My First Tee-Ball Game

I always knew that I would have children, but I never imagined it would be so much darn fun!

When my son turned 5 (he's 20 now), he was a baseball nut. He woke up thinking baseball, went to sleep thinking baseball and all he talked about was baseball. He ate it, drank it, breathed it and embraced it with everything he had.

When he found out that he could actually play on a team, he was adamant about playing and we signed him up for a local tee ball league for 4 and 5 year olds. Now I was going to get to watch MY kid do all the things my dad watched me do. I can honestly say that I miss those days now they are gone, but that first game was a peach of an experience.

As you know, in tee ball, they do not keep score. All the players are winners and no one EVER loses. Tee ball is about teaching basics and fundamentals to prepare them for the minors at age 7 or 8, depending on the kid. My son learned the FUNdamentals very well that first year and it showed when he played the first time.

He came to bat and took aim at the ball on the tee. As he drew the bat back for a mighty swing, I held my breath. Of course, he missed that first swing and I was dying inside for him. I thought "C'mon son! HIT the ball!". He drew back again and this time he just whiffed the ball enough to knock it off the tee and about a third of the way to the pitcher's mound.

The pitcher had no idea what to do and stood there as his coach was yelling :"Get the ball! GET THE BALL!!" He went to the ball casually, like he was bothered by having to move off the mound. Here's where he tries to be Joe Garagiola. He picks up the ball and whirls around, firing the ball as fast as his little 5 year old arm would allow. The ball sailed past the first baseman and into right field a little ways.

By now, my son was around first and on his way to second. The right fielder and first baseman reached the ball at the same time, looked at each other and it struck me that they each thought the other was supposed to do something, but neither one knew what that was! Reminded me of the Lorax from the Dr. Seuss books.

Finally, the first baseman grabs the ball and heaves it to second base. Problem is that Chuck was already half way past second with his sights set squarely on third. The second baseman actually caught the ball and again I caught my breath. Instead of throwing the ball, he intends to catch the base runner and tag him out unassisted, so he takes off after my son. The whole time, the coach is yelling "Throw the ball" and "What are you doing?" and "Throw it to third". That's what he did, kind of, and it rolled past the third baseman's feet untouched. The kid on third was kicking a rock around and never saw it coming.

He didn't know anything was even happening until Chuck ran past him, homing in on home plate. By now the left fielder had retrieved the ball, yelled at the third baseman and asked the coach "What should I do?" to which the coach says "I don't know, what do you think you should do?"

My son had now crossed home plate amid the roars of his team mates. The left fielder looks at the coach and says "I don't know. You're the coach" and the coach laughed hysterically.

As parents, we have relived that first baseball experience many times over the past 15 years. I hope my son tells his son someday about his first time batting and hitting a home run.

Yeah.