Taking Your Mitt to the Game...

[Benny B]

http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/6/24/8842741/rays-blue-jays-kid-sweet-catch-saves-toddler

Let this be a lesson for anyone sitting in the drop zone (or line drive zone).

[CTWarrior]

Is "mitt" a midwestern thing?  Other than the catcher's mitt we call them gloves out here. 

[hairy worthen]

Is "mitt" a midwestern thing?  Other than the catcher's mitt we call them gloves out here. 

No, always called it a glove except catchers mitt of course. My friend's mom called them baseball mittens though.

(I thought this was going to be a political thread about mitt Romney)

[Pakuni]

http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/6/24/8842741/rays-blue-jays-kid-sweet-catch-saves-toddler

Let this be a lesson for anyone sitting in the drop zone (or line drive zone).

Love how dad (on the left) cowered as the ball flew toward his kids.
Anyhow, bringing your glove to the game is cool, if you're 12 or under.

[keefe]

No, always called it a glove except catchers mitt of course. My friend's mom called them baseball mittens though.

(I thought this was going to be a political thread about mitt Romney)

West coast uses mitt and glove interchangeably.

[Benny B]

Interesting...

I'm a former catcher, yet I use "glove" when talking to my children; however, I use both interchangeably in writing.

I just checked some old emails about my son's baseball practice... my wife - from Indiana - who uses "mitt" verbally, uses "glove" in writing.

Anyhow, bringing your glove to the game is cool, if you're 12 or under.

You know what's also cool?  Not wearing a helmet when skiing, snowboarding or riding a bike/motorcycle.  Hopefully sometime between the age of 12 and parenthood, one succumbs to the benefit of safety over being cool.

Now if you're in Row 15 of the terrace level at Miller Park... sure.  But I don't care how cool you are, if you're sitting next to your toddler son/daughter - let alone multiple children - behind the dugout or in the first row of the bleachers and don't have a glove, you're nothing more than a cool-looking dumbass.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Interesting...

I'm a former catcher, yet I use "glove" when talking to my children; however, I use both interchangeably in writing.

I just checked some old emails about my son's baseball practice... my wife - from Indiana - who uses "mitt" verbally, uses "glove" in writing.


You know what's also cool?  Not wearing a helmet when skiing, snowboarding or riding a bike/motorcycle.  Hopefully sometime between the age of 12 and parenthood, one succumbs to the benefit of safety over being cool.

Now if you're in Row 15 of the terrace level at Miller Park... sure.  But I don't care how cool you are, if you're sitting next to your toddler son/daughter - let alone multiple children - behind the dugout or in the first row of the bleachers and don't have a glove, you're nothing more than a cool-looking dumbass.

Growing up here in Connecticut, "glove" was used by the fielders and "mitt" was used by the catcher.

[keefe]

You know what's also cool?  Not wearing a helmet when skiing

I steadfastly refuse to wear a chunk of plastic on my head while skiing...the only things that belong on your head while skiing is a Croakies-cinched pair of Oakleys and a combat bandanna. Besides, if you are hurtling through back country chute a helmet ain't going to stave off disaster.

[77ncaachamps]

Revoke that dude in the gray shirt's man card.

[warriorchick]

This is the Mitt I'd like to take to the game.



He's so dreamy....

[Pakuni]

Now if you're in Row 15 of the terrace level at Miller Park... sure.  But I don't care how cool you are, if you're sitting next to your toddler son/daughter - let alone multiple children - behind the dugout or in the first row of the bleachers and don't have a glove, you're nothing more than a cool-looking dumbass.

Do you also recommend dressing one's child in full-body armor and a face shield for the ball game, or is pop's glove enough?
And, one might suggest the risk involved with riding a motorcycle and downhill skiing is not the same as sitting at a ballpark.

[🏀]

Now if you're in Row 15 of the terrace level at Miller Park... sure.  But I don't care how cool you are, if you're sitting next to your toddler son/daughter - let alone multiple children - behind the dugout or in the first row of the bleachers and don't have a glove, you're nothing more than a cool-looking dumbass.

Is a glove really going to save multiple children? If you're close enough to present a threat to your children, you should remove your children until they're old enough to understand the danger.

I have a 1.6667 year old and have passed on using company tickets with her for at least another year. It just doesn't make sense, even if I bring a glove.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Is "mitt" a midwestern thing?  Other than the catcher's mitt we call them gloves out here. 

We use mitt or glove out here....both acceptable.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Revoke that dude in the gray shirt's man card.

Agreed, thought that was John Kerry catch for a minute.

[keefe]

http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/6/24/8842741/rays-blue-jays-kid-sweet-catch-saves-toddler

Let this be a lesson for anyone sitting in the drop zone.

All the world's a drop zone for Ranger-tabbed TACPs...

[Benny B]

Is a glove really going to save multiple children? If you're close enough to present a threat to your children, you should remove your children until they're old enough to understand the danger.

I have a 1.6667 year old and have passed on using company tickets with her for at least another year. It just doesn't make sense, even if I bring a glove.

At what age does a child "understand the danger"... 5?  10?  Consent?  21?

A batted ball represents a danger to everyone.  Someone who's looking to protect themself or their family shouldn't be ridiculed for doing so. The guy who should be ridiculed is the one who shows up for a game in stirrups and still has to pay for a ticket.

This "manly" thing needs to stop.  There's nothing wrong with taking a child to a baseball game.  There's also nothing wrong with being smart about it, whether that's sitting behind the net, carrying a glove, or simply not going at all.

[CTWarrior]

At what age does a child "understand the danger"... 5?  10?  Consent?  21?

A batted ball represents a danger to everyone.  Someone who's looking to protect themself or their family shouldn't be ridiculed for doing so. The guy who should be ridiculed is the one who shows up for a game in stirrups and still has to pay for a ticket.

This "manly" thing needs to stop.  There's nothing wrong with taking a child to a baseball game.  There's also nothing wrong with being smart about it, whether that's sitting behind the net, carrying a glove, or simply not going at all.

My rule for taking my son to a baseball game was based on whether or not he would be interested in it.  Don't see the point of dragging a kid to the game if just to show him off.  Of course I only go to about a half doozen games each year.  If I had season tickets I might think differently.  My son got interested at about 5 so that's when I took him to his first game.  As long as you are pay attention you don't need a glove to protect your child.

[keefe]

I'm a former catcher

The Tools of Ignorance

[warriorchick]

At what age does a child "understand the danger"... 5?  10?  Consent?  21?

A batted ball represents a danger to everyone.  Someone who's looking to protect themself or their family shouldn't be ridiculed for doing so. The guy who should be ridiculed is the one who shows up for a game in stirrups and still has to pay for a ticket.

This "manly" thing needs to stop.  There's nothing wrong with taking a child to a baseball game.  There's also nothing wrong with being smart about it, whether that's sitting behind the net, carrying a glove, or simply not going at all.

Seriously, if a little kid got seriously injured by a baseball at a Major League game, it would make the national news, and not just Sports Center.  How many times did any of you hear about that happening last season?

I can only find data on 3 children seriously injured in total over the last eight seasons.  Three out of the over 500 million people who attended games in those years.  Just do the math and make your fully informed decision. Your kid is hundreds of times more likely to be hurt in an auto accident on the way to the game.

[keefe]

Seriously, if a little kid got seriously injured by a baseball at a Major League game, it would make the national news, and not just Sports Center.  How many times did any of you hear about that happening last season?

I can only find data on 3 children seriously injured in total over the last eight seasons.  Three out of the over 500 million people who attended games in those years.  Just do the math and make your fully informed decision. Your kid is hundreds of times more likely to be hurt in an auto accident on the way to the game.

I think the crap kids ingest at the ballpark poses a far greater health hazard than the remote possibility of being struck by a batted ball.

We didn't have car seats, batting helmets, bike helmets, skiing helmets, play dates, Montessori, French Immersion, everybody gets a trophy or any other horsesh1t. When Boog Powell lifted one into the left field seats we ran to snare the ball bare handed.

Condoms? What the hell is that? Sit down to piss?? Parents driving us to school??? Cartoons were animals trying to eat each other and not pastel colored bears hugging and crying. There were no herbivores. Ball players were expected to drink and carouse deep into the night then play under the sun and not the lights.

ADD? The only known cure was a nun with a ruler. Time outs were only used in games. Waiting for your father to get home put the fear of God in you. There were red M&Ms and pistachios. If lab rats got cancer from something we thought, 'glad I'm not a rat...'

Wars were we got the sh1t kicked out of us in the first quarter but we always rallied and went out and really kicked the sh1t out of the bad guys who started it. We only had one rule for war: unconditional surrender. Grant made Lee come to him. When Himmler and Tojo put out peace feelers we sent in Patton's 3rd Army and LeMay's 5th Air Force.

The American male was forged from cold rolled steel on the anvil of work, discipline, obedience, and honor. There were rules and we were expected to follow them. If we didn't there was hell to pay.

Not taking your kid to the ball park because he might get hurt is yet another chapter in the neutering of this once proud republic...

[Benny B]

Seriously, if a little kid got seriously injured by a baseball at a Major League game, it would make the national news, and not just Sports Center.  How many times did any of you hear about that happening last season?

I can only find data on 3 children seriously injured in total over the last eight seasons.  Three out of the over 500 million people who attended games in those years.  Just do the math and make your fully informed decision. Your kid is hundreds of times more likely to be hurt in an auto accident on the way to the game.

I'm sure you see the fallacy in your argument, Chick... when's the last time you saw a story about a kid struck by lighting?  After all, that's an even rarer occurrence than getting hit with a batted ball, but you don't see parents letting their kids chase each other around with golf clubs in the middle of a thunderstorm because - mathematically - it's so rare that a child gets struck by lightning.  Just as lightning strikes are rare, so too is a child being hit with a batted ball --- because parents take protective measures in both cases.


But then you have an incident like the above where mom and/or dad bailed (not sure which or if either were the parent, just assuming at least one is).  As "lucky" as the small child was to have a ball coming right at him, he was hundreds of times luckier that his sibling made a once-in-a-lifetime catch to prevent him from serious harm.

But good thing the "dad" looked cool, though, right?  Hopefully the kid who caught the ball is under 12 so his masculinity isn't challenged.


Again... this doesn't apply to everyone at the game.  Sure, I too get a chuckle out of seeing an adult sitting in the club or terrace level who's wearing a glove.  When I had season tickets on the field level behind home plate, I never took my glove; but when our seats were on the third base line, I put it on when the lefties came up to the plate.  So sure, I played the sabermetrics, and you know what, nobody near me ever got hit by a baseball.  And as rare as it is to have a batted ball come right at you... there's five of them sitting on my shelf at home right now.  With all due respect, my math is better than yours (in this instance, only... I know better than challenging a CPA at math).

[Benny B]

I think the crap kids ingest at the ballpark poses a far greater health hazard than the remote possibility of being struck by a batted ball.

We didn't have car seats, batting helmets, bike helmets, skiing helmets, play dates, Montessori, French Immersion, everybody gets a trophy or any other horsesh1t. When Boog Powell lifted one into the left field seats we ran to snare the ball bare handed.

Condoms? What the hell is that? Sit down to piss?? Parents driving us to school??? Cartoons were animals trying to eat each other and not pastel colored bears hugging and crying. There were no herbivores. Ball players were expected to drink and carouse deep into the night then play under the sun and not the lights.

ADD? The only known cure was a nun with a ruler. Time outs were only used in games. Waiting for your father to get home put the fear of God in you. There were red M&Ms and pistachios. If lab rats got cancer from something we thought, 'glad I'm not a rat...'

Wars were we got the sh1t kicked out of us in the first quarter but we always rallied and went out and really kicked the sh1t out of the bad guys who started it. We only had one rule for war: unconditional surrender. Grant made Lee come to him. When Himmler and Tojo put out peace feelers we sent in Patton's 3rd Army and LeMay's 5th Air Force.

The American male was forged from cold rolled steel on the anvil of work, discipline, obedience, and honor. There were rules and we were expected to follow them. If we didn't there was hell to pay.

Not taking your kid to the ball park because he might get hurt is yet another chapter in the neutering of this once proud republic...

So much here with which I both vehemently agree and disagree.  So instead of parsing it, I'll simply pick one point and let Matt and Trey say it for me:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/e/RsGkk1GGw3w" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/e/RsGkk1GGw3w</a>

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I think the crap kids ingest at the ballpark poses a far greater health hazard than the remote possibility of being struck by a batted ball.

Helmut ice cream sundaes.

[keefe]

Helmut ice cream sundaes.

My above rant was tongue in cheek. And while ball park food is terrible for you there is nothing better than a brat at County Stadium dipped in that red "bbq" sauce. With kraut, of course.

[Coleman]

I always thought mitt applied to the gloves of catchers and first basemen only.

These both lack individual fingers (like a mitten). Gloves with individual fingers are gloves.