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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2005 > March > 18 > Entry
Son, we need to have THE talk. Meet me at home plate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’re in that weird time between winter and spring. Soon the dogwood will bloom and the allergy clinics will be making two trips to the bank every day. People visiting Atlanta in the spring, during pollen season, must think we’re all Irish or just very fond of green clothing and hair.
Spring is when you get a nice sunny day with the temperature in the 70s only to be crushed the next day with a 35-degree rainy deluge. It’s like living in Seattle. Winter just won’t give up.
The real joy of spring is baseball. In Georgia, Little League baseball starts in February. We have to weather the cold and rainouts. I am convinced that rain follows my practice schedule so accurately that the Atlanta Meteorological Society posts it on their Web site.
(For your five-day forecast, click on “Steve’s Practice Schedule.”)
I’ve coached baseball for a very long time. My kids are now 13. They’re not Little Leaguers anymore; they’re “Dude Leaguers.”
Everyone on my team is “Dude.” Our coaches wear uniforms that say Coach Dude. It is easy to do the lineup: 1b Dude, 2b Dude, etc.
“Dude, I want you to warm up in the bullpen with the catching dude. Let me know when you dudes are ready.”
“Coach Dude? The ump-dude is calling them low.”
And so it goes.
Every spring I make another attempt at “The game of baseball is like the game of life” talk. Somehow I think that if I could get my children to understand the fundamentals of baseball and how it can be applied to life, then I’d inspire them. My baseball-playing son is the youngest of four. I’m O-for-3 with his siblings.
“Son, we need to have a talk.”
“Uh, I really don’t need to. We’ve got HBO, remember?”
“Not that talk! The life is like baseball talk!”
“Can I play X-Box?”
“No! It’s time for the baseball talk. Like life, baseball is a game designed to award those who develop the ability to be consistent. Baseball is a game designed to allow you to fail sometimes. That’s why you play so many games. You always have another chance to make it. In the big leagues, a very successful hitter gets only three hits every 10 times at the plate. You get more than one opportunity, so if you learn and be consistent with a good work ethic and learn to practice your fundamentals you’ll increase your chances of success.”
“Uh, OK.”
“When you fail at something in life, usually you’ll have another chance. It doesn’t mean you’re done. You get chances in life, much like chances in baseball, only with less stats. Baseball gives you a chance to do well at the plate and also in the field. If you have a bad day at the plate you can always recover by having a good day in the field. In life, if you have a bad day at work you can always rebound at home.”
“That’s basketball.”
“What?”
“Rebound is basketball.”
“Look! Are you getting the point here? Baseball is probably the most perfect game in the world and it can be a great example of how you should direct your life! There are so many parallels to use as examples! Do you see it?” “What about the suicide squeeze?”
“Forget that. Not all of the terms apply. Itis the big picture. Just think about it.”
“Hey. What about the cheese?”
“What cheese?”
“You know, bringing the cheese or the pitcher’s throwing high-cheese or ….”
“Look. Iim just trying to explain how baseball can be like life. I have a headache. Here’s a DVD called ‘Bull Durham.’” It explains everything.”
“OK, Dude.”
O-4.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By tim
March 21, 2005 1:23 AM | Link to this
Dear Officer Steve, I enjoyed your column when it was police oriented. It seems your trying to be a Dave Berry knock off. Please get back to your original column. Thanks, Tim Ray ( Subscriber )
By Amanda
March 21, 2005 9:07 AM | Link to this
Hey! Be nice. He’s gone from a less frequent media to almost daily blogs. Occasionally he won’t want to write about some other stupid person who left their purse at starbucks and was shocked that someone took it! An occasional life story is appropriate. :-) I love to hear about how he handles his kids every once in a while. Still love the column — Wife of a cop
By Kai Ward
March 21, 2005 12:18 PM | Link to this
Dear Officer Steve I love your comments and do not agree with the other comment about it needing to be strictly “police oriented”. Life talks with kids are necessary and sometimes (only sometimes) the highlight of our days. Keep up the good work.. -Kai Ward
By Ulla Strickland
March 22, 2005 8:39 AM | Link to this
Detective Steve, you’re not a Dave Barry “knock-off”. I can see he’s your hero; keep up the great work, you’re getting there! And don’t worry about that commenter - he wasn’t smart enough to spell Dave’s name correctly…
By Becki
March 23, 2005 12:18 PM | Link to this
Sometimes life’s little lessons prevent the stupidity of folks who leave their items unattended or those with warrants out on them who try to get a liquor license. Maybe if more people would read this blog, we’d have less crime? One can only hope.