Other Strange Stuff

#1

Bower brought up an interesting point about experiences in this game. And I’ll be the first to admit… the longer your in this game the crazier things do happen…

For instance, a club I was with had a contest about picking a mascot. So, a lot of entries came in, along with costumes and stuff… but the one that won was a hot dog… yep a hot dog. To this day I still can’t figure that one out.

Anyway, as it came down… a local provision company had interests in the club, money wise, and it was a way to promote their products and name. They even provided the costume and some guy to wear it.

The thing resembled a hot dot in a bun. The guy wore the hot dog and then wrapped Himself in a jacket like thing… which was the bun. Kind of stupid if you asked me… but… nobody did… so off and running we went.

On opening day the sponsor (provision company) had all kinds of photographers there and in front of our dugout looked like a Oscar night in Hollywood. And everything was going smoothly… just like clockwork… until the hot dog sat down.

When the mascot …hot dog… sat down… the wiener between his legs shot straight up and pointed right at dugout ceiling. Of course none of this went unnoticed by the boys with the flashbulbs…… click…click… click.

In the morning paper the next day… in the sports section… it did look rather funny. And everyone did their best not to laugh… especially to the sponsor’s face. But what really ticked the sponsors off was when one of our guys was asked what he thought of the picture. Upon which he responded… “Well, the wiener sticking straight up between his legs wasn’t all that bad… until somebody pointed out where he put the mustard!”

Anybody have stuff happen to them???

Coach B.

#2

At first with this post below from you, I thought you were mad at my comment I made about your stories. But I see you weren’t becuase I wasn’t insulting you at all. I love your stories. Its probably a tie with Zita and “Snake Jazz” too close to choose.

So tell me…Mr. Bower… anything happen to you along the road of life that’s of interest to us odd, weird and crazy folks???

If I can think of some stuff I will tell you for sure. But I can never beat your freaking awesome stories. Keep um coming.

Haha what I’ve noticed about you Baker, your a true baseball guy. Your either 100% serious about baseball because almost every baseball post you make is all informative and detailed with stuff that can help people or its some crazy freaking story about all the fun times you had. I love it… :smiley: :smiley:

:coolshades: :hi:

#3

Your either 100% serious about baseball because almost every baseball post you make is all informative and detailed with stuff that can help people or its some crazy freaking story about all the fun times you had.

A little of both I think. Besides, I was never headed for big time clubs, nor was I ever going to see the ranks of UCLA or other power houses. And forget going into the MLB grind and their systems… it’s just not me. So between an assortment of amateur, semi-pro and professional Independent League clubs – while bouncing around here and there, a guy picks up stuff. I’ve been blessed with a great scrapbook of memories and mostly good experiences. But then … I picked my paths in life… I decided when and why I was going to coach … and NOT. Which explains the bouncing around bit.

I’d also like to add, this sport has an opportunity for all kinds of experiences – if you’re really serious about it. And being serious about it means wearing many hats. You may be on a club that needs someone to help out with ticket sales, making popcorn, soda sales, sitting at a booth for lost-and-found, helping to move chairs, helping the grounds crew with tarps and watering the field, etc.

Too many kids look at baseball with a narrow set of eyes.There is always something to do, someone to help, equipment that has to be picked up and cleaned, floors to be swept, and so on. If this stuff is beyond you… you’re just to good for that kind of thing… well, maybe you are.

Coach B.

#4

I’ve got a story, an injury story (for those of you aware of my eye problem it’s not that).

We were playing Smithfield, UT in a double-header. We got smoked because well they’re an all-star team from that area and they have HS ball and we don’t in Wyoming. But at the end of the first game one of our kids hits a bloop the LF runs in and dive to catch it. The SS and 3B went after it too, nobody called it, the SS saw the LF dive and so he jumped to avoid a collision, the LF took cleats to the face. Not a great way to end a ballgame.

#5

I was just leaving our home field and going to my car when this kid yells over to me to throw the ball back please. As I turn around I see this baseball bouncing towards me.

I then see a kid, oh maybe twelve years old, on the other side of a fence, holding his glove up. I pick the ball up and toss it back … saying to the kid “just be careful playing catch near the fence, there’s no one around to toss the ball back to you after I leave.”

The kid proceeds to tell me he wasn’t playing catch… his little brother hit the ball.

I look over to a ball field that’s got to be at least 500 feet away and say to myself, “no way.” What amazed me even more… the kid holding the bat looked younger then the kid talking to me, holding his glove up! Hokey-smokes!!! This kid can’t be more than eight or nine years old… and he belted the horsehide over 500 feet!!!

I watch the little guy run the bases then slide home in a blaze of dust.

I throw the ball back to the kid in the field and walk back to my car when again….“hey mister, can you throw the ball back?” And again, I see this little guy running around the bases. After throwing back the ball… I’m determined to see this kid hit again… but no luck. The kids grab their stuff, get on their bicycles and leave.

A few days later, I’m taking to our head coach about a kid… a little kid… that’s clocking the ball off a bat at over 500 feet! And this kid is local… hasn’t signed with anybody… I don’t think… and what’s the age limitation in our league???

“Oh those kids” he says. “Stick around later this week and watch what they do to our new hire in sales.

So I did. One afternoon – late, the new hire… a marketing/sports management grad, was walking to his car and like clockwork… “ hey mister, can you get the ball for me?”

And just like I did, the guy tosses the ball back and stares at the sight of this little kid and the distance where the ball landed. And just like I did … his facial expression said “no way!” Only this time, he doesn’t wait for another hit… no sir, he calls the kid over to the fence and points to the little kid running the bases and wants to meet him. So, the kid in the field walks over to the opening in the fence and waits for our new hire to make his way over.

As our man follows the kid all the way over to the ball diamond,………I saw from around the backside of a groundskeeper’s shed, sneaks a couple of little girls with a shopping bag full of old baseballs, and a mouth full of giggles. It seems that they were old pros at this con and got pretty good at it. I’m just thankful that I wasn’t the one to approach our scouting office with the best find in baseball history. (like someone else I know.)