Listen to Your Mother: A Letter to the Baseball Players of 2020

https://sentrysportslighting.com/panorama-of-empty-baseball-field-at-night-from-behind-home-pate/

Dear 2020 Baseball Player,

I'd like to be so bold as to speak for all of your mamas today. We - who are your biggest fans and sometimes your harshest critics. We - who have to use all of our mental fortitude to will our bodies to sit still in the bleachers when you get hurt out there on the field - whether physically or emotionally. We - whose every instinct tells us we need to hop the fence and run across the diamond to get to you. We - whose every bone aches to wrap you up and kiss your forehead and tell you everything will be okay.

We see you.

We see you hurting. And some of us can't necessarily tell you that you'll get 'em next time. We can't whisper through the chain link fence, "Next play, bud, next play."

We want you to know that even though there are so many losses right now - so many tragic casualties in the wake of this crisis in our country - you are allowed to grieve this loss. Whether you are a 12 year old Little Leaguer, an 18 year old high school senior, a college player, a coach, or a granddad whose bleacher seat will stay put in the car's trunk for the season, we see you and we are grieving with you. As I recently read, there is no reason to play "Hardship Olympics" during this time of loss. There are no winners here.

You have suffered a loss. And we know well, that you don't like to lose. You have experienced losses before on the field. The time you were tied and the walk-off hit brought your opponent home to win the game. The time you struck out looking with your teammate standing on 3rd, all set to have you knock him in. The time you misjudged the throw or the time the tag came down on your foot just before it hit the plate.

But this is different. This was over before it started. The final inning was left out there to dangle for awhile and then it disappeared in an instant. You weren't even able to try, to give it everything you've got, to show yourself that all the hard work you put in during the off-season would pay off. You had barely broken in your new cleats and the plug was pulled.

We are so sorry.

But, listen to your mother now, Son.

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