Older fans need to get out of the way of the younger ones

When I was about 12 years old, I went down to the late Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia with… When I was about 12 years old, I went down to the late Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia with my little brother, dad and neighbor to see the Phillies take on the Dodgers. I was sitting along the first base line when a foul ball came my way. It was a line drive so it bounced off an empty seat and rolled towards me as I was standing in the aisle.

When my hand was just about on what would have been the only baseball I would have ever gotten at a game to date, I felt a force hit me in the back. I flew to the ground, hitting my head on the metal railing in the aisle.

Where was the ball I almost had?

It was in the hands of a large, middle-aged man who had knocked me to the ground. He held the ball high in the air, showing his newly acquired ball. Needless to say, everyone around the section who witnessed this began to shout obscenities at this man.

So why am I reminiscing to you right now?

Because I witnessed something at the Pirates game Wednesday night that reminded me of this.

A group of kids, ages ranging from 7 to 12, were standing by the field yelling to players, holding their baseballs up high, asking for autographs. It’s the dream of every little boy who goes to a ballgame.

At one point before the game, Dave Littlefield, the Pirates’ vice president and general manager of baseball operations, came out onto the field. A group of kids gathered and patiently held their baseballs out as Littlefield signed them one by one.

After about a minute of signing, an older teenager makes his way into the pile and starts yelling, “Hey Dave! Dave! Dave!”

Littlefield looked up at him and gave him the signal to quiet down and wait his turn — and left before signing the teenager’s baseball.

Officer Frank Rende of the Pittsburgh Police Department, who works at Pirates home games during the week, said there have been several instances where older men are pushing smaller kids out of the way for autographs or foul balls.

This is not how it is supposed to be.

A baseball game is supposed to be a great game for fathers to take their sons to. And every little boy out there should have a fair chance at getting the ball. So guys, think a little more about what you’re doing at these games. Think of why you are at the game now and why you were at these games when you were little. Think of how much more that ball means to someone much younger than you.

Many times, kids don’t even know who is a baseball player and who is not.

They really don’t care if it is an All-Star who signs the ball or a utility infielder who may get 30 at-bats if he’s lucky. It’s just the fact they got one.

One exception to this, as there always seems to be at least one for everything, is if the ball you caught or could catch has some significance — like Barry Bonds’ 73rd home run ball. But even still, by exception, I mean you have a right to hold onto that ball — not knock over ten kids and a hot dog vendor to get to it.

I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’ll probably never get the chance to catch a baseball at a ball game and many others should come to this realization. They should sit back in their seats and just watch the game.

And if a ball comes your way, look for the nearest kid sporting an oversized baseball glove. He wants it more than you.

Jimmy Johnson is a staff writer for The Pitt News and tomorrow is his autograph-signing day at PNC Park — get in line now.