If your son is playing college baseball, or is going to be a college player soon, you need to be aware of what can and will probably happen. The crowds are larger, the fields are prettier, and the rewards are greater. BUT...There is a down side to all this too. The crowds will cheer when he hits the homerun but they moan when he strikes out. His ERA and/or batting average will be posted on the internet either by those that approve or those that disapprove. For the most part the fans have little or no loyalty to your son. Their loyalty is to THEIR team. That’s right...THEIR team. You and your son are just passing through. You are the visitors. The stronger the team or the conference the more they expect and the more pronounced this becomes. I have read the message boards of different college sites and they can be brutal to the players. I was fortunate in that my son had a great freshman year and I was eased into the reality of big college baseball. Now when he stumbles, as all players do, I avoid the websites and the newspapers. I had to warn him when he was verbally attacked by a fan on the team website. He likes to read his teams websites but I have warned him that the fan can turn against the players in a heartbeat.
Being part of the team is a great accomplishment in your eyes and rightfully so... but in the eyes of many others he is nothing more than an athlete that has been selected to produce wins and represent their team in a manner as they see fit. I don’t have a problem with this...but I do know parents that do. In one game your son might be the solution and in the next game he might be the problem.....That's baseball!
Fungo
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