MLB News: Predicting superlatives in The Sandlot TV show

If The Sandlot kids grow up to be parents of young baseball players, then the odds are good they’ll have to deal with teenage umpires at Little League games.

And, if Hamilton “Ham” Porter has become a parent of a Little Leaguer, the odds are good he’s going to get kicked out of a game by one of those teenage umpires.

In the 1960s, Ham’s trash talk at the sandlot might have been completely acceptable. But, by the time his kids have reached the age where they’re playing organized ball, it just won’t fly. The first time he screams out “You play ball like a girl!” to a 10-year-old at the plate, he won’t just get a warning. He’s going to be ejected.

The odds are good that as an adult, his repertoire of insults will be more vulgar than calling someone a “Pee-drinking crap face!” or a “Fart smeller!” While the 80s were not as politically correct as now, parents didn’t insult umpires, coaches, or players in the way that Ham did when he was behind the dish.

However, there is a chance that Ham could be a coach/manager in the TV series. As baseball fans, we know that retired catchers often move on into the realm of managing MLB teams. As the catcher in the original movie, Ham did a good job of directing the game from behind the dish and it’s safe to say he’ll be able to do it as a parent, too.

But, will Ham be able to give the kind of coaching advice that parents will want. Or, will his team of young players learn to talk smack the way he did. If the writing is done well, viewers should be in for some serious laughs.