2007: HS baseball web Year in Review

I agree that watching various players get drafted, and/or called up to the bigs was fantastic. One of my former players was up much of the year and I checked daily to see how he did as well as post a link now and then in the Illinois Forum. Another player of mine was discussed a few times based upon how he did in the Cape Cod League. NEAT!

I've tried to make sure that I read the posting of some of my favorite posters more often. I've grown to know them from their post and know that we have some of the best people around posting on this site. One thing I'd like to point out is that we have some quality people here who's kids have moved on from the game. Yet, those people continue to help us all with their valuable knowledge. I appreciate that a lot.

07 had it's drawbacks as well. Losing someone like bbscout is a great loss for us and the great game of baseball. I had several other "issues" to deal with last spring regarding the TUFF, ROUGH, FORUM that is the Illinois Forum. However, we've survived it.

Everyone knows that my DD went through a rough time after being bitten by a spider. We almost lost her and she spent more than her fair share of time at Cardinal Glennon Hospital. They have wonderful people there! Shepster, sent me a pm yesterday asking about her and if she'd recovered. I appreciate that and wanted to publically thank him. Yes, she's fine now. She's now 14 years old, stands 5'9" and is looking forward to trying out for HS softball. That's what makes this site special = THE PEOPLE!

Thanks for all that you have done for me and my family. I like to give a special thanks to Julie for running this site and to the Head Cook and Bottlewasher for allowing this to continue by finding Julie.

Happy New Year to ALL. May happiness and blessings find you.

As a parent that doesn't post much but reads daily I would like to echo "Thanks" to all the very experienced posters that take the time to answer all the questions we all have.

I constantly marvel at the knowledge many posters have and their willingness to share their experiences. You have all influenced so many players and parents lives.

Many posters have taken the time to answer PM's and share their opinions/experiences with me. Thanks to all the different people that make this site so great. I really believe that for our family this site and all the wonderful posters have had a huge impact on our lives. It has helped us navigate all levels of high school baseball (so far) and I look forward to the support and advice we'll need for the next few years as my son starts to play college ball.

THANK YOU ALL AND KEEP POSTING!

CD - I dont mind at all.

2007 was a good one for our family.

My youngest enjoyed himself in the spring and then with his summer/fall team. He played really well all fall and had a solid tournament in Jupiter. He capped it off by signing early to a school he really wanted to go to here in NC. We are very proud of what he accomplished this year.

For the eldest - alot happened. His college team accomplished what noone expected them to - and wound up being semifinalists in the NCAA D2 Tournament. He won alot of conference and regional awards and it culminated in the last one - being named a 1st Team All American and leading the nation in steals.

Then he got drafted by the Blue Jays - sent to Short season A - and he played well - wound up hitting 3rd in the order - and had a very solid season ending with the Penn League Championship against my Metsies team (Brooklyn Cyclones).
In the last game - up 2-1 - and with Grandma and Grandpa in the front row - he iced the game with a laser beam over the left centerfield fence. As he rounded third - he made sure to look their way and gave them a thumbs up and a smile. Just all hard to believe that it ended the way it did. It was the first outright championship the team had won in about 30 years.

Then after all of this - he gets his first Topps/Bowman baseball card.

It has been a year to remember for us - and hopefully there will be more for all of us in the future.

quote:

its posted: Then he got drafted - sent to Short season A - and he played well - wound up hitting 3rd in the order - and had a very solid season ending with the Penn League Championship against my Metsies team (Brooktyn Cyclones).
In the last game - up 2-1 - and with Grandma and Grandpa in the front row - he iced the game with a laser beam over the left centerfield fence. As he rounded third - he made sure to look their way and gave them a thumbs up and a smile. Just all hard to believe that it ended the way it did. It was the first outright championship the team had won in about 30 years.

Then after all of this - he gets his first Topps/Bowman baseball card.

It has been a year to remember for us - and hopefully there will be more for all of us in the future.

It probably doesn't pay to look in the rearview, but he did it from the bench at a mid-major, and not so very long ago. Hats off.

Dad04 - Thanks

I think they misjudged him - horribly. LOL

I don't know what's wrong with me. I seem to keep getting something in my eye, the last few days reading these end-of-year posts.


Wishing you all a warm and wonderful 2008, with many dreams come true.

Julie

Gamer, of course they misjudged him. But whats important is he didnt misjudge himself. He threw it back in their face and shoved it down their throat. Thats the kind of attitude that allows him to continue to succeed. And that same attitude will allow him to be successfull in life long after he hangs up the cleats. And hopefully not for a long long time. Happy New Year.

quote:

its posted: I think they misjudged him

Just a little and ..Nominated for the HSBBWEB understatement of 2007.

quote:

misjudged him - horribly. LOL

couldn't resist ... but many guys DOO coach that way

a happy new yr to It's/fam & all

A pretty good year for the rz1 family considering it started off with post TJ questions.

Those questions answered 11 months to the day after surgery with a Feb start at GA Tech followed with starts at TN, and Vandy. The old form wasn't there yet but he got back on the bump against formidable opponents and held his own.

Ended the college career with an 8 inning 1 hitter against Long Beach State in the NCAA Regionals.

A week later he's part of NY's Evil Empire and headed off to Staten Island to "mix it up" with "it's" son, but his coach did Ryan a favor and kept Darin on the bench and off the bases the night they would have faced each other .

Ended up 6-1 in the NY-Penn and had the time of his life while turning a page in his own life and setting new goals.

And like "it's" and "AcademyDad" sons, he gets his first Topps/Bowman baseball card.

The best part is that he is 1 class away from graduating with a double major in History and Criminal Justice. In my mind, baseball takes a close second with that accomplishment. After watching 4 years of college my hat goes off to ALL Student-Athletes.

On the non-baseball side of the docket my twin daughters graduated from HS with honors and were part of the WI State and National Champion water ski teams and just found out the Mad-City team shared the Ski Team of the year honor with the US National Elite team that won the world title. They went "outside the box" and followed that up with their first time ski jumping and trick wakeboard on the UW-Milwaukee college team. You think that is real neat until they call one night and ask to send new insurance cards, and to look online for full face jumping helmets. What ever happened to the ballet/jazz dance dream?

Why buy tickets for other events when I can watch, sweat, and root for my "Home Team".

Sorry if this sounds a little self-serving, but I'm so proud that they've made good decisions this year and throughout their life.

Happy New Year All

What an awesome year...

Fretting via back-and-forth PM's with Observer44 and LongLiveBaseball as my son (and his parents!) experienced the ups and downs of recruiting. BTW, they were both absolute livesavers!

Visiting with rz1 on the phone about recruiting strategies and listening to his immediately identifiable Wisconsin accent. (I should know -- I'm married to a Cheesehead!)

Taking a deep breath before pressing the "Post Now" button to announce my son's verbal commitment to a D1 ... and enjoying many, many congratulatory responses and PM's -- which I have printed out to paste in my son's baseball scrapbook.

Encouraging other parents whose sons are still in the "thick of things" with recruiting.

Hearing the personal stories of many HSBBW websters via PM and rejoicing with them when their sons succeeded on the field.

Commiserating with a fellow BB mom about the boneheaded mistakes our sons made during the past year.

Wishing I could meet various posters who seem so awesome in so many ways ... Coach May, Krak, TPM, Julie, ClevelandDad, Bobblehead, HSBBW's beloved curmudgeon (who shall remain nameless!), Fungo, and the list goes on and on and on...

Anticipating meeting CPLZ and his wife in February 2008 when Westpoint plays in San Antonio.

Happy New Year to all and thank you for your support, encouragement, and friendship!

.

quote:

...BTW, they were both absolute livesavers!

Honored to be involved.

Play it forward....

44
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quote:

Infield08 quote:
Taking a deep breath before pressing the "Post Now" button to announce my son's verbal commitment to a D1

What a great way to end a year. Congrats

.
2007 was indeed our most exciting as a cadFamily.

It started with Air Force son playing Navy son for first time ever. The Midshipman, Kendall, scored the go-ahead run in both contests.

Karl was one of the first USAFA players to receive All-conference honors in years... especially in a year where Air Force didn't win a single conference game. It was great meeting 44 at UNLV.

Just as it gets written up on Navy's webpage that cadKID#2 may be the first Plebe in 40years to play every game of the season, he dives for a ball at Holy Cross, dislocates shoulder and needs labrum surgery. This now appears 100% successful, but no summer wood bat play.

cadKID#1 graduates as team MVP, a 2nd Lt, and gets assigned to duty in Warner Robbins, GA. He is instructed by TPTB that if he gets drafted and wishes to try and play pro ball (and delay his Active Duty), that he should apply for a waiver from the SECAF. This hits the papers on both Coasts as his trying to get out of his commitment to God & Country. He is slated for the 5th Round, but due to all the negative and "unknown" publicity, he falls to the 15th Round, but is elated and begins his pro career. Goes "0 fer 14" to start his Rookie Season, but gets his first pro hit, a 3 run homer against the GCL Yankees. Finishes with a .800 OPS and is second in the GCL in HR's, 3B's and up there in doubles.

Active Duty officially begins on Sept 1, and the AF transfers him to Tampa, FL (close to the Phillies training center) and he is instructed by TPTB to accept an invitation to play Fall Instructional Ball. He has now, on Jan 1, fulfilled 7 months of his mandatory 24 month commitment. We, at this point in time, have no idea if he will be allowed to attend Spring Training, but I can tell you that there are people who view his potential as a recruiter, to be of great importance. Not only chicks dig the longball.

cadKID#1, now ofcrKID, got his own Rookie Card from the Topps Company... one of 65 out of 1500 drafted. I will admit to having bought a few on EBAY so far. He has gotten dozens in the mail from kids all over America, asking that they be signed and returned... kids who seem to know all about his past, his stats, and his real commitment to God & Country. He is very high on the deployment list for 2008 due to his education and job description, and will be the first to go if called.

A number of people who we have no way of ever thanking enough for their help, support and guidance this past year. Perfect Game (all of you) for helping inform MLB of cadKID#1's abilities, 44, Homerun04, CPLZ, Cleveland Dad, Woody, RZ1, SSMom, EH, Bulldog19, FObsrvr, Curveball, NJBB, Spizzlepop, It's and apologies to any I have missed.

The Bolt Family wishes all of you Peace in 08, and that you may all fulfill the dreams you are currently experiencing. As I have said many times... it is not a roller coaster ride... it is a bungy jump...

Blue skies & calm seas!!!
And God Bless America!
cadDAD

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Awesome idea for a post.

After a rather exciting year for our family, it was a very quiet summer. I will admit that, with DK rehabbing close to home, it was a good time for us. After hardly seeing very much of him for 3 years, it was a treat to have him home on the weekends and meet for lunch once a week. That was special. I am hoping that this season he will not trip on ANYTHING.

I really can't beleive how many of our kids were drafted this year and have signed or verballed to play at really awesome schools. We have such talented kids, could you imagine the team we could put together along with some awesome coaches to manage them!?!

BTW, don't forget our favorite Duke got hitched!

CD - A great idea for a thread. As you've mentioned there were so many moments on HSBBW that have stuck with me throughout the year. Probably the sudden announcement of BBScout and the tributes that followed were the most touching of the year.

The "cycle" of our players that are shared each year on HSBBW was personally enjoyable to see. For each player that leaves the game, another one moves up to some level. Seeing parents enjoy not only their kids that are drafted, but reading about the ones who made their HS team is equally exciting for me. Those milestones in our son's develoment is what the site is about.

I also got to meet a couple more posters this year. That is always exciting for me because I've found that people are generally what they seem to be on the site. I'm not sure that happens with a lot of other forums?

My best and many blessings to all HSBBW folks and than you enormously for sharing your lives here with all of us.

HSBBW came late in the game for us. Son #1 was a late maturing kid that suddenly popped up on peoples radars in fall ball 06 of his senior year. After having a disappointing series of showcases (but 1 overpowering one), we learned that he had mononucleosis during that time. Consequently, although heavily scouted went unsigned early. ONe pro scout who had seen him before he contracted mono, had talked him up very highly to some schools. One coach even made him an offer, sight unseen, based on this scouts report. It was contingent on just seeing him throw once. Of course, several weeks later when they scouted him, he had mono, lost 8 mph off his fastball and couldn't go more than 2 innings...offer withdrawn, kid crushed.

As 2007 geared up, some of the posters here offered some guidance about where my son and a college might have a fit. Recruiting trips followed and by mid Feb, he committed to West Point...making his Dad very proud and his Mom angry with his Dad for obstensibly pushing him to "War U", which I of course deny.

HS season flies by. He picks up his final HS win at The Brewers Miller Park against a conference rival that decides the conference division championship. Dad gets to sit in the pressbox behind home plate and call the game over the PA.

It's off to West Point on July 1, and fall baseball started in Sept. Son is excited because his recruiting class is "a bunch of serious ballers, Dad", and just hopes to make the 25 man travel roster. At the end of fall, coach annoints him a weekend starter and his life is good.

We all look forward to 2008. On three road trips to watch Army this year, we'll get to meet three different HSBBW posters and if we add a fourth, possibly more. Several posters have threatened to come fishing with me this year...hurry up fella's, may be my last!

I stood in our tiny backyard at our first house, lobbing wiffle balls to my 4 year old son and he just couldn't hit one. Then I tried an overhand toss, much faster and flatter and WHACK, he cranked it, ...and I thought, he just might be a baseball player.