Batter, Batter, Batter... SWING!

Last year was the first year our kids played baseball. Their team was the Red Sox. They had a great time and they were the oldest on the five/six co-ed team. We had one practice a week until the games started then we didn't have any practice, just the twice weekly games.

Well, their seven year old team is a whole other animal. We've got three practices a week with each practice lasting 2 hours! They are now the youngest on the seven year old team and Gooseygirl is the only girl. The first day of practice we met the coach. He is a nice fellow with a THICK southern accent. At the end of practice the coach gathered all the kids around him to announce our team's name.

The 10 kiddos surrounded him were expecting him to say, "We're the Reds" or "We're the Cardinals". Instead, with his pronounced drawl, the coach proudly said, "We're the MANNERS team!"

Stunned silence.

Finally Gooseygirl said loudly, "The Manners team? What kind of name is that?"

All the kids looked at coach like he was the absolute definition of uncool.

Coach then caught on that his accent was preventing him from being understood. "No, no, no. Not the Manners team. The MARINERS team!"

A sigh of relief passed through the kiddo crowd. Later at home RocketMan was giggling. I asked him what was so funny. He said, "I thought the coach said our team was gonna be called the Manures!" Upon hearing that BirdMan and GooseyGirl dissolved into belly laughs as they started calling out cheers, "Go Manure!", "You can do it Manure!", "Stop that ball, Manure!"

Bathroom humor AND baseball. Very American, don't you think?