Always joke that I’m your other mom but can’t hold a candle to Maddie wonderful tribute to a wonderful woman who raised a wonderful son Give her our love 💐❤️
Everyone should have a mom like your mom in their corner. And every mom should have a son like you who appreciates and acknowledges a mother's love and sacrifices. Beautiful.
Great tribute to a great mother and teacher. Always have to appreciate what moms do for us from that first drive to Phelps Park for Teaneck Western games to Votee Park for Lancers and beyond.
"That man could not have known the context for his offense. In simple terms, he trashed someone’s son."
I sympathize with your mother, but only because she misread the man and his comment.
It wasn't aimed at her son, whom he didn't know, but all ballplayers and, by extension, all professional athletes. MLB rookies paid the Collective Bargaining Agreement's minimum salary are pulling in close to fifteen times what the average American takes home in a year.
If you think that that sits well with those average Americans, you're wrong.
Which leads us to what may be an unresolvable conundrum: Americans love believing that theirs is a land of unlimited opportunity, and that anyone, anywhere, can make it big, strike it rich.
And, therein lies one of the beauties of baseball: unlike football, which is highly stratified, with pampered quarterbacks and tight ends, who are about the only ones with guaranteed contracts, while lineman, who generally take far more punishment and have much shorter careers as a consequence, may spend those careers in relative obscurity without ever once having ever physically touched a football in a game, baseball is so wonderfully democratic: ANYONE can get the game-winning hit (except pitchers nowadays, thanks to the deplorable DL) or make the game-saving defensive play.
But the other side of it is that there's an ineradicable disquiet in those same Americans that people are making a lot more money than they are in far more glamourous circumstances, and are, on top of that, receiving preferential treatment, are pampered (whether true or not, but it's the perception that counts).
That brings us to the matter of that compensation, and it's true for actors and CEO's as much as it is for athletes. They are paid what they are paid because the people who pay them think they can make THEM even MORE money. But is what they're paid justifiable SOCIETALLY? No, it is not. Society does not benefit from such rampant over-compensation, which brings us back to the aforementioned conundrum harbored by most Americans.
When I root for a team and one or more of its players do not perform as well as one hopes or expects, I never boo or criticize them, because it seems painfully obvious to me that, whatever my feelings on the matter are, THEY care far more than I ever can: it's their reputations and careers that're on the line, no mine. There are are no consequences for me, other than mild disappointment, but for them, everything they ever worked for can vanish in less than a season.
That man who made the remark in the salon, Doug, didn't think through what he said, or what he thought. It shouldn't come as too much of a shock that a great many people simply do not think very deeply about much of anything. That's just an unfortunate fact of life.
Hey Brian! I have seen the first season and from being in cities over the years (Philly), it hits home. They walk the balance of truth and great humor. :)
Beautiful piece, Doug. It seems no matter what we become in life or how old we get, we are still little boys at heart when it comes to our mommas. Yours sounds wonderful - bless you both!
"the innocuous insider questions" that every mom starts asking at some point are always the cutest thing... once again a wonderful article, Doug! No matter how old we get, we always need our moms
Loved the story Doug!
Wow, what a story, what a mom.
Always joke that I’m your other mom but can’t hold a candle to Maddie wonderful tribute to a wonderful woman who raised a wonderful son Give her our love 💐❤️
Thanks, Mrs D! Sending our love to you on Mother’s Day!
Everyone should have a mom like your mom in their corner. And every mom should have a son like you who appreciates and acknowledges a mother's love and sacrifices. Beautiful.
Hi Amy! Mom is 88 and still rolling so I am thankful for that!
Great tribute to a great mother and teacher. Always have to appreciate what moms do for us from that first drive to Phelps Park for Teaneck Western games to Votee Park for Lancers and beyond.
Good days in T-Neck!
What a beautiful tribute to your mom. Thank you for sharing, and I hope that she has a wonderful Mother's Day.
"That man could not have known the context for his offense. In simple terms, he trashed someone’s son."
I sympathize with your mother, but only because she misread the man and his comment.
It wasn't aimed at her son, whom he didn't know, but all ballplayers and, by extension, all professional athletes. MLB rookies paid the Collective Bargaining Agreement's minimum salary are pulling in close to fifteen times what the average American takes home in a year.
If you think that that sits well with those average Americans, you're wrong.
Which leads us to what may be an unresolvable conundrum: Americans love believing that theirs is a land of unlimited opportunity, and that anyone, anywhere, can make it big, strike it rich.
And, therein lies one of the beauties of baseball: unlike football, which is highly stratified, with pampered quarterbacks and tight ends, who are about the only ones with guaranteed contracts, while lineman, who generally take far more punishment and have much shorter careers as a consequence, may spend those careers in relative obscurity without ever once having ever physically touched a football in a game, baseball is so wonderfully democratic: ANYONE can get the game-winning hit (except pitchers nowadays, thanks to the deplorable DL) or make the game-saving defensive play.
But the other side of it is that there's an ineradicable disquiet in those same Americans that people are making a lot more money than they are in far more glamourous circumstances, and are, on top of that, receiving preferential treatment, are pampered (whether true or not, but it's the perception that counts).
That brings us to the matter of that compensation, and it's true for actors and CEO's as much as it is for athletes. They are paid what they are paid because the people who pay them think they can make THEM even MORE money. But is what they're paid justifiable SOCIETALLY? No, it is not. Society does not benefit from such rampant over-compensation, which brings us back to the aforementioned conundrum harbored by most Americans.
When I root for a team and one or more of its players do not perform as well as one hopes or expects, I never boo or criticize them, because it seems painfully obvious to me that, whatever my feelings on the matter are, THEY care far more than I ever can: it's their reputations and careers that're on the line, no mine. There are are no consequences for me, other than mild disappointment, but for them, everything they ever worked for can vanish in less than a season.
That man who made the remark in the salon, Doug, didn't think through what he said, or what he thought. It shouldn't come as too much of a shock that a great many people simply do not think very deeply about much of anything. That's just an unfortunate fact of life.
Thanks for sharing that. What a beautiful story and how blessed you have been having a mother like yours.
Wow! Touching and brave, as usual. Wondering if you and your mom watch Abbott Elementary, with her having taught and your ties to Philly.
Hey Brian! I have seen the first season and from being in cities over the years (Philly), it hits home. They walk the balance of truth and great humor. :)
Beautiful piece, Doug. It seems no matter what we become in life or how old we get, we are still little boys at heart when it comes to our mommas. Yours sounds wonderful - bless you both!
Thanks, Charlie. Given my brother at 62 is still playing. She is the incredible gift that keeps on giving!
"the innocuous insider questions" that every mom starts asking at some point are always the cutest thing... once again a wonderful article, Doug! No matter how old we get, we always need our moms
Wow, to be such a strong and supportive mom - with all her other roles! Lovely tribute.
Doug, I remember your Mom and Dad well. You are blessed.
Go Cadmus Court!!!
Let me know when you will be in nyc