Heres to You Mr High School Baseball Watcher!

That about sums it up. Nicely written.

Fan,
Was I standing RIGHT next to you yesterday ? That may be one of the most well thoughtout, well written commentary this Virginia board has ever seen !!! Well done fella !!!!

LOVE IT !

SIT in the Bleachers and watch a game???

NEVER!

Real Men of Genius like their baseball standin up!

For some reason, I am craving a cold beer.

"Anyone want some peanuts?"

"Came to you last time Jr.!"

Yesterday sure was a great day to play. Loved the positive nature of that past. Cabin fever seems to have worn off with spring officially here!

Rich
www.playinschool.com

quote:

Originally posted by hsbasballfan:
Yesterday was one of those magical days of High School baseball we all dream about when it is cold and there is snow on the ground.
The weather was beautiful- most of us got to slip away from work a litte early and enjoy the competition.

At the game a handful of Dads take up a standing position and watch the game un fold. There is non stop chatter about strategies in tne game, the line up, and an exchange of local baseball gossip. At times work topics or world events come up but generally attenion is quickly turned to the game at hand as someone may ask "would you bunt here or let him swing?" immediately discussion is turned from not as important questions like "should we bomb lybia".
All who stand in these little groups have important roles to play that contribute to the experience....
The communications expert who recieves important text messages and provides the scores of other games going on, the foul ball spotter who seems convinced if they do not bellow "HEADS UP" evrytime a ball is hit foul a terrible tradegdy will take place.
The baseball cliches guy..he has an endless supply of them: "take one for the team"'"not your pitch","way to get ahhead" to name a few that have alreday been heard several times this Spring. I think my personal favorite is"right side middle"
The strategist is hard a work questioning everything from where the outfielders are positioned to who is pitching.
The rule expert who doesnt say much unless consulted when controversary occurs.
Everyone has a role and these groups,although informally form, have operated for years effiecintly may be the best club any of us will ever be a part of.
Yes these are magical times where men retreat into little secret think tank type groups, on warm Spring afternoons, where for a couple of hours the rest of the world gets put on hold, and the important pursuit of baseball is dealt with.
Yes these are magical days many of us live for and savor as we have the great priviledge of participating in days like yesterday

Amen!

Can you guys think of other roles played by Genius Club members?

We have identified ...

The Foul Ball Guy(my favorite)
The Rules Guy
The Electronic Communications Guy
The Strategy Guy
The Cliches Guy

Add to the list "The Scout Spotter" and spotter of other people of note...Can can call him the "Look Out Man"

Who else have you seen out there?

Why does it all have to be about MEN????
Just sayin......................
Driller, be careful!!!!!

Because ..no girls allowed in the Men's High SChool Baseball We Like it Standin' Genius Club?

Besides...Doesnt the Girls Club meet
in the bleachers?

Not sayin there ae not rare exeptions taken on a case by case basis

fan, love the post! how about the umpiring quality control guy? the guy who evaluates the umpiring of the game and notifies the umpires of their good/bad calls.

Good one Big Papi
Lets call him just that...

The Umpire QC Guy

Often heard saying things like -
"you gotta be kidding me"
"c'mon blue"
"was a strike last inning"
"you owe us one now"

Yet another "Real Man of Genuis" although he is often found in a group of one

As one of the "girls" who:

coached Little League, caught balls for pitching practice (and bought catching gear when he started throwing curve balls that were giving me bruises), threw batting practice (and still does some), hit balls for fielding, and (in general) passed on my love for the sport (that is "baseball" not "softball") to my son,

I can truthfully say, it is not all about men

Okay, I feel better now. Just needed to vent.

By the way, you can slot me in there for "Rules Gal". (Sometimes has made for interesting conversations at work with a guy who umps the local games.)

quote:

The Umpire QC Guy

Man, I could call one poster out on this attribute (I hope the poor ump at ODU got away with his life after the game last night).

Great Post!
As a player, then a coach, now a father and coach…that post sums up so many high school baseball fields across the country.
So we have:

The Foul Ball Guy
The Rules Guy
The Electronic Communication Guy (or the play-by-play guy via text message and phone)
The Strategy Guy (usually stands right next to the Rule Guy)
The Cliches Guy (In my experience he’s usually a really good buddy of the Foul Ball guy. Since that’s all they have to add to the conversation)
What about:

The Disgruntled Parent?
You know the one. The one (Mom OR Dad) who’s clueless why their baby boy is sitting the bench. Never mind the fact the kid’s position is behind the best kid on the team, or the kid can’ t drive a ball out of the infield, or you can time the kid with a calendar etc. This parent usually talks heavily about the parent below:

The “Connected” Parent:
Not usually a coach. Likes to be involved with the booster club, organizes things. Could be Mom or Dad. If this parent’s child is a good, or better than good player, it’s not an issue for most people. If the kid is average…look out.

The “Stats” Guy:
Although I will admit I’m starting to see more and more women using their smartphone to keep track with some type of program for scoring and stats. Normally this guy can tell the batting average of every kid on the team. Of course this guy gets quiet if his kid is going through a slump. Trying to explain to this guy that batting .600 in 15 at bats is not really much of a sign of anything, is like talking to a wall. Fun to listen to though. Especially when you can see they obviously have to go to the bathroom, but don't want to miss anything.

I’ll admit I’m enjoying my son playing High school ball. Even though he’s an 8th grader and it’s just JV, it’s still nice to actually WATCH a game from outside the fence, as I still coach travel ball.

Although it is fun to watch other parents’ faces (who don’t know me) when my kid does something and I make fun of him. Recently a Dad apparently got offended and said something to another parent, who informed him that I was talking about my own kid. LOL

At just about any field in America all these roles are filled....

How about :

"The Guy From the Other Team"

He usually has some connection with your own team(his son played on a summer team with someone) and ventures to your side of the field to share informaion/compare notes.

If his team is struggling he fills you in on how bad their coach is and may even go so far as to tell you "wish my son was on your team"

At some point something happens in the game making his pesence uncomfortable and he retreats to his own side of the field most likely providing a report to his fellow fans that starts with...."I was just talking to __________ _________ and he said....

Haven't seen this guy listed: "The Coach Questioner."

This guy talks about every decision and move the coach makes during the game, and if the moves don't work, he second-guesses the coach for having made the move. Of course, if the decision works, he falls silent...for a few moments.

This guy can also be known as the "Head Shaker" or the "Ground Scuffler." He usually has never managed a baseball team, or even worse, the last one he did manage was when his own kid was 8 years old.

As much as I hate to admit it, I have fallen into several of these catagories...on ocassion...)

Me, too! I meant to add in my previous post that all of us "Real Men of Genius" have been a Coach Questioner at one time or another.

No doubt! we have all been "that guy"

This thread should go golden

I have been calling you "genius men" (for many years now)

FENCE DWELLERS!

How about the
"Great Hit Guy"- you know as the kid is going back to the dugout after he gets out.

How about the
"Sign Guy"- you know the father that gives his kid signs from the stands! Do we know any of those?

I moninate Godwin High School as the "Fence Dwellers Capitol" of the Central Region...on the home side there are guys three deep hanging on the fence throwing out pearls of baseball genius and wisdom!

Crack open a can of ice cold bud! Here's to you Godwin fence dwellers!!

Fence dwellers to the 3B coach, "We haven't missed a call all year over here."

Here's to you "Mr Old Timer Guy"

You've been sitting in the same spot at every home game since the 70's. You are the go to guy for historical data concerning former players, stats, records and those "you should have been there" stories.

Also...

Here's to you "Mr Announcer Guy"

You've given your life to your home team. You've adjusted from simply announcing names to having to include "walk-up music" without missing a beat. And everyone knows that you know more about the program then most of the coaches, or at least you'll have us believe so.

Best announcer....Post 361

quote:

Originally posted by ctandc:
Great Post!
As a player, then a coach, now a father and coach…that post sums up so many high school baseball fields across the country.
So we have:

The Foul Ball Guy
The Rules Guy
The Electronic Communication Guy (or the play-by-play guy via text message and phone)
The Strategy Guy (usually stands right next to the Rule Guy)
The Cliches Guy (In my experience he’s usually a really good buddy of the Foul Ball guy. Since that’s all they have to add to the conversation)
What about:

The Disgruntled Parent?
You know the one. The one (Mom OR Dad) who’s clueless why their baby boy is sitting the bench. Never mind the fact the kid’s position is behind the best kid on the team, or the kid can’ t drive a ball out of the infield, or you can time the kid with a calendar etc. This parent usually talks heavily about the parent below:

The “Connected” Parent:
Not usually a coach. Likes to be involved with the booster club, organizes things. Could be Mom or Dad. If this parent’s child is a good, or better than good player, it’s not an issue for most people. If the kid is average…look out.

The “Stats” Guy:
Although I will admit I’m starting to see more and more women using their smartphone to keep track with some type of program for scoring and stats. Normally this guy can tell the batting average of every kid on the team. Of course this guy gets quiet if his kid is going through a slump. Trying to explain to this guy that batting .600 in 15 at bats is not really much of a sign of anything, is like talking to a wall. Fun to listen to though. Especially when you can see they obviously have to go to the bathroom, but don't want to miss anything.

I’ll admit I’m enjoying my son playing High school ball. Even though he’s an 8th grader and it’s just JV, it’s still nice to actually WATCH a game from outside the fence, as I still coach travel ball.

Although it is fun to watch other parents’ faces (who don’t know me) when my kid does something and I make fun of him. Recently a Dad apparently got offended and said something to another parent, who informed him that I was talking about my own kid. LOL

One of my former players who became a head coach locally stated this about "disgruntled parents", he called them the "RedAss Society" as I would be very surprised that nearly ever team does not have a society like that within their group.

Someone told me their son's coach always tells them....."A lot of parents want me to play my best 8 plus their kid"

One more.....Mr Special Effects/Sound Bites Guy. Yesterday we were at the JMU / Cornell game in Harrisonburg. The Sound Bites guy at the JMU game was awesome. He had some of the funniest sound bites or outtakes I've ever heard at a baseball game. He had me and many others laughing pretty hard. Here's to you Mr Sound Effects Guy!

Awesome thread and defintely a Golden thread nominee. I'm absolutely guilty of being several guys in one but never a Fence Dweller Guy or Foul Ball Guy....never! I aspire to be the Mr Old Timer Guy who sits in the same spot with the "you should have bee there" stories......

This thread has made me thirsty.

This is the most entertaining thread I have read so far !!

Great job!!

We have all been "that guy" at some point !!!

quote:

Originally posted by hsbasballfan:
I moninate Godwin High School as the "Fence Dwellers Capitol" of the Central Region...on the home side there are guys three deep hanging on the fence throwing out pearls of baseball genius and wisdom!

Crack open a can of ice cold bud! Here's to you Godwin fence dwellers!!

I completely agree with you. If I ever go to a game there, I usually just sit on the visitors side or stand by the press box if there is room.

That's because the view from the stands is largely obstructed, looking towards home plate. Not that that keeps anyone from carping at the umpire's ball/strike calls!

hsbaseball,

"play my best 8 plus the parents kid" is awesome.

I have just soiled my pants laughing.

enjoying this thread tremendously

Has been a fun thread! great that we can all laugh at ourselves. Had fun today at a game looking around and seeing some of the guys standing watching some baseball...its just what we do

Love the thread.
I'd suggest a few others at games I've attended.

There is Mr. Real Estate Guy....always shows up 2 hours early with his folding chair and cooler to sit in the spot right behind home plate or right next to the dugout so he can have "the best seat in the house". Most often sits by himself as the rest of the crowd tries to figure out how he gets off work so early to get that same seat a few times a week.

Then there are "those guys" that always sit beyond the outfield fence or away from the crowd. Not sure if they think they are too good for the rest, but really aren't missed by the crowd. The crowd is more mystified as to why game after game someone willingly sits so far away from the action.

Neither of these groups add to the baseball chatter like the rules guy, the cliche guy or the strategy guy, but they always seem to be there come game time.

Why do those guys sit way out there? Somkers? Drinkers?

Anyone know?

quote:

Originally posted by hsbasballfan:
Why do those guys sit way out there? Somkers? Drinkers?

Anyone know?

I know a group at one school that said their sons told them to sit out there so when they yell at the umpires, no one will hear them.

My experience is that usually those guys are there because they are "self-policers." In other words, they know that they might too involved with yelling at their sons or at the umpires, coaches, etc., so they stay farther away from the action.

One or two guys I know wander away from time to time to grab a smoke, but then return.

I used to be one of those who sat "way out there". It was right after my coaching days were done and it was the best way to not coach my son from the stands.

Also had something to do with nerves. I used to pace the dugout when my son pitched. It was a lot easier to enjoy the game from a distance because I was more apart from the action. I have gotten a lot better and can sit on the stands (or stand by them) now.

Let's not forget the "radar gun messenger" guy...who ambles over to the nearest gun for a few moments when "junior" is pitching then strides back to the group quickly with "he's consistently in the 90's and just threw 2 92 mph sliders" or "that gun only showed him at 84 on his fastball but I know he was throwing 93 last week at practice."

And you can't forget the "scout locator/counter" guy who thinks every guy with a college or pro hat on is a scout and points them out to everyone.

A cold Friday night could bring out another character: the flask smuggler.

when I was a little leauger a dad used to park his car beside the outfield fence, drink beer, and relay batting tips to me to give his son when I went into the dugout.

I thought of this thread as I was at a game the other day. So I actually looked around. There are a few more groups and differences that I’ve noticed:

There are some parents who cheer differently depending on circumstances.

A young kid on my son’s team recently went from DH to starting 3B. The older kid that is now the DH didn’t seem happy at all when the younger kid hit a RBI double to the gap. But when his son, the DH, hit a can of corn to LF, he was all smiles and clapping. Mentioned something about the “wind” being a factor too..LOL

You can sometimes tell who’s kid isn’t playing vs who’s is, by the intensity or lack of, when they congratulate a hit or a nice play. Sad but true.

The “Back of the Bleachers Guy” – You know him. On the smaller bleacher, they are too cool to sit down. They instead rest their elbows on the last row in the bleachers. Here’s to you.

The “Proud Dad” – If his kid is playing and doing well, he’s talking to everyone. If he’s not playing well or not at all, you’d think he wasn’t even there. Never understood that one either.

What about the “Good Eye” “Way to Watch” camp?
Batter ducks a pitch that would have plunked him…it’s inevitable..wait on it…here it comes.. “Good Eye.” “Way to watch.”
Really?

My travel kids laugh, because when they dodge a pitch I always either say “It’s about BASERUNNERS right?” or “I would say good eye, but that almost hit you.” My kids in the dugout inevitable start up with “Come on…you gotta WEAR that one!!!”
And last but not least..

The “Argue with the Umpire Coach, and doesn’t understand why he doesn’t get calls” guy.
“Where was that one Blue?” “That’s gotta go both ways.”
This same Coach / Guy then can’t understand why all the “close” calls never seem to go his way…..LOL.

There's always the "You Can Do It, Gal"

Always offering encouraging words like he's still 7 yo.

/sorry, moms

After listening for these Guys/Gals at our last game, I found myself being totally quiet. Maybe I will stop being all of the above guys at one point or another, and will strive to become just the "Great Hit, Nice Pitch, Guy".

When my father - a no-nonsense former college baseball player - began watching his grandchildren play baseball - one of his first comments - said with a combination of incredulousness and sarcasm - was "I have never seen so much positive reinforcement in all my life!"

We have left out the "I Keep my Own Book Dad" and the "I have my OWN pitch Counter Dad"

Gotta love those guys...a back up set of books and a back up pitch count. Just incase.....????

Swampboy posted

quote:

A cold Friday night could bring out another character: the flask smuggler.

LOL. Okay you caught me. I'll have to add that to my list "Guys". I figured I would go under the radar asking for an empty cup with ice at the concession stand.

This is not one found in very many stands, but I enjoy the teams that have the "chatter guy". He is like an extra infielder as he sits in the bleachers and exorts the home team pitcher with every throw to "hum babe", "show him the dark one", and my favorite, "Hum, pitcher, pitcher, swing!" His reply to what he considers a bad call is to quickly inform the pitcher, "Not your fault, keep firing."
A dieing breed, but a fan to be appreciated.

Technology has created the Texting Guy: texting son's performance at the plate, on the bump, in the field, etc.

/totally guilty of this one

We had a guy years ago who wore a court jester's cap and enjoyed blowing a slide flute.

What would you call him?

quote:

I figured I would go under the radar asking for an empty cup with ice at the concession stand.

We've been on to you for a while.
--Concession Stand Boss Lady

(the one who gripes about no one volunteering, but wants everything done precisely her way and scares off all the newbies)

How about the weather man. He can give you up to the second forecast info, wind direction AND visibility conditions.

"Sun is going to be tough for that Left fielder today"

"Wind is really going to cause some problems today"

"Looks like we will just get this one in before the clouds open up"

"Going to rain around the fourth inning"

"No way we get Fridays' game in"

Oddly, he is right about as often as the TV weather men.

quote:

Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
We had a guy years ago who wore a court jester's cap and enjoyed blowing a slide flute.

What would you call him?

NUTS!

That is a great one!

Some times the weather expert becomes a "physics expert".....

"ball isnt going to carry because it is heavy from all the moisture"

"Bats are cold and ball isnt jumping off"

This is now a Golden Thread. Good stuff!

quote:

Originally posted by hsbasballfan:
Good one Big Papi
Lets call him just that...

The Umpire QC Guy

Often heard saying things like -
"you gotta be kidding me"
"c'mon blue"
"was a strike last inning"
"you owe us one now"

Hey Blue...I found your cell phone. It's got 8 missed calls!

quote:

Originally posted by hsbasballfan:
At just about any field in America all these roles are filled....

How about :

"The Guy From the Other Team"

He usually has some connection with your own team(his son played on a summer team with someone) and ventures to your side of the field to share informaion/compare notes.

If his team is struggling he fills you in on how bad their coach is and may even go so far as to tell you "wish my son was on your team"

At some point something happens in the game making his pesence uncomfortable and he retreats to his own side of the field most likely providing a report to his fellow fans that starts with...."I was just talking to __________ _________ and he said....

lol, good one. The Liason- diplomat or double agent?

how about the mom/ dad that is the "gatorade fetcher right now because water is just not good enough for my kid" ? You know who you are.

"NOT YELLOW!!! I WANTED ORANGE!!!"

HURRY UP!!

Guilty as charged...at some point I think I've been all of them (excluding the references to the ladies!). I've also coached against several fathers here and had a great time...wouldn't trade any of it, not for a minute. Now that 'Junior' is holding his own...I just like to be 'Happy Father and Team Fan' parent. But I still hate when they lose...almost as much as they do!!!

This is one I haven't read on this thread. How about the grandmother (who BTW never played any sports) who stands directly behind the catcher and ump and proceeds to call balls and strikes. Albeit in a low voice but still calls what she THINKS she sees even though she has cataracts and can't see anything very well! I'm her D-I-L and it drives me absolutely crazy!! I know, relax mom. Easy to say, hard to do. Thanks guys for letting me vent.

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by hsbasballfan:
At just about any field in America all these roles are filled....

How about :

"The Guy From the Other Team"

He usually has some connection with your own team(his son played on a summer team with someone) and ventures to your side of the field to share informaion/compare notes.

If his team is struggling he fills you in on how bad their coach is and may even go so far as to tell you "wish my son was on your team"

At some point something happens in the game making his pesence uncomfortable and he retreats to his own side of the field most likely providing a report to his fellow fans that starts with...."I was just talking to __________ _________ and he said....

OMG..this guy doesn't stop at the high school level. The wife and I drove 800 miles to Orlando last month to watch the younger kid's JUCO team open their season. We arrive at the field in the middle of the first inning of the first game. This is no lie, I haven't even settled in after driving 12 hours and this guy walks up to me and says, "Where ya'll from?" I say, VA Beach, the team is from MD. And the next words out of his mouth were, "Yeah, my kid is on the other team, we got 3 or 4 D1 kids, couple more should go in the draft this year. My kid is the closer." After fifteen minutes of this, he finally walks off and my wife indicates to me, "how do you attract these guys"?

Great thread!

Maybe has been mentioned already, but who hasn't seen the "coach his kid from the stands" dad?

Wow this makes me look back over my 13 years being around the game. How many of these hats have I wore over the years ? We all have our top one or two so I will share mine. I have the extra score book ( its retired and has been replace with the video camera ) BTW we need to had that to the list. You no the guy\gal trying to get that special clip to send to a college coach. LMAO " Guity here" I have ask for that cup full of ice or better yet shown up with that Bubba mug. Did you know you can get 3 cold ones in that thing. Now I am thirsty !!! Its noon somewhere right? Great topic and enjoyed reading this morning.

My least favorite is the mom who shouts out "it's OK - it's not your fault" whenever her kid doesn't get the job done.

That one makes me angry.

The others humor me but these moms (and dads) who think that failure is a bad thing just kill me.

other than that, I am guilty of being the "self policer". Or as I call it - the "personal restraining order". The only place safe during the game is 150 yards from the ears of umps, coaches and the "not your fault" mommys.

I was Scorebook Lady for a while, too. The reason I kept it was to help me keep my mouth shut! I never computed stats. My friend Stat Lady did that.

I quit keeping the book due to the dreaded Cellphone Mom. Cellphone Dads are out there, too. Too busy talking on the phone to pay attention to the game. They are only there to watch their son, and don't really care about the game.

"What's the pitch count?"
"What's the score?"
"What inning is it?"

One of the last times I kept a book, a 14 year old 2B popped to third for the last out in a 16U BCS game that Cellphone Mom's son was pitching. We lost. Sitting right behind me, yapping on her phone, she said, "Choke, choke, choke."

I have fantasized ever since about just where on her person I might have placed that scorebook.

Has anyone listed the "run for the home run ball MOM". They are the one that thinks someone will steal the HR ball and they will race anyone to get it first. They will cross an 8 lane highway during rush hour or spend the better part of the next two innings looking in the woods, swamp, parking lot or home team dugout for their prize. They are very serious about getting their trophy and their anger will have no mercy for the umpire or coach that allows anyone to throw their ball back into the game. The funny part is that the player has probably hit 20 or more home runs over the years and the ball will just end up in their bat bag or bucket.

Anyway......Here's to you Home Run MOM!

I was coaching a team of 14 year olds once and we were struggling at the plate.
Lots of strike outs looking.
The kids were down and I was too.

We had some "thats OK johnny Moms"

At a practice on day I called the kids together to talk aout our lack of success at the plate.

I asked them as a group "when you strike out and walk bck to the dugout whose voice do you hear fist?"

One kid looked at th ground ad said "my mom's" I asked "what does she say?"

She says...."thats OK you will get it next time"

I paused until they were all lking at me and said "is it REALLY ok?
They all kind of smiled and said ..."not really"

I told those young men that day going forward lets approach every at bat with the goal of making he PITCHER'S mom say "thats OK you will ge him next time."

It was a conversation at 14 they were ready to hear. They seemd to unerstand that year that the hitter/pitcher match up produces a winner and a loser. Alot of that battle is won by who wants it the most!

I'm shocked that nobody has mentioned "Mr Glory Days."

One of Bruce Springsteen's biggest hits!

"Mr Glory Days" lifetime high school stats improve yearly! Too bad his bum knee kept him from making the "big time".

Couldn't some of the referenced individuals be consolidated into "Cheerleader" - The "Great Hit Guy" who says great hit as the player heads to the dugout after making an out, the "Good Eye, Way to Watch" guy, the "It's Not Your Fault Mom?" Added into that category is the team supporter (not necessarily a parent) who stands behind home plate and encourages the pitcher after each pitch he throws - "good pitch," "just a littler higher," "bring it in a little," "nice drop," etc. Or the sister of "It's Not Your Fault Mom" - "just a loud noisy strike" to the pitcher (when the ball goes over the fence barely foul), "you'll get 'em next time" (when the player strikes out for his third time of the day), "you can do it with two" (when the player has an 0-2 count on him), etc. All of these folks are The Cheerleader.

quote:

"Mr Glory Days."

That guy is one of our assistant coaches.

"The Older I get the Better I was"

How about Pumped and Excited Frosh on Varsity Parent, These fans come in and believe the whole town understands how important their son is to the community and school. Their mannerisms say very loudly, "Do you have ANY idea who I am?

Fun thread...

I always got a kick out of "Mr.Handicapper Guy".

He's the dad that will tell you all the reasons why his son might struggle before the game starts (especially applicable to pitchers dads ).

If the boy does well... then it's, "yeah he really dug down today after having to deal with..."

If the boy struggles... then it's, "yeah, had to expect that after having to deal with..."

Great thread (guilty from time to time on several)

how about Mr. or Mrs. "Well it was..... as in
well it was hot out there
well it was our first game
well it was our first tournament
well it was our first game on a Tuesday after a full moon.....

Best thread I've seen. At our tournament today I took time in between games to notice some of the above assailants, really funny when you know what to look for! Not sure if this has been posted yet but what about the "Dugout Visitor Dad"? You know, the father that trots into the dugout like a coach or calls his son to the fence after every at bat or inning in the field to physically demonstrate what the player did wrong, by getting back into his old playing stance, albeit finishing it off with "great job though."

Did we mention the "video tape every single game in its entirety" Dad?

One of my kid's HS teammates dad did this. He was a fine guy - very into his son's baseball, obviously, but no problem with the guy.

But I always wondered what he does with all that footage.

Maybe when I am 80 I will wish I could watch all of my son's HS baseball games again, and the last laugh will be with him. I'm just not a very good memory chronicler. I have a few dozen at bats of my son's from HS on video, but that is about it.

You guys just keep them comingg! It is fun to look around and see these examples.

As a player I have seen the group of LF line dads change, as well as their roles change from LL to HS ball. Here's the lineup of guys we have down the LF line at my HS:

1. The Relief Pitcher Bullpen Warmup Watcher/Evaluater:
This is a dad that stands right behind the bullpen backstop to get the inside scoop on how Lefty's curveball looks today. He also manages to completely distract him from getting his warmups done right.

2. "Right/Don't You Think/Are you following me/Am I seeing this right" Guy:
Another dad who always looks for approval with every comment he makes throughout the game because it's plainly obvious that he can't even dress himself in the morning without feedback from someone else.

3. "Senior Backup Catcher's Dad" Guy:
Just along for one more ride and loves to soak everything in.

4. "News I picked up today from other teams in the league" Guy:
He seems to have more connections than Peter Gammons.

5. 2 dads who think their kids are big stuff because they made varsity so they feel like they need to make appearances down the line even though they have no real value to the function of the operation and their kids ride the pine.

6. Stud 8th grader's dad who will be on varsity next year, but still never misses a game. Likes to soak things in.

7. One former All Star coach, and one former travel coach who coached the core of these kids growing up. These guys have the bulk of the actually decent insight.

8. AND FINALLY... maybe the most important man mentioned on this thread... "The Man":

This is the man's last hoorah, his kid is going to play college ball. The man is the oldest in the group because this is his last kid to go through the school. The man is the staple of the group. He has locked down the group for years now, watching his older boys. Others have come and gone, but the man remains. He knows the most, yet he only speaks when spoken to. He is an observer, not a rah-rah guy. Everyone else in the group look to him for approval when they question calls, coaching moves, AB's, whatever. Everything is run by the man. The players say hi to him before every game. He is friendly enough, but doesn't joke and never smiles. Everyone knows he is in his heaven.

quote:

Originally posted by idahojoe:
As a player I have seen the group of LF line dads change, as well as their roles change from LL to HS ball. Here's the lineup of guys we have down the LF line at my HS

8. AND FINALLY... maybe the most important man mentioned on this thread... "The Man":

This is the man's last hoorah, his kid is going to play college ball. The man is the oldest in the group because this is his last kid to go through the school. The man is the staple of the group. He has locked down the group for years now, watching his older boys. Others have come and gone, but the man remains. He knows the most, yet he only speaks when spoken to. He is an observer, not a rah-rah guy. Everyone else in the group look to him for approval when they question calls, coaching moves, AB's, whatever. Everything is run by the man. The players say hi to him before every game. He is friendly enough, but doesn't joke and never smiles. Everyone knows he is in his heaven.

Great overall list!
On the last one, you know a lot about this guy. I have a feeling this man may have been your grandpa's son...

Did anyone mention "the one-upper?"

You know, the guy who one-ups every situation.

Example - You say, "My son is going to visit (enter any D3 school here) tomorrow"

His reply - "Yeah, the Clemson coach won't leave (enter his son's name here) alone."

Your son just hit his first high school Home Run.

His reaction - "Nice shot. Did you see (enter his son's name here) I think it went 350."

How about the “Hitter’s Dad Pitch Predictor” guy? As soon as Jr. gets two strikes it’s “watch the curve ball” or “watch the junk”. Some dad’s are so “good” at this they’ll start early in the AB so that by the end Jr. can’t even get the bat off his shoulder.

quote:

Originally posted by 1baseballdad:
How about the weather man. He can give you up to the second forecast info, wind direction AND visibility conditions.

"Sun is going to be tough for that Left fielder today"

"Wind is really going to cause some problems today"

"Looks like we will just get this one in before the clouds open up"

"Going to rain around the fourth inning"

"No way we get Fridays' game in"

Oddly, he is right about as often as the TV weather men.

There was a Dad on one of my son's teams in the past...he did this. Announced at post game talks to "wear warmer clothes it's going to be colder than you think", "We will get that game in on Wednesday" etc etc.

We all thought he was just off. Well he was right A LOT.

Turns out he is a REAL weather man.. LMAO

quote:

Originally posted by 2Bmom:

quote:

"Mr Glory Days."

That guy is one of our assistant coaches.

LMAO...there goes some of my coffee.

I played a bit of baseball. Got to college...got hurt (not baseball related) couldn't throw anymore. 'Nuff said, end of story.

I've heard more s o b (it censored S-O-B as the word not the abbreviation LOL) stories. And I never realized how many "full rides" have been handed out at D1 colleges over the years LOL

What about the Dad who always talks about how his son hasn't hit his growth spurt yet, or he's always saying the kid is growing like a weed?

It's usually the Dad who's 5'7" and the Mom is even shorter. The kid is as tall as Dad already. Tall mailman maybe?

We don't call him "Mr. Glory Days" we call him Uncle Rio.

PERFECT... I know some Uncle Rios

quote:

What about the Dad who always talks about how his son hasn't hit his growth spurt yet

Is he married to the mom who always talks about how son is young for his grade?

quote:

Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
Is he married to the mom who always talks about how son is young for his grade?

No, I am. (lol, he was. 10/92 class 2014)

Not my grandpa's son, my dad is bullpen watcher guy, and I don't think he's going anywhere

Great thread.

Someone mentioned the grandmother calling balls and strikes. How about the 80 something grandfather who in his hard of hearing loud voice, asks "WHY IS #25 IN THE LINEUP HE STINKS". Never fails he will always be sitting within earshot of #25's parents.

quote:

Originally posted by fillsfan:
Great thread.

Someone mentioned the grandmother calling balls and strikes. How about the 80 something grandfather who in his hard of hearing loud voice, asks "WHY IS #25 IN THE LINEUP HE STINKS". Never fails he will always be sitting within earshot of #25's parents.

Good one! I wanted to to say something about grumpy old men, actually had it written but didn't post it the other day!
We had a grumpy old man and a grumpy old lady, not related, that would loudly criticize every kid but their grandson and friends. ON OUR OWN TEAM!

Just remembered one, what about "The HC's Dad"? He is similar to "The Man" described in an earlier post, he has been to every home game for years, and many away. Knows the highs and lows of the program, can detail both great and awful seasons all the way back to the 80's as well as tell you all about the best players to ever come through the program.

Here's to you, Mr. Inappropriate Cheering Guy!

You don't just cheer for the kids on your son's team.

You also cheer, and loudly, against the kids on the opposing team - a complete break of High school etiquette.

You feel it's your job to support your team by 'getting into the heads' of the opposing teams players.

You loudly point out the kids that you think can't make the play - the ones the kids on your son's team should 'hit it to', never thinking for one moment that their parents might be bothered by what you say.

Worst of all, with men on base and the game on the line, you yell something that sounds suspiciously like 'Balk' when the pitcher from the opposing team is in the middle of his motion.

Although you get strange looks throughout the game, you ignore them, for you are in your element!

Mr Inappropriate Cheering Guy!

Thanks BillBill. You just reminded me about another "Guy" we ran into a few weeks ago at a college game...."the very stoned & very drunk college student that tries to abuse the opponent's left fielder but he SLURS-HIS-SPEECH-GUY".

We learned that at some of the more cereberal Virginia colleges (not the student/college noted above) have students & fans that actually look up an opponent player data on their smart phones and try to carry a conversation on with the opponents left fielder. For example...."Does your Dad have any good ambulance chasing stories?" Much more subtle, and funny IMHO!

Started in tee ball. Encountered all lot of this then. By coach pitch I was "down the line guy". Bent a lot of fence railings 100' away from everyone else to avoid all the mess going on. Ended up with a crick in my neck shaking it from side to side listing to the chatter.

God I'll miss it when it's over.

Will kick im another one....
"mr where are they now"
The guy who knows whether or not players played beyound high school, D3-D2-D1-JUCO- got drefted AND. How they are doing down to batti g averages and era stats.
Ususaaly starts a convo with I see johnny smith had. A big day yesterday against UVA Wise....yeah you know he was at Clemson but i knew that wouldnt last...hisndad said he just want to focus on his grades and play ball so he transferred to Bluefield

Amen to that

I haven't seen these two guys yet in this thread, though the thread is so long now I may have missed them:

"The Grounds Crew Guy" - though not allowed at most HS, he's the guy who gets a thrill out of dragging the field or even putting in a last minute infield grass cutting.

"The Seeds Guy" - the guy who enjoy's his sunflower seeds and leaves ample evidence of that in the stands.


I've been guilty of both at one time or another. Love this thread!

Good ones!

We have a fellow who is a "Seed Coniseur Guy"...

He offers his seed to others which have included

Ranch, Dill Pickle, Black Pepper, Jalapeno, Jack Daniels, and a "custom blend" that is made with over sized seeds ordered off the internet....can taste an old bay seasoning flavor in them.

awesome post..covers all 50 states too. i wouldn't watch a hs game from anywhere but cf.