High-pitched enthusiasm hits a home run

By Andrea Freedman

            As a teenager, I cannot recall ever having been a huge sports fan. Over the years, however, although I gradually became one; baseball has never been my favorite. In fact, it is not necessarily even something I would watch at all if my husband wasn’t home to watch it with me.

            The one thing, though, that I do find quite amusing about the game, is the passion that my mother has developed over the past few years for watching the Toronto Blue Jays. She has even gone to the trouble of actually learning the rules of the game, and all about each player and member of the coaching staff, including their marital statuses and how many children each of them have, and has often talks about them as if they are her friend. She has even indicated on occasion that she would like to have a word with the coach after he makes what she considers to be a bad decision.

            I must say that this has provided me with a lot of laughter, especially when I call my dad after a baseball game and he tells me jokingly that although he enjoyed the game, he was basically shell-shocked for the first few hours afterward, as he had to endure my mom either yelling and swearing at the television in disgust if the Jays strike out or cheering at a startlingly high volume if they hit a home run.

There was a time when my sister used to call me and light-heartedly warn me not to call my mom since the Jay game – and more specifically the screaming – had begun. My dad still laughs when he recalls a time many years ago when my parents were dating, and my mom informed him that she had played baseball as a young girl. When he inquired as to what position she had played and she replied “batter,” it became one of the many life-long jokes that they share.

            As much as our family has teased her about it, I must say that I really admire my mother’s knowledge of the game as well as her enthusiasm and spirit and I am happy she has found something else she enjoys (that is, provided she doesn’t get her blood pressure up when the Jays are losing).

Rooting for your team is fun, something that has been in short supply these days. I hope my parents can continue enjoying watching baseball together, including the good-natured ribbing that comes along with it, for many years to come. In the meantime, for the sake of both of their nerves, let’s just hope the Toronto Blue Jays have a good season this year!

Copyright © by Andrea Freedman 2021