I saw something very sad last night at a Little League game…..a lonely “little #3”, on the bench, with his back to me and his head down most of the time….he probably couldn’t have hit the ball anyway…he’s pretty little.  He didn’t look like the kind of a kid who’d be picked early when you’re choosing sides but he was there early, warming up and cheering with his friends.

 His Dad came in about the 2^nd inning and I heard little #3 say,  “we’re doing bad Dad, but I get to play in the 6^th!”.  This was a 6-inning game, you see, and our guys are usually ahead by then, so the “subs” get to go in…you know, when they can’t hurt anything.  You know how it works, right? 

Anyway, last night was not this league-leaders night it seems.  The team got behind 7-0 early, all on errors and bad attitude, and amidst his teammates throwing bats and helmets and complaining about how the ump didn’t call strikes fairly, little #3 kept encouraging them and cheering and telling his Dad…”I get to go in in the 6^th!”… Well our guys rallied in the 3^rd with a run, added 2 more in the 4^th, 2 more in the 5^th and when our team was ready to bat in the 6^th it was 7-5 and the momentum had changed…patient #3 kept asking,”now coach?  Can I bat now, huh?” 

“Not now kid, don’t you know we’re behind and we’ve got to have our good kids bat?”

 Bat they did and they scored 4 more to go up 9-7 and now, “Coach can I play in the outfield now, can I huh?  I can’t hurt anything there”… what he didn’t say was that he’d been there early in the 90 degree weather, his Dad was right behind him and he wanted to make his Dad proud, but

“After all kid, we’re only ahead by 2 runs and we've got to stay in 1^st place and we will if only we win this game.  You understand don’t ya?

 “Sure coach”

He didn’t cry.  You’re not supposed to cry when you’re 10 and you’re littler than the other guys anyway and you’re trying to be accepted…especially if you’re not a good player …so he sat on the bench and cheered as the last enemy batter struck out on 3 pitches…and he threw his glove in the air and exulted with his friends…they were the league champs you see, they’d come from behind…they’d won!  Or had they?  Once more we’ve enforced the philosophy that its “win” …not “how you play the game” and little #3 has gone through another summer, sitting on the bench, learning to be a spectator…all he really wanted was a chance, even the chance to strike out…to just try.  Burt the peer pressure system won again and as a result we’ve lost again…oh well #3 maybe next year…but then again, probably not.

 

 

         

 

 

Paul Harvey….summer 1984

 

          Jim Thompson covered the little league baseball game in Watertown,  South Dakota for KLSC, and that’s how I know about Peewee.

          On the back of Peewee’s jersey is #3…his teams on the field, he’s on the bench…behind him in the stands is his Dad.

 Pee Wee does not size up to the other players so the coach calls him a “sub”.  That means while they play he sits.

.it’s the game for the Little League championship and the pressure is on.  But the coach has told Peewee he’d get to play anyway ..sometime.  Excitedly Pee Wee tells his Dad, so Dads up there in the bleachers smiling…

but now the games not going right.  its’ the 2^nd inning and already Peewees teams is behind by 7 runs…now they’re making fielding errors …getting down on one another and on themselves.  That does not help, but it does not stop Peewee from screaming encouragement…”Come on Guys, you can do it Guys, ..And Peewees team began to turn the game around.  Scored one in the 3^rd, 2 in the 4^th, 2 more in the fifth…now it’s the top of the 6^th.  In Little League that’s the last inning.  The score is 7-5 and Peewees team is losing..

”now Coach” , the lad called out, “now can I bat?”

“Sorry Kid”, the coach said, “we’ve got to have our best batters up!”

And sure enough the best batters scored 4 more runs.  Now Peewees team is leading 9-7.

 “Now coach?”

 “Not now Kid”

and finally the bottom of the inning, the team is taking the field for the last time ..and Pee Wee said,

“now coach, now can I play outfield?”

 Pee Wees sweat streaked face is looking up at the coach and Dad is looking at both. 

“Sorry Pee Wee,” the coach said, “we’re only ahead by 2 and we’ve got to win this game!”  And then the coach added, “you do understand, don’t ya kid?”

“Sure Coach”

          It’s 90 degrees hot in the Watertown sandlot, Dad is watching, Pee Wee is sitting on his pride and his throat is scalded by tears that he dare not show, and he does not.  He’s cheering for his teammates instead, through 3 more outs and when his team wins, Peewee whoops and hollers and throws in glove in the air and slaps his teammates on their backs …     

          I am aware this replay is of little consequence beyond Watertown…nor even there…and I am not going to contend that Peewee, #3, was his teams most valuable player, that day, nor any day.  I just wanted to remind one little league coach…all little league coaches, what it costs sometimes to win.  !