Probably a touchy subject...

[Billy77]

I'm a firm believer in...You should not ask for some ones autograph if you do not know who it is. It's very rude especially the way parents "adults" and their children ask these days.

Just a different generation now. People believe players "owe" them something.

[Roady]

I'm a firm believer that if you find yourself getting mad at children then maybe you should find another hobby.

[godwulf]

My anger is usually mostly reserved for, and directed at, the parents of the brats - perfectly good English word, more than applicable in this case - who bring their little darlings to the ballpark, and then pay no attention whatsoever to their conduct. Their behavior is inflicted on paying patrons, there to watch a Baseball game, not to babysit or to instruct someone else's kids on how to behave in a public place.

When it comes to autograph etiquette, I certainly wouldn't expect a little kid, maybe five or six, to know a player's name, but older than that and a parent ought not to just put a ball into a kid's hand and set them loose to grab anybody in a uniform for a signature. I've seen kids who were old enough to know better - and probably would, had a parent ever taught them - trying to get players on the field to sign during the game. I've seen kids trying to get a starting pitcher to come over and sign while he was engaged in his pre-game warm-up. (Although I must confess that I've seen the odd adult do the same thing, from time to time.) I have seen kids trying to get a fielder to toss them a baseball that was in play.

Last night, at a Fall League game at Salt River Fields, there were more than a dozen boys, aged about eleven or twelve, who spent the whole nine innings charging through the seats, screaming, and only paying attention to the game when a foul ball was hit. Numerous times, I had to tell a kid to sit down or move, 'cause he was standing, glove at the ready, exactly between me and the plate. Once, a couple of kids wandering through the section wanted me to stand up so they could get past me, when there were three rows completely empty behind me and eight empty rows in front of me. Idiots. I simply told them to go away, keeping the expletives in my head.

I was beginning to wonder whether there were any adults there with them, when I heard one of the boys call a man "Coach". This guy was sitting with seven or eight other adults in a little cluster, all paying far more attention to their own conversation and their beers than to either the game or the kids they'd apparently brought. These ostensible adults were in full view and earshot of the chaos and distraction being caused by their charges, and obviously didn't give a s**t. I'm assuming that this assemblage represented some kind of Baseball team; I wonder how they would feel if a dozen adults came to one of their games and acted the way they were acting at the game last night.

[Roady]

I can understand being angry at the parents of misbehaving children. My children, from teenager to 8 years old, say thank you and yes sir no sir or yes ma'am and no ma'am. If I get a bad report about them or they don't respect others, especially their elders as I was taught, I will discipline them. I have always taught by children that there are consequences to your actions.

A child does not pick their parents or how they are raised. To call any child a derogatory name while being upset about their behavior is the height of hypocrisy. How can grown men who are supposed to be mature and level headed call children names at all?

It upsets me to hear grownups call children names and get so upset about them. I always thought as adults we would set the example not come down to the level we are complaining about.

[godwulf]

You're right, of course - in most cases, it isn't the kid's fault that he or she is a brat. That fact doesn't make the label in any way less applicable.

[sox83cubs84]

To each their own, I guess...but I still intend to call 'em as I see 'em.

Dave M.