Do you remember when you fell in love with baseball? For my son, it happened during his first game in Little League.
Every baseball fan has that moment where they fell in love with the game. It can be a random play, meeting a player, or getting that first hit. For my son, it was the latter, a moment where, in his first Little League game, he understood how much fun one could have on the diamond.
He had grown up around baseball. Personally, I’ve been writing about the game on various sites for over six years, and I played until three years ago. At eight years old, he has always known baseball to be on the television, or been at the diamond to watch me play. Yet, the decision was his to make as to whether or not he wanted to play ball.
He had liked the first few practices well enough to keep going, and wanting to play catch in the backyard. But baseball was just a game, something to do to pass the time, much like Minecraft or his Legos. Then came that first actual game, when he trotted out to play at second, and actually participate in a real game.
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He did well in that first outing. He drew a walk in his first plate appearance, and handled his first chance at second without issue. Then, he got his first hit, a little grounder up the third base line, but for him, it may as well have been a line drive to the outfield. That hit was all he could take about for days afterward.
Obviously, over the course of the year, there are ups and downs. He has now gone three games without a hit, and he still has problems catching fly balls. Yet, the love of the game is there. He is obsessed with playing, with practicing, wanting to get better every time he sets foot on the diamond. When I get home from the day job, his first question to me is if we can play catch. He wants to get better, to play as often as he can due to his enjoyment of being on the diamond.
This has also been a chance for he and I to bond over a common interest. Coaching his team has been a unique experience, and a chance to pass down knowledge of the game to the next generation. It has been rewarding to watch as these kids get better, and to watch that excitement for the game continue to grow.
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It is easy to say that the younger generation is not interested in baseball, that the games are too long and boring. But that love for the game is still there, and is being cultivated on Little League diamonds around the country. Watching those kids play, and seeing the excitement in my own child, reminds me of the days when I first fell in love with the game myself.