The Life of Pablo (Sanchez)

Hello, friends! As a reminder, Full Court Press is using sports to remind us of what once was good, and what could be again. Today, we’re analyzing a recent collab that brought out all sorts of good feelings. Get juiced up!

I, a 28-year old adult, have clicked multiple times as if I’m about to buy the new Louisville Slugger Aluminum Power Bat.

Previously a feature in the original Backyard Baseball game, they’ve brought an invincible power up to a real life product.

6-year-old Brandon would’ve killed for this bat.

In the first two years of my life, I was slow to speak. My parents were worried that I was falling behind developmentally. After going to speech therapy, I turned a corner and began gabbing about all sorts of things.

A positive consequence of speech therapy and sounding out a lot of words as a 2.5 year old was that I was exposed to reading at a very young age. Learning the patterns that words make. Hearing how they sound. Saying them myself.

So what does a child read from the ages of 3-6 (other than juice box labels)?

The sports page was my first Bible. I scanned box scores, read stories, and got my first grasp of the written word through the hot takes of Austin-area sports columnists.

Nothing like reading about BABIP before bath time.

However, the only thing more exciting than reading or watching sports was playing it. And, as a pre-schooler, I wasn’t doing a ton of hitting off of anything other than a tee.

Enter Backyard Baseball.

Some time in 2000-2001, my dad brought home a computer game for me to try.

“It looked like a fun game,” he said.

A kind parent hoping to entertain their son, right?

“And I hoped you loved baseball.”

I know I’m not alone when I say that playing Backyard Sports games as a kid significantly grew my love for sports. I learned about pro athletes (s/o Terrell Davis). I learned more about the rules of each sport before I had physically played them.

And, maybe most importantly, I took the fun of the game outside to play with friends. Backyard Baseball was a blast, but hitting a double in the gap as a youth baseball player was 10x more exhilarating.

As Backyard Sports prepares to launch a brand new game this summer, they see the task ahead of them to reach a new audience of kids and encourage play in all aspects of life.

In February, Backyard Sports and Wilson paired up to launch a new line of baseball equipment and apparel - gloves, protective gear, bats, and more - with the logos and insignia of the games we grew up playing.

As Aaron Gillette of Wilson told Full Court Press, it’s critical that both organizations reach the millennial audience who once played the games while also attracting their kids who are new to the franchise.

My dad bought me a copy of Backyard Baseball with admittedly selfish motives. He hoped I would come to love the game of baseball.

Mission accomplished.

Now, Wilson and Backyard Sports have given people like me an opportunity to buy physical products to give to our (future) kids¹. My dad had no motivation in 2001 to buy me a Pablo Sanchez bat if I were to ask him. But today, parents could buy their kids the gear without them even being interested in the games yet.

It creates a fascinating cycle that Playground Productions / Backyard Sports has been slowly building out over the last 24 months.

The end-goal is not to play more video games. It’s to enjoy the sports they feature.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the spirit of play lately. As an adult, the world is incredibly effective at taking play away from you. What once was second nature can feel distant as the inner-monologue and worries about the perception of others can cloud the playfulness that was your default for the first decade of life.

Starting with what’s nostalgic is a great way to unlock that inner-child. A go-to throughout my entire life has been to pop in a CD² and get transported to the days I sat at my computer and played Backyard Football 2002 in my Spider-Man underwear³.

Without looking to what brought us joy in the past, how will we be able to connect with our future selves?

Backyard Sports is hoping that kids and adults alike can find joy in the games and content that they’re releasing, while also encouraging them to get outside!

With this collaboration, they’re unleashing a new generation of kids that will find the play in sports and in life.

And, a fresh generation of dads wanting their kid to love baseball.

Mission accomplished… again.

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Blessings,

Brandon