Anyone who, like me, cannot get enough of baseball, and grew up listening to games on the radio into the 
wee hours of the morning with my Dad, will appreciate this post!!!
Now, getting down to what prompted this post...
As an ardent Phillies fan, I was watching last night's game as Carlos Ruiz, Phillies dependable and likable catcher, hit a walk off home run in the 10th inning to give the Phillies a 2 to 1 victory over the Saint Louis Cardinals in one of the most 
exciting games so far this season...
Now hold that thought a minute...
Over many years, I have personally spent a lot of time around little league baseball...With four boys, all of whom played little league baseball, two daughters who played softball, and having coached on several occasions and spectated at both games and practices alike...I LOVE BASEBALL...
Baseball, for the game itself, for all the strategies and superstitions, and for its ability to captivate and enthuse millions of kids for more than a century now to play and watch the sport...must be divinely inspired...!!!
Encouraging kids to like the sport and develop and improve their athletic skills takes on many dimensions...
I would like to focus on ONE SMALL DIMENSION.......NICKNAMES...
As I sit in the bleachers cheering on these little leaguers, it is incumbent to refer to them appropriately...That means not by given name, but by nickname...
WHAT NICKNAME...???
It could be one, it could be several, it could be accurately descriptive, it could be by happenstance...Whatever the nickname, it must ALWAYS be uplifting, positive, affectionate, and catchy...IT MUST NEVER BE DEROGATORY or demeaning to the kid...!!! Nicknames applied to youngsters, such as 'HI-C' for Conner, 'BIG A' for Alex, and 'BIG POPPY' for a real slugger, raise confidence and self esteem...and enjoyment of the game...
With all that said, let me return to the central focus of this post.......
Remember when I asked you to hold that thought...
As Carlos Ruiz was approaching home plate after his game winning 10th inning walk off homer, his entire team was huddled at the plate and greeted him shouting, "Chooch, Chooch, Chooch"...Of course, 'CHOOCH' is Carlos' nickname, and I'm sure his teammates and fans use it affectionately, but as an Italian American who knows little about the Spanish language...I GET OFFENDED...WHY...???
Because, in Italian, 'chooch' has a derogatory connotation...it means 'JACKASS'...and more literally, it assigns stupidity to anyone to whom it is 
applied...!!!
Carlos Ruiz, is anything but 'STUPID'...He is one of the smartest, physically capable, and adept catchers of all time...!!!
To me, chants of 'CAPITAN', 'CAPITAN', 'CAPITAN', or something like that, would be more appropriate...!!!
PLAY BALL...!!!
