Bullpen Mom's Dating Advice

Another rain out for our favorite team. Storms rolled through and would not leave. Thunder, lightening, downpours, and hail...a typical day in the mountains. Boy, am I glad that I did not go to this game. The broadcast is almost as good as being there without the elements of nature.

Yesterday I mentioned the boldness of some of the coeds on campus. I can't let this one go without commenting. I will probably sound very old (...and yes, I did walk to school in the snow and rain....) but...what happened to the days when a boy and girl would get to know one another then go on a date if they liked each other? It may seem old-fashioned, but I have always felt that this was a terrific way to start the dating process....that is, spending time with someone that you like. From what I can gather as I collect data from conversations with my freshman son, he does not like the anonymous letters and text messages to get together with women that he does not know. I guess he is a bit of a throw back to a different era.

With that said, I am pretty confident that he wants to see the person and have a conversation first. True, he was asked to the prom by a girl with a sign at a baseball game. Thankfully, he said yes to the girl after she went out of her way to paint a sign, stand at the game, and ask him between innings. I actually think that he was relieved that he did not have to ask anyone because he may have been afraid that she would say no....the perils of prom time...

So, what is my advice to college kids and others who want to find a person to date? Go to the gym, library, college dances, and get involved in campus clubs. Sadly, baseball is like a second job, so being part of the general campus is tough for the guys. They have to be a bit more creative. Buddy has relied on weekly parties at the athlete's houses to meet people. It is his opinion that the guys who do not have girl friends have more fun because they do not have to worry about them at the parties.

However, going to the parties (once the drinks have flowed) can be a bit dangerous for anyone. Buddy has been punched in the face, spit on, and had his cell phone broken by guys who were drunk at the time. As an athlete (or someone who is sane), he cannot fight back. He could hurt someone and land up in prison, as my friend's son did in college when he hit a drunk student who was pushing him around. This kid was arrested, spent a night in jail, had to obtain a lawyer, go to court on a number of occasions, and sued. All he did was defend himself, but as he did, the other kid landed on his head and was in the hospital for 24 hours. And so it goes....rather than drinking beer, try some lemonade...no hangovers, fights, or flying sputum. It could actually be a good time....will he listen to his mom? nah....have a good day...