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"Hey Mom, Wanna Have a Catch?": A Collection of Baseball Stories Honoring Moms and Dads Who Taught Us to Love America’s National Pastime
49 Baseball Stories That Will Warm Your Heart!
This anthology celebrates parenthood and the powerful influence moms and dads have on their sons’ and daughters’ lifelong love for baseball.
Author Rob Sheinkopf retired from a career in higher education and served as a Luxury Suites Concierge for the San Francisco Giants. At Oracle Park he listened to his guests tell their tales of fandom, oftentimes leading to emotional reminiscences with a parent at the center.
This is where Sheinkopf was inspired to write this book; recruiting, collecting, editing and meticulously curating these heartfelt narratives. He has eight of his own stories sprinkled throughout.
In this collection, you will read poignant reflections from award-winning authors, college professors, baseball broadcasters, former players, and fellow die-hard fans, offering a rich tapestry of perspectives:
• Read about a baseball trip this 12 year-old girl will never forget, driving with her dad from Tennessee to Dyersville, Iowa to see her first major league game.
• Experience a first-hand account from a 97 year-old lifelong baseball fan of spending a 1931 Sunday afternoon in Babe Ruth’s New York apartment with many of his teammates and friends.
• Learn how a man finds the silver lining and long term benefits in never having played catch with his dad.
• Understand that Opening Day is not the best time to break a tooth, if you’re a patient of this Las Vegas dentist. He can always be found in his usual seat every year at Dodger Stadium, as the season begins.
• Read the touching story how a Pirates pitcher accompanied this high school senior to his school’s sports banquet after his father’s untimely death.
• Appreciate the struggle that African American minor league baseball players endured in the 1960’s through the perspective of a white teammate, and what price he paid to expose injustice.
• See how three daughters each learned to love baseball and the Boston Red Sox because of their father’s passion for the game, and his ability to relate to each of them.
Relive your memories through these heartwarming stories, as you reflect on your own relationship with your mom or dad, and your love of America’s National Pastime.
This anthology celebrates parenthood and the powerful influence moms and dads have on their sons’ and daughters’ lifelong love for baseball.
Author Rob Sheinkopf retired from a career in higher education and served as a Luxury Suites Concierge for the San Francisco Giants. At Oracle Park he listened to his guests tell their tales of fandom, oftentimes leading to emotional reminiscences with a parent at the center.
This is where Sheinkopf was inspired to write this book; recruiting, collecting, editing and meticulously curating these heartfelt narratives. He has eight of his own stories sprinkled throughout.
In this collection, you will read poignant reflections from award-winning authors, college professors, baseball broadcasters, former players, and fellow die-hard fans, offering a rich tapestry of perspectives:
• Read about a baseball trip this 12 year-old girl will never forget, driving with her dad from Tennessee to Dyersville, Iowa to see her first major league game.
• Experience a first-hand account from a 97 year-old lifelong baseball fan of spending a 1931 Sunday afternoon in Babe Ruth’s New York apartment with many of his teammates and friends.
• Learn how a man finds the silver lining and long term benefits in never having played catch with his dad.
• Understand that Opening Day is not the best time to break a tooth, if you’re a patient of this Las Vegas dentist. He can always be found in his usual seat every year at Dodger Stadium, as the season begins.
• Read the touching story how a Pirates pitcher accompanied this high school senior to his school’s sports banquet after his father’s untimely death.
• Appreciate the struggle that African American minor league baseball players endured in the 1960’s through the perspective of a white teammate, and what price he paid to expose injustice.
• See how three daughters each learned to love baseball and the Boston Red Sox because of their father’s passion for the game, and his ability to relate to each of them.
Relive your memories through these heartwarming stories, as you reflect on your own relationship with your mom or dad, and your love of America’s National Pastime.
- GenresNonfiction
294 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2025
About the author
Rob Sheinkopf
2 books22 followersRob Sheinkopf is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and has presented his research over many years to SABR and to the Sport Literature Association (SLA), to NINE-the history and culture of baseball, numerous civic, book and social clubs and to the Cooperstown Symposium at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Rob is the author and editor of “Hey Mom, wanna have a catch?”, an anthology of baseball stories honoring parents who encourage or simply put up with their child’s love for and obsession with our National Pastime. These stories are an emotional trip down memory lane that reminds us of a parent who bought us our first glove, or took us to our first game, and for the lucky ones, who played catch with us in our backyard, and the conversation that naturally comes with simply tossing a ball back and forth.
Rob is also the author of BASEBALL IMPOSTERS, the dark side of fandom, based upon his research and writing about grown men who falsely pass themselves off as former major league baseball players.
Both of those books are available wherever great books are sold online and in some of the remaining bookstores still open for business. Signed copies are available on the author's website (RobSheinkopf-Author.com), where he also collects and curates stories submitted by readers who tell amazing baseball imposter stories of their own.
Growing up on minor league baseball (the Syracuse Chiefs), and after a 40 year career in higher education, Rob retired and moved to San Francisco where he found his dream job as a Luxury Suites Concierge for the Giants. Keeping a diary of his first year’s daily activities, he wrote and presented an academic paper, "My (first) Year in the Big Leagues" at the international conference of the Sport Literature Association in Limoges, France. Unfortunately, the global pandemic abruptly ended Rob's promising baseball (concierging) career.
Rob and his wife, Lisa, provide a loving home for their dog, Bochy, in Las Vegas as well as in Ponte Vedra, Florida, dividing their time between the two at various times of the year to be with their 5-year-old granddaughter, Molly, and her mom and dad.
Rob never played major league baseball, but over the years, he has known a lot of guys who claim they have.
Rob is the author and editor of “Hey Mom, wanna have a catch?”, an anthology of baseball stories honoring parents who encourage or simply put up with their child’s love for and obsession with our National Pastime. These stories are an emotional trip down memory lane that reminds us of a parent who bought us our first glove, or took us to our first game, and for the lucky ones, who played catch with us in our backyard, and the conversation that naturally comes with simply tossing a ball back and forth.
Rob is also the author of BASEBALL IMPOSTERS, the dark side of fandom, based upon his research and writing about grown men who falsely pass themselves off as former major league baseball players.
Both of those books are available wherever great books are sold online and in some of the remaining bookstores still open for business. Signed copies are available on the author's website (RobSheinkopf-Author.com), where he also collects and curates stories submitted by readers who tell amazing baseball imposter stories of their own.
Growing up on minor league baseball (the Syracuse Chiefs), and after a 40 year career in higher education, Rob retired and moved to San Francisco where he found his dream job as a Luxury Suites Concierge for the Giants. Keeping a diary of his first year’s daily activities, he wrote and presented an academic paper, "My (first) Year in the Big Leagues" at the international conference of the Sport Literature Association in Limoges, France. Unfortunately, the global pandemic abruptly ended Rob's promising baseball (concierging) career.
Rob and his wife, Lisa, provide a loving home for their dog, Bochy, in Las Vegas as well as in Ponte Vedra, Florida, dividing their time between the two at various times of the year to be with their 5-year-old granddaughter, Molly, and her mom and dad.
Rob never played major league baseball, but over the years, he has known a lot of guys who claim they have.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 25, 2026
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
A collection of essays exploring why various authors love baseball. Baseball cards seem to be the common denominator. which I find a bit odd, but I'm forever an outlier.
Interesting for those obsessed by The American Pasttime.
A collection of essays exploring why various authors love baseball. Baseball cards seem to be the common denominator. which I find a bit odd, but I'm forever an outlier.
Interesting for those obsessed by The American Pasttime.
October 25, 2025
It’s gonna be a long, cold winter until Spring Training starts but HEY MOM, YA WANNA HAVE A CATCH? is the perfect companion to keep your spirits high until the Boys of Summer take to the fields again.
Author, Rob Sheinkopf, has gathered a charming collection of baseball themed vignettes from mostly average Joes and Josephines. Many of these short reminiscings are from long ago and talk about favorite players we only know today by their name or number on a memorial wall: Shoeless Joe, Casey Stengel, Ralph Kiner…oh so many more with fields that are also long gone.
Lovers of America’s pastime will adore this book. There’s no need to read it in a single sitting or in order, for that matter. Each little piece takes only a few minutes; perfect bathroom attendant!
I can think of 6-8 folks who are getting copies for Christmas. Boys, girls, dads, grands and of course, Moms. If your a KU subscriber, it’s your lucky day📚
Author, Rob Sheinkopf, has gathered a charming collection of baseball themed vignettes from mostly average Joes and Josephines. Many of these short reminiscings are from long ago and talk about favorite players we only know today by their name or number on a memorial wall: Shoeless Joe, Casey Stengel, Ralph Kiner…oh so many more with fields that are also long gone.
Lovers of America’s pastime will adore this book. There’s no need to read it in a single sitting or in order, for that matter. Each little piece takes only a few minutes; perfect bathroom attendant!
I can think of 6-8 folks who are getting copies for Christmas. Boys, girls, dads, grands and of course, Moms. If your a KU subscriber, it’s your lucky day📚
July 30, 2026
I received this book via a Goodreads Giveaway.
There were many MLB game stories. All were good, but I enjoyed the at home stories better. The actual learning how to play and time well spent with parents. My husband and I spent many years with our daughter playing softball. He coached. I kept score. I also coached the middle school softball team tat the school I worked at for 6 years. Great memories were made!
“It wasn’t long before I noticed a recurring theme in our conversations: the impact parents had on raising a son or daughter obsessed with our National Pastime.”
“I found that all it took was a simple question—“ did you ever play catch with your mom or dad, and what was that like?”—to unlock a treasure trove of shared experiences and emotions.”
“The 1964 Civil Rights Act made discrimination based on race, color, religion, and sex illegal, but weak enforcement had enabled Southern states to maintain its racial-caste system and Jim Crow customs.”
“But what really struck me about Rocky Mount’s Municipal Stadium was seeing Blacks and whites sitting in different sections, ordering food from different concessions, drinking from separate fountains, and relieving themselves in separate restrooms. Lying just beyond third base and screened off by chicken wire was the “Negroes only” section of the stands—an area some whites called the “coal bin.””
“he had definite ideas about what was good for us—for starting pitchers, no sex or steak before a game.”
“Every one of these players has worked incredibly hard to get to this level of baseball. I don’t want to EVER hear you disrespect any major league player again.”
“As we walked to the stadium, I asked Dad what had just happened and why he gave the guy a dollar. He said that by giving the guy a dollar he was buying insurance, because the young man would put his life on the line to protect our car from anyone who tried to slice our tires or damage the car in any way. However, if he had not given him the dollar, the guy might have slashed our tires before we returned, thus that dollar paid for a rather low-cost insurance policy.”
“The thrills were provided by Cleveland’s Jimmy Piersall: somehow, just as he was about to settle under a fly ball in deep center field, he turned his back to the plate and caught the ball behind his back, glove waist high. The crowd exploded.”
“In fact, Opening Day in the early 1960s was so significant that if you had a bona fide ticket to the game, you could leave school in the middle of the day in order to attend.”
“You know,” he said, “this game is a lot like life. At the end of the day, we’re all just trying to make it home.”
“Maybe it was time for us to move forward, time to forgive and think about the future, not the past.”
“bleacher seats in Yankee Stadium for fifty cents! We would sit anywhere we wanted. No assigned seats.”
“As my father spotted empty boxes, an usher would stop us and ask, “May I help you sir?” I could see my dad slide his hand into his front pocket. He had earlier put bills there to bribe the usher. Dad would say: “Any seats for my daughter and me?” The usher would then spot my dad’s hand sliding into his pocket. He would say, “of course, sir.” He would lead us to an empty box seat that someone had just left. “Sit here,” he would say.”
“”step ball” with the author of this book. Rob and I invented an exciting baseball game where the team up at bat throws the ball high or low against the steps and the team in “the field” (i.e., the street) tries to make the play.”
“As kids, we never do thank our parents enough; sometimes not until it’s too late.”
“that look was far worse than any kind of corporal punishment.”
“all things American—“Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet”—her dad could remember that jingle. So, when they saw the Chevrolet booth offering free apple pie hotdogs, they went over to try them out. For anyone who wasn’t there to experience it for themselves, think McDonald’s apple pie with a hot dog in the middle. And for the adventurous diner, one could dip it into a side of bacon mustard.”
“But today, throwing the ball with his daughter on a field associated with fathers and sons, Willie realized it’s about fathers and daughters, too. And grandfathers and granddaughters.”
“In Field of Dreams, Ray Kinsella hears a voice give him three commands at various points: “If you build it, he will come,” “Ease his pain,” and “Go the distance.” The one line from the voice that appears in Kinsella’s novel, Shoeless Joe, but didn’t make the film is, “Fulfill the dream.””
There were many MLB game stories. All were good, but I enjoyed the at home stories better. The actual learning how to play and time well spent with parents. My husband and I spent many years with our daughter playing softball. He coached. I kept score. I also coached the middle school softball team tat the school I worked at for 6 years. Great memories were made!
“It wasn’t long before I noticed a recurring theme in our conversations: the impact parents had on raising a son or daughter obsessed with our National Pastime.”
“I found that all it took was a simple question—“ did you ever play catch with your mom or dad, and what was that like?”—to unlock a treasure trove of shared experiences and emotions.”
“The 1964 Civil Rights Act made discrimination based on race, color, religion, and sex illegal, but weak enforcement had enabled Southern states to maintain its racial-caste system and Jim Crow customs.”
“But what really struck me about Rocky Mount’s Municipal Stadium was seeing Blacks and whites sitting in different sections, ordering food from different concessions, drinking from separate fountains, and relieving themselves in separate restrooms. Lying just beyond third base and screened off by chicken wire was the “Negroes only” section of the stands—an area some whites called the “coal bin.””
“he had definite ideas about what was good for us—for starting pitchers, no sex or steak before a game.”
“Every one of these players has worked incredibly hard to get to this level of baseball. I don’t want to EVER hear you disrespect any major league player again.”
“As we walked to the stadium, I asked Dad what had just happened and why he gave the guy a dollar. He said that by giving the guy a dollar he was buying insurance, because the young man would put his life on the line to protect our car from anyone who tried to slice our tires or damage the car in any way. However, if he had not given him the dollar, the guy might have slashed our tires before we returned, thus that dollar paid for a rather low-cost insurance policy.”
“The thrills were provided by Cleveland’s Jimmy Piersall: somehow, just as he was about to settle under a fly ball in deep center field, he turned his back to the plate and caught the ball behind his back, glove waist high. The crowd exploded.”
“In fact, Opening Day in the early 1960s was so significant that if you had a bona fide ticket to the game, you could leave school in the middle of the day in order to attend.”
“You know,” he said, “this game is a lot like life. At the end of the day, we’re all just trying to make it home.”
“Maybe it was time for us to move forward, time to forgive and think about the future, not the past.”
“bleacher seats in Yankee Stadium for fifty cents! We would sit anywhere we wanted. No assigned seats.”
“As my father spotted empty boxes, an usher would stop us and ask, “May I help you sir?” I could see my dad slide his hand into his front pocket. He had earlier put bills there to bribe the usher. Dad would say: “Any seats for my daughter and me?” The usher would then spot my dad’s hand sliding into his pocket. He would say, “of course, sir.” He would lead us to an empty box seat that someone had just left. “Sit here,” he would say.”
“”step ball” with the author of this book. Rob and I invented an exciting baseball game where the team up at bat throws the ball high or low against the steps and the team in “the field” (i.e., the street) tries to make the play.”
“As kids, we never do thank our parents enough; sometimes not until it’s too late.”
“that look was far worse than any kind of corporal punishment.”
“all things American—“Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet”—her dad could remember that jingle. So, when they saw the Chevrolet booth offering free apple pie hotdogs, they went over to try them out. For anyone who wasn’t there to experience it for themselves, think McDonald’s apple pie with a hot dog in the middle. And for the adventurous diner, one could dip it into a side of bacon mustard.”
“But today, throwing the ball with his daughter on a field associated with fathers and sons, Willie realized it’s about fathers and daughters, too. And grandfathers and granddaughters.”
“In Field of Dreams, Ray Kinsella hears a voice give him three commands at various points: “If you build it, he will come,” “Ease his pain,” and “Go the distance.” The one line from the voice that appears in Kinsella’s novel, Shoeless Joe, but didn’t make the film is, “Fulfill the dream.””
August 19, 2026
First of all thank you to Goodreads for sending me the kindle version of this book. I was really looking forward to reading this since I was a baseball mom. David, my son, started with T ball and played all the way through high school. One summer when we was 12 his team played for a week at Cooperstown. That was my highlight of his baseball career.
The book didn't bring back the nostalgia that I was hoping for while reading this. I enjoyed seeing the photos of the people mentioned in the individual stories, but that was about it.
The book didn't bring back the nostalgia that I was hoping for while reading this. I enjoyed seeing the photos of the people mentioned in the individual stories, but that was about it.
February 11, 2026
A strong debut from the rookie author. Reading this book is like watching a ballgame with a whole row of people ready to tell you their favorite baseball stories. Just make sure you're not in front of those famous Wrigley Field bleacher bums before you start reading!
August 26, 2025
First and foremost, I highly recommend this book. Any book that can reconnect an adult to early memories of learning a sport from a father or mother will always stir emotions in me. I was fortunate to have a loving, athletic father (and mother) who softly encouraged and supported my sports career. Author Sheinkopf pulled together a collection of these moments from various authors and contributors-from all walks of life. Many poignant stories, including several from Sheinkopf, openly reflect these special moments of our youth. I especially enjoyed the chapters that included our worship of star baseball players of the past. How we placed them on pedestals and saw them on a much higher level than we did our own parents. Only to be reminded all these years later that our parents lived and loved and were our real heroes. I played catch with my dad quite often, he would come home after a long day teaching at the college and without removing his dress shirt, grab a glove and hardball, and off we went. None of the contributors to the book went on to become baseball superstars but found success in education, real estate, research, and other unrelated endeavors. Some worked careers in baseball, and many are published authors in the field. All had unique and touching stories to share with the reader about how baseball was a point of connection to their parents. Often when deeper emotions were not expressed, a simple game of catch filled these gaps. This is a book everyone can enjoy. At a period in time when we cannot seemingly agree on anything, there is baseball. Kudos to author Rob Sheinkopf for allowing this reader a rare reflection of the past that stirs warm memories of my departed father. Maybe the tagline for the book could also be, if you write it, they will read.
March 1, 2026
I picked this up on a whim and did not put it down until I was done. I'm not even someone who cries easily but I'll be honest a few of these stories had me wiping my eyes and then trying to pretend I wasn't.
What Rob Sheinkopf has done here is something really special. This isn't your typical baseball book full of stats and trades and hot takes. This is about the smell of your dad's old glove. The way your mom used to keep score in that little notebook. The Saturday afternoons that felt ordinary then but feel sacred now.
The story about the 97 year old who spent a Sunday in Babe Ruth's apartment? I read that one twice. TWICE. And the Pirates pitcher showing up to that high school banquet after the kid lost his father I had to set the book down for a minute. That one hit different.
What makes this collection stand out is how real every single voice feels. These aren't polished, sanitized stories. These are people talking to you like you're sitting across from them at a diner. Some funny, some heartbreaking, some both at the same time.
By the end I was thinking about my own dad. About the first game he took me to. About things I wish I'd said.
That's what good writing does. It doesn't just tell you a story it hands you back one of your own.
Read this book. Then call your parents.
What Rob Sheinkopf has done here is something really special. This isn't your typical baseball book full of stats and trades and hot takes. This is about the smell of your dad's old glove. The way your mom used to keep score in that little notebook. The Saturday afternoons that felt ordinary then but feel sacred now.
The story about the 97 year old who spent a Sunday in Babe Ruth's apartment? I read that one twice. TWICE. And the Pirates pitcher showing up to that high school banquet after the kid lost his father I had to set the book down for a minute. That one hit different.
What makes this collection stand out is how real every single voice feels. These aren't polished, sanitized stories. These are people talking to you like you're sitting across from them at a diner. Some funny, some heartbreaking, some both at the same time.
By the end I was thinking about my own dad. About the first game he took me to. About things I wish I'd said.
That's what good writing does. It doesn't just tell you a story it hands you back one of your own.
Read this book. Then call your parents.
July 12, 2026
What an absolute gem of a book! I am trying to slow down reading this wonderful tome, as it is so lovely...My introduction to baseball came early on in life when my oldest, beloved brother, a fan of The Mets, celebrated their World Series Win in '86...My hand-eye coordination isn't it's sharpest, and at that time, friends, dolls, and books(not necessarily in that order) were my pastime.
Two months ago, my beloved brother passed away, at the untimely age of 59.
As I hold this beautiful book, which is not just for those who know their baseball trivia--it's for anyone who ever loved or loves someone who knew that world...I thank the wonderful Mr. Rob Scheinkopf for putting together these stories that are chock-full of wisdom, America in the 50's and 60's.. and teaching me more about a sport my brother cherished...
Two months ago, my beloved brother passed away, at the untimely age of 59.
As I hold this beautiful book, which is not just for those who know their baseball trivia--it's for anyone who ever loved or loves someone who knew that world...I thank the wonderful Mr. Rob Scheinkopf for putting together these stories that are chock-full of wisdom, America in the 50's and 60's.. and teaching me more about a sport my brother cherished...
February 4, 2026
Hey Mom, Wanna Have a Catch? is a heartfelt and beautifully curated collection that captures the deep bond between parents, children, and the love of baseball. Each story is warm, nostalgic, and emotionally resonant, reminding readers how the game often becomes a bridge between generations. A touching tribute to family, memory, and America’s pastime.
April 20, 2026
Absolutely loved this book! It brings so many memories of my grandfather and father engrossed in a baseball game on the radio. They brought their love of the game to the rest of the family and we all remain fans to this day.
August 15, 2026
3.5 stars. This was a very sweet tribute to baseball in America and the family bonds it creates. It brought back many memories for me as I meandered through the stories.
June 18, 2026
Reading this book is like having 30 or so conversations with others about how they developed their passion for baseball. The stories will take you through the history of the game, recalling stars of the past and the ballparks where they excelled. If you're looking for a quick, light read to keep your baseball fire stoked, this book is for you.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews