Baseball

by Marinka on July 5, 2012

Last Sunday, Young Ladrinka’s Little League team lost a grueling Championship game, throwing them out of the tournament. And unfortunately, Young Ladrinka got the last out of the game.

Now usually he is very stoic about losses and sort of doesn’t understand why some other players cry at the end, but he definitely knew why on Sunday. And as a mom, I knew that the disappointment he was feeling was normal and that it would be weird if he said “ah, a loss! All part of life, let’s keep calm and carry on” but it hurt to see him so upset. It’s almost like this parenting thing isn’t simple.

As were walking home and I reminded him of an earlier game that his team won. “Remember yesterday’s game that you won? How do you think the guy who got the out on the losing team felt?” And he looked at me and said “he felt awful, mom. Just like I feel now.” And then I asked him if there was anything that I could do to make him feel better and he said that if I stopped talking to him it certainly wouldn’t hurt.

When we got home, he took a shower and changed and took to his bed with a sigh and an announcement “I guess I’ll just have to live as a failure now,” and for a moment I thought he’d ask me to order him a cross-stitch pattern with Woe is Me on it so he could have something to work on, but he just stayed in his room for a few hours, and when he came out he felt better.

His dad took him to see the Mets beat the Phillies on Tuesday night and then last night, on Fourth of July, as we were walking over from dinner to Chelsea to see the fireworks, Young Ladrinka spotted someone he recognized.

“Hey, you look like Shane Victorino!” he said and the man turned around and one of the men Shane was with, Jimmy Rollins, said “that is Shane.” And then my friend Susan yelled, “hey, Shane!” And he turned around and she snapped a picture of Shane with Young Ladrinka.

It made his night. Young Ladrinka’s, I mean. He told Shane that he was a Mets fan and Shane took the news well, and then Young Ladrinka
told either Juan Pierre or Jimmy Rollins “wow, you’re the fastest runner in the MLB” but reassured Shane that he meant “no offense.”

He was beaming all night that he got to meet rweal-live MLB players and that they were so cool to him. And he told me that on Tuesday’s game, Shane Victorino got the last out.

“Just like you!” I told him, hoping that he’d beam at the comparison.
“Not even close,” Young Ladrinka told me. “Shane got the last out in a regular game. I got the last out in the Championship game.”

That Shane. He doesn’t know how easy he has it.

One year ago ...

0saves
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed.

{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }

The mama bird diaries
Twitter:
July 5, 2012 at 1:21 pm

That is really sweet.

Reply

Karen July 5, 2012 at 6:27 pm

Awwwwwwww!!!! Shaney & Jimmy are my two fave players!!!! (Phillies fan here). We call Shane the Flyin’ Hawaiian for a reason, but Jimmy steals the hell out of second base regularly too. I am sooooooooooo jealous of Young Ladrinka! (who is just as cute as Shaney)

Reply

Karen July 5, 2012 at 6:28 pm
Awesome Dude July 5, 2012 at 6:38 pm

This just an old Karl Marx joke.

When a young Jewish boy asked his grand mother who Karl Marx is.

The G. mother replies That : He is an economist.

Then the boy asks : Like uncle Moishe.

G. mother: No, uncle Moishe is a SENIOR economist….

Reply

Mom of A and a July 6, 2012 at 12:46 pm

awesome joke!!!

Reply

Wendi
Twitter:
July 5, 2012 at 8:45 pm

Young Samrinka is very, very impressed.

Reply

Tinne from Tantrums and Tomatoes July 6, 2012 at 7:24 am

aw, so cute

Reply

deborah l quinn
Twitter:
July 6, 2012 at 8:27 am

Well, A) Ladrinka is adorable; B) I have no idea who these baseball players are but even so, I recognize that the Mets beating the Phillies is epic; and C) isn’t it remarkable how New York offers gifts just when we need them but aren’t expecting them? Go team.

Reply

kathy July 11, 2012 at 4:01 pm

Sadly, the Mets beating the Phillies this year is nowhere near epic. Everyone beats the Phillies. : (

That Shaney sure is a nice guy though.

Reply

Becky
Twitter:
July 6, 2012 at 9:09 am

How awesome!

Reply

Schill July 6, 2012 at 9:48 am

What a great picture! And such a great story 🙂 The Schillettes are impressed!

Reply

Esther July 6, 2012 at 11:14 am

Adorable! Such a nice, random experience for your son.

However, I must disagree with Young Ladrinka. Dee Gordon of the Dodgers is way way way faster than JP is 🙂

Reply

Mom of A and a July 6, 2012 at 12:45 pm

Cute photo! Though, I’m sure after that conversation Jimmy may well have ordered a cross-stitch pattern for Shane!!

Reply

kimberly July 6, 2012 at 4:35 pm

You would think Shane could afford to have his shirt ironed.

Reply

Stephanie Hobson July 6, 2012 at 9:34 pm

The part where he said that it would be helpful if you would stop talking about it sounds so much like my grandson… boys are just different, aren’t they?

Reply

Katie R-G July 6, 2012 at 10:58 pm

HUGE Phillies fan here. Lucky Ladrinka, but if Utley had been there, I would be super jealous!!!
Great picture!

Reply

Cranky Old Man
Twitter:
July 6, 2012 at 10:58 pm

Love this!!! I love Moms, but your DNA does not undersand there are times where you just can not make things “All Better.” Your son knew he would be just fine, just let me stew a bit.

He will be a SHane Fan forever!!

Really cool post,

Reply

Cy
Twitter:
July 6, 2012 at 11:28 pm

That is so cool! Lucky Ladrinka!

Reply

Marta
Twitter:
July 7, 2012 at 9:23 pm

Wow, that’s ADORABLE.

Reply

Rick
Twitter:
July 18, 2012 at 2:10 pm

If the Phillies players cared as much about hitting and catching the ball as they do random acts of kindness for little kids, they might not be in last place!

Reply

Previous post:

Next post: