1 bad outing at Perfect Game Tournament hurt scouting?

Keep in mind that scouts are not necessarily looking at results---they are more into the mechanics, how the ball comes out of his hand, how he spots his pitches, what pitches he has in his arsenal etc

I would not be too worried about it

Thanks TRhit I appriciate the pat on the back. I (like many parents)just want him to get the best chance possible.
THANKS

Another thing to keep in mind is that fundamentally baseball is a game of failure - but how you respond to failure is crucial.

It is nearly impossible to recover from having to get four or five outs in an inning - and most scouts and coaches doing recruiting are going to be just as interested in the demeanor on the mound and with teammates.

For every door that shuts in scouting whether by a poor performance or ineffectiveness - another could be opened by being a great teammate and working hard to improve...

MClements-Thank you-wow what a great group of guys! Great advice. He is very composed--he didn't go swimming or play basketball till we got eliminated-he was there to play baseball--but you are right -someone is always watching your reaction to situations-just like real life-Thanks agian

also he was 14 last summer. I dont think anyone is going to hold one bad inning by a 14 year old against them.

You are right I am sure I've blown it out of proportion-- just all the time and money you put into these events I guess everything does--I do keep it low key to him though--Keep it fun and a game because that is what it is.

Dad,
What scouting are you worried about for your son at age 14-15?
Just like a baseball season, playing baseball can be a very long journey. It does not do a darn bit of good to go 5-5 in the first game if you hit .225 the next 35.
In the bigger world of playing baseball in college or Milb, one outing at age 14 is completely irrelevant, whether he threw a no hitter or stunk up the joint.
From one Dad to another: our son is now 27 and had to leave Milb at a point when he was playing at a very high level, due to injury. I won't see him play again.
Yours has his entire future in front of him.
Time spent watching him should not be a worry. It should be reason for celebration and enjoyment.
The money that is spent should be a consideration, but not a worry.
Take the time to enjoy the next few years.
Whether your son will be scouted, and how he will do when he is scouted will largely depend on one factor: his talent as it evolves from ages 15 and beyond. You are worrying about something that you cannot change and that is irrelevant to his future.
If he has the talent, and you support him and enjoy it, it will be a very fun ride.

He's got to experience the bumps along the way in order to get better, especially on the mental side.
Believe me, there will be more to come, it is part of the game. If it turns out he makes it beyond HS, the more chances that he has now to deal with disappointment will be beneficial in developing the mental side and a very important "tool" for a pitcher, the "short memory".

Recently at a D1 collegiate game:
Son's friend comes in the 7th in relief. Gets two strikes on an all american, then beans him. Next batter hits a dinker up the middle - two on.
Next batter, first pitch, hits it to the clouds for a three run homer. He's done.- Another day at the office

Do what infieldad says - try it enjoy it all - your son will take cues from you - if you are having fun, he probably will too!

Good Luck!

Thanks everyone for setting me straight, he is just turning 15 and how he evolves from here is what it will be.Good thing he is an honors student. Anyway thank you one and all.

quote:

He's got to experience the bumps along the way in order to get better, especially on the mental side.
Believe me, there will be more to come, it is part of the game. If it turns out he makes it beyond HS, the more chances that he has now to deal with disappointment will be beneficial in developing the mental side and a very important "tool" for a pitcher, the "short memory".

Very good points. My son is a freshman at a D1 and a pitcher teammate -- who was named top freshman prospect by a major scouting organization -- has yet to pitch an inning this season because he hasn't learned how do properly respond to failure.

quote:

Originally posted by Baseball Dad 46:
Thanks everyone for setting me straight, he is just turning 15 and how he evolves from here is what it will be.Good thing he is an honors student. Anyway thank you one and all.

Don't worry about the bad outings, they happen ot everyone at all levels.
I would be more concerned that he was put in after a rain delay above anything else.
It is your job to protect your young player, the other stuff will take care of itself.

Honestly, if this is the way parents are thinking these days, we aren't doing a very good job in educating them. This whole exposure thing is out of control. 14 year olds should be worrying about the journey- not the results. That game was one snap shot of what hopefully is alot more baseball. It happened almost five months ago! Let it go!

Sorry to be rough but the reality is that youth baseball priorities are screwed up in a big way. Exposure at age 14 is the last thing you need to worry about- for 5 months! Listen, that's a great event but it's not the 7th game of the world series in Yankee Stadium. It's just another great event- one of many hopefully for your son and all the other players on this board.

Enjoy the process and rely on the whole body of work. Living from one moment to the next is counter to what is important- that would be having fun and developing in the journey of baseball and life.

Sorry everyone I guess I made it sound more serious then I intended. Believe me him being an honors student with a 4.0 G.P.A. top 5% of his class is much more important then any game. Just wanted opion baseball wise. As we all know scholarships in baseball are harder to get with it being a non-revenue sport se exposure to a point is important. But looking at my original post I can see I sounded a bit serious about it. Thanks for the response

Baseball Dad 46,

I noticed you asked the same question on our site. I gave a short answer followed by a long copy and paste.
Good luck

BTW, you have nothing to be sorry about. Parents love their 14 year old kids just as much as their 17 or 18 year old kids. It would be more sorry if you DID'NT care at all.

Dad,
Most of us who posted here are looking at things in the rear view mirror.
We were in your shoes once.
For me at least, please don't assume I did this perfectly, because I sure did not. The difference is this board and the help and support it offers.
From what you have posted, your son has talent in the classroom and on the mound. Those are a fine combination.
As I posted before, his future in baseball is going to be based on his talent in baseball and his willingness to work, sacrifice and be mentally strong.
Once I got comfortable with that concept, the entire process of being a parent and a fan became lots of fun for me... and probably more so for our son.

It's not about caring that's the problem. All parents love their kids and care about them immensely. The problem is worrying about how a bad outing from a 14 year old who, by all accounts, probably should not have been playing in that high-profile event, might affect his baseball future. That's the problem!

It's all about perspective. Kids and parents shouldn't be worried about how they perform at every event they attend. They need to take care of the process of development. Showcases, national tournaments, and camps should be used to measure your progress as a player. They are a measuring stick on how you stack up as a player against others. They also should be great motivation to take your game to the next level.

Unfortunately, that is no longer the case in youth baseball. They worry about what happens if they don't show well. They worry about the next rankings. They worry if they don't go to this showcase, this national tournament, or this camp that they might not get seen or they might be down-graded in the next rankings. I run a showcase. My program goes to national events. Our kids attend some college camps. They are all great tools. I get it.

Here's my problem- the motivation is no longer competing against the best but fear and anxiety. That is perpetuated by showcase people, tournament people, and camp people who say (for all intents and purposes) "If we don't see you for this week, we probably won't recruit you". Fear and anxiety are now the motivating factor. That needs to change!

quote:

Originally posted by PGStaff:
Baseball Dad 46,

I noticed you asked the same question on our site. I gave a short answer followed by a long copy and paste.
Good luck

BTW, you have nothing to be sorry about. Parents love their 14 year old kids just as much as their 17 or 18 year old kids. It would be more sorry if you DID'NT care at all.

It seems appropriate to post this here, now. It's from another forum that I frequent and was posted on January 22, 2008 by ECU78 under a heading entitled," As the Season gets started, please keep this in mind." Here goes.

"After visiting this site for awhile, I saw this thread and just had to add my special memory. My son liked to play baseball but was never great at it. He wasn't talented enough to play high school ball but he played summer ball whether it was Little League or Babe Ruth, He never made any all star teams or such. He was just good enough to start. Most of all, he liked to play Babe Ruth ball with his friends. The boys just had a good time even though success was hard to find. During a Senior Babe Ruth game one night, my son was playing first and a fly ball was hit behind first into short right field. He turned and hustled to make an over the head catch that Willie Mays would have been proud of. I just stood there not believing what I just saw. I was in awe. Before I could make my way out of the dugout (I was on scorebook duty) to congratulate him, he had already returned the ball to the pitcher and was in stance for the next defensive play. With the next pitch, a ball was hit to second and he dropped a perfect throw at first. I told him when he came in how pretty the fly ball catch was and then asked him what happened on the throw from second. I can remember how fast his smile changed into a lowered head. To this day, I regret not making a bigger deal out of the great catch. And now I can't. My son was killed almost two years ago, months after making that catch. I responded to this thread so I could tell the dads out there to make sure you appreciate the memories you have and ones to come. Make sure your son has a smile on his face after the game. More importantly, make sure you do to. Always be positive and somehow forget the "bad". Believe me, winning or losing a baseball game just isn't that important anymore. I would give anything to see that smile again."

quote:

My son was killed almost two years ago, months after making that catch. I responded to this thread so I could tell the dads out there to make sure you appreciate the memories you have and ones to come. Make sure your son has a smile on his face after the game. More importantly, make sure you do to.

Life is too short and the good events often pass by without acknowledgment, that's human nature, but "signs" like this should remind us what is really important. Give your kids an extra hug tonight if they are within arms reach.

BB,
I think that was one of the most powerful posts I have ever read here on the HSBBW.

Really puts a lot into perspective, for me anyway.

BTW, I read the post from PG on the PG messageboard. I agree, pay attention to the sentence in bold print. Everything else will be meaningless if your player does not remain in good health.

BB,

Great post. I am so sorry,I can not even contemplate such loss. God Bless you and your family.

Baseball Dad46 - As one pitcher's Dad to another let me chime in...

I see the warning signs in your post - grinding over the errors, 2nd guessing the coach, quoting stats of a 14 yr. old, worrying over the rain delay and what the scouts think, and calculating the money spent already... Need I go on? I think you sound a little like many of us at one time or another. Put it in perspective - your coach started his best pitcher against the toughest team. That is a good thing! Now he will grow from the experience.

I have seen my son pitch all over the United States with elite travel teams and tournaments like your son is doing now, later in championship games, heavily scouted events, and many pressure situations, and I hope it will go on and on. I have learned to enjoy it, instead of grind through it. Why? Because he will only go this way once, and me to watch him. As you get to larger ballparks, you will sit farther away, and eventually won't even see him before or after the games if he turns out to be any good. So your best strategy is to make a conscious decision to relax and enjoy it. Whether he is successful in baseball or not, you are spending quality time with your son and watching him grow up into a man like his Dad.

fanofgame,

As tragic as this is, ECU78 (the dad who wrote this) has done so much good in sharing this story with other dads. His pain is unimaginable, but still he wanted to share his story so that other dads would learn from it. Sometimes that's the only good that can come from a tragedy.

As parents we get so caught up in mph, statistics, who's being scouted, etc., etc. that we forget to enjoy the wonderful experience of watching our sons play baseball. I have friends whose sons are no longer playing and they are so sad at this time of year. They go wandering, searching for something to fill the time they used to spend at the ballfield!! All our sons will play their last game someday. Don't forget to enjoy this while it lasts.

<Just to be clear, I did not write this story, ECU78 did. I am passing it along, having copied it from a local message board here in NC.>

Baseball Dad 46,

Welcome to the HS Baseball Web! Your son sounds very talented and I'm willing to bet he has a bright future ahead of him. The "one bad outing" really wasn't bad at all - he performed very well before the rain delay, and then had less success after an hour of cooldown, which is very understandable to the experienced scouts watching. Don't worry a bit. Give him a smile and a hug (today...yes, I know the WWBA was last summer), and enjoy the upcoming season.

Baseball Buzz,

Words cannot express the impact of your post. My heart goes out to that father, but I'm sure his son understood how much he loved him.

Julie

Thanks for clarifying Still heartbreaking and my prayers go to his family.My son has a college game tomorrow,it will be sunny and a great day at the park. As I watch I will say a prayer for this family.

I don't remember but I'm sure I had a bunch of bad outings in my baseball career. A career that was cut short when I was a young teenager --- funny I don't remember it as being a traumatic experience. To compound my problems I wasn't wasn't even an honor student. Lucky for me I wasn't aware of the dire situation I was in. Ignorance is bliss.
Fungo

If a player has bad outing in an event, that means a player(s) in that same outing probably had a great day.

For all these players who had great days in all these showcase games and events, that means somebody else was on the wrong end of the stick.

That's baseball.

I think people are too caught up in their kid is supposed to have great numbers everytime out but it don't work that way.

Baseball is agame of failure. Anyone whos played the game for a while knows that. The biggest lesson from a bad exp. is to not take it into the next experience.Learn the mental part of the game.
As a player gets older, he will have to learn to put bad gmaes behind him, becasue they will happen,if he doesnt mature in this way it is going to be a short road in his baseball.