Baseball Parents - Where do you sit?

My wife likes to sit as close as possible to home plate on our dugout side. I like to be further away down near the portable tent zone....that way I'm less imposing and less tempted to offer specific advise. People must think me and my wife don't like each other LoL!

Absolutely love this, thanks for putting it up Fenway South!  I was with you behind the backstop.  I wanted to see what my kids were seeing while they could not really see me as catchers, if that makes sense.

I'm in the catcher/pitcher zone.  Son 1 was a pitcher/outfielder. Son 2 is a catcher/3b.  At our high school, the stands go all the way around the back stop.  Being with the other parents turned me into the "rules" guy.

I’m HS, I had a camera set up on the backstop fence but didn’t stay there to watch him pitch. I was down the line of whatever side we were on…same with travel.

In college, never behind the plate, mostly in the cheap seats or Cajun cafe in Clemson, on the road…we sat with parents in our designated section.

I could never deal with all the non baseball or non game related convo’s when in the seats…

Through 16u I was in the dugout. In high school and 17u travel always stood far enough down the baseline to clear the dugout and see the hitter. In college our seats we’re about fifteen rows back behind the dugout.

Wherever I was it was away from the gossips and the judgmental second guessers (typically former rec coaches).

Directly behind home plate with no one next to me.

Usually as close as possible near plate and  son's dugout. My wife and I would usually keep score.

Behind home plate when my son starts pitching.  If he's wild I end up around dad's hiding beer in thermal cups.  But for the majority of his HS career I was set up in the armchair umpire spot.  I would also call that where the second-guessing of the HC occurs.   My son High School head coach though had a good few year heater going.  Just seemed to always make the right call.

Fenway - love the diagram.   Wish I had it when Foxson played.   I could have shown everyone where they need to be.  LOL!

Wife usually sat close to home plate as she ran the video camera.   I would have a chair set up next to her, but for about half the game I would be up wandering around to view the game from different vantage points.  Plus if it was a close game I would get antsy and simply had to get up and move around.   

Of course, when I wandered around my granddaughter would "steal" my seat.   

In the summer I was usually wherever there was shade.  Stands, outfield with trees, or wedged under someone's portable tent.  In all the years of all-star/travel baseball, we never bought one of those tents.  Every year we talked about it, then didn't get around to it, then someone else had one.

If shade not an issue, then if fielding I was in the stands with the moms, if pitching in the outfield or down the RF line.

Thanks for a good laugh, Fenway! There's more than a grain of truth in that diagram.

Back in the day, I migrated way down the 1st baseline; away from the magpies in the bleachers behind the backstop. Too much gossip and drama back there for me.

Outfield away from everyone else, except a couple friends whose sons were on the same team. Farthest away from the peanut gallery as possible. When son pitches, close enough to see and not be seen.

Fenway, you are the man!

While in HS, behind the bleachers. Never where son could see us. One time while in Jupiter at PG tournies, with many coaches and scouts with radar guns, my husband would hide behind a tree.

At Clemson we always sat at first base side with parents and the same on the road but on third base side.  We were a close group.

While in milb, we sat behind backstop only when son was pitching.

great graphic, Fenway.

I should sit where the no filter guys are but all by myself.  If we're all too close together it's like the Tower of Babel.

unfortunately, it's hard to game change out there so I'm usually closer to the backstop and do my best to avoid the inevitable drama there (some of which I have been responsible for).

@smokeminside posted:

great graphic, Fenway.

I should sit where the no filter guys are but all by myself.  If we're all too close together it's like the Tower of Babel.

unfortunately, it's hard to game change out there so I'm usually closer to the backstop and do my best to avoid the inevitable drama there (some of which I have been responsible for).

I thought my son's HS was fairly mild mannered - it's in the Wine Country, FFS, but this season at one of their away games, they made the front page of the newspaper when multiple players, coaches, and parents were ejected; the game was halted and police were summoned.  I'm still waiting for my wife, who always gives me a blistering side-eye and a punch to the arm if I say "C'mon, Blue" too loudly, to compliment me on not being a part of that

The best is people who like to get right up against the fence in front of all the other people blocking their view. As they got older I moved farther and farther away - from the other parents.  You might even find me on the opposing team's side or way in the outfield away from Dad's with no filter, Dad's drinking beer or ex-coach Dads. Basically I came to really love earphones and pretending I was on a call and just enjoying watching my kids play.

I alternate between the backstop, armchair umpire, snack mom and dad with the thermal cup.

I prefer the backstop but it’s not really my kids position on the field that dictates where I go - it’s my feelings about the other parents.

The less I like them, the further away I get.

I wear the anti-social dad title proud and hide past the beer dad near the bathrooms.

In left field with beer in a yeti!

Usually on his team’s side between home and the dugout. We started sitting there because he’d drink all his game drinks on a hot day catching and I wanted to be close with the water. He also has a knack for getting cuts and scrapes and I’ve got it down to under 30 seconds to apply a bandage and wrap to get him back on the field. This only applies to when the ump tells him he can’t play because he’s bleeding. If the ump doesn’t say anything he just keeps playing

When kid used to pitch, I’d sit as far away from HP as possible. Normally, my favorite spot when he’s playing, is near third base. I love the interaction between player and coach. If he’s not playing, often times we’d sit on the opposing side, so we could still see him in the dugout  And, we’d come very early to watch BP, so we could see him hit❤️

Y'all sat?? Really? ;-)  We had one dad in college who was a real pacer - he'd be all over the place when his kid pitched. He'd easily walk a few miles...

In HS boys played at Holman Stadium in Nashua - lots of seat options, but usually somewhere 1B side above the dugout away from most of the parents... On the road, in a chair similar, but less options. Just wanted a clear sight line to the game. When they pitched and we were doing the recruiting thang - like others w/ camera behind home plate (only a few mutters)... Once for a legion game where the opposing coach forgot to schedule umpires, I got wrangled into working the bases, when my youngest was pitching (that was not as good as one might think as you cannot win on any call ;-) - most were pretty cool about it, but naturally a few knuckleheads couldn't figure it out).

For one son in college w/ other pitcher's dads usually - in the "dads who still think they coach" area - but generally wherever the bleachers would let us or wherever we had a good view of the field... We let the SS's dad into our group one day which was a bit of an "error" as we really had to work hard to keep our mouths shut that day. For the other son, usually way too many miles away so had to listen to the online broadcast... When we could be there, wherever we felt like sitting (he didn't get much game time).

I think there is a mistake with the diagram - the moms with no filter in my world were usually much closer to dads who still think they coach and always within earshot of the coaches

Too damn funny!

I am a mix of folks. I sit on the opposing side to get away from parents, but I am the one sitting with feet on the wire in front of everyone.

I love to hear the opposing parents cuss about the calls my guy is getting. You telling me 16 K's in 6 ip is lucky calls?!

@JohnF posted:

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I think there is a mistake with the diagram - the moms with no filter in my world were usually much closer to dads who still think they coach and always within earshot of the coaches

Good point.

My son had the day off catching today, but I was still squarely in pitcher-catcher zone! I also find I cheer for both teams’ catchers whenever they make a play (and groan when they don’t!). Oh well…And it was super hot & sunny, so I was last row umbrella guy too. The other parents were kidding me, but by the end of the game I had a lot friends in our portable shade section of the stands!

Funny thread.  I’m still youth baseball but I can relate.  I’m wherever the area is that helps the other parents cool their jets,, which requires a little bit of migration through the areas between the dugouts.  

I am anxiously waiting for the brave parent poster who will admit they sit closest to the backstop so their kid can see their signs

Another catcher family, so as often as not we’re on the 1B side of home plate at HS home games (unless I’m announcing). But I also record all the games, so it’s not imperative. More important is that we’re not close enough for the camera to pick up my voice… 😎

At travel or away games, just looking for:

1) Away from drama

2) Comfort (shade, shelter from wind, whatever “comfort” means that day)

3) Ability to see pitcher/batter

Knowing that the game is being recorded from right behind home plate really does free us up to sit wherever is most desirable rather than has a good camera angle.

@Senna posted:

But I also record all the games, so it’s not imperative. More important is that we’re not close enough for the camera to pick up my voice… 😎

In rec league I used to work the scoreboard, as much to be in the tower (in the shade) and away from other parents.  In the 10U championship game, we set up the video camera in the tower to record the game (which we won).  I was there with my oldest son, we weren't thinking and so we commented to each other throughtout the game, then realized that it was now completely impossible to share that video with anyone.

@anotherparent posted:

In rec league I used to work the scoreboard, as much to be in the tower (in the shade) and away from other parents.  In the 10U championship game, we set up the video camera in the tower to record the game (which we won).  I was there with my oldest son, we weren't thinking and so we commented to each other throughtout the game, then realized that it was now completely impossible to share that video with anyone.

This, this, and more this.

I stand directly behind the Catcher and yell at the ump throughout the game, and give hitting instructions to my kid in the middle of his swing.

kidding

In reality I sit wherever the rest of the parents aren’t sitting

@smokeminside posted:

This, this, and more this.

I figured you would sit in the smokem section.

Only if we were inside.

I almost always sit down the first base line. I never wanted to be within my son's line of vision and I usually wanted to be far enough away from other parents that they couldn't hear anything I said under my breath to my son when he pitches.

Now at summer league, we found some great seats we are buying regularly — just to the left of home plate, about five rows back. We are trying to be out of son's line of sight, but even more, balance being out of view of the camera filming the game but within the zone being served by a waitress!!! Love having someone bring me my hot dog.

An SEC recruiter told me , that if they can obviously spot a players parents, they scratch Joey from the list.

When a player strikes out at the plate or gets a bad call from “Blue,” the recruiter immediately looks for parent reaction as an indication of a potential problem.

They don’t want to compete with parents when he gas a bad day at the next level. The only indication of what’s to come is reading the parent.

I spent my time in the OF from the time I dropped him at the field.

Upon his recruitment, coach told my Joey that I was as instrumental in his recruitment as he was.

“Your a good player, but we have no idea about your character; By watching your dad over the past month, we see that you come from good stock.”

He then provided him with a report, which showed how we were watched at the hotel parking lot, at Waffle House, and as he arrived/left the field.”

THEY ARE ALWAYS WATCHING

@anotherparent posted:

In rec league I used to work the scoreboard, as much to be in the tower (in the shade) and away from other parents.  In the 10U championship game, we set up the video camera in the tower to record the game (which we won).  I was there with my oldest son, we weren't thinking and so we commented to each other throughtout the game, then realized that it was now completely impossible to share that video with anyone.

I recorded my son's HS games and parents started asking for footage. First thing I do now when I put the video together is delete the sound.

@BaseballBUDDY posted:

An SEC recruiter told me , that if they can obviously spot a players parents, they scratch Joey from the list.

With the exception of if a kid throws 95+ with movement

@anotherparent posted:

In the summer I was usually wherever there was shade.  Stands, outfield with trees, or wedged under someone's portable tent.  In all the years of all-star/travel baseball, we never bought one of those tents. Every year we talked about it, then didn't get around to it, then someone else had one.

If shade not an issue, then if fielding I was in the stands with the moms, if pitching in the outfield or down the RF line.

We had a 10' x 10' pop up we dragged to every game when Foxson played travel ball.  We also use to pack a large cooler with drinks and snacks.  By the time he was playing HS and Legion I quit bringing the pop up and large cooler.   We'd only bring chairs and a small cooler.   Maybe the pop up if it was a dreadfully hot and humid day.  Brought cash to hit the concession stand.  I simply got tired of dragging all that crap.   

@3and2Fastball posted:

With the exception of if a kid throws 95+ with movement

Or hits 450' bombs on the regular...