Spring Training

“Hey batter, hey batter, hey batter, swing!” As a not-very-athletic child, this was the chant I heard from the opposing team when I was at bat in a softball game. The intent was to jangle the batter’s nerves so they would strike out.

Tee ball is quite the opposite. My four-year-old grandnephew, Coleson, plays for the Seattle Mariners! He looks darling in his uniform and mugs for the camera. A leftie, he has a red catcher’s mitt.

The Mariners play the Party Animals. The ball sits atop a tee, so no one strikes out. The kids hit, run the bases, throw, and chase the ball—but no one keeps score. This is my kind of game!

When I arrive, Coleson is sitting in the dugout, being consoled by his mother after getting hit in the stomach by a ball. He is a bit easily distracted, so he didn’t notice the ball heading his way. Thankfully, the injury was brief, and Mom bribed him to return to the game with the promise of a mini-scone at Starbucks afterward.

Watching the festivities, I haven’t laughed so much in quite some time. When Coleson is at bat, the infinitely patient coach picks him up and positions his body, arms, and legs near the tee, ensuring he will hit the ball. Whack! “Run, Coleson, run!” the coach calls. In no particular rush, Coleson lopes to first base. The next batter hits the ball, and Coleson stays put. “Run, Coleson, run!” The coach finally gets his attention, and he jogs to second base. When he reaches third, he daydreams and makes faces at his family cheering on the sidelines.

One of the Party Animals, a little girl in the infield, carefully piles up dirt to make a small volcano. In the outfield, a pint-sized player just wants to hug the coach. Back in the infield, another boy enjoys rolling over and over in the dirt.

Unlike other kinds of baseball, the route from base to base is not a straight line. Some kids take a scenic route from second to third, running around other players before arriving at their destination. Oh boy—something exciting is happening! A batter hits the ball into the outfield! In a flash, half the team charges ahead to retrieve it. Who they will throw it to is anybody’s guess.

~ Ruth Rezos