We were still less-than-good

I played Little League baseball from ages 10 to 12. Like Major League Baseball, there was a minor league and a major league. I think they have actual age limits on the two leagues now, but when I played (which on some days feels like shortly after the game was invented in the late 1800’s) I remember there were young kids my age who were very good and who played on a major league team.

I was not one of those kids.

I was barely one of the kids who played on the minor league team.

For the most part (and to make myself feel better) the entire team was barely able to play on the minor league team. I don’t mean to paint a Bad News Bears picture, we weren’t comical or goofy or anything like that, we just weren’t very good.

The standout memory for me is a coach we had when I was 12. He was the dad of someone I’ve long forgotten and he was nothing like Walter Matthau. He thought we were better than we were, or that we could be better than we were or some such nonsense. At practices he would have us run the bases. He would have us shag fly balls . He would have us run laps around the outfield. He was a tyrant. (Tyrant is my old guy word, I have no idea if my young kid brain knew or registered that word or not). Despite the practices, we were still less-than-good players.

Considering my Little League experience it’s a wonder why I like baseball so much today.

For Ragtag Daily Prompt: SHAG