Okay, so the forces of nature have aligned themselves to present us with two drastically different parenting approaches.

It’s All On You Junior

It’s really comforting to know that professional athletes are driven by the sheer need to compete, succeed, and excel at their sport. And I suppose, as was the case for Barry Bonds, if that doesn’t work call his Mom.

On Wednesday night, Bonds said he had a telephone call from his mother Pat who had a stern message for the most famous of her four children.

“‘The Giants are losing because of the way you’re playing and you know it. So snap out of it.’”

On Thursday Bonds was 2 for 5 with with an RBI in the Giants’ win over the Diamondbacks. Brian Sabean, the GM for the Giants, might want to set up a direct line for Mrs. Bonds to the dugout if you’re actually telling me that a seasoned vet needs a whooping from Momma to get his ass in gear.

All in all though, Mrs. Bonds’s message was a good one: its okay to fail, but not if you aren’t giving it your all.

• Bonds’ mother tells him to “snap out of it” (PA Sports Ticker)

My Child Was An Honor Student At Blah, Blah, Blah

Here’s the opposite approach to a child coming up short…

A woman has been arrested for attacking a coach after finding out her daughter had not made the Little League all-star team, sheriff’s deputies said.

Sherry Savage, 30, allegedly grabbed a baseball bat and started toward the female coach.

Someone snatched the bat away, but Savage is still accused of slapping coach Gina O’Neal in the face before the two wound up in a wrestling match, deputies said.

Okay, putting the mental image of a cat fight aside, I’m going to go ahead and assume that’s not the way to handle the situation. I’m also going to assume that’s one daughter whose upbringing surely will yield her a career that involves a pole in some way, shape, or form.

• Mom accused of attacking baseball coach (AP)