Bubba and I lived 1/3 of our lives playing in the neighborhood, 1/3 roaming the pastures in Leona, and 1/3 learning the ins and outs of the Little League baseball fields at Strawberry Park in Pasadena.
Dad loved coaching baseball when we were little. He coached Clay on the Baracudas, where I was hands down the cutest Bat Girl ever! Or at least that’s what my daddy told me!
Then he coached Clay on the Chiefs, where I also was the cutest little Bat Girl for a second year!
Then Clay moved up to machine pitch and I started my award winning career in tee-ball as the only girl on the Chiefs team.
I remember watching my dad and the other dad coaches get so into the games and so heated up if they didn’t like the call…or if I chased a runner from 2nd base to homeplate trying to tag him only for him to beat me and score the winning run.
Parents get so into those Little League games. Of course I just assumed that it was my parents and have always prided myself on how I would never be one of "those" parents. I would be the mom who encouraged win or lose and focus more on the having fun part rather than the competition. I would never raise my voice and yell against another child or per say against another adult.
However, that all changed this past Monday!
One of my fake nephews, Braxton, had his first season of playing coach pitch Little League for the Tampa Bay Rays.
His team had made it to the finals and were having potentially their last or best game to date on Monday. So, of course, I went out to support them along with his mom Kathryn.
I was cracking up at the beginning because Kathryn yelled the entire game and was totally playing the part of “Crazy Baseball Mom”!! However, it was extremely warranted because the Rays were in the lead and beating the undefeated team the entire game.
I thought I would make a few claps, yell some encouraging words, jump up occasionally when Braxton got a hit, but nothing more.
That is until the last inning when the other team were on the verge of making a comeback and stealing the win from us. Then it only made matters worse that when the other team was up to bat one of their coaches came over to our side and started coaching the batters through the fence. He continued said cheating even after not one, but two umpires told him to cut it out.
Well the inner “Crazy Baseball Mom” in me totally came out! I stood up, marched over to that coach, stood right beside him, and every time he tried to give his batter pointers, I would yell/scream at the top of my lungs for the Rays! The batters never got to hear another word he was saying!
Sadly, the cheating team ended up winning and our boys held their heads high as their coach told them how proud he was of them and passed out a super cool trophy!
I’m not quite sure my children will be able to play Little League after how I behaved this past Monday.
Way to Go Braxton and the Rays!!!
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