But the people he's working for are baseball people: His bosses played with him last year on a summer league team. Most of the players in Middle Son's wood bat summer league are college kids. Some play Division I ball, some Division II. There are a lot of Division III kids like Middle Son; so many of his teammates are in this league that they are parceled out over two teams.
It's not the Cape Cod League (which boasts an incredible number of alumni on major league rosters).It's not even the Northwoods League -- which is an up and coming summer proving ground for would-be major leaguers.
But it's baseball. And it's competitive. But -- like Middle Son's bosses -- some of the people who play in the league are well past their college days. The head baseball coach at the high school that my sons attended is involved in the league... as a player.
Last year Middle Son had a stretch of games where -- for a change -- he did something besides pitch. He played first base or right field. He even got a chance to bat a few times... all because the old guys on his team went to a tournament in Florida for a week.
Middle Son wasn't invited to go last year. But he was invited this year.
And he's excited. He just called to say that his Summer School professor will let him take his final early so he can make the trip. I'm pretty sure that the trip will be approved by Middle Son's college coach: The guys going on the trip play on one of the teams where the coach places his players for the summer. I am a little concerned that Middle Son not fall afoul of any NCAA regulations in making this trip; when he comes down to earth a little -- hopefully by this evening -- I'll remind him of this again.
And of course he's going to Florida with a bunch of 20 or 30-somethings who are going to play baseball and... what else?
So there's risks. And I'll be nervous. But I think -- I hope -- this may be an opportunity for Middle Son. It certainly will be an opportunity to interact with older players... something that he'd have to do if he ever hopes to play beyond college. And the tournament they've entered supposedly has booked games at a number of minor league diamonds....
But I'm getting waaaaaaaaaay ahead of myself here. Maybe someone will see him toiling at his craft and be impressed. Hopefully he won't get in any trouble. And, in any event, he should return from this trip with a fund of new stories.
The only thing for sure that Middle Son will ever get out of baseball is his own stories. I hope they're good ones.
4 comments:
Congrats to middle son. I am sure he has the good sense not to do anything too daft. I am also faiurly sure that his older companions may actually look after him more closely even than you would.
On another note, as an experienced blogger, how do you handle negative reactions to your blog posts? I have had someone take exception to something I wrote. Other than saying sorry I didn't mean it to them what can I do?
I can't imagine you'd offend on purpose... and I have been pretty successful (as far as I know) in keeping my anonymity so no one I know has been offended by something I've written.
Yet.
That I know about.
I did get called out recently by someone I named in a post who was offended by what was said about him by someone else. I had quoted that someone else. But there wasn't much to say or do about that, was there?
I hope you can smooth things over.
Your middle son has the spirit to look for something better, A telemarketeer isn't a good job.
That's great!
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