Shelly Duncan - Prankster?

[jojo]

Originally Posted by 37red

It's a fact that kids are what we often argue is the base of the game. Playing ball on sand lots, collecting cards with gum in them. When I collected cards it wasn't to get only one team, it was to get as many greats as you could. If I had a chance to get an autograph from any pro player I'd have jumped on it. Not for the money on ebay, it would be for the excitement of having a big star signing anything for me. It's ridiculous to think that a kid should expect a pro player to give a signature like that. I'm surprised that so many people forget about being 10 years old and how they felt about baseball as a whole. Have people just jumped off the edge and think that a 10 year old would simply go for the money? Get your heads together. Maybe you would go for the money instead of just simply the excitement of getting an autograph, that's not unlikely, but.....

I personally would frame the autograph.

I don't think it's fair to assume that Duncan wrote what he did in an attempt to be malicious. It was a spontaneous moment and one that I don't really think was an ugly one. We of course can never know his true intent but shouldn't we give him the benefit of the doubt?

BTW, I'm a big Ms fan and my daughter has adopted them too (probably because she can't escape them) and she refuses to wear green because of the As. She's 9. I think we're selling kids short by suggesting "they're only in 5th grade".

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by 37red

It's a fact that kids are what we often argue is the base of the game. Playing ball on sand lots, collecting cards with gum in them. When I collected cards it wasn't to get only one team, it was to get as many greats as you could. If I had a chance to get an autograph from any pro player I'd have jumped on it. Not for the money on ebay, it would be for the excitement of having a big star signing anything for me. It's ridiculous to think that a kid should expect a pro player to give a signature like that. I'm surprised that so many people forget about being 10 years old and how they felt about baseball as a whole. Have people just jumped off the edge and think that a 10 year old would simply go for the money? Get your heads together. Maybe you would go for the money instead of just simply the excitement of getting an autograph, that's not unlikely, but.....

Yep, everyone is a cynic these days, personally I think it sucks myself. It's not a clever autograph nor playful when pushed upon someone who has yet to taste the flavor of cynicism and irony.

Congrats to Shelly for having both the spoon and fork in this situation, I'm certain it will be his greatest legacy as a ballplayer.

[REDREAD]

Kind of a harsh thing to do to a kid, IMO.

I could see doing it to an adult wearing a Sox uniform.

Like others said, a kid will get an autograph from anyone, and be thrilled.

Heck, my kids get excited from getting an autograph from the mascot.

[camisadelgolf]

If your ten-year-old son is genuinely offended by "Red Sox Suck", you either have a weird son, or you did a bad job of explaining life, in my opinion. If that same ten-year-old kid heard about Jacob Ellsbury doing that to a Yankees fan, I bet the kid wouldn't be offended at all and might say it was anything from stupid to hilarious (or he just wouldn't understand it at all). However, when his parent(s) come into the picture and tell him how he should feel, that changes things quite a bit, and I'd bet any amount of money that that's what happened.

[GAC]

Originally Posted by mth123

I do think its excessive for the parents to go public with the complaint. I would have probably just classified Duncan as a jerk and gone about my business.

I agree, but then, maybe the parents want everyone to know what kind of jerk Duncan is for signing their son's autograph that way.

And again - there's that hatred betwen the fans of these two teams that plays into this and never seems to end.

If it was me when I was ten I'd have just kicked him in the shin and dared him to hit a kid. Of course he'd never catch me.... I was faaaaaast

[Chip R]

The kid should have come back and said, "At least I don't have a girl's first name."

[GAC]

Originally Posted by Chip R

The kid should have come back and said, "At least I don't have a girl's first name."

Or maybe "Your sister Sandy was not only a better Peter Pan, but a better fielder!"

[GAC]

Originally Posted by oneupper

I don't remember that far back. But I coached 10 year olds in soccer last year. You would not believe what kids that age "get" these days.

I hear the word "friggin' " alot anymore (especially from my daughter), and I don't particularly care for that word. I guess it could be worse.

[Roy Tucker]

Originally Posted by camisadelgolf

If your ten-year-old son is genuinely offended by "Red Sox Suck", you either have a weird son, or you did a bad job of explaining life, in my opinion.

The 10 yr. old version of my kids would have been offended. And I think I explained life just fine.

In the Tucker home when my kids were younger, the word "suck" wasn't allowed. Roy knows the derivation of this term (it seems the rest of the world has forgotten), and for a 10 yr. old kid to be using is not right. I don't care if the rest of the world has habituated their kids that its OK, it wasn't OK with me.

Now, the world has marched on, my kids have gotten older and are in HS and college, and "suck" has crept into their vernacular (along with a lot of other words). My HS freshman daughter came home from marching band practice and said "man, we really sucked today". Roy winced, but realized time marches on and my kids aren't the fresh-faced daiseys they once were.

But for impressionable kids (and I include a 10 yr. old there), I think it was poor taste for Duncan to sign it. If I were standing next to my kid when it was signed, I would have said something about it to Duncan (like, "no, try again"). But that would have been the end of it. What is gained by going to the press with it?

Get off my lawn, punks.

[pedro]

Originally Posted by camisadelgolf

If your ten-year-old son is genuinely offended by "Red Sox Suck", you either have a weird son, or you did a bad job of explaining life, in my opinion.

You're inviting a big ol can of roy tucker whoop ass son. Now why you want to go an do that?

[Roy Tucker]

Originally Posted by pedro

You're inviting a big ol can of roy tucker whoop ass son. Now why you want to go an do that?

I'm so predictable. Just tell me to shut up.

[pedro]

Originally Posted by Roy Tucker

I'm so predictable. Just tell me to shut up.

I guess you don't want to mention what color your son's hair is?

[37red]

I wonder how many people can picture themselves standing tall in a Reds uniform and a 10 year old kid walks up to you. He looks up wearing another teams jersey or hat but is really excited that he got close enough to you to get an autograph. The kid hands you something to sign, he's just lucky to even get to a game once a year much less close enough to a famous player to get your signature, and you write "your team sucks".

This doesn't amount to whether a kid is weird, it's all about what, you, the big time Professional baseball player related to the child. Camisadelgolf, explaining life to your son or daughter isn't built around looking up to people and expecting them to dump on you. Those people aren't the ones you teach your kids to respect. Again, would you look a kid in the face that has approached you for an autograph and write down that his home team sucks?

[15fan]

Originally Posted by Spitball

...what was a kid in a Red Sox uniform doing asking a Yankee for an autograph???

My thoughts exactly.

[37red]

A point I left out is that kids are generally taught that there are jerks they'll have to deal with. But you also give your kids hopes and dreams to look up to. A kid getting a Baseball players signature shouldn't get crossed up with the bully on the playground.