The Great Slambeeno

So it's T-ball season..my oldest son's first year(he's 6 1/2). I've now been through the swimming and soccer equipment ritual twice...but I have to say the T-ball experience has been the most exciting and enlightening. Yesterday at JumboSports(generic sporting goods store name)we spent the afternoon...buying the correct balls...bat..and T&plate...so he can begin his journey to a scholarship that will enable his mother and I to blow ALL his college money on ourselves...... it's only 11 years away! The guy at the store was a college athlete home on break so we got some expert advice. My oldest son is 47 inches tall but we chose not to use the Bat Chart( "to the BAT CHART !")....instead we measured the bat one inch above his hip which put him into a 26" bat......then we did the one arm extended bat hold to make sure it would NOT remove his arm when he swung it. great!

As I turned to look at more baseballs another bat caught my eye....it was also aluminum(no wood allowed in T-ball).....but this one was actually a little league bat...a 30 incher....blue and silver....AND IT COST 199.99 !!!!! The guy said that's not that bad for that particular bat.....ARE YOU KIDDIN' ME? WAS IT THE GREAT BAMBINO'S BAT. I thought bats were like shoes...don't kids grow out of them? Why yes they do. And you'll pay to play. Actually his cleats were on sale for 20.00 bucks...I almost wish he was an octopus because the shoes were such a bargain. The T-ball bats were less expensive...his was $35.00..and shorter.

Meanwhile the woman from New Jersey and her daughter had to get a helmet WITH A FACE CAGE for T-ball.....yes....in New Jersey....you can't play anything with a bat unless you have a helmet with a face mask.....a whatever you do don't talk on your cell phone while you're doing it. But seriously, apparently there was an injury, A LAWSUIT...and because it's NEW JERSEY...A NEW LAW......so the 5 year old wears a helmut that makes her look like one of those cute wooden Fisher Price toys with the round heads from about 35 years ago.
I believe the governor now has to wear the same helmut whenever he's driving.

Back to my son's T-ball stuff..... we even bought some of those really soft practice balls so he and his brother can pound each other...cool!.....and the bat comes with a lifetime warranty...so my 3 1/2 year-old actually has a certified pre-owned bat & cleats(he doesn't know it yet)


at the end of the day it was another credit card moment: PRICELESS


and yeah...every dad knows that is one true cliche


http://www.kenmatthews.com/