It’s the last out. Your kid’s team is down by one. There’s a kid on third. And your child stands at the plate, knees bent, elbows up, bat at the ready. Three-two count.
Here comes the pitch!
Around goes the bat. The ball smacks into the catcher’s mitt.
The other team erupts in cheers, and your kid slumps into the dugout and slams his (or her) helmet to the ground.
It’s gonna be a long, quiet minivan ride home.
What’s a concerned parent to say?
Who better to ask than our own Colorado Rockies, who know a thing or two about winning and, um, losing.
Many of the players are not that far from their own little league days and can still hear the voices of coaches past as they suit up in the purple-carpeted clubhouse under Coors Field.
The clubhouse feels like a fancy rec room, lined with lockers that are more like custom closets, each with the player’s name on a plaque above. Black and purple recliners face a flat-screen TV in the center of the oval space.
It’s at once big and little league, as players munch on hamburgers, work crossword puzzles and talk to reporters, who are allowed in from 3:05 p.m. to 3:35 p.m. Some players plug into iPods or work on their laptops, but most of the players are open to questions, especially if they are about something other than their team’s performance.
The pros seemed to enjoy reflecting on their little league days and sharing how they advise their own children, some of whom play in youth leagues.
How would you handle crying after an error or strikeout?
Todd Helton (first baseman), 34, daughter, 5: I still cry, and I’m 34. I do the man’s version of crying, which is basically “don’t talk to me,” but you know what, you hit .333, that means you’re going to the Hall of Fame.
What do you think about when you’re in a slump?
Garrett Atkins (infielder), 28, no kids: The thing I like to do is look around at people who are good players and are having problems. Everybody’s gonna struggle at some point. When you get out in the first or the fifth or the ninth, it’s gonna happen. It happened 26 other times in that game.
What do you say to your child when he says, “I suck,” beyond “watch your language”?
Yorvit Torrealba (catcher), 29, son, 10: I know the way they think. It doesn’t matter how much you talk to them; they’ll still think that. But just talk to him. This game is more mental, and your worst enemy is yourself. I have a 10-year-old boy, and if he strikes out two times in one game, I say, “Bad day.”
Helton: I’d tell him to think back to how he was feeling when he was doing well. Everything starts with a thought. You go up with a wrong thought in your head, and it’s a lot easier said than done. That’s what makes a home run so special.
Clint Barmes (infielder), 29, 8-month-old son: Sometimes it is better not to say anything, You gotta know when to pat ’em on the back and when to leave them alone. The parents make more of it than the kids.
Micah Bowie (pitcher), 33, daughter 10, and son, 6, who is in a coach-pitch league: I’d say the same thing I said to my 6-year-old son this Saturday: you can’t get a hit every time. You got to have some fun, you did your best. If you always judge yourself by results, you’re gonna have a hard time. Look at the way you prepare. It’s more about motivation and what’s in your heart. People get caught up in wins and losses, but that fact is, they’re out there having fun and new experiences every time.
How do you handle striking out to lose the game?
Ryan Spillborghs (outfielder), 28, no kids: It’s part of the game and not that big a deal. Baseball is a game of failure.
How old were you when you really learned that? 27.
How old are you now? Twenty-eight. But if you’re not able to accept that, maybe you should get out of baseball.
Barmes: I’ve been there a lot. They’d always tell me it’s a team sport, but something happens at the end of a game, I put it on me.
Brian Fuentes (pitcher), 31, one son, 2: All you can do is keep encouraging them. It’s a game built on failure. You get out seven out of 10 times, and that means you’re a great hitter.
How do you teach young ballplayers to handle failure?
Fuentes: The older you get, the more you put pressure on yourself. It’s just a sign the game’s getting a little harder. Seems like the parents feel more anguish than the kids.
Matt Herges (pitcher), 38, sons, 5 and 2, daughter, 3: That’s the million-dollar question. I would love to know, I have three kids. In this game you fail a lot. When you fail, you’re getting better. At least 80 percent of it is between the ears, what makes the difference is the mental part. I remember all my coaches, but the coaches that yelled and seemed frustrated themselves — that did not help me. I looked to my dad — when I failed it was OK, and when I won I got praise. You don’t want to push kids too much.
Clint Hurdle (manager), 50, daughters, 5 and 22, son, 3: In society, as well as in baseball, you gotta find a way to promote self-esteem. How do you expect me to believe in you if you don’t believe in you?
Kristen Browning-Blas: 303-954-1440 or kbrowning@denverpost.com
