He said/ She said: A game of second... and third...chances

___Our baseball season is over, and it's sad to see it go. ___I know life has to go on, but it's hard to give up the thrill of watching your own kids develop their skills, make good plays and have so much fun. ___Some things, however, I will not miss at all. ___ Like the pressure. As the season progressed, I felt my stress level increase over games that started so promisingl MARK WINGFIELD y and faded so fast. Every once in a while, I just had to remind myself that it's only a game. ___ And then there are the parents on the opposing teams. It finally occurred to me that I've not liked most of the parents of the boys we've played against. They all seem loud and braggadocios and greedy and awful. (Our team, of course, has the perfect baseball parents.) ___ The tackiest blow of all, however, came during an afternoon game when our team had the bleachers in the shade by virtue of us being the visiting team. Before any of us could get a seat on the bleachers, the parents from the other team took one look at their sun-drenched bleachers and invaded our bleachers without so much as asking first. ___ Scoundrels all, I thought. And then their boys started beating ours, and I thought worse. ___ And then there was the playoff game we should have won but lost due to bad officiating. Really. Five blatantly wrong calls, four of which went against us. Even our mild-mannered parents were about to come out of their seats. ___ Despite the injustice, we refrained from beating up the umpire and making headlines as crazed sports parents. Of course, it helped that some of us had wives covering our mouths and pinning our feet to the bleachers. ___ The great thing about baseball, though, is that hope springs eternal. We're gonna be great next year. __Baseball never was a sport I cared to watch much--until my kids started playing. Even before they started playing on a team, my boys loved to set up bases in our front yard and play with a plastic bat and ball. ___ And then came that great home run race between Sosa and McGwire a couple of years ago. As we watched on TV, Garrett rooted for Sosa, and Luke cheered on McGwire. We all got caught up i ALISON WINGFIELD n the drama and excitement and watched their games whenever we could. We also kept up with their progress in the paper. ___ Garrett still keeps up with Sosa and the Cubs. The first thing he does in the morning is ask for the sports page so he can check the progress of Sammy and all his favorite players. If you want to know a player's stats, ask a 9-year-old. ___This week, we're planning to tune in for the All-Star Game. Garrett had me write it on the calendar. ___ And a funny thing has started happening to me as well. Late at night, when we're getting ready for bed, I sometimes find myself channel surfing and stopping on the station where the Texas Rangers are playing. And inevitably, I get hooked. ___ This is partly out of self-defense, mind you. I need to do late-night research to be able to carry on a conversation with my child. ___ Maybe one of the reasons baseball has remained America's favorite pastime is because it naturally brings people together. Children and adults alike learn to work together on a team. Fans find a natural camaraderie through their teams, even if it's only to sit in the stands and catch up on neighborhood news. ___ Perhaps baseball also appeals because it is a game of second--and third-- chances. That's the kind of grace was all need. Mark Wingfield is managing editor of the Standard. Alison Wingfield is a freelance writer. The Wingfields moved to Texas from Louisville, Ky., where Mark had been editor of the Western Recorder, in which this column appeared weekly. ___

PREVIOUS HE SAID/ SHE SAID COLUMNS:
1999: 6/16, 6/23, 6/30, 7/14, 7/21, 7/28, 8/4, 8/11, 8/18, 8/25, 9/1, 9/8, 9/15, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27 11/17, 11/24, 12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22,

2000: 1/5, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/1, 3/8, 3/22, 3/27, 4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22, 5/29, 6/5, 6/12, 6/19, 6/26, 7/10, 6/26, 6/19, 7/17, 7/24, 7/31, 8/7, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28, 9/4, 9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 11/6, 11/20, 11/27, 12/11.

2001: 1/1, 1/8, 1/22, 2/5, 2/12, 3/5, 4_19, 4/2, 4/23, 5/14 6/11, 6/25


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