There have been some strange happenings in the world of baseball and no I am not talking about the Pirates being in first place.
In general baseball fans may be losing it.
At a recent San Francisco Giants baseball game a cameraman zoomed in on a pouting kid with his arms crossed. A foul ball was hit to his section and a woman in front of him caught the ball. The announcers kept going back to the kid who’s sour face never relaxed. At one point the adult with the child takes a call on his cell phone and one can only assume it is someone letting him know that his spoiled kid’s antics have been the centerpiece of the game.
But alas the kid is rewarded as the team brought him his very own ball that he didn’t have to catch.
Lesson 1: Keep pouting because it will be rewarded.
Kansas City Royal Jeff Francoeur’s bat went flying into the stands and an excited woman caught the bat. But her enjoyment did not last long as another woman ripped it from her hands and walked away. The woman sat there is a confused expression. I will be honest, at a recent Pirates game I considered ripping a shirt from the hands of a guy seated behind me. But then I remembered – I am an adult.
Lesson 2: If pouting doesn’t work just rip the item from the person’s hand.
Days after a Texas Rangers fan died trying to catch a foul ball for his son a fan at the home-run derby thought it would be a good idea to stand on a table to try to catch home run balls. He had already caught several. When he reached for the ball he went over the railing and his friends quickly caught him.
Lesson 3: Putting your life on the line is acceptable if you are being greedy and trying to catch a third home run ball.
Luckily the true lessons in baseball are still good. Look at the Pirates. For years they have been the butt of jokes, the team that tarnishes the champion mentality of Pittsburgh. But this year they thankfully are not listening to the hype. By listening to Clint Hurdle’s one game at a time slogan they are in first place and sent three to the All-star game.
Instead of pouting about missed balls, nearly fighting for a bat and putting my life on the line I think I will stick with raising the jolly roger.