A little help from the dads of TBD...

[Bullpen]

So my son had a freshman baseball game yesterday that I, my wife and my mother-in-law attended. I should preface this by saying, I'm definitely NOT a "little league parent" who's coaching from the stands, berating my son or other players, getting into the coaches business or forcing him into playing something he doesn't WANT to play. It's up to him what he wants to do and I'm not going to impose my will on him and end up having him hate a sport because it gets turned into a chore rather than what it is "a game."

 

Okay, so he kept his season hitless streak going. At which point my mother-in-law says to me “You really ought to work with him on his hitting.”

 

To which I replied:

 

“Really? Ya think? Do you REALLY think I haven’t? Really? Do you think I just spend hundreds of dollars on equipment and uniform items and just turn him loose so at least he LOOKS good playing crappy baseball? Why when a kid struggles does everyone immediately look at the dad and say you need to work with him? He’s 14-years-old, everything I try to teach him is met with ‘I know’ and then he goes back to doing whatever HE thinks is the right way to do things.”

 

Her reply was “well you’re the dad.” So because I'm the dad, I was a fairly decent baseball player back home in WNY, due to "trickle down talent" he should be a good ball player also? Just fuggin great so if he was a girl and didn’t know how give up the nappy-dugout, people would look at the mom and say “Well you’re the mom, teach her how to screw right.”

 

I have taken him to cages, I have pitched to him, I've thrown him soft-toss, I've bought him a hit-a-way and books on hitting, he just doesn't want to use the tools I've given him. I'm not resentful, but I'm of the mind, you get what you put in.

 

How do I politely say, “look baseball requires hard work, genetics and luck. He doesn’t want to work on anything that’s hard (thus the reason it’s called WORK). He didn’t exactly get the pick o’ the litter on genetics (and THAT ONE is out of my hands as I legally adopted him as my son a few years ago, sorry can’t take the blame for THAT). Luck is based on Karma he he’s done his share of kicking Karma in the nuts based on this school records, so he’s got all the luck he earned being a knucklehead to himself and his teachers.” His mother has said the same thing to me in the past and I've explained that he doesn't want to listen and he'll initially make it look like he's putting forth some effort but after a day or two, he's done and moves on to something else. Seriously, how do I break it to his mother and his grandmother, that the boy ain’t gonna get any better until he wants to listen and work?

 

Sorry for the rant, but at least it was cathartic for me to vent here.

[Alaska Darin]

Sounds like a teenager to me. Don't fret, soon he'll be asking you to co-sign for college loans. You'll look back on this with much fonder memories, trust me.

[KD in CA]

I think you are frustrated by your son's performance and you're redirecting your anger onto your M-I-L for what was nothing more than a mildly annoying but very typical M-I-L comment.

 

That'll be $125. See you next week.

 

 

 

 

 

p.s. teach the kid to fuggin' hit already.

[VABills]

I am going to relate this to golf a bit. I see folks buy new equipment, best of everything every year. Buy all the best training videos. Spend hours every week at the driving range. Yet they still shoot 100 or worse. Coaches don't coach any more, they really are babysitters and politicians.

 

I am going to tell you what I tell my sucky ass golf buddies. Find a good hitting instructor and pay money for him to work with that guy. Period. Don't just throw ball after ball at him. You may not see it and it's likely the coach doesn't either. But he has bad mechanics and practicing bad mechanics is just that, getting better at swinging badly. Stop it now, get the instruction from a qualified hitting instructor. Your wallet in the long run will find it cheaper then buying that new bat every year. And the hours upon hours in the batting cage.

 

Talk to some of the parents and see if their kdi went to a baseball camp or sees a hitting instructor, especially if it is a good player and take your kid there.

[taterhill]

2 weeks at the taterhill school of hitting and I will have that kid hitting 600....

[VABills]

2 weeks at the taterhill school of hitting and I will have that kid hitting 600....

If you are a good instructor, I'd take him up bullpen. Kids listen to other people, but parents are stupid.

[Nervous Guy]

You can't teach passion and drive...that comes from within...if he wants it bad enough he'll work. Nothing comes without work, no matter who you are.

[Bullpen]

Wow, quick (and even useful) responses. There's kernels of wisdom in each one of your replies. True Darin, we will look back on this with fonder memories, which is part of the reason, I don't want to turn batting practice or time at the cage into a traumatic "I hate you dad" moment.

 

I told him, if he keeps his grades up and his mouth shut at school, I would spring for some hitting instruction with a qualified third-party. Thinking along VA's words that parents are idiots and a third-party removed might be a good idea.

 

Part of my genetic defect is when it comes to teaching be it golf, fishing or baseball, the only way I know how is to say "watch how I do it." I can watch his swing for days, and I can tell there's something wrong, but I can't put my finger on it. (kinda like the politician who said "I don't know what pornography is but I can tell you, when I see it). I'm just wired that way, I can show, but I can't "tell" or "diagnose the defects."

 

Thanks for the help guys, seriously.

[Gordio]

So my son had a freshman baseball game yesterday that I, my wife and my mother-in-law attended. I should preface this by saying, I'm definitely NOT a "little league parent" who's coaching from the stands, berating my son or other players, getting into the coaches business or forcing him into playing something he doesn't WANT to play. It's up to him what he wants to do and I'm not going to impose my will on him and end up having him hate a sport because it gets turned into a chore rather than what it is "a game."

 

Okay, so he kept his season hitless streak going. At which point my mother-in-law says to me “You really ought to work with him on his hitting.”

 

To which I replied:

 

“Really? Ya think? Do you REALLY think I haven’t? Really? Do you think I just spend hundreds of dollars on equipment and uniform items and just turn him loose so at least he LOOKS good playing crappy baseball? Why when a kid struggles does everyone immediately look at the dad and say you need to work with him? He’s 14-years-old, everything I try to teach him is met with ‘I know’ and then he goes back to doing whatever HE thinks is the right way to do things.”

 

Her reply was “well you’re the dad.” So because I'm the dad, I was a fairly decent baseball player back home in WNY, due to "trickle down talent" he should be a good ball player also? Just fuggin great so if he was a girl and didn’t know how give up the nappy-dugout, people would look at the mom and say “Well you’re the mom, teach her how to screw right.”

 

I have taken him to cages, I have pitched to him, I've thrown him soft-toss, I've bought him a hit-a-way and books on hitting, he just doesn't want to use the tools I've given him. I'm not resentful, but I'm of the mind, you get what you put in.

 

How do I politely say, “look baseball requires hard work, genetics and luck. He doesn’t want to work on anything that’s hard (thus the reason it’s called WORK). He didn’t exactly get the pick o’ the litter on genetics (and THAT ONE is out of my hands as I legally adopted him as my son a few years ago, sorry can’t take the blame for THAT). Luck is based on Karma he he’s done his share of kicking Karma in the nuts based on this school records, so he’s got all the luck he earned being a knucklehead to himself and his teachers.” His mother has said the same thing to me in the past and I've explained that he doesn't want to listen and he'll initially make it look like he's putting forth some effort but after a day or two, he's done and moves on to something else. Seriously, how do I break it to his mother and his grandmother, that the boy ain’t gonna get any better until he wants to listen and work?

 

Sorry for the rant, but at least it was cathartic for me to vent here.

 

 

This post had me laughing for a good five minutes especially the part where the mother needs to teach the daughter how to screw right. I needed that, thanks.

 

As far as your problem goes, it just sounds like your boy is not an athlete. It is okay, believe me there are alot of worse things in life. At 14 baseball should not be work, it should come natural. It sounds to me like he is not much of an athlete. I would just sign him up for somethingn else, that he maybe good at. & as far as your M-I-L goes, just tell her to go fug herself. I have an annoying M-I-L too, & that seems to do the trick everytime.

[bills_fan]

I am going to relate this to golf a bit. I see folks buy new equipment, best of everything every year. Buy all the best training videos. Spend hours every week at the driving range. Yet they still shoot 100 or worse. Coaches don't coach any more, they really are babysitters and politicians.

 

I am going to tell you what I tell my sucky ass golf buddies. Find a good hitting instructor and pay money for him to work with that guy. Period. Don't just throw ball after ball at him. You may not see it and it's likely the coach doesn't either. But he has bad mechanics and practicing bad mechanics is just that, getting better at swinging badly. Stop it now, get the instruction from a qualified hitting instructor. Your wallet in the long run will find it cheaper then buying that new bat every year. And the hours upon hours in the batting cage.

 

Talk to some of the parents and see if their kdi went to a baseball camp or sees a hitting instructor, especially if it is a good player and take your kid there.

 

 

What he said. Your son will probably listen to a third party. Go to a hitting instructor and have him do the teaching. They use video review, and you really see things that you would not otherwise see.

[stuckincincy]

Okay, so he kept his season hitless streak going. At which point my mother-in-law says to me “You really ought to work with him on his hitting.”

 

To which I replied:

 

“Really? Ya think? Do you REALLY think I haven’t? Really? Do you think I just spend hundreds of dollars on equipment and uniform items and just turn him loose so at least he LOOKS good playing crappy baseball? Why when a kid struggles does everyone immediately look at the dad and say you need to work with him? He’s 14-years-old, everything I try to teach him is met with ‘I know’ and then he goes back to doing whatever HE thinks is the right way to do things.”

 

Next time...just nod. Giving a bag of sh*t - about a triviality - to one's MIL is not a recommended practice...

 

Got it?

[Bullpen]

At 14 baseball should not be work, it should come natural. It sounds to me like he is not much of an athlete. I would just sign him up for somethingn else, that he maybe good at.

You're right, he's not much of an athlete, but I'm actually fine with that. As long as he's a good kid and stays out of trouble (and baseball is part of that equation) I'm happy. That's the thing he really LIKES baseball, but he's just not great at it. As long as he likes it and can make the teams, I'll be happy to pay the legalized extortion it costs for him to play public high school baseball.

 

What he said. Your son will probably listen to a third party. Go to a hitting instructor and have him do the teaching. They use video review, and you really see things that you would not otherwise see.

 

We've sent him to camps, but I think one-on-one attention might be better for him, you're right there.

 

Next time...just nod. Giving a bag of sh*t - about a triviality - to one's MIL is not a recommended practice...

 

Got it?

 

Understood, she's staying with us all week as it turns out. Keeping in mind I'm the cook of the house, I should have just left her steak on the grill a eensty-weensty bit too long huh?

[VABills]

What he said. Your son will probably listen to a third party. Go to a hitting instructor and have him do the teaching. They use video review, and you really see things that you would not otherwise see.

Good point. That Peter Pan guy is probably getting pretty old. Maybe he needs to start training his replacement.

[Gordio]

You're right, he's not much of an athlete, but I'm actually fine with that. As long as he's a good kid and stays out of trouble (and baseball is part of that equation) I'm happy. That's the thing he really LIKES baseball, but he's just not great at it. As long as he likes it and can make the teams, I'll be happy to pay the legalized extortion it costs for him to play public high school baseball.

 

 

 

We've sent him to camps, but I think one-on-one attention might be better for him, you're right there.

 

 

 

Understood, she's staying with us all week as it turns out. Keeping in mind I'm the cook of the house, I should have just left her steak on the grill a eensty-weensty bit too long huh?

 

 

Ah, if he likes it then tell him to keep at it.

 

As far as your M-I-L staying the week, good luck with that. Consider yourself lucky, my M-I-L lives 10 minutes away from me & pretty much drops over anytime she dam well pleases. Between that & the 30 phone calls she gives us a day it is hard to take. My wife pretty much cant even stand her anymore & my 3yr old son yesterday said to me "I dont want to talk to grandma, she really annoys me". I took him to Dairy Queen right after he said that.

[Beerball]

Understood, she's staying with us all week as it turns out. Keeping in mind I'm the cook of the house, I should have just left her steak on the grill a eensty-weensty bit too long huh?

Perhaps a bit too short a time on the grill for some pork chops tonight? "Naw MIL, nothing wrong with a red center."

 

 

I agree with those who mentioned a hitting coach. Amazing what someone who does it for a living can pick up, and equally amazing how willing a kid can be about listening to someone other than dad.

[stuckincincy]

Understood, she's staying with us all week as it turns out. Keeping in mind I'm the cook of the house, I should have just left her steak on the grill a eensty-weensty bit too long huh?

 

Digging for rock bottom, eh? Check your ego at the stovetop.

 

Well..it's your life...

[RayFinkle]

Sneak him into the Canadian Ballet. Tell him you'll take him back when he bats .300, he'll be Charlie Hustle before you know it.

[Joe Miner]

Perhaps a bit too short a time on the grill for some pork chops tonight? "Naw MIL, nothing wrong with a red center."

 

 

I agree with those who mentioned a hitting coach. Amazing what someone who does it for a living can pick up, and equally amazing how willing a kid can be about listening to someone other than dad.

 

The original topic has brought up an even more potentially helpful topic, that of dealing with the mother-in-law.

 

How is it that many women turn into the devil incarnate when their child gets married?

 

How is it that many men aren't able to tell their wives to back off when they should plainly be able to tell it's causing problems for their child's family?

 

How is it that spouses are more willing to deal with problems actual from their mates than with potential problems from their parents?

 

Oh, on topic, I'd suggest a well endowed female Swedish hitting instructor that wears very tight clothing that takes a hands-on approach to teaching your kid how to hit. My bet is he'll become the most "well-polished" hitter on the team.

[VABills]

The original topic has brought up an even more potentially helpful topic, that of dealing with the mother-in-law.

 

How is it that many women turn into the devil incarnate when their child gets married?

 

How is it that many men aren't able to tell their wives to back off when they should plainly be able to tell it's causing problems for their child's family?

 

How is it that spouses are more willing to deal with problems actual from their mates than with potential problems from their parents?

 

Oh, on topic, I'd suggest a well endowed female Swedish hitting instructor that wears very tight clothing that takes a hands-on approach to teaching your kid how to hit. My bet is he'll become the most "well-polished" hitter on the team.

And she'll be arrested on on the front of CNN in no time.

[kegtapr]

Buy him some roids.