Friends, Family, and Baseball

Our old neighbors joined us this weekend as their son was playing in a baseball tournament for 13 year olds.  It ended up being a great weekend for baseball here in Wisconsin as the weather finally cleared and warmed, making it perfect for being outside and enjoying some hardball. 

Unfortunately, the team we were rooting for went 1-2, despite our favorite player crushing the ball and playing well in the field.  Sometimes you run into a buzz saw, and there's nothing that can be done. 

A couple of points from watching the game:

• I was shocked at the amount many of these parents have invested in their kid playing baseball.  Every pitch is life or death.  Coaching is coming in a constant stream from the bleachers as the kid stands in the box.  Umpires are ridiculed like it is the World Series.  Most feedback is negative, not positive.  Personally, if I were a 13 year old kid playing in that environment, I'd choke.  I felt really sorry for a lot of the kids there. 
• 13 year olds can put on a really entertaining game, and I was impressed by the quality of ball being played, and by the grasp of fundamentals they had. 
• I'm quite sure that if the night is a nice one, I could sit outside watching any two teams playing and be quite happy to do so.  Nothing beats a ball game outdoors on a nice summer evening. 

We then attended the Twins game versus the Brewers on Sunday (I'll have a report on our trip to Miller Park tomorrow).  The Twins got swept (there's that buzz saw thing again), but it was a beautiful day to be outside.  After the game my wife and I met up with my uncle and his family for an early dinner where we were able to catch up.  It was good seeing everyone again, despite being razzed for wearing my Joe Mauer jersey to dinner. 

So while the baseball wasn't that good over the weekend, the weather and some great time spent with friends and family more than made up for it.