By Josh:
In every sport there are certain stereo types of fans that you tend to see and recognize more than others. Some fan types are fun and make a game more enjoyable to watch, while others make you just want to throw something at the fan.
Every one of us falls into at least one category of stereotypical fans.
The fan I’m going to cover today is quite possibly the most annoying fan there is in my opinion. It is the fan who thinks they could have played professional baseball except that their little league coach or high school coach didn’t play them and that ruined their entire career.
Stereotypical Fan #1: Never Played but ‘Could’ Have Played in the Majors
Let me say this to everyone out there, coaches want to win and if they don’t play you it is either because you aren’t as good as another player or you are such a knucklehead that the coach doesn’t trust you to step foot on the field. Either way you aren’t going to make it to the major league level.
At a minor league game this year I overheard a fan talking about how his high school coach didn’t like him and didn’t let him play the entire season. He then said “I’m good enough to play out there with those guys. They aren’t any more talented than I am.”
He wasn’t joking either. He was dead serious.
All I could do was shake my head in disbelief because I’m not even sure the guy knew which end of the bat you hold onto, which hand to put a glove on, or if he was even able to throw a ball from third base to first base.
I was a good ball player growing up. I made all-star teams, played in high school and I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt I don’t even compare to the guys who play minor league baseball, and especially don’t compare to guys who have made it to the major league level.
I think a part of the reason this makes me mad is because these guys who think they are so amazing aren’t even as good as I am now, and I haven’t played for years.
I have no problem with people enjoying the game and talking about their old playing days. Heck I talk about some of the games I played in when I was younger and enjoy talking with games they have played recently. I just don’t want to be the person who thinks so highly of my skills that I degrade players who are far better than I.
I know exactly what you mean. You can not even attempt to explain why the guy is wrong because he not only has no common sense but he has no point of reference to understand what you are saying. Let’s assume that not only were you good in High School but you went to college and played in college. Maybe even played sandlot or low minors. Each step the players are better and better. Forget I was great in High School so I can play in Majors. In college, every player was the best on his High School team. In Single A-Short Season, every Player was the best on his college team. So on up the ladder. On a Triple A team, every player was the best on his Double a team. So now you are at Triple A level and you are the best of the best of the best of the best of the best, etc and you are a Quadruple A player but still aren’t good enough to play Major League ball. The reason fans think they could play in the Majors is because everyone played the game at some time as a youth (Little League, back yard with brothers and a sister who was probably better than the guys, Wiffle Ball) and the Major Leaguers you are watching are so good they make it look easy. It is not easy, they just make it look that way. Go down to the Batting Cages near your house. Set the machine at 98 MPH. Try to hit it. Not tip it. Not foul it off. Hit it square. Now imagine it is curving, or dipping, or in on your hands, or at your head to get you off the plate and the next one is on the black outer corner. Good luck with that. That’s why you make $100,000 as a Lawyer or Doctor or Indian Chief but they get the Big Bucks to Hit, Run and Throw. Because they can and you can’t. You can only dream.
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