True. They are all annoying, but I'd rather have high school baseball with them than without them.
It's looking like this is the first year in 10 that I might not be coaching, and I'm getting the itch to be " Radar Gun Dad". This would be a highly hypocritical thing to do, because I'm known for my anti-speed gun rants and how it is ruining the art of pitching, but..still...a radar gun...how cool is that? Next best thing to a ray gun! I could wear straw hats and my Batik shirts, too!
57special posted:CaCO3Girl posted:57special posted:A hideous variation of "Screamer Mom" is "Clapper Lady", who uses clappers to augment her bone chilling screeches. She, of course, sits right behind first base, where I am usually coaching.
Does she know cowbell mom?
Oh God, I had forgotten...started to get cold sweats, here.
Then there are the parent rooting sections where they all come dressed up in team colors, are annoyingly positive, and chant , "Players Name!" Clap..clap.. clap ,clap ,clap, when they do anything at all of note.
Go join a cult already.
So what if I paint my face? Got to support the team.
Ha - the annual who are you string surfacing again on opening day. A tradition of spring like a thud of the ball hitting a glove or a ping off the bat.
Face painting wasn't even a thing when this thread started 7 years ago next week. It probably still shouldn't be. Or maybe I am just getting old and crabby....
The Seinfeld episode with "The Face Painter" was from 1995, so it pre-dates this thread. Gotta support the team!
Mr. Pitch Caller is my personal nightmare...finds me and sits next to me every game, then whisper's what the pitch should be just before it is thrown. If he's wrong, coach is not thinking it through. If he's correct, the smug meter hits level 10. I now walk around during the game.
Absolutely love it!
I have been called the lunch/dinner guy because of my ability to interpret yelp scores, food pictures, and comments in order to find the best eating establishments near the ball park at away games. Pitching a perfect game so far, with the weight gain to prove it.
Dropped in on the Flint Hill game at Collegiate Saturday. Jayson Werth's son plays for Flint Hill, and he was there.
I am pleased to report that JW watches the games with a very calm demeanor, chats with other team parents, and yells never.
This from a guy who probably knows, well, EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW.
If he can do it, you can too!
Midlo Dad posted:Dropped in on the Flint Hill game at Collegiate Saturday. Jayson Werth's son plays for Flint Hill, and he was there.
I am pleased to report that JW watches the games with a very calm demeanor, chats with other team parents, and yells never.
This from a guy who probably knows, well, EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW.
If he can do it, you can too!
Still with the flow?
My son HATES when I cheer, yell or clap for him- so I don't 
but then I feel like a bad parent. I have made a small 8x11 sign that says "That's my boy!" and his number, 
he says that's alright. But it is so hard not to cheer along with the other parents, so I kind of follow suit- if they are yelling for a boy (I join in) but not obnoxiously.
I did tell him that all bets are off when he hits a HOMERUN!
meads posted:My son HATES when I cheer, yell or clap for him- so I don't
But it is so hard not to cheer along with the other parents, so I kind of follow suit- if they are yelling for a boy (I join in) but not obnoxiously.
I did tell him that all bets are off when he hits a HOMERUN!
My son used to hate as well. Made him feel self-conscience. That is until he got to College. We did not see him as often. his team mates appreciated the cheering as well. I cheered for all those who made good plays got a hit whatever positive contributions they made.
When his teammates asked who it was, in hs he would just keep his mouth shut. In college he proudly told them it was his Dad. Brought a tear to my eye when I heard it. It eventually became a comfort for him. It allowed him to know we were there. (probably because he knew that meant a free meal. )
Russ,
Some interesting styling from JW these days. Still flowing from the top, full beard, but shaved on the sides and back of his head.
I won't be rocking that look myself, I don't think I could pull that off. In fact I know I'm physically incapable of growing the beard.
P.S.
In fairness, I should say that when my own son played, I was not so zen myself. Not as bad as many, but games were definitely life and death for me! It's so much easier to watch, or even coach in, a game where you have no son involved. In fact, I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys seeing a great game at a cheap price and with low stress.
WOW!!!! I wrote this original post on March of 2011. My son had just started his senior year of high school baseball. At the time there was a popular beer commercial "Here's to you Mr...…" - maybe you remember that. At the time I had come off a long cold winter anxious for baseball to start. As I sit here today - my son is 26 years old, married, and has a child. Im still involved in the local baseball community and am looking forward to the weather breaking and taking my role. My advice is to savor the moment Mom and Dad ! The investment we make in the lives of our children and the investment coaches make come with a return you may not see for years to come. It is such a special time to be involved in your child's life but also a process when you are releasing them to the world to move away form you. All the clichés that seem corny are so true..."it all happens so fast" - I was recently at my son's house and he jumped on me for leaving a door open, letting his warm air out, and cost him money - I smiled and knew my job had been done. He was becoming his Dad- hopefully only the good parts at least.
Once that last pitch is thrown or last ball batted its over …. then you will endure what can be a long winter that never ends - invest now , stay involved, love your boys, and savor the fleeting moment you have. Look around and realize how many relationships you have with other adults from being in the baseball community - many of those are fleeting as well.
Finally - stay involved - come out to a game , look around , and enjoy what you see. The James Earl Jones Field of Dreams speech will creep into your mind on a perfect Spring afternoon.... time marches on but baseball remains. The warm sun on your face and the chirping of the baby birds will refresh you with the signs of new life - the shout of "Play Ball" will invoke memories of a time gone by. Look around...your son wont be there but someone's will be along with the full cast of baseball parent characters we all celebrated since this thread debuted almost 9 years ago.
God bless each of you...share this thread and keep it going!
HsbaseballFan
Emeritus
Velo From The Stretch posted:I have been called the lunch/dinner guy because of my ability to interpret yelp scores, food pictures, and comments in order to find the best eating establishments near the ball park at away games. Pitching a perfect game so far, with the weight gain to prove it.
Absolutely my main contribution to the team dynamic. My person brand. Not a bad role to play in the grand scheme of things.
hsbasballfan posted:WOW!!!! I wrote this original post on March of 2011. My son had just started his senior year of high school baseball. At the time there was a popular beer commercial "Here's to you Mr...…" - maybe you remember that. At the time I had come off a long cold winter anxious for baseball to start. As I sit here today - my son is 26 years old, married, and has a child. Im still involved in the local baseball community and am looking forward to the weather breaking and taking my role. My advice is to savor the moment Mom and Dad ! The investment we make in the lives of our children and the investment coaches make come with a return you may not see for years to come. It is such a special time to be involved in your child's life but also a process when you are releasing them to the world to move away form you. All the clichés that seem corny are so true..."it all happens so fast" - I was recently at my son's house and he jumped on me for leaving a door open, letting his warm air out, and cost him money - I smiled and knew my job had been done. He was becoming his Dad- hopefully only the good parts at least.
Once that last pitch is thrown or last ball batted its over …. then you will endure what can be a long winter that never ends - invest now , stay involved, love your boys, and savor the fleeting moment you have. Look around and realize how many relationships you have with other adults from being in the baseball community - many of those are fleeting as well.
Finally - stay involved - come out to a game , look around , and enjoy what you see. The James Earl Jones Field of Dreams speech will creep into your mind on a perfect Spring afternoon.... time marches on but baseball remains. The warm sun on your face and the chirping of the baby birds will refresh you with the signs of new life - the shout of "Play Ball" will invoke memories of a time gone by. Look around...your son wont be there but someone's will be along with the full cast of baseball parent characters we all celebrated since this thread debuted almost 9 years ago.
God bless each of you...share this thread and keep it going!
HsbaseballFan
Emeritus
This is wonderful, thank you. BTW, "Real Men Of Genius" is in my opinion one of the best advertising campaigns in history. It ALWAYS made me laugh. Plus the song was from the band "Survivor" which made it extra cheesy/awesome. Just a sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...3ni7A88M&index=5
This thread has become a reading ritual of mine every year about this time..baseball is a few weeks away I keep reminding myself. Love the stories and observations in this thread...every single one.
Thx for the idea hsbasballfan, and all the contributors. This thread is HSBaseballWeb
Wonderful summary hsbasbballfan. It must be surreal looking back on this thread with the time that's past. I sure wish things would slow down.
Although my son has moved on from HS ball, I did email his coach last month and let him know many of the HS players were at the gym working out. I wanted them to get their props for working hard. That may fit into some Mr. HSBW category.
Funny thing is I would have never done that while my son was playing. I typically stay away from having any relationship with kid's coaches
An instant gold post! Thanks for writing it.
hsbasballfan posted:WOW!!!! I wrote this original post on March of 2011. My son had just started his senior year of high school baseball. At the time there was a popular beer commercial "Here's to you Mr...…" - maybe you remember that. At the time I had come off a long cold winter anxious for baseball to start. As I sit here today - my son is 26 years old, married, and has a child. Im still involved in the local baseball community and am looking forward to the weather breaking and taking my role. My advice is to savor the moment Mom and Dad ! The investment we make in the lives of our children and the investment coaches make come with a return you may not see for years to come. It is such a special time to be involved in your child's life but also a process when you are releasing them to the world to move away form you. All the clichés that seem corny are so true..."it all happens so fast" - I was recently at my son's house and he jumped on me for leaving a door open, letting his warm air out, and cost him money - I smiled and knew my job had been done. He was becoming his Dad- hopefully only the good parts at least.
Once that last pitch is thrown or last ball batted its over …. then you will endure what can be a long winter that never ends - invest now , stay involved, love your boys, and savor the fleeting moment you have. Look around and realize how many relationships you have with other adults from being in the baseball community - many of those are fleeting as well.
Finally - stay involved - come out to a game , look around , and enjoy what you see. The James Earl Jones Field of Dreams speech will creep into your mind on a perfect Spring afternoon.... time marches on but baseball remains. The warm sun on your face and the chirping of the baby birds will refresh you with the signs of new life - the shout of "Play Ball" will invoke memories of a time gone by. Look around...your son wont be there but someone's will be along with the full cast of baseball parent characters we all celebrated since this thread debuted almost 9 years ago.
God bless each of you...share this thread and keep it going!
HsbaseballFan
Emeritus
Talk about ironic or what. Without prior reading this OP, yesterday I had the Field of Dreams moment myself. My son is in the MLB and is "home" visiting since Christmas. He will be leaving in a few weeks for Spring Training, but has been working out for the past 3 weeks pretty intensely. While doing some work in the home office I heard the familiar sound of a baseball being thrown against our wall. I walked out and saw him using a weighted ball. I asked if he wanted to play some catch and he agreed. It's been a good 10 plus years since I last threw a baseball with him. With the memory of the movie playing in my mind of father and son playing catch, I got a little teary eyed throwing with him. I was actually playing catch with a professional ballplayer, my son! After about 15 minutes a couple of neighborhood kids saw us and joined in. They even recorded themselves playing catch with my son. It seems just like yesterday when he was playing travel ball. Yes, they grow up so fast, cherish every day you get to spend with your kids.
Trust In Him posted:hsbasballfan posted:WOW!!!! I wrote this original post on March of 2011. My son had just started his senior year of high school baseball. At the time there was a popular beer commercial "Here's to you Mr...…" - maybe you remember that. At the time I had come off a long cold winter anxious for baseball to start. As I sit here today - my son is 26 years old, married, and has a child. Im still involved in the local baseball community and am looking forward to the weather breaking and taking my role. My advice is to savor the moment Mom and Dad ! The investment we make in the lives of our children and the investment coaches make come with a return you may not see for years to come. It is such a special time to be involved in your child's life but also a process when you are releasing them to the world to move away form you. All the clichés that seem corny are so true..."it all happens so fast" - I was recently at my son's house and he jumped on me for leaving a door open, letting his warm air out, and cost him money - I smiled and knew my job had been done. He was becoming his Dad- hopefully only the good parts at least.
Once that last pitch is thrown or last ball batted its over …. then you will endure what can be a long winter that never ends - invest now , stay involved, love your boys, and savor the fleeting moment you have. Look around and realize how many relationships you have with other adults from being in the baseball community - many of those are fleeting as well.
Finally - stay involved - come out to a game , look around , and enjoy what you see. The James Earl Jones Field of Dreams speech will creep into your mind on a perfect Spring afternoon.... time marches on but baseball remains. The warm sun on your face and the chirping of the baby birds will refresh you with the signs of new life - the shout of "Play Ball" will invoke memories of a time gone by. Look around...your son wont be there but someone's will be along with the full cast of baseball parent characters we all celebrated since this thread debuted almost 9 years ago.
God bless each of you...share this thread and keep it going!
HsbaseballFan
Emeritus
Talk about ironic or what. Without prior reading this OP, yesterday I had the Field of Dreams moment myself. My son is in the MLB and is "home" visiting since Christmas. He will be leaving in a few weeks for Spring Training, but has been working out for the past 3 weeks pretty intensely. While doing some work in the home office I heard the familiar sound of a baseball being thrown against our wall. I walked out and saw him using a weighted ball. I asked if he wanted to play some catch and he agreed. It's been a good 10 plus years since I last threw a baseball with him. With the memory of the movie playing in my mind of father and son playing catch, I got a little teary eyed throwing with him. I was actually playing catch with a professional ballplayer, my son! After about 15 minutes a couple of neighborhood kids saw us and joined in. They even recorded themselves playing catch with my son. It seems just like yesterday when he was playing travel ball. Yes, they grow up so fast, cherish every day you get to spend with your kids.
Beautiful, congrats.