Softball Boy

We can’t forget Carson in all of Mallory’s batgirl-ness.

First up :: After every game, he hustles himself to his spot outside the Michigan locker room where, because he has learned/memorized every single softball player’s name & number [thanks to the softball cards they handed out this season], he greets EVERY.SINGLE.SOFTBALL player by name as he gets a high five and sometimes a hug.

Here he is greeting them all after their Super Regional win back in May:

Then, if we have time, we hang out outside the locker room so he can say hi again.

Here he is with “the best home runner”, Sierra Romero.

With his favorite from last year, Caitlyn Blanchard.

This was a surprise – I’d not ever heard him say Lindsay was a favorite, but he weally weally wanted his picture taken with her.

And we can’t forget Miss Nikki!

After the next day’s games (we lost game 2, and had to win game 3 to go to the World Series), Carson actually went into the dugout for the post-game celebration. And then he got to do the walk of fame and give high fives to the fans. Notice the tongue is out as this must require lots of concentration.

Mallory requested a picture with one of her favorites, Amy Knapp.

And then Amy requested a picture with both of the kids.

Carson has decided he wants to play catcher, so he politely asked Sara to pitch to him three times, which she did (and he gave her signs), and then we got a photo.

During all of Mallory’s bat-girl-ing, Katie was one of her favorites.

Mallory & Natalie (the co-batgirls) also got a picture with Becca.

Fast forward to this weekend, and Carson is playing with his baseball guys and we overhear him doing this (I did have to ask him to do it again while I recorded it but this is exactly what it sounded like the first time). Notice that he has “Ashley” do a crazy handshake thing with the player at the end of the line before she goes to take her spot with the rest of her team. That’s exactly what they do at the softball games:

These are just some other pictures of Mallory batgirling it up this year. She still isn’t super interested in the games, but she has a great time with the girls in the dugout. These are from the UM photographer who sent them to Rick.

This picture was on detnews.com with the caption:
“Young Mallory yawns in the Michigan dugout while the players watch the eighth inning with rapt attention. Mallory is the daughter of the team’s equipment manager. (John T. Greilick / The Detroit News)”
Hahahah!