Keeping Score

Today I went to the sporting goods store to buy myself a baseball scorebook.  Not that I totally object to the status quo where I serve as Sweetie's back-up scorer, and can knit if the game gets tedious, but I don't like the way he scores.  For example, he refuses to make notes of which players are too chubby for their own good (Bartolo Colon) or which players have kick-ass intro music (Rauuuuuuuuuuuuuul Ibanez).  Or notes of when we win promotions at minor league games.  Or other whether the garlic fries were particularly tasty that night.  You know,t he important parts of the game.  So, I'm going to start keeping score for myself.

The sporting good store in question had a shelf about 2 feet above the ground on which all the MLB hats were displayed.  There was a mother there with her two young children, and the kids were perusing the hats.  The little girl, who was probably around five, asked her mom what team this hat was for:

And mom replied, without missing a beat, "The Oakland A's."

Now I'll admit that I would put this hat at the highest degree of difficulty for baseball team identification, so I'm not going to fault the Mom for not knowing the right answer, (Which is the Atlanta Braves for those of you playing at home), but I am going to fault her for the brazenness with which she answered the question.

If you answer that question as quickly as she did you should know that the Oakland A's colors are green and gold.  If you don't know that, you should say, "Gee, Sweetie, I'm not sure." or even "I think it's the Oakland A's" or perhaps "You're a girl, what do you give a flying flip about sports for?"

The girl's next hat of choice was:

(Cincinnati Reds)

The mom's first response was Colorado Rockies.  But she quickly corrected herself when she found the correct Rockies hat, and let her daughter know that's where Uncle Dave was.  I was ready for her to offer up Chicago Cubs next, at which point I was going to butt in and give the girl some correct information, when the son correctly identified a New York Yankees hat all by himself.  And then the mom scurried the kids out of the store before they could quiz her anymore.

In the car on the way home I was pondering this.  I suspect that if there ever is a Baby of Swank he or she will be able to identify their MLB caps before they've got the alphabet down.

Comments

[teacherrefpoet]

Football helmets may come first.