Thursday, August 14, 2008

Take me out to the ball game

Here's my take on the good old fashioned game of dating...

Dating is much like baseball. In dating men should step up to the plate & ask a woman for a pitch if they're interested. Women then choose whether or not they'll pitch, & what kind of pitch to give. Both she & he want to know what the other is all about. Good pitchers throw challenging pitches, not soft tosses given half the distance between the mound and home plate, and a good slugger keeps his eye on the ball and swings strong and level.

A man needs to understand & respect the fact that even if he steps up to the plate, a woman may not choose to give him a pitch. It also gets confusing if pitches are unexpectedly thrown into the dugout. A pitcher can wink from the mound & pursue her game, but throwing a pitches to those not up at the plate is not how it works. This is the old-fashioned version of baseball I was taught.


If you're pitching in baseball tryouts and are not sure of what kind of pitch to throw, watch the catcher. He'll help you. If you're at bat, watch for signals from the 3rd base coach. They both work for the same Manager & Owner, who are always looking for talent to put together as part of a great team.


Men, let us stand and step up to the plate- the women I know are pretty darn good pitchers.

Play ball!


This is the short version of the analogy. Maybe I can expound at a later date on a few points.
-Loren

5 comments:

highdeekay said...

nice analogy. Did I ever tell you my analogy about blind dates? (this is not very elaborate)

Blind dates are like tracting (while on a mission). It is not very fruitful very often. There are better ways to do it. But, if you don't have anything better, you do it so that you show your devotion to the task (finding a mate or converts). If you willingly go on blind dates (or tract) you will most likely be blessed in your efforts.

Having said that, I always hated blind dates (and tracting, but blind dates are even worse than tracting).

You are a good man Loren Clark. I'm glad you keep s stepping up to the plate.

LClark said...

Thanks Heidi. That is a good analogy and kind of the rule I follow as well.

I do press the individual who is seeking to set me up as to why they think we'd be a good match. Some people want to set you up just because you're single and the other person is single. It's nice when they actually know or have met the other person.

LClark said...

Sorry to everyone who had to read the other renegade comment that had been posted on here for a few days.

Apparently someone had been doing a little marketing- and what they were marketing was not very good.

I've now set my comment preferences so that I have to approve comments before they show up.

Anonymous said...

Pitchers throw into the dugout because no hitters are approaching the plate. Instead, they're just riding the pine, lollygagging with their pals.

Let me tell you that nothing wakes them up and gets them off their duffs like a fastball whizzing by their heads. A few more fastballs may even convince them that the dugout is NOT the place to be if they ever intend to get to first, second, third base or maybe even SCORE.

It's easy to lose track of the whole doggone' game when you're hanging out in the dingy dugout with the boys!

Who in the heck is the catcher, 3rd base coach, manager and owner in this flaky analogy?

LClark said...

Dear Ms. Dew,
Loved your hilarious and truthful reply. Let me defend my "flaky" analogy:

1. First of all, you don't want to date the guys that are forever languishing in the dugout. Your choice. You want to date the MEN that ARE stepping up to the plate. The dudes who NEVER step out of the dugout just get booted off the team anyway.

2. It may appear that some men or a particular fellow is not stepping up to YOUR plate, when he is actually doing his best to hammer a homer or connect elsewhere. You may have a limited view, and of course his view may be limited as well. Just because he is not asking you or those you know for a pitch does not mean he is not currently and "anxiously engaged" elsewhere.

3. Amen to your comment, "It's easy to lose track of the whole doggone' game when you're hanging out in the dingy dugout with the boys." That is very true.

4. As for the other members of the team, you can figure out who they are you... friends, family, the Man Upstairs...? They play different roles & their advice is used/heeded by choice. They offer a different perspective and sometimes more experience:

Catchers signal the pitcher on what kind of pitches to throw.

3rd base coaches signal with hitting and placement advice ("placement" in baseball is the attempt to hit the ball in a particular manner or direction).

Managers run the team and owners own them. In putting together a team, they want to maximize each player's ability.

5. Getting "beaned" in the head with a fastball while sitting in the dugout WOULD be a great wake-up call. It may even put a fellow in the hospital.


By the way, why haven't you returned my calls? Are you dating someone else or just not interested? :)