'Daddy Ball' Banner Flies Over Indiana High School Baseball Game

I will reserve full judgment on this "Carmel baseball is daddy ball" banner that reportedly flew over an Indiana High School baseball game on Wednesday night until a few things are figured out. 

1. Did a travel ball parent pay for this banner?

As a trusted member of the news media, I cannot just jump to the conclusion that some pissed off travel ball parent paid for this banner to fly over a JV game at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, according to Marc McAleavey, who posted the photos on Twitter. 

I WILL NOT jump to conclusions, but I will throw out a theory. Let's see if this ends up right. 

The theory goes something like this: 

A travel ball parent has paid thousands and thousands of dollars over the last several years in an attempt to make sure his/her son is good enough to make the Carmel JV team. The kid played in like 60 travel ball games last summer. The family has 300,000 Hampton Inn points from stays in St. Louis, suburban Chicago, Columbus, OH, Louisville, the big trip to the Florida panhandle, and a visit to play a five-day tourney in Tennessee. 

Mom and or dad burnt through all of his/her vacation time to attend the tournaments where the parent was paying $10 entry fees, eating horribly, burning up in the sun and praying the whole time that his/her son would climb the mountaintop and make the JV team. 

They weren't getting greedy this season. This wasn't about making varsity. 

The parent paid for the off-season training program. Paid for hitting coach. The fielding coach. The new bat. The new glove. The new other bat to put on the other side of the travel ball backpack. 

Then it happened: the JV coach cut travel ball parent's child. Game over. 

But, Joe, this banner could be paid for by a pissed off rec ball parent. 

It could be. That's true. But it's highly unlikely. Why? Because rec ball parents hear from parents around town how the high school process works. They're mentally prepared to be told their kids were cut because the JV team has played travel ball together for 10 years and the family doesn't have any more room at the inn. 

We get it, the travel ball kids are battle-hardened baseballers who have played 60-game seasons. They're superior. 

Folks, as the Dave Ramsey of Travel Baseball, I can stop you from buying petty banners

Over on Facebook, a parent addressed the current state of affairs for Carmel High School baseball. 

"I can say, I wanted to move to Carmel and raise my family. From the area originally," Randy Kinnett writes. "Carmel, great schools, great sports programs, etc. What I didn't account for is the sheer number of kids in sports at the school and in Carmel. Example: My son tried out for the freshman team last year. Somehow, they already had 7/8 players selected, again, somehow. They basically need to fill 5 spots. 117 boys showed up for the tryout."

It sounds like we have a parent who played the odds and lost. 

Are you responsible for the Daddy Ball banner flying over Carmel High School? I will keep you anonymous. It's my 100% guarantee. I will vet your story, but I WILL NOT reveal my source, if you say so. Let's talk.

Email: joekinsey@gmail.com