter. See you at the next stop baseball fans…Oxford, Ohio.

Feb 29 2020
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Baseball, college baseball, Fan fun, food

The Hot Dog Blog 1: Olsen Field at Bluebell Park

Welcome to the hot dog blog 🌭!  A new feature here at Tales From The Bleachers because (obvious alert) no visit to a baseball park, stadium or field would be complete without a hot dog am I right? So as we travel the 2020 college baseball circuit following the #Miamiredhawks and #SanFranciscoDons this season, we’ll also be putting the dogs to the test. I won’t take this space to suggest HOW you should eat your dog (no ketchup!) but rather provide a public service should you find yourself at any of the friendly confines we have the privilege of visiting this season. Our opinion is really all that matters, because it’s our hot dog blog – but we’d love to hear from you if you have a winner, a can’t miss combo of condiments, a ball field dog that is not to be missed.

We have parameters – I mean we’re not out here winging it – here they are:

  • Price
  • Color
  • Taste
  • Texture
  • Snap
  • Bun quality

Outstanding experiences awarded weiner rating from 1-5 with five suggesting it’s worth a visit 🌭🌭🌭🌭🌭. If our experience is pure sadness, one dog: 🌭. Hold on to your buns, here we go…

HOT DOG 1

The park is Olsen Field at Bluebell Park. Home of the Texas A&M Aggies, College Station Texas.

Wiener rating: 🌭

 

 

Price: $7

Color: brownish

Taste: old

Texture: dry

Snap: result of oldness

Bun: stale

Comments: The Aggies are really phoning this in. This dog seemed to be brought out from the (very late) night before. I mean is this what passes for a hot dog in the pork-loving, bbq-bragging lone star state? You should be ashamed of yourselves. Suggestion: spend as much time on your hot dogs as your fans spend prepping to  heckle the visiting team.

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Aug 06 2015
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Baseball, Life lessons, On the bleachers, What I've learned

The Kids Are Alright

To quote Cher in Moonstruck: “SNAP OUT OF IT.”

As they say: time flies. I think I started this blog quite a few years ago…my boys were in the thick of youth sports and the antics, experiences and observations of coaches, players and parents prompted this blog. I have notebooks, digital reminders, and scraps shoved into file folders with topics for blogs. They’re coming – I promise. But let’s face it: managing a household, a business, a dog and a blog is a challenge. But I love these stories and as you are my witness – I will get back on the blog bandwagon – ’cause really, it’s fun. But I digress.

As I finally take to the keyboard for a long-overdue entry,  I am faced with the joy, angst and reality that one of my own young athletes that inspired these stories is about to head off to college. The sporting life continues though, he’ll be playing baseball as well as stumbling into that wondrous world of quasi-adulthood and psuedo-independence. Exciting times.

He’s not alone of course. Most of his peer group is choosing the same traditional move from high school to a 4-year college. The kids are alright. But there is definitely anxiety, hand-wringing and tears, but not so much the kids. As usual, it’s THE PARENTS.

Don’t get me wrong – clearly this is a milestone for parents too. Especially if it’s your first-born. I mean, I shed a few tears when they trotted across the threshold of Kindergarten (wasn’t that literally yesterday?) and I can assure you I’ll shed a few as I drive away from his dorm two weeks from now.  But the all-consuming angst that seems to be devouring many of my contemporaries seems, well, slightly out of proportion. Kind of similar to say…YOUTH SPORTS PARENTS!

But honestly, can you blame us? We have been in this over-involved lane for more than 10-years now! Can we really be expected to disengage at this point and just be satisfied with the fact that they made a good choice, it’s the right fit, they’re legitimately excited to be starting this new phase of life? No. We cannot. Because it NEEDS TO BE ABOUT US. But hope springs eternal. We can do this. I know it. Say it with me. “We. Can. Do. This!”

So listen – when the big day arrives, hug him a few seconds longer, run through the checklist with her one more time, linger in the dorm room – get a good cry in on the way home. But before that day and after that day please: Snap out if it!

 

 

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Apr 27 2014
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Baseball, high school baseball, Youth Sports

LESS IS MORE

I’m not going to start this entry by apologizing for not blogging for weeks – but, I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to blog for weeks! The irony is, observing, managing and volunteering for my kids’ collective 4 teams has occupied most of my non-work life over the past few months, arguably generating TONS of content for TFTB! Here’s what has gone down, nutshell version, in the last 45 days: baseball season with new coach who in his real life trains military special ops, winter football workouts with new “dedicated” trainer,  trip with varsity baseball team and parents to AZ (new group for us…), two college visits, two football camps, and a run in with a coach from youth baseball as a high school coach (who used metaphors about boobs as baseballs when he coached my kid in 5th grade ball…)  Yeah, much to catch up on.

In the meantime, my neighbor, we’ll call her Sherry, is on the other end of the spectrum with her son, we’ll call him Joey –  just jumping into the thrill of it all, she sent me a note earlier in the spring:

“Had to write and give you big kudos for having two boys who are in multiple sports.  Today was Joey’s 1st soccer game (1st practice was 3 days prior) and 1st t-ball practice.   After watching the majority “of players” run around without objective and spend more time trying to take their teammates hat, play tag etc- I realized it has to get less comical and exasperating or you would surely be on the funny farm. Here’s hoping I’m not the first to go.”

Ohhhhh, Sherry…. hahahahahaha. That is rich! Did you catch that? “It must get less comical and exasperating..”  Stop, wait…hold on let me just regain control…

I don’t have the heart to tell her that she will really need to seek some sort of crutch, routine, or other, in order to maintain the “it’s not me it’s them” perspective for the next few years. And by next few years I mean, the kid’s in coach pitch baseball, so he’s still got: kid pitch, tryouts, competitive baseball…not to mention juggling the same in both sports – wait, are you adding football or lax to the mix? will he? will his friends? to say nothing of the input that will  inevitably come from Dad…has he weighed in yet on what sports will bring THE OFFERS?  All of this excitement is yet to come.  And this is all before he gets out of middle school. Sherry, you won’t be the first to go to the funny farm – many, many have gone before you, and most are parents on one of my kids’ teams! Cheers!

Image

photo credit: J-K Photography Parker Colorado. http://www.j-kphotography.net/

 

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Sep 26 2013
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Baseball, Fan fun, Football

MOJO

Who has it? Who needs it? Where is it? How do you get it?  These are the questions.

It’s all about the mojo right? Karma, luck, we put a lot of stock in it.  Even a beer company has finally acknowledged how important superstition is to us – (seriously, what took them so long?)  Super fan or not, we all  know what it means to put on “the rally cap.” “Whatever works” right?  I say, RIGHT!

Listen, I grew up in a long-suffering (still suffering) sports town. I could write blog after blog about the rituals, the superstitions we clung to (cling to) for our hometown baseball and football teams.  Just ask my mom.  In 1980 she spent 2-3 hours every Sunday riding a stationary bike in our basement.  She was not allowed upstairs (where the rest of us were watching the game. This was unspoken.  My mom did not put up a fight, she knew that if she was not on that bike at kick-off, if her energy or effort waned in any way during that game, that a loss by the Browns was solely on her.  My mom was in some kick ass shape that season!  I’m not sure Brian Sipe appreciated the dedication it took, but we did – the label Cardiac Kids was taken literally in our household that season.  We did make it to the playoffs – not to the big game, I’m not blaming Mimi or anything…

My friend Molly, who I call Trixie, spent 3 of the last innings of a freshmen baseball game balancing on a curb behind, and to the right of the bleachers this past summer.  Why you ask? Because while we were chatting in that spot during the 5th inning we started making a comeback against our arch rivals!  Obviously it was Trixie’s positioning. We won in the bottom of the 10th! Coincidence? I think not.  Current Trixie Tracking (CTT) -Molly aka Trixie comes from the mid-west, huge family, big state, big schools, big sports – she gets the superstition thing and has influential energy, we’ll track her influence and provide periodic updates –  CTT: Trixie won’t come to tomorrow night’s football game because we are 4 and 0 and she has yet to make it to a game. Her presence at the Varsity game could well affect the outcome. We’ll miss you at pre-game Trix!

The past two high school football seasons we have established a game-day-sign-buddy-check. Your game day sign needs to either be out at the crack of dawn, or not out, depending on last week’s results of course – and the emails and texts are typically sent prior to any full time job or parenting responsibilities.  Out of town? Too bad – get a back up or this game’s on you. This is dedication.

What is wrong with us?  Why do we do it? Could we have an effect?  Well, physics tells us that energy is neither created nor destroyed. So, I’m down with the “energy is real” theory and that translates to power which translates to influence right?  Why do athletes point to the sky when they do something great?  Is it Dad? Grandma? The Big Guy? (does the big guy like him/her better than the loser on the field at that moment? And where was He when our athlete sucked last week? I know, it’s just a lot to ponder…)

I like to believe in Karma- good energy out, good energy in.  So if I focus my good energy on the game, the player – who’s to argue that it doesn’t have an effect?  Talk later, got to go – I have to get my sign out and make sure my lucky shirt is clean – it’s game day.

Oh it's real....

Oh it’s real….

Jun 10 2013
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Baseball, Fan fun, Uncategorized

100 Games in 100 Days: Day 6

Day 6: Baseball.  So for High School ball, when we have home games, the parents staff concession stand, score board operation, and announcer role.   (yes, we have announcers – what? no, we just announce the kid who is at bat – what? YES WE HAVE WALK UP MUSIC for each kid – what do you think this is? Bush league??)

We are all housed in what we affectionately call, the “snack shack.”  In years past, I guess I just showed up and would pop in there if asked to help.  Now that some kids have graduated, and others are playing a different summer league, I realize now how much I miss the women who ran that ship like a stinking military assignment.  Yes, yes, last season I would have, should have, had a rich, robust snarky blog about them – how to make the burgers, how to wrap them in foil, where the chocolate is positioned v. the skittles – how to dispense the hot cheese glug on the 6-month old nachos. I mean, these women had it FIGURED OUT.  Who the hell am I to think this is just a day at the ball park? Because I’m telling you this gig requires some serious skills.  And I’m not just talking sales, people, and counting-change-in-your-head skills.  The announcer’s/score booth sits above the snack shack.  In order to run the scoreboard you really need to have completed an advance degree in engineering – and God help the numbskull who misses a strike or posts a run on the opposite team’s total!  You want to see an unruly parent during a close game? Put up a run on the other team’s total and sit back and wait for about 15 minutes while the rumbling turns into mentioning to shouting up at the box. It’s rich I tell you. Rich.  Anyway, here’s my tribute, you know who you are:

Here’s to the gang that manages snacks, they’re bossy and witty and don’t take no crap. If you need some peanuts some seeds or a dew, they are there…there for you.

Thanks to the dads who keep track of the score, but please don’t play country between innings no more.

xo TFTB

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Jun 07 2013
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100 games in 100 days, Baseball, basketball, Youth Sports

100 Games in 100 Days – Day 1-5

Day 1.  June 1: Baseball. A harsh loss is dealt to our newly formed summer HS team. New chemistry, new field. And new whiners.  Here’s how it works: HS Baseball season is Spring. Super short. Move to Summer ball through July.  Every year there is a new crop of Freshmen. This year, a few made JV, most made Freshmen team, some got cut. Ouch. Here is another opportunity to observe the tendency for parents to turn a blind eye to a child’s possible short-comings in a particular sport. It should be noted that most kids, whether 5, 15 or 25 roll with it all.  When we refer to Whiners, kooks, freaks and nut-jobs in this blog, we’re pretty much always referring to the parents 😉  We do observe some off-spring that are just real gems from time to time, but in those cases rest assured that you’ll know it’s a pre or just post-pubescent we are talking about…next….

Day 2. June 2nd: Basketball.  Here’s how summer hoops works – you play a couple times a week, usually back to back games.  Unfortunately, Jack decided to really kick off his summer with a day at the pool, followed by running amok, followed by a sleep over at a friends.  Hmm, the walking dead on the court today.  As we say in summer ball…”hey, it’s summer ball.”

Day 3.  June 3rdt: Baseball.  Much better day at the diamond!  Except for one very sad note, big sis home from college shows up with beverages for all – mom promptly shuts that down. Newsflash: playing at High School fields has its drawbacks.  Okay one drawback…yeah, no Red Solo Cupping.  Where is the tiki bar at Steamboat little league fields when you need it?

Day 4. June 4th. Basketball.  We got a howler!  Finally, a game with a crazy mama.  Did I mention that summer hoops is usually a mellow affair? Really just a few weeks of (a lot) of fancy practices – technically tho, games (refs, fans, uniforms, for reals.)  So with that, of course, comes a few that take EVERY performance as to the death, serious, potential college scholarships on the line…hey mama!  So yes, she is getting her whoot whoot on – on one hand thrilling (that spirit resulted in this blog after all) but on the other, extremely out of proportion for the event.  Onward crazy mama, onward.

Day 5.  June 5th. Baseball.  Friend’s youth ball player’s game. T-ball and “coach pitch” – those who are there, and those who have been there – dropped pop ups, running directly from 1st to 3rd, tears, tantrums…love it, funny, super cute right?  Not for the father who has been counting the days for his kid to hit the sand lot…this is NOT cute, this is NOT funny.  You, sir, have a long road ahead – and Mrs. Father?  Batten down the hatches.  On a lighter note, the whole outing was made worthwhile when our neighbor’s boy (not to be confused with crazy dad referenced herein,) after donning an athletic cup for his first time, promptly yanked it out and handed it to mom immediately following the game: “here you go mom.”  “Thanks honey, thank you very much.”  And….there off!

next up FOOTBALL SCRIMMAGE!  (Weird, but I can’t wait…what is happening to me?)

Oxygen anyone? (my kids LOVE that joke!)

Oxygen anyone? (my kids LOVE that joke!)

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