As most of you know, sports reign king in my household with Baseball being the broadcast of choice throughout the summer/autumn months. The Professor’s obsession does tend to take over at times, especially when his team has earned a place in the Playoffs. There is just no getting around it, so at times, I just plop down and mindlessly absorb what is going-on in the game.
Last night was one of those nights. It was a Playoff game with a late starting time, so I sat through a few innings and, of course, being the curious being that I am, I began to ask questions. As Baseball is a somewhat slower moving game, my quest for knowledge is tolerated by the Professor. I became very curious about the position of the Catcher. I asked out loud, “Who would ever want to be a Catcher? That position is awful.” Professor agreed without offering too much additional dialogue. I continued, “Is that Catcher wearing bright yellow nail polish?” That query got a loud guffaw and a response that it was actually yellow tape that some Catchers wear to make their calls more clear to the Pitcher.
Once I got past that exchange, I persisted with more chitchat, “Look at the uniform they have to wear, all that protective gear so hot in the summer months and so necessary as not to get hurt, jeez!” To that the Professor responded, “The Tools of Ignorance” I said, “…the what of what?” He repeated, “The Tools of Ignorance, that’s what they call the Catcher’s garb.” Oh wow, now I have heard everything! Who knew there was a phrase for that!
Being that I am left to my own devices during such times, I hit the computer to find out more. The MLB site was a treasure trove of information. From there I learned that the term is meant to point out the irony that a player that possesses the intelligence needed to be effective behind the plate would be foolish enough to play a position that required so much safety equipment. Ah ha! I’m starting to get the hang of this sports lingo!
The Tools of Ignorance. I’m going to keep this descriptive phrase in my arsenal, Lord only knows what I could apply it to!!