To the People of Lacrosse Nation:
James Mullin
May 01, 2006
We welcome the return of a Native American game to our playing fields! Now that you are among us, we who play baseball seek to know your ways, and have you understand ours so that we may live in peace.
Our people follow the diamond-shaped pathways with spiked feet. Our ancestors decreed that we must gather to play where the three quarters of the world that is foul meets the one-quarter that is fair.
Here we honor the double play, the frozen rope, the cut off man, the double steal, the sharp single, the long ball, the sacrifice, the slider, the basket catch, the force out, and the suicide squeeze.
We believe in the sacred three: 3 outs, 3 strikes, and 3 bases. Our spirits long to touch all three bags, and return home in glory.
Only one of our players is allowed to carry a stick or bat onto the field at a time. No net may be tied to the end of it. That would make a travesty of our game and cause disgrace.
Players in the field use laced animal hide gloves to gather in or “field” the ball, but they must throw it across the diamond using only their bare hands.
The one who pitches and the one who catches use secret hand signals to fool the batsman, but the elder coaching third base may also give secret signs to the batter and the base runner, so they can execute the classic hit-and-run.
We teach all our young followers to run, hit, throw, catch, slide, spit, and to eat sacred sunflower seeds in the dugout. This is our way.
What are your rituals? What things of value do you teach? Do you hope to purge your young of evil by having them beat each other on the arms and shoulders with heavy sticks? Do your young men revel in this violence? Will it make them great warriors? What is the significance of using a small net to throw the ball into a bigger net?
We seek to learn your ways so we can stop losing our young players to your teams. They are attracted by your playful spirits, your nets and long sticks. Let our elders meet yours in the sweat lodges and weight rooms so we may trade secrets and stories. May it be so forever!
He of the worn-out glove
Our people follow the diamond-shaped pathways with spiked feet. Our ancestors decreed that we must gather to play where the three quarters of the world that is foul meets the one-quarter that is fair.
Here we honor the double play, the frozen rope, the cut off man, the double steal, the sharp single, the long ball, the sacrifice, the slider, the basket catch, the force out, and the suicide squeeze.
We believe in the sacred three: 3 outs, 3 strikes, and 3 bases. Our spirits long to touch all three bags, and return home in glory.
Only one of our players is allowed to carry a stick or bat onto the field at a time. No net may be tied to the end of it. That would make a travesty of our game and cause disgrace.
Players in the field use laced animal hide gloves to gather in or “field” the ball, but they must throw it across the diamond using only their bare hands.
The one who pitches and the one who catches use secret hand signals to fool the batsman, but the elder coaching third base may also give secret signs to the batter and the base runner, so they can execute the classic hit-and-run.
We teach all our young followers to run, hit, throw, catch, slide, spit, and to eat sacred sunflower seeds in the dugout. This is our way.
What are your rituals? What things of value do you teach? Do you hope to purge your young of evil by having them beat each other on the arms and shoulders with heavy sticks? Do your young men revel in this violence? Will it make them great warriors? What is the significance of using a small net to throw the ball into a bigger net?
We seek to learn your ways so we can stop losing our young players to your teams. They are attracted by your playful spirits, your nets and long sticks. Let our elders meet yours in the sweat lodges and weight rooms so we may trade secrets and stories. May it be so forever!
He of the worn-out glove
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