Baseball in France

Nice form! Those would be the American kids.

Some of our friends and coworkers in Marseille play on a local recreation league baseball team. The team is 90% French with a couple of American ‘ringers’. Last weekend we grabbed the sunscreen and a blanket and went to check out a game. After the game, our kids ran the bases and played in the trees near one of the fields.

Even though I’m not a huge baseball fan, actually being at a game makes me feel very American and at home. Only I wish I could have had some hot-dogs and frosty malts. And maybe a Mountain Dew. But I digress. Even in such an American setting, at times we had to shake our heads and say, “what”? Take this part of the event, for instance...

During the game, one of the players with a big lead-off on first had a ball thrown his way. He dove back into the base moments before the ball arrived. In so doing, he dislocated his shoulder. He laid there - motionless - for minutes. Then hours (not kidding). Here’s why:
While the team gathered around, someone called for the waiting ambulance. The game was being played at a small sports complex with three fields. A rugby game was going on behind us and an American football game to our left. The ambulance drove out on the field and the medical personnel took over. But still he lay there. Eventually, the medics cut off his jersey with the medical t-shirt-cutting jaws of life. And then he laid there shirtless. What were we waiting for? Another ambulance. You see, this one couldn’t leave the area, because it had to stay in case of a medical need. What did we have on our hands? A medica... blah.



I find this picture funny, because just before this, Sawyer had scaled the wall about 7 times alone. Then the other kids saw him and ran over to help. Ever had that feeling of “wow, I wish you would leave me alone to do this myself”? Yeah, I think he had that.