There are no stupid questions?

Nope, let his personality come through.

Absolutely not. If a smile is who he is then let it be his sword. Most of the players are "fronting." My father always told me to look out for the one's who are smiling they are either crazy or have nothing to lose either way they are dangerous.

quote:

My father always told me to look out for the one's who are smiling they are either crazy or have nothing to lose either way they are dangerous.

But he was in the Chicago Maffia, right? Just Kidding. Woody, jump in as needed.

It's funny, it doesn't matter what region the kids are in, they all have the same "mug shot" look. I encouraged my son to "smile" when he took his last photo for PG a year ago, he didn't. When I asked him why, he simply stated that he'd feel "nerdy" being the only one smiling...Peer Pressure!

Coaches in both dugouts always notice that he smiles all the time. The opposing players probably think he's one of the crazy ones . . . until they see his curve ball.

I would hate to tell him to try not to smile. It's not his nature and he'd probably look ridiculous.

I would imagine I would notice a pitcher smiling all the time as he was pitching as well. I am also sure my hitters would to. I am curious, does he continue to smile when he is pitching and he is getting lit up?

quote:

Originally posted by Coach_May:
I would imagine I would notice a pitcher smiling all the time as he was pitching as well. I am also sure my hitters would to. I am curious, does he continue to smile when he is pitching and he is getting lit up?

Yep, he still smiles. He says he just keeps reminding himself that the only thing he can control is the next pitch and he doesn't want to give up the ball until he knows he's "done."

I am sure we will get some more posts here. I will hang back and see what advice you get. I would imagine there will be more on the smiling while pitching than smiling for the pictures. Buts lets just see how this one goes. Its got real potential.

Its worked pretty well for Heinz Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers he smiles all the time.Two Super rings numerious Pro bowls. Keep smiling !!!

To clarify, he isn't grinning or smirking on the mound, but looks happy. The comments we get are something along the lines of, "gee a pitcher who looks happy to be playing and not like he's under so much stress that he's going to explode any moment."

Interesting topic.

I think ballplayers ought to smile for their pictures if it is in their nature to do so.

As far as smiling on the field...

This to me seems a matter of style. I would never coach a kid to smile while competing and frankly would highly discourage it. That is my style however and it doesn't mean it is right for someone else. My son is a very serious ballplayer and almost never smiles during competition unless something silly happens where everyone on both teams are smiling. I believe the time for smiling is after the game is won. Winning is what is fun about the game and I know people will disagree with me on that.

Listen to the classic song by the Byrds that is based on the book of Eclesiastes. There is a time and place for everything.

Let me be clear, I cast no judgment here on anyone for what they think is right. I can only tell you in my personal opinion, I don't think smiling (in general) is appropriate during competition.

I don't believe I have seen this topic brought up before and it is far from a stupid question imho.

Tell him to keep smiling when he gets his pictures taken. Good luck to your son.

I crack a smile now and then on the mound, and have a very happy disposition. I try to really watch myself on the mound though because I don't want to appear that I'm not taking things seriously (especially if things aren't going well) and I also don't want to appear to be a poor sport (I don't want to appear to be mocking the batter if an out was just made). It's a slippery slope but I don't think it's too terribly important to worry about if you're someone that smiles by nature. For me, my dugout personality and my mound personality are pretty different though.

My son will not smile for a team picture or an individual picture on a baseball field. In fact he tries to use whatever leadership ability he may have to encourage teammates not to smile as well. I think he wants to look intimidating and wants his team to look intimidating.

That said some of the best smiles we have ever witnessed and had the opportunity to photograph were taken while he was playing baseball, although usually during warmups and pre game while loosening up.

Smiling during the action can't be helped nor should it be discouraged, but when you know people are watching you want to intimidate.

Not my style but I'm guessing Ernie Banks cracked a smile every now and then while playing. I wouldn't try to change him but I'd warn him that if he gets a coach who doesn't like it he may have to change while he's playing for that coach.

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"But he was in the Chicago Maffia, right? Just Kidding. Woody, jump in as needed."

I live amongst them, but of course they don't exist.




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quote:

Originally posted by astro21:
Its worked pretty well for Heinz Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers he smiles all the time.Two Super rings numerious Pro bowls. Keep smiling !!!

I like this example. Hines Ward is arguably the most physical wideout in football. He dishes it out and takes it with the best of em, but always has a smile on his face...you can tell he loves the game!

I wish I could smile and have more fun in the heat of competition, but I can't, I'm a little too wound up. My son is the same way, a little too much like his old man...IMO a brief smile every once in awhile to loosen things up can be a good thing!

RBMom- If your son feels more comfortable with a smile on his face, more power to him...and if he's getting batter's out and helping his team win, I doubt his coach will have a problem.

We teased son all of the time while growing up because he never smiled in ANY pic related to baseball, individual or group.

He's been taught that pitchers are to show no emotion.

If he gets to college or beyond and smiles on the mound, he or his teammates are going to get punished for it.

TPM,

Neither does my son. He never smiles in pics and doesn't smile on the field. He will smile with his buddies in the dugout but not when he puts on his gear.

Magic Johnson smiled all the time before, during and after games...still does.

quote:

Originally posted by redbird5:

quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
We teased son all of the time while growing up because he never smiled in ANY pic related to baseball, individual or group.
He doesn't smile for the same reason he doesn't on the mound.

Intimidation.

Neither does my son. He never smiles in pics and doesn't smile on the field. He will smile with his buddies in the dugout but not when he puts on his gear.

redbird5,
I changed my post after seeing it. The job of the pitcher is to be intimidating, that is part of his job.
It's also about humility.

Mine was alwas taught that you don't fret when you are having a poor game and you don't smile when you are having a good one. It carries over to pics.

My son's pics have the "look right through you" killer look. He said his teammates know what he's like. Anyone else should know he's there to beat them. In person my son is very balanced, loose and leads more by example than vocally.

I think there's quite a difference between smiling/not smiling for a posed photo and game time intensity or game face.




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quote:

Originally posted by Rockford Baseball Mom:
To clarify, he isn't grinning or smirking on the mound, but looks happy. The comments we get are something along the lines of, "gee a pitcher who looks happy to be playing and not like he's under so much stress that he's going to explode any moment."

This is a lot different than "smiling". A pitcher should look confidant, comfortable and at ease at his position, this not necessarily mean smiling.

Good examples above, game face is part of the game!

I do think they should smile for some pics, but that isn't part of the "persona" most want to portray.

As long as he is happy nothing else matters.

RPM-- Our son smiles as well. He's loose, and having fun. He can be running a mile for time, and he'll be wearing a smile. When son went out for HS ball last season, his coach was a little concerned how that smile would be taken. Well, it turned out fine. When he saw what son brought to the table, how he prepared, and how his teammates responded, he realized it would be ok. You can intimidate with or without a smile. In addition, opposing coaches have been very nice and respectful to him after the games. They know it isn;t smirkiness, but simply who he is. Personally, I never heard my son say he was intimidated by someone's facial gestures, although I have possibly heard mention of a nasty hook. I wouldn't fret a second over it.

After reading TPM's last post, I should clarify mine. Our son is happy and comfortable. He isn't grinning ear to ear. The smile is subtle, and most of the smile is actually a look of contentment in the eyes. Most people have fun watching our son pitch because he is just enjoying himself.

He may have a great day on the mound, or one he will forget quickly, but you would never know which it was by his look on the mound. It has always been the same.

Most will find that as one moves up a notch, many things that were acceptable at one time no longer apply.

The game moves to a different level and intensity.

JMO.

There isn't a right or wrong approach. There's only the approach that works for the player. You asked about other kid's pics. My son stares through the camera. But when he knows some of the opposition he'll smile and tell them his team is going to kick their behindside.

Interesting topic. I noticed several years ago while checking the UVA roster that most of the players smiled for their individual roster picture. Something that I noticed then, and now, was how handsome they looked and how nice their teeth looked when smiling! I did a quick count of the 35 UVA players rostered, 22 smiled, 5 did not, and 8 were freshmen without pictures. My initial impression was that those that were smiling were people I would like to meet.

I hope that keewartson will smile for an individual high school picture. The braces come off next month!

I spend a lot of loot on my kids teeth so why not show them off.

I went back to my son's HS team pics and he smiled for all of them.

Peer pressure never an issue since he always marched to his own drum and was more a leader than a follower.

Smiling for a picture had nothing to do with his presence on the field and if I were to ask him, I seriously doubt he would have ever given it a thought.

When he played, he was as serious a competitor as there was but it didn't mean he wouldn't smile on the field. After all, it's a game and once you no longer smile and have fun, then what's the point.

Players, and people for that matter, should be true to their personalities. If your a smiler, smile. If you a scowler, scowl. Trying to fit one into the other won't work. Some players play better with a scowl and visa versa.

Look into just about all major league dugouts and you will see players smiling and laughing most of the time. Even while on the field players will laugh and joke with each other from time to time. Playing the game is supposed to be fun. Laughing when you getting beat bad or at crucial times in the end of the game can be out of place, but most times have fun IMO.

I don't believe in laughing at an opponent obviously. A pitcher smiling while on the mound can be taken as showing up the batters and could lead to a brush back or worse if he comes to bat.

My son is a catcher. It is in his personality to look the ump in the face and chat. He's been taught not to look the ump in the face and chat after he introduces himself before the game begins. Does that mean he isn't being true to his personality? I don't think so. He is respecting the game, the traditions, and the ump.

I don't think there's a bright line answer here on showing personality on the field, I just think there is some line. Strutting your stuff after hitting a home run may be your personality, but you shouldn't do it. I'm not saying smiling on the field isn't respecting the game - it would depend upon context. I like to see players have fun and show it. But there are limits.

Nowhere do I say or suggest to disrespect the game or a person. Just be who you are within context of sportsmanship. I think you read a little too much into my post twotex.

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As Backstop-17 mentioned before...



Nice combination...flashing the gold and the ivory!



And one of my favorites...





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Sure sign that it's the off season: We've accumulated 2 webpages of comments on the topic of whether or not baseball players should smile when photographed (and related issues, as well)!

I have yet to see the same answer in this thread which tells me it is a personal choice.

Context means everything yet everyone defines the appropriate context a little differently...

Here are some some different scenarios I can think of...

A walk-off homerun - everyone agrees it is ok to smile as you circle the bases....

Getting the last out of a no-hitter - go ahead and smile...

Winning a championship or qualifier for a championship... yuck it up...

How about hitting a second inning homerun off a nationally ranked pitcher - do you smile as you round the bases or do you not show the outward emotion? Even if you do not show the outward emotion nothing is preventing you from cheering like heck (inside your own mind) as you respectfully circle the bases. Isn't circling the bases with everyone in the stadium watching you fun enough in its own right?

Do you need to smile to have fun? No imho. For example, have you ever gotten good news where you keep it inside at work all day long until you can get home to share it with your family? Didn't those kind of days just float away from blissful enjoyment and peaceful inner thoughts?

Does smiling enhance fun? Yes imho. Obviously, it is fun to smile and it is fun to share enjoyment with others.

If everyone's defintion for showing emotion is different, then there really are no fixed rules as they are all flexible according to an individual's choice. These must be personal codes that people maintain. Obviously, at the extremes, we can get more people to agree when it is and is not appropriate to smile. For instance, smiling during a moment of silence is probably at the extreme end of the spectrum from those who never smile.

Interesting topic nonetheless.

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I agree with you CD. I couldn't really find a picture of Magic or Darwin flashing their inviting smiles while they were actually playing.


And Prepster...

"Sure sign that it's the off season: We've accumulated 2 webpages of comments on the topic of whether or not baseball players should smile when photographed (and related issues, as well)!"

Thanks for the...



So many topics, so many pictures, so little time! Let's get started...







Thoughts? Improvements? Experiences?





Bonus:This just up from Unusually Unusual.

He's still got the smile...and the pipes!




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When I talk about smiling and having fun I am not talking about doing it as a result of a play, hit, HR, strikout or any game event happening at a particular moment. What I'm referring to is the SS and 3B talking between batters; walking out to the field with a smile on your face, joking in the dugout. All the while remaining focused on the tasks at hand. Some players like playing this way, some don't. Either way as long as focus is there and your not dissing the other team, do what works for you.

CD, never smile when rounding the bases, except after a walk off. Especially if you hit one against a very good pitcher because he probably got you out the past 10 times you faced him.

my son is pitcher. always smiles for pictures in baseball. loose in the dug out (the whole team is) but more serious on the mound. i think it is nice when they smile.