Iowa

Iowa

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Such a Game

The crowd was arriving for the game under the lights. Parking was at a premium. Mippy waited mumbling, grumbling, sweating smilingly for a parking place. Monkeyboy screaming suggesting that she hurry up so he could practice. Bean rolling her eyes asking Mippy to drive around. Me, humming at an increasing loud volume. sweating in my Phipps sweatshirt...(it was supposed to cool off). We waited for that stupid idiot mother to load her children into the car and back out of the space so we could pull in. I am sure it took her twenty minutes while we were sitting there waiting. Finally....wait.....there is a spot on the other side......should we try for it????(from Mippy) A resounding NO the rest of the car.
Monkeyboy bolted from the car, racing to the field.
Erin making a remark about my sweatshirt, wanting to know if they were forecasting snow and she had missed it (little did she know that it would get down to 75 degrees by the end of the game).
Chairs set up, snacks procured (had to force Bean to go to the concession stand with me).
Let the game begin.
Uh, oh....this doesn't look too good.
Look, here come Ginger and Skipper. They had no trouble parking.
Here comes Bird, on his Harley. He too has no problem parking. The crowd swells to near capacity (30 parents and fans and 10 people who left the swim meet and wanted a laugh.
The crowd quiets. The opposing team scores, scores, scores. We do not.
Monkeyboy pitching. A walk. Uh oh. Good pitches ensue. The inning is over.
The opposing team continues to score. We continue to not score.
Bird needs to get back to work. He waits till Monkeyboy gets up, then has to leave.
It is the sixth inning, the last inning of the game.
Monkeyboy's team gets on base.
The score....13-4....other team.
I turn to Ginger. Maybe, I say. Skipper is ready to leave. We encourage force by holding him down to remain.
Another player gets on base. A loud cheer goes up.
A steal to third and a runner gets in. Only 8 runs to tie are needed.
The crowd is on their feet. I'm pretty sure that Erin is shivering from the cold, but I say nothing. More hits, more runs. Monkeyboy is on third. One out. Score is 13-11. The ball is hit. Runner runs to first, Monkeyboy to home, first base to second, but gets tagged out because the ball hit him. Two outs. The coach argues. Monkeyboy back to third. Another hit, and another walk, more scores. Ginger and I go wild. Screaming, jumping, cheering. Score at the bottom of the sixth.....14-13......Monkeyboy's team.
Their team scored another run. Big deal. What a comeback for Monkeyboy's team. It ended in a tie. My throat was sore, but what a game.
As we left, I think I heard Erin say she was cold, but I could be mistaken.
A baseball game under the lights, a hot dog and soda.....could anything be better? I think not.
A post script: Bean did have her hair cut and donated to Locks of Love. Pictures are posted. Thanks, Bean...your new hair looks great!

16 comments:

Cathy said...

What a play by play, Mia. Loved it. Nothing like a game under the lights.

Bill said...

That is a great play by play and hysterical. Must have made the kids feel great. So, how many games left and is Monkeyboy on the all-star team?

Lori said...

Our baseball season ended for the kids, they were eliminated in the playoffs in the first round. What a comeback to celebrate! And your description is really funny. Did you wear your cowboy boots to the game? I really like them.

Anonymous said...

I love it! It must be a blast to be with all of you at a game. I think I need to rent a kid so I can experience some of this, or come to your games and watch with you.

Shelly said...

Our little league games are never that much fun. The parents sit around gossiping or screaming at the umpires.

Ginger said...

Yes, it was a great game and I was so glad Skipper and I got to enjoy it.
We were (Mia and I) screaming like banshies (whatever that is). We all also did the Senior Wave that is the arms are raissed but we never ger out of our chairs.

Well, Skipper and I are leaving on Wednesday for CA to visit our daughter and family. Hope to enjoy some fun with our grandsons.

Bill said...

The game sounds wonderful, but you have to wonder when parents yell a the umpire. It's a kids game, and has so much to teach them. It should be about team play and about working as a team, no matter what the score. Although, I have to admit, it is a great post and very funny. Good game, Monkeyboy. Did Bean ever get her hair cut? My daughter thinks that is a great idea.

Jen said...

Ahhh, summer vacation is upon us. How fun that first week is for kids, sleeping late, lounging at the pool, baseball games, late night movies. Then reality sets in, two months of this! I think it is different now, many parents work so kids are carted off to summer camps. We used to go to the pool everyday and play kickball every night. My kids are already saying "What can we do today?" It's going to be a long summer!

SocialWorker2 said...

We never got bored until two weeks before school. We had things to do at home, then we would play games, ball, swim at the local pool. We would play in the rain..summer was a wonderful time for us. The ballgame sounds so exciting, Mia, and what a delightful description. Made me laugh on this rainy morning.

Jessica said...

Loved the post, always entertaining. As I remember (and it was a lonnnnng time ago) we had a blast for the first month, then we began to get bored. I wish they had school year around with a month break every so often. I think it would be appreciated by everyone a little more.

Elizabeth said...

There ia a lot of support for school all year round. Kids now go to day camps because parents have to work. And they forget a lotover the summer months. I love the baseball stories, even though I never thought much about baseball.

Allie(cat) said...

What a generous thing for Bean to do! I think the teachers would fight school all year round. They are used to having summers off, and many of them take jobs for that period of time. I agre with Social Worker2, we never got bored until the end of summer. We had a community pool where everyone congregated and always found people and things to keep us occupied.

Mark said...

Little League is great for kids as long as you have a coach who wants to instruct the kids, teach them as opposed to one that is focused on winning. It is, I think, about learning to do things as a team and support each other. The competition can come when they are older. Sounds like quite a game, Mia, congrats to Monkeyboy and what a nice thing for Bean to do.

Summertime Kitty said...

Oh Mia, wasn't sure if that was you or Bob Prince that I heard doing that play by play. You missed your calling! Will Bean let her hair grow again? Made it to 88 degrees today in the Burgh and just got done storming a little. Ahhhh, a Summer Rain.

Tigger said...

What a great post! What a difference in her hair from the after the theater picture to the final cut. I don't know who Bob Prince is, MIs, but that is quite a play by play of the game.

Ben said...

Nothing beats a dog, sun, a cold drink and baseball. And it sounds like Monkeyboy's team gives more entertainment than the Pirates! Nice gesture, Bean, a kind thing to do.