Focus, thy names are Mike and Mary Smolinski as they watched their son Jake at the plate

In the ninth inning of the A's 8-0 win over the Royals on Wednesday, outfielder Jake Smolinski came off the bench to pinch-hit for Danny Valencia.
In a game that was already more or less decided, that isn't a particularly noteworthy moment ... but for Smolinski's parents it was, as they were in the stands watching their son with the kind of focus you'd expect in such a setting. And let's just say you'd best not try to obstruct Mr. Smolinski's view considering the size of his "pipes" (as called out by Glen Kuiper and Ray Fosse in the A's TV booth): 

The Smolinskis are from Rockford, Ill, a roughly seven-hour drive from Kansas City, and Jake spent seven years in the Minor Leagues before catching on with the Rangers in 2014 and, now, the A's. And even though he wound up striking out in Wednesday's at-bat, his parents can rest assured that he's already proven his value at the professional level with plays like this: 

So this won't likely be the last time they'll have the chance to see their son up close on the diamond -- or maybe even catch a foul ball from him.