quote:Everybody is right. Of course all a player can do is hang in there and do his best in games and in practice with the team and on his own.
Of course there are players who never get that next pitch to do their best on and not through their own choice.
I think I understand what you are trying to say here and my response (tho it may sound cynical) would be that disappointment is a part of life. Our children need to learn, as I am sure your son has with his injury and recovery, that things do not always go our way and sometimes we have to turn to Plan B, which may not stand for Baseball. Harsh? Maybe. Reality? In many cases. Not all of our sons will play ball at each of the next levels, some by their own choice and some as a result of others.
As for Mike Piazza ... I always get a chuckle out of the comments regarding his family's relationship with Tommy Lasorda and how that brought the good result for Piazza.. That may be the very reason he was drafted but that does not mean that, had he NOT been drafted, that the game would have ended for him. There are options (i.e., Plan B) that he could have pursued including signing as a free agent or signing with an independent league. And if that hadn't panned out, perhaps he would have chosen another career.
So there are, I believe, more examples in Piazza's story than just one ... he had options and our sons also have options. It is unfortunate that for some, based on circumstances, the options do not include baseball. Unfortunately, that is life. And since baseball is NOT life, since there are so many other things out there, our sons and daughters who do not get the opportunities they desire will have to learn a different way to cope with the disappointment.
JMHO FWIW