On Kids and Baseball

I was out riding my bike this afternoon and noticed a high school baseball game going on at Hylton High School.  So I rode my bike up to the diamond and took a seat in the bleaches to watch.  Even though I never played baseball much as a kid, watching kids play it brings back memories....memories of the many warm southern California summer days I spent riding my bike with friends to Crone park in Anaheim, where there were often Little League games going on.  I loved the game day environment, the concessions, and watching the game and the people. And when my son played Little League, I came to love watching it even more...partly because I could relate to how McKay felt when he played.  He was better at the game that I ever was, but every time he was at bat or whenever a ball came his direction, my heart would jump to my throat.  It still happens when I watch kids play baseball.  To me, it' more emotional watching kids who haven't totally mastered the game than it is watching professionals.   Baseball is different than most other games. One kid at a time gets up to bat.  One kid pitches the ball.  One kid gets a hit, flies out, or strikes out...and for some reason, more than any other game, I can feel what he feels at that moment.  Even though the game sometimes feels slow, to me, it's very intense.