A True Fan
My ninety-one year old mother is a spunky, lifelong baseball fan. Thelma grew up in Cleveland, and she was in the stadium, cheering wildly, when the Indians won the world series in 1948. At one time, she could tell you all the ball players’ stats, who was traded where and when, if they were married, where they lived, and probably even give you the names of their children.
She has followed Victor Martinez’s career since he first played for the Indians. When he was traded to the Red Sox in 2009, she told me, “He loved Cleveland. He didn’t want to go. I felt sad for him.”
Becoming a Tiger’s Fan
In 2012, my mom moved to an assisted living apartment north of Detroit, and started watching the Tigers. She was delighted to see one of her long-time favorites, Martinez, on the team. I think it made the Tigers seem a little more like home to her.
When I visited with her today, after the Tigers had lost to the Athletics on Monday, October 7, she immediately started to tell me about the altercation between the A’s pitcher, Balfour, and Martinez. She was so riled up, she asked me to write about it in my blog, not that she has a computer and could ever read it. She just wanted to state her opinion, for the record!
I’d seen the ugliness on television and on replays. Balfour swears at Martinez (the first bleep-bleeps you hear on the video) and starts walking toward Martinez. Balfour is ordered to get back up on the mound. Martinez swears back as he walks toward Balfour.
Post game commentary seemed to blame Martinez, as if he should have known and understood Balfour; in fact, the commentators stated Martinez should have expected this behavior. MLB Network announcer Vasgersian explained Balfour for the benefit of viewers less familiar with the pitcher’s so-called antics: “This is Grant Balfour being Grant Balfour. He is… amped up. He talks a lot. It’s not personalized but he talks a lot. In fact, he has the demeanor of a guy that wants to fight you. That’s not his intention. That’s how he gets himself out there ready to throw in the ninth.”
In truth, Balfour shouted, “What the f*** are you looking at?” That’s not random, impersonal chatter. It was clearly directed at Martinez. My mother heard it. She took offense. She also took offense to MLB commentators excusing Balfour and giving Martinez a bum rap.
Mom comes to Martinez’s defense
“He’s not that kind of man,” she said of Martinez. He’s a good ball player. He isn’t rash or foul tempered. “Not at all. He’s married. He lives in Cleveland,” she said, shaking a finger at me. She was livid.
Of the commentators who criticized Martinez, Mom said, “I don’t know why they have to do that.”
Balfour might be a terrific pitcher, but it sure seems he’s the one with the attitude, not Martinez. Mom says he’s kind of a nut. I believe her, too. There are some things she just knows.
But, I guess that’s baseball. It’s a game of passion. I love that Mom is passionate about baseball, and life in general. And I love that she defends what she believes.
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Thank you for visiting.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a writer, poet, and artist:
Multi-finalist award winning novel In the Context of Love
Picture book Gordy and the Ghost Crab
Latest poetry chapbook: Sleepwalker
Connect with Linda: LinkTree
Martinez is very fortunate to have a fan like your mom. She knows the game, she knows the players and she won’t accept any foolishness from anyone!!
You know it!
I never knew Aunt Thelma was such a baseball enthusiast!! So funny that I cannot imagine her as such a dug-out specialist! Wow! That is totally cool! Love cousin. Loxi
Yep, she sure was! She started going to Indians games with a girlfriend when they were in their teens, and they kept scorecards on all the stats. I asked her “Why baseball?” She said it was something to do, she liked the game, and “Well, we liked some of the players, too.” Did you know that she went to that ’48 World Series game with Uncle Eddie?
In day to day life, the well known football players are
becoming a role model to motivate the youths. Most online football managers give you a team when you sign up and you’re stuck with them forever,
no matter how well you do. Among those that came out in the
wish list is a better line play, addition of team entrances, and crowd atmosphere.