Baseball guys

I’ve been worried since my last post that I may have used a term that not all of you are familiar with: baseball guy. Those of you who don’t know what it means probably assume it’s anyone who plays baseball. Well, my friends, it’s not. I have played ball with plenty of guys who were far, far from being baseball guys. For the sake on enlightening you, I will try to explain just exactly what a baseball guy is. This may prove to be a difficult task, because there’s no real definition. So what I will actually do is just list some descriptions of baseball guys, to give you a better idea of what they are.



Most are at least moderately good at baseball, although this is not a requirement.

They know the proper way to chew seeds. Not one at a time, but rather putting a small handful in your mouth and then proceeding to crack, spit, and eat then with minimal help, if any, from your hands.

They know the positions by their numbers.

They know the difference between a rip and a shot, a jack, and a bomb.

They yell some or all of the following from the bench: “We got ice!” “C’mon here kiiiid!” “Whadda ya say here, whadda ya say?” “Attakid!” “Attababe!”

They recognize great plays and give the people who make them their proper due.

They yell “Roll a pair”, “Roll it”, “Roll two”, and “Turn two” (and in the proper situation).

They have a thorough knowledge of baseball lingo.

They call the ump “blue”.

They look forward to their first game of the year for weeks in advance.

They sleep with their bat and/or glove in the week(s) leading up to their first game of the year (a trait more commonly seen in younger kids, but also known to exist in older ones).

They have multiple bats and gloves.

They spit.

I guess to surmise, the most basic definition of a baseball guy is someone who’s extremely comfortable with the game.



Now, just because you’re a baseball guy doesn’t mean you do all those, nor does doing all those make you a baseball guy. But if you want to go baseball guy hunting, that list is a good place to start.
I think one thing that makes them hard to describe is that they come in many different forms. There are baseball guys who are serious and intense, baseball guys who are complete goofs, and some who are both (goofs most of the time, but get serious when it’s their time to perform).
I absolutely love being around the baseball guys on my teams. I suppose it has to do with the aforementioned comfort with the game, but whatever it is, I prefer to sit near them on the bench, throw with them, talk to them, and do everything with them.
Hopefully if any of you were wondering what exactly a “baseball guy” is, this will at least help to clear it up for you a little.