The End of the Baseball Season

Baseball season is finally over for us.  We played a regular season and then had the All Star season.  Most of our summer has been spent at a game or traveling to a game.  Matt and Daulton spent their time on the field and I spent my time in the stands cheering them on.  Spending this much time in the stands has given me the opportunity to observe fellow baseball parents and fans.  I have come to the conclusion that baseball parents fall into five categories.

Types of Baseball Parents

The Yeller - The Yeller yells at his kid, your kid, the coach and the umpire and disagrees with every call and every decision.  You can spot The Yeller easily because there is usually no one sitting next to them as no one wants to have their eardrums blown out.  The Yeller is also likely to get into fist fights and display the complete opposite of good sportsmanship behavior.  Avoid this type of fan at all costs.

The Pacer - The Pacer never sits down at a baseball game or any other sporting event.  They can be found pacing the sidelines and can be found giving advice to those in the dugout.  Whatever you do, do not try to get a Pacer to sit down and watch the game with you.  You both will be miserable and it will not end well.  Let the Pacer do his/her thing.  (For the record, I married a Pacer and it took some time before I realized it wasn't that he didn't want to be seen in public with me.  I no longer mind being left on the bleachers where I can chat with other parents and catch up with the grandparents.)

The Cheerleader - The Cheerleader is baseball's equivalent of the eternal optimist.  You could miss every ball that comes by you and strike out at every at bat and The Cheerleader will continue to cheer regardless of your performance.  If cheering too loud, The Cheerleader will be spotted sitting alone but can most likely be found sitting with other Cheerleaders.  The Cheerleader is also most likely to be the team mom or snack coordinator.

The Fair Weather Fan - This type of fan can only be seen when the temperature is perfect for baseball watching.  You will not see The Fair Weather Fan in rain, snow, or any temperature below 65 degrees.

The Living Vicariously - This is the worst type of baseball fan.  This fan, usually a parent, had aspirations of their own baseball domination and fell short.  So now its up to their kid to make their dreams happen.  The Living Vicariously has their child's rise to athletic stardom already mapped out and failure is not an option.  Its sad and frustrating to watch. 

Most fans fall into those categories.  Occasionally a jerk shows up.  But the good people outweigh the occasional jerk or two.  For the most part, everyone is there to cheer on the team and the boys playing the game.

This baseball season we learned that you win some and you lose some.  Its important to be a good sport and to always give it 100% effort.