Joe Kinsey
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And so it has begun…I made my very first communication with the baseball parents
Guys, by my calculations, I’ve written somewhere around 10 million words on the Internet during my illustrious blogging career and yet there I was last night with my head spinning as I was trying to pump out the perfect introductory email to get the line of communication started with rec baseball parents.
I’m typically not at a loss of words because I’m not trying to be a writer. I’m a conversationalist. Typically, when blogging, I pretend I’m talking face-to-face with my text group buddies like we’re at the bar crushing beers and slapping down bones on keno.
But this was different. The very first email to baseball parents is a whole new ballgame for my hollow brain.
Do I mention we’re playing to win every game and dominate the league? Do I mention our mindset going into the season: defense might win championships, but hitting dinger is much more fun in rec baseball? Do I mention that our team will have the power of thousands of Screencaps readers behind them who are going to be heavily invested in team updates?
Do these parents realize I’ve spent hours reading Practice No. 1 advice from some of the best minds in sports — the Screencaps readers — who are now looking to me to institute these methods to success that they’ve patented over the years?
In the end, I settled on the fact that the parents are busy and the last thing they want to read on a Monday morning is some novel on our rec baseball plans.
I kept it simple.
I told the parents to make sure they’ve downloaded the GameChanger app, to stay tuned for the practice schedule and I noted how Mike (from down the road) and I are fired up to have a fun season coaching the kids.
Now it’s real.
Just this morning while preparing to sift through Screencaps reader emails, I received my very first cordial reply from a baseball mom. Talk about a range of emotions. It was like I could hear former UFC announcer Mike Goldberg saying, “And HERE WE GOOOOOO.”
I’m officially in the belly of the beast and it’s time to see if all this training provided by the Screencaps readers is about to pay off.
Observations:
- The rec baseball numbers are DOWN. I know you’re not shocked by that, but it still fascinates me to think how many parents are blowing thousands of dollars each summer on 9 & 10-year-old travel ball. More power to those of you who have the money.
- Yes, I’m building out the first practice plan and it will include Wiffle balls.
- I’ll also look for my tennis racket to hit tennis balls for the outfielders.
- Yes, I bought a practice net to create a tee station.
- After watching YouTube videos and reading the advice provided by the Screencaps community, I’ve determined that there’s too much standing around during practices. I want to get the kids moving.
March Sadness
Poor Mark P. in Indiana. He’s the Indiana Hoosiers fan who had to think this was the year the team got back to the Sweet 16.
• Mark P. writes:
Joe; Spent the weekend both thanking and cursing you and the SC Community this weekend.
Thanking both for reminding me that watching sports and especially the Hoosiers should be enjoyable and not a burden and that playing golf should be just as if not more enjoyable. Cursing them because I went south and played golf this weekend and realized that most of my strokes were lost in chipping and putting. Damn them for being right…. at least #1 seed Purdue lost; that made me feel better.
Kinsey Madness report:
- Millennial Chris B. in Bowling Green challenged the text group to join him in betting every single Round of 32 underdog. Three of us threw in $80 to see what would happen and I have big news — I think we won something like .56 cents over 16 games.
- Yes, it’s a huge drag to get two games during the day on Sunday and then multiple games tipping off after 7 when you’re trying to get ready for the work week. I hear those of you complaining. Just remember CBS/TNT/Viacom is trying to get the highest ad rates possible. Remember, March Madness is about making money.
- What happened to Kentucky? Cal should just start cheating to at least make things interesting.
- If Greensboro is going to be that empty for second-round games, it’s time to give Dayton its first-round tournament games back and tell Greensboro to hold the first four.
- Since I don’t have a dog in the fight, go ahead and give me Kansas State. That guard is a wizard with the basketball and without a doubt the most entertaining player left in the tournament.
- Sunday was one of those keno days I’ll never forget. You know those $2 six-spot auto-pick tickets you buy because the machine still has $2 in credits? Yesterday, I hit 5-of-6 and nearly fainted. Oh, and I hit my very first 3-of-3 and 4-of-4 tickets. Without a doubt, it was the best day I’ve ever had on those stupid gambling machines.
- I beat Diesel in simulator golf with quite the performance at Whistling Straits on the Ryder Cup setup. I shot a 93 and I’ll never forget this moment. For once, my irons weren’t complete trash.
Condolences to those who lost money on this basket:
#NotSponsored Pizza Hut content
• Michael V. writes:
Hi Joe, thanks for letting us know that the pizza hut mini basketballs are back. I really enjoyed playing with them when I was a kid and couldn’t wait to get the new one. The teenager behind the counter was really nice, he wished me a happy St. Patrick’s day and didn’t charge me anything for it. I left a nice tip in his jar and thanked him. I still have one of the basketballs from 1991. You can kind of see the logo on it. I also included a photo of my 7 year old daughter Madison with the new. She loves it.
• Zane H. writes:
Stamford, Texas the Pizza Hut there has literally been the same inside and out since the early 90’s as far back as I can remember anyways.
Kinsey:
Would someone please go check on this Pizza Hut to see if it’s still a #vintage Hut. I need details on if this is true.
• Insul Glass writes:
Check this out… Under $3 instead of $45.
Kinsey:
Now we have a debate. Which red cup do you associate with Pizza Hut. I thought the was the cup that Hut traditionalists still have deep nostalgia for:
• K. Mar writes:
Joe – The Pizza Hut red glasses in today’s Caps reminded me of my childhood. My brother, who is 8 years older than me, “acquired” a Pizza Hut red cup and set of silverware when he was in high school and it made it into our regular dinner rotation. I refused to use it since it was stolen. My 2 older brothers would torture me with it and put it at my spot every time it was clean.
How times have changed since most of our glassware (pint glasses) have been “acquired” from various bars and breweries. At least a dozen of then from the same bar one Thanksgiving eve when I was in college as I kept stuffing them into the same brothers Starter jacket. 🙂
Tipping is out of control!
Like I was saying…
Deep thoughts with Bill H.
• Bill writes:
This quote appears to be more applicable in our time than ever:
“Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with neighbors, films, football, beer, and above all, gambling filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult…. All that was required of them was a primitive patriotism which could be appealed to whenever it was necessary to make them accept longer working hours or shorter rations. And when they become discontented, as they sometimes did, their discontentment led nowhere, because being without general ideas, they could only focus it on petty specific grievances.”
– George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four
Yeah, I know some of us can walk and chew gum at the same, but there are SO many who can’t be due to ignorance or won’t be due to indifference.
Now get back to the light stuff.
And that’s it. I’m running behind because I was on school drop-off duty right in the middle of Screencaps which happens like 3-4 times a school year. It completely throws me off my Caps game, so hopefully today isn’t a huge bust of a post.
Take care. Go give 110%. Sell, sell, sell. Manage your ass off. Keep thinking about those Patio SZN cocktails. Have a great Monday.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
