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Screencaps the III got a hit & a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders

I've been very transparent here that I've been fairly hands-off when it comes to my boys and sports. Yes, we wanted them to test the waters to see if sports were for them, but I never wanted to be the guy who said you're going to play sports, and you're going to like it.

Growing up, I loved playing sports (baseball). My brother hated sports. In fact, I believe the story goes that he hated it so badly that he quit T-ball during the season while my dad was coaching/herding kids and my dad kept coaching the team to the end.

The last thing I wanted to do was push my kids if they were more like my brother was growing up.

Going into this season of baseball, we were facing a big crossroads for Screencaps the III. This is kid-pitch baseball against older kids and some of them are gamer who love baseball. Would he bail at the plate as the ball was coming at him? Would he show any interest at all? He's my wildcat. You just never know how things are going to go.

In his first game at this level, he famously had the at-bat where he swung and connected with two pitches in the dirt that he hit like he was playing cricket, but the balls trickled foul.

Would he get a hit this season? Just one. Get one and we can build off of that. Dear baseball gods, just one.

Entering last night under the lights for an 8 p.m. first pitch, he was 0-for-the-season through three games. That's like five or six at-bats.

And then it happened.

Screencaps the III hit one –– OFF THE PITCHER –– between third and short. He hit the turbo down the line and legged out an infield hit for his first official hit of the season and his baseball career.

No, I didn't immediately think he's ready to play against tougher competition. After that half-inning, he went to centerfield and put his glove on his head. He was probably thinking about Roblox. He might not LOVE sports, but he gets out there and gives effort and tries.

During the post-game press conference, Screencaps the III was focused on his Gatorade and what the team moms gave the boys for their snacks. The magnitude of the moment was lost on him.

But it's a moment his mother and I won't soon forget.

Readers share their first baseball game moments

It's been a big week of firsts around here. Wednesday, I took Screencaps Jr. to his very first MLB game(s) when we traveled north to Detroit for a Pirates-Tigers doubleheader to see the next wave of great MLB pitchers.

I asked readers for their first game memories.

- Grant G. shares an incredible story:

My dad was military so we moved almost every year until I was in Jr. High so we didn't really have a team to root for and he didn't really have time to take us. He retired the year after I started college and we started the "Season'sin the Sun" life.

Skip ahead 10 years or so, I was working in Houston and he was in town for work so I told him I would take him to an Astros game. This was the early nineties and the Stros sucked, we bought tickets at the gate, $10 per, sat about 10 rows up behind the third base dugout and that's when he told me that this was his first MLB game.

We drank a few beers, ate a couple of dogs and enjoyed ourselves just being together. That is the only final score I remember from about 100 Stros games. They beat the Padres 7-3 with a home run by some no-name SS who was traded the next year.

Kinsey:

That is absolutely fascinating that your father never revealed it was his first MLB game until you're sitting in the stands. Now I need to know if dad started going to games or if this was a one-and-done.

Someone on here has to be handy with the Baseball Almanac who can find the exact date and who that shortstop was that day.

- JR from Philly emails:

It was incredibly heartwarming to read your piece regarding taking your son to his first MLB game. I am sure you realizebut it is worth hammering home that he will not only rememberthat but cherish it for the rest of his life. I am sure he will do the same for your grandchild at some point in the future because you laid the groundwork.

I do not recall my first MLB game because I was too young to remember. I do have an incredibly fond memory of my dad walking into my 1st grade class in his painter's whites and pulling me out early for school so that we could attend Phillies Opening Day 2006. The Phillies got trounced but that didn't matter. My dad was a hero and I was the talk of the schoolyard the next day. I was hoping to return the favor last October when I had tickets to home game 1 of the World Series but unfortunately we sh*t the bed in games 4, 6 & 7.

Here is a box score from Baseball Reference for any baseball geeks out there.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI200604030.shtml

Kinsey:

Now we're talking, JR! The stories of pulling kids out of school for big baseball games always warms my heart. That feels like a moment that dads need to have on their dad resume.

I'm writing it down on my to-do list.

By the way, it's refreshing to have a reader who was in 1st grade in 2006. I had to read that a couple of times, especially when I started writing on the Internet in 2007. I'm old enough to be JR's father. It's an honor that JR wants anything to do with what I'm writing.

- Voiceover Guy Mike in California writes:

Growing up in Riverside, we weren't too far from Anaheim, and my dad's best friend had season tickets to the Angels, first base line where I could put my co*ke on the dugout. It was usuallymy dad, his best friend, my uncle, and me. I loved going to the ballpark, the smell of the grass, thecrowds, being so close to the players wasgreat. Honestly though, I was too young at the time to appreciate guys like Nolan Ryan and Bobby Bonds (Bonds grew up in Riverside and went to the same HS). My uncle tried to teach me scoring, but it didn't take at a young age. Now, I have a greater appreciation for the game and enjoy it much more, and looking back, wish I knew what I'd be missing.

- Andy in Texas shares:

I am now over 70, but grew up in east central Illinois. My uncle, who owned and flew a dual engine airplane, took me to St Louis for the initial All Star Game at Busch Stadium. Think the year was 1966. Came from a town of 8,000 people to a stadium w/ 50,000!! Awesome!

Denny McLain, Catfish Hunter, Jim Kaat, Aaron Killabrew, Brooks Robinson, Ron Santos, Carl Yaz, Tony Oliva (Thats just the AL)

Jim Bunning, Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Juan Marichel, and Gaylord Perry pitched. Joe Torre, Willie McCovey, Hank Aaron, Ron Santo, Willie Mays, Willie Stargell, and Roberto Clemente (For the NL)

A total of 22 future Hall of Fame players/coaches all in one place! Again, just awesome! Still remember the lights, fireworks and the crowds. (Do not remember flying home either!)

reference —https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1966_Major_League_Baseball_All-Star_Game

- Steve B. in Grand Junction, CO emails:

Great story about taking your son to his first MLB game. I'll bet he'll remember it forever.

Took my daughter to her first Rockies game when she was 6, the summer before she started kindergarten - a subject which interested her much more than a 3 hour game involving two NL West bottom feeders. At one point, our left fielder made an incredible catch. She asked me, "Did he go to kindergarten?" I told her I didn't know about the primary educational system in Venezuela.

I took my son to his first Broncos game when he was 7. My wife enters contests and won a pair of 9throw seats. Son didn't realize how lucky we were. Broncos have sold out every game since the 1960's and I've never been able to afford anything below the third deck. Our seats were so great, Broncos receiver (and now Miami Dolphins player) River Cracraft's parents were next to us.

My son spent half the game staring at the giant scoreboard above us. Plus he got to experience his first heckler. This was Vance Josheph's last game as our head coach (fortunately), and a very drunk Bronco fan behind us (who told me he had been tailgating since 8 AM for this 2 PM game), was screaming the whole game, "I WANT TO PUNCH VANCE JOSEPH IN THE FACE!"

We still laugh about it.

- Patrick in Perrysburg loves this subject:

I’m always interested in hearing stories about first baseball games, especially when they involve a father & son. Your son having that "whoa" feeling walking into Comerica Park reminded me of my dad telling me that Tiger Stadium was bigger than what I saw on TV when he took me to my first MLB game back in July of 1969. I never forgot that feeling for the next 30 years of attending games in that old ballpark every time I would walk through the concourse and eventually see the splendor of the field, stadium, and everything about the place. Hopefully, your son will forever remember the day in May in 2024 when his dad took him to his first game.

- Mark W. in Franklin, TN writes:

The first picture was taken 22 years ago when I took my son to his first pro hockey game to watch the Nashville Predators. I didn’t know how he would react, but he loved it. (Notice the Lion King shoes). Over the years, he has been to an untold number of regular season games and playoff games, including the run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017. I have really enjoyed those times with him. He has played the game in his younger days, but stopped while he was in college. He is now back playing in a local adult league.

The second picture is my son and me at the last regular season Preds game in April.

The seed you planted with Screencaps, Jr. will stick. They may not love the game, but they sure love the time with their Dad.

- Guy G. in western NY says:

Glad to hear that your trip to Detroit was a success. My Mets (why do I keep watching) go to Pittsburgh once a year, and we have been making the trip down to see it. It’s generally been a weekend trip, which is good for all of us. Similarly, I had trepidations taking the daughter to her first game. At 3 years old for her first game, her attention span can be small.

Also got Savannah Banana tickets in Buffalo coming up. She has no idea what she’s in for, and can’t wait for that game either. With Bills training camp coming up in July, we’ll hope to get her close to her very favorite sports figure, Josh Allen, as well.

To have the kids enjoying what I enjoy is something I never dreamed would be a thing.

Kinsey:

BTW, Screencaps Jr. was asked about his Bananas gear five or six times. "Have you been?" was a popular question. Congrats to Guy G. for getting those tickets. You're one of the lucky ones this summer.

Today, the Bananas pull ticket requests for the Cleveland stop. I'm in that lottery. Fingers crossed.

‘Thank you for the freedom’

- Keith B. writes:

I've contemplated writing about this for a bit and figured I'd go ahead and chime in. I'm not a veteran or in the military. Just a guy that likes to mow on Thursday's and do hard things. DIY sh*t around the house hard things, not get shot at by a POS terrorist hard things. Like most on here though, I do have a great appreciation for our military and those who have served.

That said, I'm also in the camp that saying "thank you for your service" can seem a little hollow and just something for us normal folk to say easily without really making any effort. I had thought about this before and I came up with something a little different. Instead of "thank you for your service", I like to say, "thank you for the freedom".

My thinking is those currently serving and those who did so previously served the government to protect the country, our rights and our freedom. They didn't serve me directly. But what do I directly get from their service? My freedom. And it's the best damn thing any American can get by being in the best damn country on earth.

Now, I don't have a lot of interaction with veterans or service members in my day to day life, but I know a lot follow screencaps. I'd love to know someone else's opinion on this. Is this worse than just saying TYFYS? Is it a good thought but poor execution? Where does screencaps nation fall on this?

Kinsey:

1. Have no fear, Keith. If people hate the idea, they tend to be a little more cordial over emails. You're fine.

2. Keith has incredible reasoning here and this feels like it's from the heart. I know this, it's not hollow and I believe if Keith says this line, the person on the receiving end is going to feel the sincerity.

Email: joekinsey@gmail.com

Is the Citizen Free Press guy a TNML guy?

- Doug in The Woodlands, TX writes:

I saw this late tonight. On the final line below, it looks like the site guru of Citizen Free Press (the mysterious man known as "Kane" - no, not the wrestler) could be a member of the growing TNML team!

Hold up, is Nate basing parts of his comedy show off Screencaps? That would be an honor

Nate's been a big OutKick supporter over the years, so it wouldn't come as a shock if he's a Screencaps regular just waiting in the weeds for some Americana to pop up like the Scheels content from the last couple of months.

In things that WILL NOT get built…

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That's it for this final Friday of May. Just a reminder, I'm off for an entire week after Saturday Screencaps. Save your emails. Save your thoughts. Save all of it for when I get back.

Now, let's finish the month strong and head off into the weekend.

Take care.

Email: joekinsey@gmail.com

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