Pastime

I'm at my son's baseball game, one of the last few games of the season and one of the last few games of my son's high school career. I arrived midway through the 5th inning with Rockville up 6-2. It's the top of the 8th now. 

It's a fun game. The weather is perfect and the teams are evenly matched in on-field and dugout trash talk talent. They're all very funny. They affect a growly deep voice and they shout things like "He's a very healthy boy!" And "Where's the ball? Right field can't see so good!" The idea seems to be to say the most innocuous and inoffensive things possible, in a tone and timbre suitable for the vilest insults. My son is very good at this. It's very amusing. 

*****

The play of the game belongs to a Richard Montgomery outfielder, who just made an insane running, diving catch. A sick catch, as the young people say. A filthy play. The batter tipped his helmet to the fielder who had robbed him of at least a double, and the Rockville dugout applauded. Respect. 

*****

The game is over now. Rockville held the lead and everyone is going home happy. I'm sitting in the bright late afternoon sunshine waiting for my son to pack up his gear and say goodnight to his team. I haven't looked at a schedule but I think they have five games left.