Sammy at Bat

When I was a kid, my father, brother and I would spend summer evenings playing whiffle ball out in the backyard. Occasionally my mother would join us and we’d play “pitcher, batter, catcher, guts,” rotating positions after each out. Guts was the outfielder. No teams– it was each person for him or herself, and we used only one base.

Last week during a spell of mild weather, my father and I introduced the game to Sam. It was loads of fun. Sometimes she would cling to my legs, making it difficult for me to bat. Other times she was superb in the position of guts– running after the ball and handing it back to the pitcher. She also enjoyed chasing whoever was running to first base.

Here she is learning to swing the bat. By the end of the “lesson” she insisted on holding the bat all by herself.