Kramer’s kids have support (sometimes loud) of parents

By ELISE FRANCO

YOUNGSTOWN— Moms in lawn chairs, dads with video cameras, younger siblings with bright blue slushies dripping down their shirts and dozens of boys and girls excited to take the field and play ball.

This was the scene at Kramer Field, home to Mill Creek Junior Baseball League. The sun was shining, all three fields were full, and after days of rain and chilly temperatures, no fan or player could ask for a better day for baseball.

Chants of “We want another one, just like the other one” and “Rally, rally everybody gets a hit” rang out from teams’ benches, barely audible over cheers from enthusiastic family and friends watching from the stands.

Shortly after 5:20 p.m. games had just begun, and the parents seemed pretty tame. After about 15 minutes at a game between two 6- to 8-year-old teams, there was what sounded like a semi-truck horn.

It was the baseball grandmother’s version of the cowbell (you know, the big metal cowbell your grandma brought to your high school football games to ensure your complete humiliation as you stepped onto the field.)

“I bring this to every game,” Sue Summers, of Campbell, said proudly holding up the brass horn.

Summers said she comes to almost all of her 8-year-old grandson, Josh’s, games.

Josh’s fan base goes much deeper than his grandmother, though. His father, Jay Scheetz, is coach of his team, S&R Land Company. His mom, Missy Scheetz, and grandfather, Jerry Scheetz, of Liberty, were watching in the stands along side Summers.

“I’m the new horn on the block,” said Jerry Scheetz, as he blew on his own brass horn. Together, he and Summers made enough noise to keep the entire city updated on the game’s progress.

By this time, the games were well underway, and much like an afternoon at a major-league game, concession stand goodies are a must-have. For anyone under the age of 11, it seemed the junk-food of choice was the slushie — blue-raspberry-flavored, to be exact. The majority of the kids eating them either had it all over their faces or all over the ground.

A group of women were in the stands behind Field Two, watching Precision Tune Auto Care and Westside Hornets, two 6 to 8-year-old boys teams.

Donna Bockla and Tina Sine, both of Youngstown, have sons who play for Precision Tune Auto Care.

“It’s just so exciting,” Bockla said. “All the parents and grandparents are really behind the kids.”

Sine said she can’t help but getting worked up as she watches her son, Zachary, play. “I love baseball. I grew up playing, and I love seeing friends I grew up playing with, here at the field now that our own kids are playing together.”

Bockla’s husband, John, who also coaches for Precision Tune Auto Care, saw Cory wandering away from his post in the outfield. He simply picked the boy up and walked him back over to his spot, as if to say, “You play here.”

“All 6-year-olds do the same thing,” Bockla laughed. “They twirl around in the outfield.”

Even as the games began to wind down for the evening, the level of enthusiasm among the players didn’t waiver. Jim Campana, coach of the Westside Hornets, corralled his team into the dug out for a post-game talk.

“Listen up. Great job today, all around,” he said. “Just keep getting better. Great game.”

efranco@vindy.com