Stories Collected While Living in France
photo: My nephew Joe playing Little League Baseball.
The other day Sacha was attempting to play baseball with his cousins. After swinging the bat like a madman at any ball that crossed the plate, they told him,
"Hey Sacha, you don’t have any plate discipline, and you have a minus 10 percent contact."
Sacha looked at me as if to say, "What does that mean?" I shrugged, clueless. Sacha groaned, "Mom you’re American and this is baseball, you should know?"
I think maybe I have turned French.
i think what you mean becoming or rather feeling a somewhat ‘stranger’at home. years pass when living abroad and returning only once a year to your home ground. the familiar things you knew before leaving are replaced by new one’s…
back in time it made me feel sad sometimes, thinking of slowly loosing my home ground…
LOL sounds Greek to me!!
Ummm…I’m with Sacha. 😉
Threw ya a curve, huh?? ..Well, it sounds about like the way I play baseball! hit or miss!
Love you my sweet friend.
Batters up!
Love you Slugger~
Thank God that was the worst curve thrown to you that day.
Giggles……..
Love you
Jeanne ^j^
When it comes to baseball, I stand with you and Sacha on the French side of the line.
Joe looks handsome in his baseball uniform. Please tell him I said so.
I must be French also because I haven’t a clue.
We’re about as baseball-American as you can get in this house…and none of us know what a -10 percent contact is!
Even my son, with all of his high school playing experience! (And I can guarentee that he isn’t French!)
“Plate discipline”…that we know!
Good luck playing baseball with the cousins!
I’ve never heard baseball-speak like that either.
Poor French Sacha.
Well perhaps you are somewhat French, but my oldest son plays baseball and that’s all new lingo to me! Unless HE could decipher it for me! heehee (Maybe it’s West Coast baseball lingo?!) =)
Corey, Hope you’re having a wonderful time here in Northern California. Aren’t we having the best weather? Isn’t -10% just another way of saying he’s not making contact with the ball? Kind of like saying “on a scale of 1-10 it’s a minus 20” for something that’s not so good? Tell him not to worry, everybody has their own talents and abilities!!
Lucky Sacha is getting the best from two worlds……
Maybe Sacha should get out the petanque (boule) and show them a French game?
Don’t despair or give up your dual citizenship Corey, I haven’t a clue what that lingo means either. 🙂
Did Sacha enjoy himself at any rate? Good for him trying something new!
I will 2nd your shrug! I have no clue what they are talking about! 🙂
oh how wonderful to have a foot in both countries…i think they mean swinging too much…but if you never swing, you never have a chance of hitting a homerun…american mon with french children…apple pie and croissants…endearing moments to relive over and over…blessings, rebecca
he’s swinging at anything (the plate discipline) instead of waiting for his pitch. as for the -10%, I think your nephew is making that up. 🙂
glad to see (and read) you are enjoying your time with your family here in the states.
Sounds ‘Russian’ to me!!! I never understood that lingo either… Have Sacha reply back in French, and I’ll bet it will all work out great!
When are we getting together?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????!
I’m claiming to be French, too. I don’t know what that means, either! LOL I’m lucky I know there’s a bat and a ball involved.
Hi Corey,
I really don’t know baseball either.
Hope you are having a lovely weekend in California.
Rosemary
Am I the only one who thinks Joe bears a resemblance to cousin Chris?
————————–
Hi Cousin Francobollo
You know he does! For years I have scratched my head wondering WHO does Joe remind me of…. at thought he looked like Chip from, “My Three Sons.”
But you are right…Joe looks like cousin Chris!
You have turned French! The title of your post should have been “A Curveball” (or “Curveball Question”) instead you gave us a literal translation of the word! That’s funny!
TONS of americans know very little about sports…
when i watch baseball,
i can never tell
what quarter the game is in
or
who will make the hole-in-one…
or
who the goalie is…
🙂
I know those trees!
Boohooohooohoo. 😉
🙂
Or, it might be because you’re a girl!!!!
This was funny!
Tell Sacha, I am too an american and I do NOT know what that meant! ~giggle
All of your family are so good looking! Beautiful family that have.. in America and in France! 😉
not sure either, but we have only had one year of t-ball!
Nice picture of All Star Joe! Yes he does have a liken to Cousin Chris. Plate discipline is easy. Swings at anything. This 10% thing rest assured baseball people is simply video game speak. It like all video games has little to do with the actual game we all know and love.
_________________________________
Hey Mathew
I knew you would come out and strike a homerun.
Though I don’t know plate discipline, I know baseball…some of my fondest memories of my grandfather involved watching the NY Yankees with him!!!
Don’t look at me. I’m Australian.
I found you in Somerset Life. Your blog is wonderful and the links led me to wonderful plaaces. Thank you!!!
So sweet, they are just telling Sacha to be patient at the plate. They are saying not to swing at everything because he wasn’t making contact, thus the low % thing. Ahh, I miss summer baseball with my son so much!
And I love your Lance Armstrong story, very cool!!
I just got a yellow bracelet this summer, to represent my sister, do you have one yet?
Teresa
now…
my Dad was a
semi-pro
my son is
an Ortiz fan
and I…
remember returning
after just 2 years
in Ivory Coast
… dear women
with babies
on their backs
and baskets of fruit
on their heads
after walking many miles…
well…
the cellophane/plastic
wrapped fruit
at the grocery
reduced me to tears
culture shock…
at any time
and baseball
is SO American
xxxxxxxxoooooooooooxxxxxx –
eb.
i’ve been a little league mom for years and i’ve never heard that term… but it’s a great one. i use plate discipline at work all the time. patience. yes patience. that and delayed gratification. life affirming activities. wait and watch. as always, your extraordinary posts expand my universe in ways i never dream. thankyou! big hugs, snowsparkls
You are just the best of 2 cultures …I think
And that’s the same for your kids …Lucky them
I don’t have a clue about the lingo. I remember when Candlestick Park in S.F. opened tho and attended some of the earliest games.
Sounds like you are enjoying your time here in CA.
Darla
I’m afraid I can’t translate the baseball talk either… I’ve absolutely nooo idea what that means.
When I was playing the only language we had was “HIT THE BALL!!” Discipline has never been a strong suit of mine.
LOL Corey! I have no clue what that means either!
French, with a twist…
Well, if Sacha, is lost there, he must keep looking around…
There may be a couple of pom pom girls on whom you can practice your favourite “basic” questions !
Won’t be lost for long !!!
Sorry to burst your bubble but I am a Brit and know nothing about football or soccer as you Americans call it. Your style is so French though!
nah, you just don’t talk “baseball”…:)
Lidy
Leave a Reply