Family Time -- Steve Smith

I was told when I took this job that I’d need a thick skin. No

problem, I thought. Growing up rather poorly in a mixed-up home in

Chicago was a start toward my skin-thickening. Being ripped away from my

friends at age 8 and moving to California added a few layers. Then high

school finished the job.

So when a letter is published slamming me for some position I hold, or

when my able colleague Joseph N. Bell chides me for not watching

television, I can handle it.

But last Sunday, one letter writer took a giant step backward in what

was supposed to be some sort of defense of the Catholic Church. At least

I thought it was.

To recap, I wrote at length on April 27 about how despicable the

Catholic Church was for covering up priestly child abuse for years and by

doing so, allowing it to foster. I also wrote that their actions make it

tougher on those of us who teach and coach little kids.

But none of that seemed to register with the letter’s author. Instead

of countering my rage with some facts or figures or, heaven forbid, even

offering some sort of reason why these monsters were allowed to stay in

the system, it appeared once again that the real problem was Steve Smith

and his “sanctimonious snap judgments about parents who cheer too loud at

a soccer game or families who own a television.”

That comment was the “tell” that told me all I needed to know about

this reader. After reading that line, I realized that this was nothing

more than someone trying to lure me back into the soccer-versus-baseball

debate.

Well, sorry, but I’m not biting. I’ve been down this road before, and

even though I’ve proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that baseball rules,

there are still a few who insist on trying to open up this can of worms.

I have no doubt that these are the same people who are still pushing for

an airport down in El Toro.

Well, give it up. Baseball is and will always be the country’s

national pastime, if only for what it does for kids. Baseball is slow and

boring, and that’s exactly what we need in a world where speed has made

maniacs out of our children.

In Costa Mesa, the Little League season is half over. A few days ago,

we were playing a game while some sixth-graders were practicing for their

participation in the Daily Pilot Cup, which will begin next month.

Poor shlubs, I thought. There we were at 6 p.m., standing around on a

grass field watching two pitchers strike out an obscene number of batters

while the soccer players were only a few yards away working up a sweat

trying to kick a ball into a goal.

Not being of the soccer generation, I never could understand why

anyone would want to play a sport in which you could not use your hands,

so I marvel at the sport’s popularity. In baseball, not only do you get

to use your hands, you get to sneak bubble gum and sunflower seeds onto

the field too.

So I hope that letter writer saw the Los Angeles Times story Thursday.

On the front page of the paper, it was revealed that Los Angeles Cardinal

(no that’s not a new baseball team moving into L.A.’s new stadium) Roger

Mahoney knew that one of his priests had been molesting young boys.

But instead of turning him over to the police, he reassigned him, and

the priest then molested other boys. Mahoney subsequently authorized a

secret hush money payment of $1.3 million to two of the priest’s victims.

Mahoney then wrote a letter of apology. But instead of facing the

victims of his horrible judgment, he wrote the letter to priests,

apologizing for his mishandling of the crisis. In the meantime, a few of

the victims have some money, but not one has heard any member of the

Catholic Church say, “I’m sorry.”

Once again, kids don’t count.

The letter writer almost had me. Going on and on about what an evil

person I am really got me going. And until I read that one line, I was

ready to fire back about how the letter did not mention the complete

tragedy of the child victims even once.

Nice try, but baseball rocks.

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and freelance writer. Readers

may leave a message for him on the Daily Pilot hotline at (949) 642-6086.