A Baseball Life…by those married to it
Diamond Prospects has been known to ask the tough questions to college coaches and pro scouts on various controversial topics. As these men give their lives to the game for low wages and make major sacrifices along the way, many leave behind a ‘better half’ while they beat the bushes for talent and spend much of their time living out of hotels. We have posed a handful of questions to three very supportive wives to give our viewers some perspective as to the ups and downs of being married to a person that parents and players want to see, talk to and absorb the time of. Below are the words of the wives of three men who have the power to change a young man’s life forever… The wife of an American League scout: Q-Give us an idea of what the pros and cons are of being the wife of a college coach/pro scout… A-The Pros are that I love sports and I can relate to his career. We have that in common and share that same love for the game. The cons are that he is away from home during his busy time…and alot of the demands of running a home and having a child gets tough. I also work two part-time jobs and it does get interesting at times. But in the big picture…you know it is only for a short time. Q-What kind of toll does his being gone a lot take on you/your children? A-Missing family time, sports events, practices with our son, and just the general day-to-day lives of our family. Most of the family day-to-day responsibilities fall on me when my husband is gone and traveling on his scouting duties. However, after about two weeks, things fall into place rather quickly and our daily routine becomes our new normal. Q-Take us thru the different seasons (spring season, summer, fall & winter) and how it causes you to adapt. A-Spring…My son and I adapt to doing everything together on our own very quickly…sometimes when my husband comes back home, we are doing things in our daily life a certain way…and my husband has learned to adapt to our daily lives. Summer…We try to travel some with him. This is a fun time together as a family. Fall…School has started and my son’s sports are in full swing…My husband is beginning to be home a little more, winding down from his scouting duties and responsibilities. Winter…We are home for approx 3 months without baseball…although he is preparing and planning for the upcoming scouting season, he is home and we enjoy that time together! By Mid-Jan we are ready to kick him out of the house!! LOL. We take our “main” vacation during that time, usually a cruise, or a trip to a Tropical Island. Q-Anything else you want us to know? A-It does take a special wife to help fulfill and support the role of a pro baseball scout. If a wife or soon to be wife is what I call “high maintenance” and cannot function in life alone, then being married to a professional baseball scout will be very challenging. When you can see the “big” picture and know that it is for a “time” it does not seem to be that big of an issue not having my husband around 24/7. I completely support my husband in his career as he supports mine. He spends a lot of time with our son during his “down” time – like taking him to school, church, etc… I also know that God comes first in our lives, and if for any reason I needed my husband at home for anything…he would be there for me in a heartbeat! Baseball is what my husband does for a living… however it does not define who he is as a husband and father. The wife of a college head coach: Q-Give us an idea of what the pros and cons are of being the wife of a college coach/pro scout… A-There is only one true con to being a coaches wife and that is the time that my husband has to devote to his program which obviously takes away from his time with us. But, this con encompasses many things – less time spent on tasks at home, many “restrictions” as to when we can vacation or make weekend trips, having to attend functions (weddings, parties, etc) unaccompanied. However, for me the pros far out weigh the con. Getting to see my husband do something so well, something he loves, and something he is so passionate about is a blessing. He spent a year at home with us after our daughter was born and in that year it was very obvious that a huge part of his life was missing. He was born to coach and to be able to support him in that is definitely a pro. I also love baseball; so, for me, a pro is being able to attend his games and cheer on the team. We love beautiful days spent at the ballfield with our baseball family (and even the not so “beautiful” days that involve rain gear or blankets and heavy jackets). Q-What kind of toll does his being gone a lot take on you/your children? A-It is definitely more difficult to manage our household without him more involved. It is up to me to see that things are done – cooking, cleaning, shopping, bill paying etc. It takes a great deal of time and effort to accomplish all that needs to be done in this area. I also work full-time so it is even more difficult to fit it all in. But, we make it work. We do what we can to get it all done and he helps out when he can. As for our daughter, as she is only 3.5 years old she has only recently started to realize his absence and currently I am able to manage that realization with a simple “Daddy will be home soon.” Q-Take us thru the different seasons (spring season, summer, fall & winter) and how it causes you to adapt… A-For us, spring is the easiest season. We know the schedule and when he’ll be home. We are able …