Parents vs. Kids

Last night was a fun night! It was Andrew's last baseball practice of the season. The coach thought we'd spice things up by having a Parents vs. Kids game. Wow, was that fun!!! The kids were talking SO MUCH trash!! Anyway, after all was sad and done, the coach sent out the following email. I can't take credit for the awesome writing!

Every few years, there comes a match up between titans of baseball so colossal that time seems to stand still during play. Old men become giddy school boys, and school boys seemingly grow wise beyond their years. All because of baseball.

Tonight was just such a game. A game that will transcend the ages. A game that will, perhaps, redefine Ashburn as we know it. This was indeed a game where legends are born, and only time makes these legends immortal. Let it never be said that Americans are dispassionate about baseball, or that they are disinterested in humiliating their family members. Tonight's game gave us a passionate display of both, particularly the latter. Grown men cried. Refined women spit. Little (innocent?) children cursed. Families were split in two. And all was right with the world. All because of baseball.

Truly, words can not capture the number of momentum swings that the game, its fans and its players experienced. You want momentum swings? The recent volatility in the stock market would have to be considered a flat liner compared to this game. You want edge-of-your-seat excitement? The Olympic 100-meter sprint would be a yawner compared to this game. Indeed, the game started out as a defensive battle, with the ace hurler throwing darts to all batters. Suddenly, in the heat of battle, the defense fell apart, like a soviet-era "armored" tank. From that point on, it was a battle of wills where you knew that the the last man, woman or child standing would be standing not on crutches, but on heart alone. The game, as it always does, turned into a metaphor for life as we know it. Poetically, the game ended in a tie because of darkness.

As with any match up, there were controversies. Did Steve W. intentionally stick his foot out to kill the ball to create a dead ball when he was the third base coach? Is that even the rule? Did that "creative coaching maneuver" really help his then-struggling team? Did Scott B. really pay off Greg E. to stay way from the game so that the parents had a fighting chance? No one will ever know, but it will at least be a point of discussion for years to come. All because of baseball.

Years from now, this will be on of those games that everyone will claim to have laid witness to.

"Were you there when Carlton Fisk willed that home run to stay fair in game 6 of the '75 World Series?" "Yeah, I was there."

"Were you there when Charisse R. ripped that double to make her son cry?" "Yeah, I was there."

All because of baseball.

Great game tonight to all. Thanks so much for all the parents coming out. Personally, I had a blast and I hope the players and their families had a blast as well.

Cheers,Todd