I came to watch my DC play his game, not talk to you

[Anonymous]

"Sorry, but I promised DC I would focus on the game. We love to talk about when we get home."

If I hadn't been in the same situation, OP, I might have thought you were exaggerating the situation. But it happened to me so many times last season. Acquaintances sitting a row up, above my shoulder, were talking, talking, talking to me, and it seemed rude not to turn my head etc. to listen. Same for people on the other side of me, opposite direction of the field.

I do think it's rude when the chatter is non-stop. I'm there to support my kid, and his teammates, too. So it's not just one play. And it's not like these chatty parents only chat during the breaks between plays and then stop when someone comes up to bat. They keep right on blabbing away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are people who just want to sit quietly and focus on a kids baseball game? How much focus does one actually need? It's not like it's a fast-moving game.

This is what I was wondering. It's BASEBALL! Probably the game with the most pauses in the world.

I'm a huge baseball fan and I completely agree that the game is slower than hockey/basketball. But seriously- football has just as many pauses and breaks in actual game play. To those who really like baseball, there's a ton of strategy and gamesmanship, especially as kids get older. Granted, the OP's kid is only 9 so tactics don't come into play yet. My son is playing varsity HS ball, so now there are plenty of situations to discuss-

- hit and run with runner on 1st
- stealing 2B with a runner on 3B, double steal if the catcher throws to 2B
- same scenario, the defensive team will make a call often to "fake" throw back to the pitcher to try and get the runner at 3B stealing
- down 1 run, runner on 1B, 0 outs- sac bunt to advance the runner
- suicide squeeze bunt (our coach calls this often)
- pitchers who now throw a 2seam, 4seam, change up, and curve
- how good is the catcher? can we steal easily on him?
- shifting the OF based on where a batter tends to hit
- how aggressive is the 3B coach on hits to the OF?
- batter gets down 0-2 in the count, poke/make contact into the opposite field

Baseball is a great game to watch and armchair coach, especially for dad's who have coached at younger ages. Its not so much second-guessing the HS coach, its expressing what we'd do and laugh about how many times we got XXX kid thrown out at home for being too aggressive as the 3B coach.

So if you don't enjoy baseball at the same level as me- that's totally fine. I won't assume you want to discuss THIS level of detail with me. Just don't assume that I'm interested in your new Kate Spade purse because THAT is boring as hell to me.

This post is as boring as a baseball game.

Finger painting mom is my new favorite person on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

If you think that baseball is so boring, why do you go to games?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This post is as boring as a baseball game.

Fine- so don't sit by me and expect us to have a conversation. Seriously, its not that complicated. You don't like baseball- don't watch it and don't talk about it. I like baseball- I want to watch it and talk about it.

But you're a bit of an asshole to think that discussion of baseball is out of place at a baseball game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't even get me started on the moms who think it social hour at the pickup/drop off at school. If you want to chitchat get the fuck out of the way.[/quote]

Hostile much? If this is you at pick-up/drop-off I feel sorry for your kids.

[Anonymous]

Eh. My son enjoys playing baseball, but I don't love watching it. I can take a cue when people don't want to chit chat, though, and that's fine. If someone else can't take a clue, just be an adult and politely say you need to focus on watching your child play. No need for passive aggressive complaining on the internet, just be an adult and speak up for yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yeah, I would watch the game and "chat" with them, but periodically answer the wrong question.

Where are you summering?
--yeah, I know. The teen years are hard, aren't they? And we have to decide whether to enroll John Jr in driving school this summer.
What? Didn't you hear me? I asked where are you summering?
--Oh, sorry. I was watching Jane's play at second base. Just a second. "Good catch, Jane!"

After a while, either they'll go into a monologue that you can tune out and just murmur "I know" "Really?" etc or they'll get annoyed by you and go and annoy someone else.

Are there really people who ask this question, or were you being funny? I'm asking sincerely.

I'm the PP who you are quoting. I've never actually been asked this in my life. But I've seen references to this on DCUM before so pulled it out of my hat as a ridiculous conversation thread at your kid's baseball game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This post is as boring as a baseball game.

Fine- so don't sit by me and expect us to have a conversation. Seriously, its not that complicated. You don't like baseball- don't watch it and don't talk about it. I like baseball- I want to watch it and talk about it.

But you're a bit of an asshole to think that discussion of baseball is out of place at a baseball game.

I didn't say it was out of place, I said it was boring. Luckily for me, my kids don't play baseball, so I do not have to watch it OR talk about it. But you seem a little hostile and aggressive, maybe some nice small talk about your summer vacation would calm you down.

[Anonymous]

Ear buds or look at/text/talk on your phone, smile at chatty people who approach you but then be so interested in the game that you can't follow their line of conversation - every time something interesting happens in the game, sit forward and react just a little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This post is as boring as a baseball game.

Fine- so don't sit by me and expect us to have a conversation. Seriously, its not that complicated. You don't like baseball- don't watch it and don't talk about it. I like baseball- I want to watch it and talk about it.

But you're a bit of an asshole to think that discussion of baseball is out of place at a baseball game.

The PP probably doesn't know anything about baseball. Honestly I have seen some bimbo moms out there chatting away and then someone else's mom or dad has to say "hey your kid is up!" Oh, thank you. Then spend 2 minutes asking someone what is going on. Infield fly, dropped 3rd strike, tagging up? Totally foreign to them. What they are good at though is gossiping. So they do what they do best at games.

And I know for a fact that the OP is not talking about people making small talk in-between innings. I don't know anyone that has an issue with this. It is the moms that never shut the F up about them, their hairdresser, their annoying kids, their vacation etc... It is non-stop all game long. Even when their kids are on the field. They don't give two shits.

[Anonymous]

For baseball you can keep score even if the team already has a scorekeeper. Then just say, "Sorry I can't keep this accurate if I don't watch every pitch."

[Anonymous]

OP, been there done that. I have kids ranging from 5 to14 and there are moms at every sporting even that just go on and on and on. You will notice the Dads stay far away from them (even their own wives) so you can gauge which ones are the issues. Thankfully there are at least a few that do watch and get into the games. Sit near them. You can smile say hi before the games, ask each other about a call but know when the game is going on, you watch.

I always feel sorry for the kids whose moms come but never watch, clap, show that they care. Some of the conversations I have heard during games really shows dumb and clueless some women are. I once saw a Dad turn around and tell his wife to "shut up, no one is here to talk about how drunk you were last night!" It was awesome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are people who just want to sit quietly and focus on a kids baseball game? How much focus does one actually need? It's not like it's a fast-moving game.

This is what I was wondering. It's BASEBALL! Probably the game with the most pauses in the world.

I'm a huge baseball fan and I completely agree that the game is slower than hockey/basketball. But seriously- football has just as many pauses and breaks in actual game play. To those who really like baseball, there's a ton of strategy and gamesmanship, especially as kids get older. Granted, the OP's kid is only 9 so tactics don't come into play yet. My son is playing varsity HS ball, so now there are plenty of situations to discuss-

- hit and run with runner on 1st
- stealing 2B with a runner on 3B, double steal if the catcher throws to 2B
- same scenario, the defensive team will make a call often to "fake" throw back to the pitcher to try and get the runner at 3B stealing
- down 1 run, runner on 1B, 0 outs- sac bunt to advance the runner
- suicide squeeze bunt (our coach calls this often)
- pitchers who now throw a 2seam, 4seam, change up, and curve
- how good is the catcher? can we steal easily on him?
- shifting the OF based on where a batter tends to hit
- how aggressive is the 3B coach on hits to the OF?
- batter gets down 0-2 in the count, poke/make contact into the opposite field

Baseball is a great game to watch and armchair coach, especially for dad's who have coached at younger ages. Its not so much second-guessing the HS coach, its expressing what we'd do and laugh about how many times we got XXX kid thrown out at home for being too aggressive as the 3B coach.

So if you don't enjoy baseball at the same level as me- that's totally fine. I won't assume you want to discuss THIS level of detail with me. Just don't assume that I'm interested in your new Kate Spade purse because THAT is boring as hell to me.

I love baseball and you.

[Anonymous]

Some people like to chat and I think that's fine but they should be better about picking up people like op's cues.

I have to say I prefer the clueless chatters to the loud mouth know it alls though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are people who just want to sit quietly and focus on a kids baseball game? How much focus does one actually need? It's not like it's a fast-moving game.

This is what I was wondering. It's BASEBALL! Probably the game with the most pauses in the world.

I'm a huge baseball fan and I completely agree that the game is slower than hockey/basketball. But seriously- football has just as many pauses and breaks in actual game play. To those who really like baseball, there's a ton of strategy and gamesmanship, especially as kids get older. Granted, the OP's kid is only 9 so tactics don't come into play yet. My son is playing varsity HS ball, so now there are plenty of situations to discuss-

- hit and run with runner on 1st
- stealing 2B with a runner on 3B, double steal if the catcher throws to 2B
- same scenario, the defensive team will make a call often to "fake" throw back to the pitcher to try and get the runner at 3B stealing
- down 1 run, runner on 1B, 0 outs- sac bunt to advance the runner
- suicide squeeze bunt (our coach calls this often)
- pitchers who now throw a 2seam, 4seam, change up, and curve
- how good is the catcher? can we steal easily on him?
- shifting the OF based on where a batter tends to hit
- how aggressive is the 3B coach on hits to the OF?
- batter gets down 0-2 in the count, poke/make contact into the opposite field

Baseball is a great game to watch and armchair coach, especially for dad's who have coached at younger ages. Its not so much second-guessing the HS coach, its expressing what we'd do and laugh about how many times we got XXX kid thrown out at home for being too aggressive as the 3B coach.

So if you don't enjoy baseball at the same level as me- that's totally fine. I won't assume you want to discuss THIS level of detail with me. Just don't assume that I'm interested in your new Kate Spade purse because THAT is boring as hell to me.

I love baseball and you.

We've got a conference game at 4:45. See you there.