I think he’s holding his girlfriend’s scrunchie. It’s a masterpiece of composition to include it because it tells us a) he’s not a girl and b) he has a girlfriend who is comfortable enough to let him carry it as a good luck charm.
What I think is funny is that some of you are saying he and some of you are saying she! I do think it is a girl.. and yeah, it’s hilarious that she has short hair and the scrunchie… security “blanket” perhaps?
I can vouch that Chayla is the ultimate ugly ducking. Way to go, internet superstar! We just need a “where are they now” link at the bottom of this picture so today’s awkward ball players can be given hope.
Love it… in my little league baseball photo (for the obligatory trading card, of course), I think I may have had a scrunchie on my wrist as well. Unfortunately, my hat also had to be tipped back far enough to make room for my enormous bangs.
Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is a girl. I can sympathize with her though as I looked the exact same in my softball photos when I was younger and got the whole “You looked like Harry Potter!” when people would see my childhood photos. Short hair is just easier when you like playing sports!! And not to mention this age (thinking 12ish) is when you start to get buck teeth and boobs and you look like a half boy/girl. Awkward!!
I honestly wasn’t sure if this was a girl with short hair or a boy with a houseful of sisters who couldn’t find his wristband for picture day and someone said, “Here! Take this! Nobody will ever know the difference.”
HA! Just last night was telling a friend that I have a scrunchy on my arm in most of my pictures from college (mid-90s). But I am a girl, and I had long hair. Is this a girl? There is no long hair here. Hmm.
(Humming Eric Clapton)
Shayla, you’re down on one knee,
Shayla, I’m beggin’ darlin’ please,
Shayla, darlin’ won’t you swing for the cheap seats?
(end lousy Eric Clapton imitation)
The reason this person is wearing a scrunchie is so that we know it’s a female. This is a girl right? Wait, if it’s a boy then why is he wearing one? Is this an equal opportunity baseball team? huh?
Boy or Girl? Pants look like boys “Little League” uniform, but could be a girl playing on the “Boys” team. Wow, I just realized that looks like I am very sexist… Not my intent. Girls are welcome to play Little League hardball. If the person is a girl, schrunchie probably needed to keep her hair back. Very common in the girls softball teams. Darn, there I go looking sexist again. Maybe I’ll just shut up now….
As a girl who spent most of her childhood playing softball, I can safely say the girls’ teams wore the same pants as the boys, the pants the girl in this picture is wearing. Those gray/white, awkward-at-the-ankles pants.
Don’t some girls softball teams wear shorts? Probably not at this level. My son and his baseball team were confused and awe-struck by the way the softball game was played. Then at one game I heard the softball girls wondering “How do they hit that ball being pitched overhand like that?” Very different skills.
Guess I got lucky. Never was on a team, but I did occasionally play baseball with some of the boys on the street where I grew up, so I never had that sort of sports culture shock.
That softball pitch has always looked painful to me, though.
There’s no lipstick in softball, it’s true. But I remember, very clearly, one softball team picture where I had curled hair and makeup on because I had just come from dance pictures. I wish I could find that picture.
My mom used to take me for dance pictures when I was young and then wanted me to keep the makeup and done-up hair the rest of the day because I looked so cute. Please, I had enough makeup to look streetwalker chic and she was dying to have me walk around looking like it!
***Any comments that are offensive to the point of being viciously personal, racist, homophobic, exceedingly profane, violent or too graphic in nature won't be posted. We want to keep this site a friendly place to be awkward. Thanks!***
afp
I thought it was that elf who wanted to be a dentist.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA That made me laugh so hard I hurt my throat!!!
Macaulay Culkin played softball?
When a full baseball cap isn’t in the team budget.
I think he’s holding his girlfriend’s scrunchie. It’s a masterpiece of composition to include it because it tells us a) he’s not a girl and b) he has a girlfriend who is comfortable enough to let him carry it as a good luck charm.
What I think is funny is that some of you are saying he and some of you are saying she! I do think it is a girl.. and yeah, it’s hilarious that she has short hair and the scrunchie… security “blanket” perhaps?
I am ashamed to admit that I have a very similar photo, circa 1990.
Aww, cutest picture ever
Strange lights over her head……..
Ah, sweet, I see a very confident young athlete.
I can vouch that Chayla is the ultimate ugly ducking. Way to go, internet superstar! We just need a “where are they now” link at the bottom of this picture so today’s awkward ball players can be given hope.
Yes, I’m a girl. Yes, I am also confused as to why I wore a scrunchie on my wrist. No, I did not have a ponytail in the back. Awkward indeed.
Thank God I turned out kinda hot.
Love it… in my little league baseball photo (for the obligatory trading card, of course), I think I may have had a scrunchie on my wrist as well. Unfortunately, my hat also had to be tipped back far enough to make room for my enormous bangs.
Hey, I think you’re pretty in the picture. Our entire college team of softball players is red hot, and they were national champs!
Looks like the arm shelf girl.
It’s a girl folks I know this peson. We went to school together. Heehee I wish I had some of my old softball pictures still!
i have very awkward 80′s softball pictures. i had short hair too. i feel this chicks pain.
Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is a girl. I can sympathize with her though as I looked the exact same in my softball photos when I was younger and got the whole “You looked like Harry Potter!” when people would see my childhood photos. Short hair is just easier when you like playing sports!! And not to mention this age (thinking 12ish) is when you start to get buck teeth and boobs and you look like a half boy/girl. Awkward!!
This is a great awkward photo, everything about it is ooozing awkwardness!
What a cool kid. I’m not even kidding – my inner eight-year-old is sort of in awe. A scrunchie, just for wearing on her arm. I think I love her.
girls play sports?
Boo!
A scrunchie AND a sun visor? This is one prepared l’il’ slugger!
hahahah love it!!
I honestly wasn’t sure if this was a girl with short hair or a boy with a houseful of sisters who couldn’t find his wristband for picture day and someone said, “Here! Take this! Nobody will ever know the difference.”
I was assuming a girl with a ponytail (you just can’t see the ponytail from that angle). Love the scrunchy though.
Agreed. I think the hair is behind her.
HA! Just last night was telling a friend that I have a scrunchy on my arm in most of my pictures from college (mid-90s). But I am a girl, and I had long hair. Is this a girl? There is no long hair here. Hmm.
I was just thinking the same thing… we didn’t have to actually use the scrunchy it was more like a bracelet in the 90′s
we were just too cool
Yup, it’s a girl. I had a similar getup when I played softball back in the day. Thankfully I had long hair so no one ever questioned my gender…
(Humming Eric Clapton)
Shayla, you’re down on one knee,
Shayla, I’m beggin’ darlin’ please,
Shayla, darlin’ won’t you swing for the cheap seats?
(end lousy Eric Clapton imitation)
It’s Layla, btw.
hahahaha…AWKWARD.
And Chayla submitted the photo (of Chayla, perhaps?)
Right, but “Chayla” is the name of ther person who submitted the photo, so…
I think he was trying to refer to Chayla, the person who submitted this photo, but spelled the name wrong.
I think he was referencing the person (Chayla) who submitted the photo.
The girl who submitted the picture’s name is Chayla, probably Tim’s reason for using Shayla instead of Layla
I dont know if its been said yet, but I think he’s refering to the person who submited the photo (Chayla I believe)
Hey, just incase any of you were unsure, I think he changed the name in the song because of the name of the person who submitted the photo.
Hey! Don’t knock the scrunchie! They were a huge hit in the 90′s! Every girl had to have one, even if you had short hair! ha ha ha!
softball bat + scrunchie + lipstick = female…. still an amazing photo!
Is she standing in a crop circle? Looks like the UFO’s are about to land!
I love that you decided the scrunchie and gender confusion was not the most important thing in this photo!
“Swing away!”
The reason this person is wearing a scrunchie is so that we know it’s a female. This is a girl right? Wait, if it’s a boy then why is he wearing one? Is this an equal opportunity baseball team? huh?
My four year old just looked at this and said, “Is that a girl?” To which I could only respond, laughing, “I’m really not sure.”
poor kid
there has to be a reason for this. right?? right???? right????
Isn’t this a girl?
Harry is that you?
OMG. The lipstick, the scrunchy, the forearm “tattoo.”
Boy or Girl? Pants look like boys “Little League” uniform, but could be a girl playing on the “Boys” team. Wow, I just realized that looks like I am very sexist… Not my intent. Girls are welcome to play Little League hardball. If the person is a girl, schrunchie probably needed to keep her hair back. Very common in the girls softball teams. Darn, there I go looking sexist again. Maybe I’ll just shut up now….
As a girl who spent most of her childhood playing softball, I can safely say the girls’ teams wore the same pants as the boys, the pants the girl in this picture is wearing. Those gray/white, awkward-at-the-ankles pants.
Don’t some girls softball teams wear shorts? Probably not at this level. My son and his baseball team were confused and awe-struck by the way the softball game was played. Then at one game I heard the softball girls wondering “How do they hit that ball being pitched overhand like that?” Very different skills.
Its an obvious softball bat (length of the barrel), Boys pants have a belt. End of discussion.
Guess I got lucky. Never was on a team, but I did occasionally play baseball with some of the boys on the street where I grew up, so I never had that sort of sports culture shock.
That softball pitch has always looked painful to me, though.
hehe this kid so reminds me of myself when i played softball. i will try to scan a pic. the similarities are epic.
He also actually looks a bit like Harry Potter. Hm. Maybe it’s the glasses.
Not only is the scrunchie weird but what’s up with that sun visor!
Yeah, didn’t they have caps?
it seems obvious to me that the scrunchie functions solely as an indicator of gender in this photo…
agreed
It’s the only logical explanation.
yeah, i was wondering why a dood had a scrunchie
There’s no scrunchies in baseball! (or lipstick or sun visors)
lol!
There’s no lipstick in softball, it’s true. But I remember, very clearly, one softball team picture where I had curled hair and makeup on because I had just come from dance pictures. I wish I could find that picture.
Me too!
My mom used to take me for dance pictures when I was young and then wanted me to keep the makeup and done-up hair the rest of the day because I looked so cute. Please, I had enough makeup to look streetwalker chic and she was dying to have me walk around looking like it!
Is that an amusement park stamp on his other arm?
Looks like a Bazooka Joe rub-on tattoo. CLASSIC!
…It’s a he.
I meant she. Oops.
I like how she has short hair, making the scrunchie completely unnecessary…
I know!!! exactly what i was thinking… makes the photo, in my opinion.
I thought it was a little nonathletic boy. Good observation.