Learning in the Dugout of Life

Little League World Series players should strike.
These media savvy boys, only a year into their teenage lives, deserve guaranteed Xbox games along with their choice of lifetime candy supplier for the pressure and scrutiny placed on the “game” they love so much.

Forget paying college athletes who already live independently from their parents, are VIP at the coolest bars, and have cheerleaders waiting in the wings.

The boys of summer that carry ESPN ratings in August and practice year round with select, all-star, fall ball, Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth, USSSA, and Joe’s Pizza Palace are the ones that should reap the benefits of the LLWS.

By my calculation, if each is given only a tenth of Alex Rodriguez’s per game salary they would make $13,736; enough to cover travel costs and start a college fund. Do parents actually believe it is fun sitting in the dugout with twelve of your closest friends while vehemently defending the fact that the foul stench coming from your spot on the bench was Bobby “Big Head” Smith and not you?

The fact is, little league ballplayers just want to play and their salary and benefits break down into the chance to spend time with peers and role models that shape the person they will become.

Sunflower seed spitting contests, rally caps, and the science of the jock strap are all part of the foundation of social growth and maturity that happens to players, win or lose, that spend time together on the field.

While successful seasons are always fun, whether they conclude as world champions or Puyallup area winners, they are never the only topic at future barbeque discussions.

Remembering crazy coach Larry who kept stats like a pro scout or the time Timmy fell asleep in left field are laughed about and argued over for years to come.

Anytime my friends and I get together the reminiscing begins with the single loss that kept us from going to the LLWS and ends with the time I spit out the front window of the mini-van on the way to a game and hit Seth through the back window.

Learning and living in the dugout may not sound glamorous but the accomplishments, failures, and experiences that happen within those walls are unique and wonderful.

Two teams will be left in the dugouts of this year’s LLWS on Aug 27th and only one will carry the trophy back to their hometown.

A-Rod money may be a stretch, but I can only hope all the kids in this year’s tournament at least get a camera to capture the stories that will be told to generations of ballplayers to come.