Story
One afternoon when the coach was sick, the baseball team decided that they were tired of baseball. They were tired of waiting to bat and taking turns playing outfield and just standing around. One player suggested they make new rules.
“How about a rule that you can bat whenever you want?”
“Then we need to get more pitchers.”
“Good! Whoever wants to pitch can pitch.”
“Yeah!” another said. “More pitchers and batters will be more exciting for the fielders because there will be more hits and they won’t have to wait so long for something to happen!”
The game was a disaster. There was still only one home plate, so the extra batters had to bat off to the side, and the pitchers had no plate to aim for. The pitchers pitched all at once, so the fielders didn’t know where to look. They bumped into each other going after different balls. When the runners tried to run around the bases, they bumped into each other and knocked each other down. The third baseman had to decide between catching a fly ball and catching the throw to him from the first baseman. He missed both.
Finally the tired, bruised players collapsed on the grass. “Maybe we should go back to taking turns,” one said. “Maybe being bored isn’t the worst thing that can happen.”
Discussion Questions
What’s the lesson of this story?
What sport or game do you like to play? What would it be like if you changed a few of the rules?
What’s one rule at school or at home that you disagree with. Why is it unfair? Why do you think the adults have made this rule?
