Have a Catch or Play Catch
I’m not sure if you have a catch or play catch, but I was doing one of those things with my 7 year old this morning. He asked to play before heading to the bus stop, which is something that is nearly impossible to say no to.
He is still a little scared of the ball. He’ll take a bit of a step back or turn away as the ball arrives. He’s still pretty good at catching it. It is a tennis ball, so it is easier to throw and doesn’t hurt if it gets him in the arm. We probably had about 50–60 throws each.
You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you this.
Kids at this age can be fragile. It doesn’t take many balls in the face to discourage a kid from playing. It doesn’t take many rec league games standing alone in right field and getting plunked in one of two at bats. It doesn’t take much to have them quit baseball before they’ve even started. I’m not suggesting we all get out our helicopters and drop participation trophies from the skies, but I am suggesting we make these early baseball activities as fun and engaging as possible.
For my son, I constantly have my eye on his fun and frustration meters. I’m looking for the smile or the head down slouch. You can see their energy level in each throw.
When he’s struggling with his glove, I’ll have him drop it and just use his hands. When he’s acting scared of the ball in the air, I will throw him one hoppers. If that isn’t working, I’ll throw him grounders. When things are going well, we’ll count how many catches he can get in a row.
Of all of the different methods I use to keep it fun and engaging, there is one that always works the best. I squat down into the catcher’s stance and show him the target. We exchange smiles and he looks in for the sign. When the first pitch comes in, which is often the most accurate throw of the day, I make sure to do my best umpire impression.
A quiet “Ball” or a loud, bordering on obnoxious, “Stttrrriiike!” with a point to the right. Every kid enjoys that sound. I’ll call out the count, the outs, and the runners (likely of the ghost variety). Sometimes if he’s finding the zone, I’ll engage the imagination…bottom of the 9th, World Series Game 7, protecting a one-run lead.
I haven’t really perfected my strike call, but my son doesn’t care. My strike zone is pretty liberal, and that keeps the home team happy. Unfortunately, the call of the ump, one of the more unique and engaging parts of the game, is in danger. Despite strikeouts being up, animated umpiring is on the decline.
I’m not sure if the umpires today don’t feel cool ringing guys up anymore. Maybe they don’t want to offend the hitters. If you’re looking for some examples, check out this compilation. People will say that we don’t come to watch the umps. I’m not sure that is completely true, but the call of the ump is part of the fabric of the game, and a key component to engage the kids.
That brings me to the next question. What will robo-umps do to the game? MLB likes to refer to this as Automated Balls and Strikes (ABS) and is testing it out at various levels of the game. Robo-umps will get more calls right, but they will take one of the more interesting human elements from the game.
I still think we need to grade our umps on their accuracy, but that report card should have a grade for theatrical exuberance. I’ll take my C-Minus as long as it comes with a smile.
