Baltimore Orioles: Thoughts from a Baseball-loving Mom

As a mom and a Baltimore Orioles fan, I have spent several Mother’s Days dressed in pink at MLB baseball stadiums.

But, no Baltimore Orioles fan moms are able to do this in 2020, and it really stinks.

I usually focus this blog on something regarding MLB, but today, I’m taking Mother’s Day to write about being a mom who loves baseball. But, I can’t leave it there, I also love softball. I am the fortunate mom of two children who have embraced the game, and I like to think that I have something to do with it.

My 19-year-old daughter is a speedy outfielder who just finished her first year of JUCO fast-pitch softball. She spent her spring break with her team, and my husband I were able to fly down to see her for a long weekend. In what would be the last game of her season that consisted of a handful of double-headers, the teams ended the game with foot taps rather than high-fives.

Of course, she hit her first college home run while my husband and I were going through TSA in the New Orleans airport on our return home. But, the game was streamed so we got to see it just after collecting our bags. We never would’ve thought that would be it.

I am also the mother of a baseball-loving son. He is a high school junior who eats, sleeps, and breathes baseball. He’s a corner infielder with a beautiful swing who was hoping to play on the varsity team this year. He hopes to play at the college level and his goal is to work in the baseball industry in any way he can. The kid eats, sleeps, and breathes baseball.

My son and I are on a mission to get to every MLB stadium, and we go to games as often as possible. A few years ago, when he was recovering from knee surgery, we attended more than 30 MLB games, and we live about 150 miles away from the nearest ball park. We have been to 14 MLB parks. We’ve also been to several spring training parks in Arizona and Florida.

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I know that my son and I aren’t alone in our goal to go to games at all of the parks; we have other friends who are doing this. But, we very rarely see mothers and son who are doing this. My favorite part about seeing the ballparks with my son is the time involved. How many moms get to spend all of that time – planning, traveling, attending the games – with their teenage sons? I get to, and I treasure it.

My daughter likes to attend games, but because she has a peanut allergy, it isn’t easy for her to relax and enjoy them. She and I have been to a few games together, to see our favorite players. But, we can only go to games with plenty of open seats, as we often move to avoid fans eating peanuts near us.

Both of my children have played years of Little League and travel ball. In fact, we’re waiting to find out what will happen to their travel seasons in the COVID-19 world.

I miss baseball. I miss softball. I hope that every mother who was hoping to go to a game with someone they love knows that they are not alone. We are all in this together, and hopefully it will be over soon, so we can all get back to the game we love. Happy Mother’s Day from me and the rest of the Birds Watcher baseball fans.