As of this moment, I think we’re at the high point for the day weatherwise. It’s 52 degrees, mostly grey and wet, but that’s not all bad. It is only April 16th-so we’re not out of the woods in Chicago. In fact. this isn’t horrible baseball weather for April.

Like tens of thousands of baseball fans in Chicago, I got out to an afternoon game this week and dressed like it was the middle of July. That’s all well and good for the two professional teams in town.

It’s been even better for high school and little league baseball players and their long suffering fans (parents). ML teams can more easily reschedule games for later in the season. Youth baseball seasons really do have a limited number of days each season.

As a kid, you really don’t mind playing in crappy weather-it beats studying or doing homework. Also, you have some built-in excuses for low batting averages and tough bounces. I couldn’t be happier for the kids’ parents-those moms and dads usually huddled against the weather. Having played, coached and watched youth baseball in Chicago, that final group earns my sympathy.

Yesterday I got a last-minute invite to watch my godson’s older brother play against Lake Forest H.S 15 minutes from home. While there were some bumps in the road, I had a great time. The random high school or college game doesn’t hold my attention for very long. There are too many walks and too many fielding miscues. However, if I have an emotional tie, I’ll stand through some flubs. The last couple of seasons I’ve attended a few New Trier games because the field is 3 minutes from home and I know a few of the coaches. Watching them play was as boring as watching the paint dry on your neighbor’s house.

Everyone watching yesterday’s game was dressed for baseball in July, not April or February. I’d almost argue that the results didn’t matter, but everything did seem a little better.

Because high school players aren’t rewarded with trips to the local DQ or ice cream joint, I didn’t stop for a postgame ice cream. However, I did meet Norm Peterson for lunch at Herm’s Palace in Skokie. I never thought I’d be dining with local hotdog stand royalty, but I did.

Hopefully, all of the kids and their parents met up for an equally as good lunch. Regardless of today’s weather, yesterday capped off a great week of April baseball in Chicago.