I am going to try to do a quick post today. I was trying to get work out of the way since I am heading down to Citi Field tonight to catch the Mets play the Orioles. Let’s get right to yesterday’s question, which was:

In your eyes, what makes a good father?

Of course, there are a lot of traits that most people believe make up a good father. I thought about this a lot and decided that there is a difference between being a father and being a dad. Just about any male can physically be a father, but I think it takes a different mentality to be a dad. It takes commitment, flexibility, caring, humor and lots of love. My dad wasn’t always around when I was younger. He worked a lot of hours because he was trying to provide the best life he could for us as a family. He did make sure he did use the free time he had to do things with us. I think a good dad is the kind of man who makes the most of the opportunities he has to be with his children. I think a good father is an open-minded individual and realizes that society today is different from what it was, the expectations are different, and people are more open. He realizes that times have changed and people and society have changed as well and he lets his kids be people of the time, not people of his time. A good father is the kind of man who lets his kids make mistakes and realizes that they are human and making mistakes is part of growing up. Every kid does things along the way, and while they should be taught that consistent irresponsibility has its consequences, they need to learn some lessons on their own and not be judged by every choice and mistake. I think, most of all, that a good father is a man who leads by example. He’s a man who acts the way he wants his children to act. He’s a man who sticks to the values that he wants his children to have, and, most importantly, he shows love,affection and respect for the child’s mother, especially in front of the children. I think all these things add up to a good father and they are the qualities that I am striving for as a dad. It’s not always easy, but that’s part of the challenge of being a dad.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer yesterday’s question. Now, on to today’s question. As many of you know, I am something of a baseball fanatic. I try to go to a few games a year and I watch and follow the game daily, and I will incorporate that from time to time into the things that I write. So today’s question is geared towards the baseball fan:

Who’s your favorite player that many people may not be aware of or have noticed, past or present?

I am a big fan of the anonymous, Everyman baseball player. Anyone who can make it to the major leagues has done it because they are extraordinarily talented and they should be commended for that, but not everyone achieves the success of a Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth or Ted Williams. For every Hank Aaron, there are ten guys like Clint Hurdle, Joe McEwing or Alvin Davis. Some guys only last for a season or two, some guys play 15 years in relative obscurity, but they play and they have some devoted fans. So don’t think about the star player that’s one of your favorites; think about the guy who you like just because you thought he played hard and tried hard, even if he didn’t have a lot of success in his career. Think about it and let me know. You can post your answer on here, or on Facebook or on Twitter. I’ll ask some people on Twitter and see what they answer. I’ll post my answer tomorrow.

That’s it for today. I have to get ready for the game tonight. I would also like to thank everyone who took a look at my second post from yesterday. I noticed a number of people read through it. I hope it gives you some insight. I hope to also post the next installment of “Below the Surface” on Thursday, so look for that. Until then, enjoy your day and don’t forget to do something creative today!