Little League

Little League

Today was the beginning of Baseball season in our house. Little League started and my triplets had their first taste of “The National Pastime”. Of the three five year old’s, my son Joseph is the most serious about the game. He’s been waiting for this day for a long time; practicing with his Grandfather and asking all sorts of Baseball questions. He was ecstatic when we finally went to the sporting goods store to buy Baseball cleats and his first real Baseball mitt. He’ll be a dedicated player and probably end up playing shortstop or first base.

Then there is Michael. Let’s just say that the song by Peter, Paul and Mary, “Right Field”, is appropriate for him. He’ll be “Watching the dandelions grow.” That’s OK by me. I spent a lot of time in right field myself praying that the ball never came my way.

Rose is somewhere in between the two. She’s more interested in socializing and making new friends than actually playing. Which, again, is OK by me. That’s what Little League is all about.

Even little Matthew wanted in on the fun and was very upset when he realized that he was too little to play on the team. So, to cushion the blow, we dressed him up as a pirate (the team name is the Pirates) and he went as a kind of team mascot. It was very cute.

Now, if any of you have never been to the first day of Tee Ball practice, this is how it goes. You have a bunch of five year old’s jumping around, excited, like they just mainlined sugar on Halloween. The coach is trying to wrangle them up and teach them the rules of Baseball. He does this with little memory games that explain the bases, hitting the ball, running the bases, scoring and such. Then they try and put the rules into practice by actually playing a little.

Michael steps up to the plate and holds the bat like a rifle, pointing it at the guy at first base like he’s gonna blast him. When someone hits the ball, the guy on first runs to second and the guy on second runs to first as the coach and parents yell directions at the kids. The kid who hit the ball makes it to first and keeps on going in a straight line past it. The kid on third is hopping up and down, whether he’s excited or just has to go pee I don’t know.

And then there is Matthew yelling “Go Pie Waites!” in his tricorne pirate hat.

I’ve never enjoyed Baseball so much.