The Mom of a Baseball Player

I love watching ‘Moms boy’ play baseball.  Brody is very special to us.  He came into our life much earlier than we had planned, and I am so lucky to be able to watch him play.  I get so nervous because as any Mother would,

we want our children to do well.  When watching him play, it’s easy to get very excited when he makes a great play on the baseball diamond.  I have been known to cheer, scream and jump for joy.  After all, he is ‘Moms boy!’

Perhaps because he is our only child at this time, I never want his feelings to get hurt, or for him to become discouraged if he flies out, gets called out, or God forbid, strikes out.  He has been doing very well so far, Tom told me me his OPS is 1.250, whatever the heck that is.

Above all else, I would never want him to have the attitude of just giving up.  It’s something my Mom taught me a long time ago, a lesson that transfers well to Brody too.

I like watching him hit baseballs piched from my husband.  But the games are always so enjoyable, and I especially love when he helps other players.  Brody normally plays catcher.  So my little social butterfly can easily talk with every player from the other team.  It’s very cool sitting behind the backstop listening to all of the interaction.   “Keep your elbow up, keep your head up”  he says softly as he retrieves the tee for that not so lucky player that kept swinging and missing at their coaches pitches.

He has said encouraging words so often in the few games I have watched.  It really touches my heart.  Brody always seems to seek out the other coach in these situations to ask if he can put the ball on the tee for his friend/opponent.  He always gets the same answer, but he never stops asking.

The answer never deters him.  He still offers encouragement as the other teams coach places the ball on the tee.  Before the batter swings, Brody will always use their name–he knows everyone– and offers encouragement.  “Keep your eye on the ball.”   That’s my boy, what a great piece of advice.

On Friday, I missed him reading the Code of the Game and it still hurts my heart.  I sit back and watch in disbelief  at just how fast he is growing up.  Just yesterday he was toddling around our house saying his favorite word, “ball!”

It’s also very cool to watch my husband Tom coach him or just go outside and have a catch with Brody.  I know Tom didn’t have the opportunity to do that with his Dad so those precious moments mean the world to him.  And me.

Ahhh baseball.  Combine the game with some sunshine and it’s tremendous isn’t it?

This is what parents and children remember:  the chilly spring nights will soon make way for sun filled summer days spent playing ball with friends and family.   Baseball is a great game.   I am just starting to understand the many things the sport teaches.  There is nothing quite like the race to first base.  The way my heart flutters when he doesn’t settle for a single.  The winning has been fun too, his team is undefeated and it gives me great pride to watch him celebrate with his friends and his team.  But the losing will teach lessons too.  I am actually looking forward to everything the game will bring our only son and everything he will bring to it.

I just trust that all of the lessons he is learning from playing baseball, he can one day use again to find happiness.  Because being the Mom of a baseball player certainly has made  me happy.

 Lori Smith is my gorgeous wife.  This is her first post on RumBunter.