Flashbacks are hell

A fellow by the name of Bill Smith was inducted into the Babe Ruth League Hall of Fame:

With more than 52 years of service to America’s largest youth baseball organization, Bill Smith of Chickasha has been named to the Babe Ruth League’s National Hall of Fame.

The Babe Ruth International Board of Directors unanimously elected Smith at its annual meeting in Florida this fall. Smith joins 150 individuals and organizations who have earned the distinction.

“Bill was involved in the Babe Ruth League for 52 years,” said Steve Tellefsen, Babe Ruth League president and CEO. “He proved on numerous occasions to be one of the most formidable forces that kept the league on the cutting edge of the youth sports arena.”

Good for him. He sounds like a remarkable individual who has spent his life doing good things. But I take umbrage at this:

“The Babe Ruth League is devoted to helping America’s kids find early success in sports,” says Smith, a lifelong baseball fan.

In my case the Babe Ruth League was the first place I ever found athletic failure. Really, I was quite awful, and I blame the Babe Ruth League’s failure to help me find early success in sports for my subsequent chubby, couch potato existence.*

So, Bill Smith, on the eve of your induction, I hope you remember to own your failures (i.e. mine) as well as your successes.

*note: the fat and lazy may have come before I played Babe Ruth baseball, but I’m sure that is neither here nor there.