THE BAT BOYS OF SUMMER

To the average onlooker, Jordan Terry and Andrew Bennett are simply nameless little boys rushing in and out of the 3rd base dugout of Bart Kaufman Field. They clamber to keep a hold on the copious amounts of shin and elbow guards threatening to spill from their small hands, becoming frantic when the occasional glove falls from their grasp. According to Wikipedia, their role as “bat boys,” is plainly defined as, “an individual who carries baseball bats to the players on a baseball team.” I find this to be painfully dull, as the one sentence doesn’t even begin to encompass the two youngsters who frequent Indiana’s home games. 

Sure, the definition does hold some merit. Jordan and Andrew, ages 10 and 13 respectively, take their jobs very seriously. Their system is foolproof, with the two alternating the responsibilities that take place at the bottom of every inning. One awaits near the entrance of the dugout, dutifully collecting a player’s gear when they get on base, while the other hovers at the opposite end, sandwiched between bench players up along the railing.

When the Hoosiers are on defense,  Jordan and Andrew busy themselves with seemingly mundane activities. They throw weighted balls as hard as they can against the back wall of the dugout, mimicking the actions of pitchers keeping their arms warm. Sometimes, they comically land the ball right on Kyle Schwarber’s face (which is plastered on the same wall they throw against), though I don’t think they notice. They take fruit snacks and cheese-itz from the food baskets perched on the benches, not before filling their plastic cups with water from the large Gatorade coolers situated in the heart of the dugout. 

Having photographed a plethora of games this season, it has become increasingly apparent to me just how at home  Jordan and Andrew truly are. They don’t shyly keep to themselves, as one may expect, but instead, interact with players and coaches as though they are family members. 



“You two are quite comfortable here, huh?” I had asked upon introducing myself.

“Oh yeah, everyone is so nice,” came Andrew’s response, Jordan fervently nodding his head in agreement.

The two stand on their toes to glimpse onto the field, cheering on their baseball brothers after exceptional plays. When an IU player hits a home run, Jordan and Andrew go barreling toward the celebrating team, jumping right in to experience the excitement. I vividly remember a Cooper Malamazian home run that sparked a comeback against OSU, resulting in his teammates roughly (though, playfully) pushing him around the dugout. Sure enough, there was Jordan, not missing the opportunity to get his own shoves in on the freshman infielder.

“If you had to pick, which player is your favorite?” I had directed the question to the boys in between games one and two of a doubleheader this past week. Though hesitant to answer at first, they eventually threw out a couple of names to me:

“Caleb Koskie, Drew Buhr, oh, and Devin Taylor of course.”

These answers did not at all surprise me.  Jordan and Andrew naturally drift towards Koskie and Buhr, both pitchers, often standing by the two while watching the team play defense. Taylor is a fan favorite with a bubbly personality and a playing style both boys admire.

Having finally broken the ice with the two, I decided to ask them all the important questions:

“What has been your favorite moment being with the team?” 

“The Hogan Denny walk off, that was crazy! You got some really good photos of that.” I couldn’t agree more with their answer, this is easily a favorite moment of mine as well. I also really appreciated the flattery.

“What is your favorite baseball movie?”

Their response was overwhelmingly The Sandlot, though they agreed that Moneyball is a close second.

“What are your favorite MLB teams?”

“The Cardinals.” Andrew’s response.

“The Braves, I hate the Cubs.”  Jordan’s response. Me too Jordan, me too.

While it was Jordan’s turn to run gear from the batter’s box to the dugout, I noticed Andrew was wearing a mitt and throwing a ball into it. Clearly customized, I asked about the phrase, “5 seconds” stitched into the underside of the glove.

“Oh, whenever you make an error on the field, you have 5 seconds to move past it and onto the next play,” came his answer, never interrupting the steady flow of transferring the ball between his mitt and bare hand.

I then complimented him on the headband keeping his long hair out of his face, to which Jordan came wandering over, ranting about how he uses rosemary oil in his hair with hopes to grow it as long as Andrew’s. I could hardly stifle a laugh, though neither boy noticed, having already shifted the conversation to their ideal Subway orders.

To the average onlooker, Jordan Terry and Andrew Bennett are simply nameless little boys rushing in and out of the 3rd base dugout of Bart Kaufman Field. To those who dare to look closer, they are aspiring athletes themselves, constantly looking to the college players around them in admiration. They are a 10 and 13 year old with rosemary oil in their hair and a mantra etched into their glove. They are a 4th and 7th grader, relishing in the years of their youth, surrounded by a common and uniting love for baseball.