Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for April 24, 2020

In Junior High we used to play softball for gym class. Since there were only 2 softball diamonds, there used to be 12 to 15 players per team. It was amazing that any player was able to get a hit.

the field reminds me a little of this Jim Varney (1949-2000) skit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUFT6Zum-UA

Looks like his notoriety has preceded him!!

Wormwood, Spittle, and Lockjaw. This school has some weird teacher last names.

Too deep, even for Calvin.

The few times I was forced into “playing” baseball, I always just took left field. Deeeeep left field. Then when nobody was watching I walked away. It actually worked out pretty well: Nobody wanted me to play on their team, so I ended up just sitting out. Win win.

I was a terrible fielder. But once I actually caught a ball, throwing up my hand to keep it from hitting me in the nose. So I got put in center field, at least till they figured out their mistake. Then I was “hidden” in right field.

Best place, Calvin! You can rest in nature!!

Notice that Coach Lockjaw isn’t interested in seeing how skilled (or skill-less) Calvin is. He just assumes that Calvin’s another Babe Ruth and throws him onto the field.

Stay deep Calvin and you won’t have to play, which is what you wanted.

Calvin’s teachers certainly have the best surnames: Ms. Wormwood, Mr. Lockjaw… :D

Mr. Lockjaw isn’t daft…

Calvin gets his wish – he’s now left out…

Hmm, don’t they place the weaker players in right field?

I grew up playing cricket. Baseball has unimaginative names for fielding positions, except for shortstop. Cricket has fielding positions named slips, cover, long leg, short leg, silly mid off, and silly mid on. Seriously. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fielding_(cricket)#/media/File:Cricketfieldingpositions.jpg

I think you need to go a little bit further left, Calvin! /s

This actually works for Calvin since he’s alone, plus the ball can’t possibly reach him way out there.

I also played that deep…but out in right field….waaaaaay out in right field. Like…in a different zipcode.

Bonus: you won’t hear them calling you back in from recess, Calvin.

I’m just saying, but how the hell does go comics have access to all of bill watersons comics, and can give them out for free?

Far enough, now lay down and have a nice nap. See, baseball isn’t so bad after all.

My daughter mispronounced a teacher’s name: Armbruster became Arm Buster.

I go far away too. I totally despised baseball.

Better to play left field than left out.

Been there, done that. :(

That’s what I did during gym class in grade school – hid in the woods.

Where would that coach be sitting that his thumb would be pointing to left field?

I always played waaaay deep, roving right field. The only way a ball came my way was if….well, it never happened.

You know, for a kid with a dad that likes and knows sports, you would think that he watched more than one baseball game. I didn’t even like baseball, but I grew up and saw it on the televison. And when my sons were little, I played catch with them.

I thought it was right field. See:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zslUua_jGy4

I played right field (yeah i was that bad). It wasn’t all my fault, i actually could catch OK, but I was always surrounded by all-star wannabes who liked to hog the ball (if there is such a thing in baseball). You know, the kids who would go for the fly even after you had already called for it? Which led to me letting down my guard out of boredom on a couple occasions, and watching passing aircraft (for instance), until suddenly my name would get called because our Junior A-Rod had misjudged the ball and it went sailing over his head. Naturally, I’d miss the catch too, but I’d be the one who got the blame for blowing the play. It was annoying. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I could hit, but I was a lefty you see, and young pitchers seem to have a hard time pitching to southpaws. I got on base due to walks and beanballs more times than I can count. I remember getting one hit (the guy floated it right over the plate, maybe out of pity) and I shocked him by actually connecting!

TL;DR I feel for poor Calvin on this one. He brings a lot of crap on himself, but let’s face it: youth sports are a jungle.

Left field is behind third base, not a good position for a beginner because more fly balls go there since the majority of batters are right handed. Also note that Calvin has JUST shown this coach that he has NO IDEA how the game works, and his solution is to just try and stick him out of the way instead of taking 5 minutes to explain the basic rule set (again, he is SIX, he isn’t old enough to know “common sense” stuff like sports rules. Heck when I was 6 I wasn’t even totally sure how TV schedules worked.)

this is something my brother would do

left field was always my position…maybe so that I wouldn’t have to field the ball much….maybe also I figured the right hand hitters would swing late

my wood shop teachers name was Mr. Wood

AKA Left Out.