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Child Abuse

Fman99 Apr 06 2010 10:23 AM

Fboy attends his first Tee ball team practice today. He's been assigned to the Yankees.

Benjamin Grimm Apr 06 2010 10:25 AM Re: Child Abuse

Yeccch.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 06 2010 10:25 AM Re: Child Abuse

Does he plan to tape a little "MF" on there in front? Or will he just close his eyes and think of England?

MFS62 Apr 06 2010 10:26 AM Re: Child Abuse

He's too young to be a holdout. Find another league. Later

Fman99 Apr 06 2010 10:31 AM Re: Child Abuse

MFS62 wrote: He's too young to be a holdout. Find another league. Later It's geographic, based on our address. Plus two other kids on our block (one is the coach's son) are also going to be on the team. Hopefully the hats and shirts are real nondescript.

metirish Apr 06 2010 10:36 AM Re: Child Abuse

Move to Washington DC man. More to the point, what does Fboy think?

holychicken Apr 06 2010 11:22 AM Re: Child Abuse

And you didn't disown him on the spot? That's terrible parenting right there. I expected more from you.

HahnSolo Apr 06 2010 11:37 AM Re: Child Abuse

After representing the Mets (in black shirts and hats, yuk) in T-Ball 5 last year, little Solo has been assigned to the Dodgers for T-6. Generic blue shirt, blue hat uniform. As a coach, I have feared the day that we get assigned to teh Yankees. Hasn't happened yet, but we have a lot of years to come.

Centerfield Apr 06 2010 11:38 AM Re: Child Abuse

What FMan is not telling you is that FBoy was relegated to the Junior Yankees based upon his criminal record and suspicion of PEDs. On the plus side, I hear FBoy is now handsomely paid...

Benjamin Grimm Apr 06 2010 11:48 AM Re: Child Abuse

I can remember the names of four of my Little League teams. (Maybe that's all of them; I don't remember how many seasons I played.) I was on the Browns (in T-ball the teams were named after NFL teams), the Cubs, the Mohawks (that was an Indian tribe year; no longer politically correct, I'm sure), and the Athletics. We won a trophy the year I was on the Mohawks. Back then you had to actually win a championship to get a trophy; they didn't give them out for participation. As a Little League manager, I had the Mets my first year as a non-parent volunterr (in Smithtown) and then two years with corporate sponsored team names in Pennsylvania. In my current incarnation as a girls softball coach, I had the "Thunder" one year (Teams were named after local teams, regardless of the sport the namesake team played. There were Flyers and Sixers and Eagles and Phillies, too.) Last year and this year the kids get to pick the team names. Last year we were the Wildcats. (My daughter was terrified that we'd be the Phillies once she saw that we had red uniforms. She influenced the vote by persuading one of the girls who didn't care to vote Wildcats. It ended up being a very close vote.) This year, we have to name the team after an animal species. When we get our uniform colors, we'll try to pick the name of an animal that goes with that color.

Edgy DC Apr 06 2010 12:22 PM Re: Child Abuse

In Pee-Wees (what youse call tee-ball), we were the Celtics. That league had a "Mets," but no Yankees, and that was just glorious. In Minors, for three years, we were Halperin Shoes. We went from 2-14, to 8-8, to 14-2. That's what happens when your better players stick around for three years and never show up to tryouts for the majors. In prep league (13), we were Chemical Bank. Our theme song was: We are Chemical! C-H-Emical! Think Devo. The next year, in Babe Ruth, my manager was screaming jerk. He sat me all year while he screamed on the bench at the guys he did play. We went 6-2 the first half and 1-7 the second, but made it into a playoff round. I rotted on the bench and my skills went with my inactivity. I nonetheless managed a decent batting average and OBP in my limited appearances. When the manager skipped the playoff game for a trip to Florida, we surprisingly won when I pinch-hit a triple and scored in a cloud of dust on a sacrifice fly. I'm hero for a day, but jerk-o comes back from Florida and benches me in the championship series. We lose. I don't even remember the name of my Babe Ruth team. My dad had been my manager every year up until then. I had seen assholes managing teams in the other dugouts and thought they were comical. Somehow I never appreciated how they could really make the sport miserable to play.

Benjamin Grimm Apr 06 2010 12:30 PM Re: Child Abuse

Edgy DC wrote: I had seen assholes managing teams in the other dugouts and thought they were comical. Somehow I never appreciated how they could really make the sport miserable to play. That's one reason I've volunteered to manage. I've seen jerk coaches and non-jerk coaches, and I want to help tip the balance towards the non-jerks.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 06 2010 12:49 PM Re: Child Abuse Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 06 2010 12:53 PM

Played for Indians (Little League), A's (Senior League) and Raiders (middle-school/HS). Weirdly, I don't think there were Mets in the league at any level, so I kind of dissociated mentally from team allegiance. The A's guy made me learn how to catch, with special "emphasis" (read: cursing through bristly mustache, and occasional hard forearm-shivs and chest punches in order to drum home certain points) on blocking pitches in the dirt, because his son-- the beefy regular catcher-- bitched about having to catch sharp breaking stuff; I started only when Denny Trelease-- threw a nasty curve and hard slider, blown elbow by 15-- pitched, and occasionally pinch-hit otherwise. Essentially, I was Doug Mirabelli, with an iffy glove. Learning catcher got me a slot as a backup C/LF on competitive school teams... and gave me clicking, achy knees that persist to this day, and bug me on long car trips. Thanks for the "floating patella," Coach!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 06 2010 12:51 PM Re: Child Abuse

I played for the TILERS, named after a local sponsor, of course, but looking back it was admirable restraint that we never really knew which local tiling company since they didn't insist on cramming their brand into the brains of 6-year-olds. Another team was the ELWOODS, which was a very cool name, also for a sponsor, I think the Elwood Chamber of Commerce. I believe Dan Ackroyd named his character after this team. I didn't stay in organized LL long enough to get to the level where all the teams had MLB team monickers, but I know the Mets were associated with "yellow" -- I was on the "maroon" track and so I would have been destined for the Orioles, I think.

sharpie Apr 06 2010 01:08 PM Re: Child Abuse

I played for Hilltop Toys, The Ivies (both sponsors) and I can't remember after that. I coached the Falcons (twice), the Rhinos, the Jackals, the Titans and the Commies. These were all team-voted names. Most successful team was the Jackals, least was the Titans.

Benjamin Grimm Apr 06 2010 01:12 PM Re: Child Abuse

The Commies?

Edgy DC Apr 06 2010 01:16 PM Re: Child Abuse

I want to party with you.

Frayed Knot Apr 06 2010 01:21 PM Re: Child Abuse

If I were running a LL I don't think I could justify the expense of paying for the registered trademarks of MLB just so you could use their nicknames - especially when half, if not more, of the kids aren't going to like the team they've been assigned to. When I played they didn't have ML names and I don't recall anyone complaining about it. Instead, each level had a different 'theme'. One of the lower levels was all small furry animals; I was on the Beavers and you'd play the Bobcats and various other critters. At another level you'd move to birds: Wrens, Hawks, Falcons, etc.; then at another it was Indian tribes: Comanche, Kiowa, Mohawk, etc., and so on. Plus, you kind of knew in advance what team you were going to be on in the future because you tended to move up within your color. So if you, like me, were in Orange in the lower level you'd also be Orange at the middle and upper ones if you stuck it out.

Frayed Knot Apr 06 2010 01:22 PM Re: Child Abuse

The Commies? That was at one of those socialist summer camps that Woody Allen was talking about to Carol Kane in the flashback scene in 'Annie Hall'

Ashie62 Apr 06 2010 01:35 PM Re: Child Abuse

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Edgy DC wrote: I had seen assholes managing teams in the other dugouts and thought they were comical. Somehow I never appreciated how they could really make the sport miserable to play. That's one reason I've volunteered to manage. I've seen jerk coaches and non-jerk coaches, and I want to help tip the balance towards the non-jerks. I fully support any attempt you make make to assume the command upon Wilpon's say so.

DocTee Apr 06 2010 01:46 PM Re: Child Abuse

Minors: Bobcats, Tigers Major: Braves Babe Ruth: Green Machine High School: Cannons Coaching: Astros, Athletics, and Black Magic (Girls softball)

sharpie Apr 06 2010 01:54 PM Re: Child Abuse

It was my son, the former poster known as Lenny Harris, who suggested Commies. It was his last year when the kids get snarky and it is less fun to coach (although I liked this group). It got about 3 or 4 votes but that was more than any other of the shouted out names. They were pretty happy with the name, made them feel like they were all other team's enemies. Kids on other teams also liked the name and sometimes cursed their team's lame names. Lenny really hated being on the Titans the year before for that reason.

Valadius Apr 06 2010 05:39 PM Re: Child Abuse

I remember one year we were the Firemen. My team won the league championship as Village National Bank. I got a trophy out of that.

seawolf17 Apr 06 2010 07:20 PM Re: Child Abuse

Hey, I remember meeting Lenny at a CPF gathering a few years back. My first team was the Cardinals, in both 1982 and 1983; the year after that, the Cubs. Then, when I was on the Twins in 1985, I became a Mets fan because the American League was too foreign to me.

Fman99 Apr 06 2010 07:29 PM Re: Child Abuse

Fboy gets it -- he understands that in tee ball he's on the Yankees, and that it's OK to like his Yankees, but he can still be a Mets fan and all. The kids were all wearing their own favorite hats and tee shirts, a lot of Red Sox fans, a few Braves fans and several kids in MFY apparel. Fboy wore his Mets hat to practice and represented. He was the only Mets fan wearing colors of the 22 kids there tonight. It should be fine... I don't expect a fantastic amount of mental scarring from this. I'll deal with it.

Edgy DC Apr 06 2010 08:20 PM Re: Child Abuse

Ooooh, check him out. Mr. Loves-His-Kid-More-Than-He-Hates-the-Yankees. What a dick.

Willets Point Apr 06 2010 08:25 PM Re: Child Abuse

Benjamin Grimm wrote: The Commies? The team provided universal healthcare for all the kids.

Willets Point Apr 06 2010 08:27 PM Re: Child Abuse

Frayed Knot wrote: If I were running a LL I don't think I could justify the expense of paying for the registered trademarks of MLB just so you could use their nicknames - especially when half, if not more, of the kids aren't going to like the team they've been assigned to. The use of MLB nicknames & logos seems so common and I do wonder why so many would actually pay for them. I always assumed that MLB dishes out some charitable money to little leagues and that was one of the provisions of accepting the money.

Edgy DC Apr 06 2010 08:34 PM Re: Child Abuse

Really. They donate in kind to a non-profit --- by forsaking the licensing fees, if not underwriting the actual shirts and hats. Write it off, but get the promotion of recruiting fans among Little Leaguers.

Willets Point Apr 06 2010 08:50 PM Re: Child Abuse

Edgy DC wrote: Really. They donate in kind to a non-profit --- by forsaking the licensing fees, if not creating providing the actual shirts and hats. Write it off, but get the promotion of recruiting fans among Little Leaguers. So I was kind of right? That donation/promotion thing was what I was imagining.

Edgy DC Apr 06 2010 09:01 PM Re: Child Abuse

No, I'm agreeing with you that that's the way it should go down. I don't know how it does.

metsmarathon Apr 06 2010 10:45 PM Re: Child Abuse

we just realized today that both of minimm's prospective godparents are yankee fans. i don't think i should be welcomed here anymore...

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 06 2010 10:56 PM Re: Child Abuse

metsmarathon wrote: we just realized today that both of minimm's prospective godparents are yankee fans. i don't think i should be welcomed here anymore... Oh, come on. That's a little much. All you need's a little reeducation about priorities.

batmagadanleadoff Apr 06 2010 11:38 PM Re: Child Abuse

I grew up in the Land of the Giants. I played for The Tiny Tee Giants, The Tiny Giants, The Little Giants, The Light Giants, The Little Light Elite Giants, The Purple Elite Giants, The Elite Medium-Sized Middle Giants, The Colorless Purple Giants and The Color of Purple Black Giants.

Edgy DC Apr 07 2010 05:44 AM Re: Child Abuse

We were kind of strange in naming the teams directly after their sponsors, calling them "Mormile Florist" and "Rockville Realty" instead of "Mormile's Fightin' Florists" and "Rockville Rockin' Realtors" or some collective noun action. Maybe that's changed in the home burg. When I was 14, Joan Jett (and all threads lead there), newly arrived in Rockville Centre, sponsored a team called the Blackhearts, which had to be good for about five wins a year.

sharpie Apr 07 2010 07:48 AM Re: Child Abuse

Both when I played and when I coached Lenny, teams had some sponser name on the back so technically they were Shawn Wines & Liquors (that was one of Lenny's sponsors) but the league used only the nicknames that the teams provided. One year a realtor sponsored Lenny's team and a couple of employees happened by a game and stayed and rooted for us.

Methead Apr 07 2010 09:15 AM Re: Child Abuse

When I played little league in upstate NY, our teams were named after indigenous Native American tribes. Senecas, Iroquois, Oneidas, Cayugas, Mohawks, and so on.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 07 2010 09:24 AM Re: Child Abuse

THAT's coolness, MH. (Though you'd think naming the league after the Iroquois might be more apropos.)

MFS62 Apr 07 2010 09:42 AM Re: Child Abuse

The only odd named team I played for was in Babe Ruth baseball. It was called "El Toro Bravo", named after its sponsor, a beer sold in bodegas all over the city. Not quite a pawnshop, but still eye-catching. The team was mostly made up of players from DeWitt Clinton and other Bronx high schools. The team could really stroke. It hit like we were playing slo-pitch softball. There were always lots of scouts in the stands to watch Al Kantrowitz(catcher), Pete Sulis (3B) and Lou Leonardi (SS) hit. They were offered contracts, but decided to go on to college. I lost track of them. The only guy who made the majors was one of the infielders (name escapes me*) who played for Minnesota. The only pitcher who gave us trouble was George Lazerique (the ex A's pitcher). He threw a slow curve that drove us nutz. Later *EDIT: The guy was Danny Monzon

Frayed Knot Apr 07 2010 12:23 PM Re: Child Abuse

Willets Point wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: The Commies? The team provided universal healthcare for all the kids. Hits from each player according to their abilities, runs to each team according to their needs.

HahnSolo Apr 08 2010 09:35 AM Re: Child Abuse

Edgy DC wrote: We were kind of strange in naming the teams directly after their sponsors, calling them "Mormile Florist" and "Rockville Realty" instead of "Mormile's Fightin' Florists" and "Rockville Rockin' Realtors" or some collective noun action. Maybe that's changed in the home burg. When I was 14, Joan Jett (and all threads lead there), newly arrived in Rockville Centre, sponsored a team called the Blackhearts, which had to be good for about five wins a year. My little league also used sponsor names for the team name. Zaro's and Carvel were powerhouses my first year. First Federal had the worst uniforms (red, white, blue, and green?). I played for B'nai Brith for three years. No Jews on the team, so few of us had any idea what we were. Our unis were pretty cool: pinstripes with orange caps, numbers, and stirrups. I then converted when I got to the majors, playing for St. Raymond. Unis sucked: bright red jersey, blue pants, red stirrups, red cap. I looked like I played for Team Cuba.