Really. Looks like we may not make it tonight Depends on when the wife gets home Be there tomorrow if the rain holds off.
I'm headed up to the Pacific Northwest for a long weekend... gonna try to catch a West Coast League game. Checked the roster of the team I'm going to see... 23 pitchers, 8 OF's. From the full roster, all but 3 are D1 guys. A lot of very good players won't play a lot.
Cabbagedad;
will you watch the Victoria Harborcats. Great city and the Head Coach is Brian McRae.
Bob
Thanks for the tip, Bob. Unfortunately, not where I'll be. In the Portland area... can't pass up on an opportunity to watch the Portland Pickles. How cool will the t-shirts be? 
Pete; will you visit Nike in Beaverton? Frank Mutz is coaching Walla Walla.
Bob
yeah, I used to be in the biz... have visited the Nike campus several times. Pretty amazing place. I actually still have some work to do to talk the women into the ballgame. My wife and I are visiting my daughter and we already have a pretty full schedule of activity... whitewater rafting, golf, hiking, town tour, day at Hood River... As we speak, I am sending "go you mighty Pickles" texts to the girls, trying to close the deal on the ballgame 
Sorry all, we should probably take this PM Bob I hope Santa Rosa is well on the road to recovery!
My son's summer ball experience sucked. Son is a rising senior. Was offered a spot on a Cape team early last Fall through his college coach. Sons teammate, also a pitcher, was offered a spot on the same team late Spring, this kid is pretty good was drafted out of high school and played in the Cape last year for a full season. College coach is experienced and has sent several kids to the Cape in the past but not on this team. Both players head up early and watched a ton of other players show up. By the third game the team was at least 8 pitchers over the maximum amount allowed. After the third game both were told they were being released along with several others without ever touching a baseball. A complete waste of time and money but most importantly opportunity. Also pretty disrespectful to the host families. Pretty important time in these players lives. No, these players were not told they were place holders neither would have shown up for that.
Wow, a very interesting thread. As many know, I am the President of a summer league team and a lot of the comments above are spot on, and some not so much. Typically, and there's no pattern that fits every team, coaches try early on to get everyone plenty of PT, and then let the "cream rise" (the exact expression my sons heard when they played in the league) as the season goes on. If you can hit, they will find a spot, and if you can throw strikes and get outs, you can marry the GM's daughter. It also takes 25-45 at bats to get used to playing with wood. Some hitters adjust lightening fast, others can take quite a while. (Lots of guys have hit with wood in BP, but haven't hit facing 90-94 mph.) It is hard to be the parent of an athlete, a fact well-known to all. You adore your kid of course and want the best for them, and if it doesn't look like he is getting a fair shake, it hurts...and your spouse is probably in your ear about it frequently. I have heard discussions where a player is kept because a team doesn't want to tick off his college coach, so if it is a close call, the kid from Clemson will get a fairer shake than a kid from Podunk University (and I apologize if there is such a place), but ultimately it's about performance. College coaches do get calls, and make calls, and when a kid is hitting .120 after 45 at bats, not many college coaches fuss at the summer team about PT. We received a call from a college coach after one pitcher's horrible evening telling us to send him home-which we didn't and wouldn't do as we want him to get a chance to right his ship. We currently have a guy hitting well below the Ryan Flaherty line (Orioles fans will get it), our season is off to a lousy start, the kid is clearly over-matched..yet we probably exchanged 50 test messages internally about whether we release him and upgrade or stick with him. When we had a prospect that was a clear upgrade, the parent in me was a stronger influence than the team president, and we maintained status quo. The Cape is different from any other league-they cut, release, etc. on a dime, and lots of guys have gone up and then are released before ever taking the field. Some pitchers that are released hang around hopeful they will get picked up, making it a "Cape or nothing" summer. The best and most honest answer that I can give to all of the baseball moms and dads, and I was one for many years......"It's complicated". Pray for your kids, be supportive, be as positive as possible-that's all a parent can really do.
compare posted:My son's summer ball experience sucked. Son is a rising senior. Was offered a spot on a Cape team early last Fall through his college coach. Sons teammate, also a pitcher, was offered a spot on the same team late Spring, this kid is pretty good was drafted out of high school and played in the Cape last year for a full season. College coach is experienced and has sent several kids to the Cape in the past but not on this team. Both players head up early and watched a ton of other players show up. By the third game the team was at least 8 pitchers over the maximum amount allowed. After the third game both were told they were being released along with several others without ever touching a baseball. A complete waste of time and money but most importantly opportunity. Also pretty disrespectful to the host families. Pretty important time in these players lives. No, these players were not told they were place holders neither would have shown up for that.
The bolded should surprise nobody, the truth is what college baseball coaches expect and demand from the players would often get them fired in the real world...and many times sued as well.
It is the culture of the game from the top down and it won't change anytime in the near future. I do love when I read tweets from coaches about how they love the kids...all 35 to 45 of them they have on the roster!! They don't care about the kids, they care about having enough kids so they can do whatever they want and still be covered. All while expecting them to pay tuition and raise money...it is actually ridiculous when you really think about it.
In fairness they are least pretty open about it.
At the Cape, you can believe that "temp" means "temp". Lots of players take the temporary contract hopeful they can make such a good impression that they are asked to stay for the summer. While that does happen, it is not the norm. The Cape is the Holy Grail and truth be known, players would sell their soul to get there. Sitting at the Cape, or getting released after a week at the Cape will not help one's career as much as playing well over a season in the Valley, Northwoods, Coastal, etc. We have had several players on our team (Valley League) receive offers from Cape teams for a full contract for the following summer so the Cape folks do look around the country.
Info on the Cape. Never committ unless your program has a solid relationship with the coaching staff. Also, it's not really a good place for rising seniors unless there is a strong possibility they might get drafted within first 10 rounds. I think Hokie best described how things work.
While teams want to win, they also want to put a product on the field that attracts attention. This is good for business, so primarily it becomes a draft eligible league.
JMO
old_school posted:compare posted:My son's summer ball experience sucked. Son is a rising senior. Was offered a spot on a Cape team early last Fall through his college coach. Sons teammate, also a pitcher, was offered a spot on the same team late Spring, this kid is pretty good was drafted out of high school and played in the Cape last year for a full season. College coach is experienced and has sent several kids to the Cape in the past but not on this team. Both players head up early and watched a ton of other players show up. By the third game the team was at least 8 pitchers over the maximum amount allowed. After the third game both were told they were being released along with several others without ever touching a baseball. A complete waste of time and money but most importantly opportunity. Also pretty disrespectful to the host families. Pretty important time in these players lives. No, these players were not told they were place holders neither would have shown up for that.
The bolded should surprise nobody, the truth is what college baseball coaches expect and demand from the players would often get them fired in the real world...and many times sued as well.
It is the culture of the game from the top down and it won't change anytime in the near future. I do love when I read tweets from coaches about how they love the kids...all 35 to 45 of them they have on the roster!! They don't care about the kids, they care about having enough kids so they can do whatever they want and still be covered. All while expecting them to pay tuition and raise money...it is actually ridiculous when you really think about it.
In fairness they are least pretty open about it.
^^^^ This, this and this again. Nothing is more true. It's difficult listen to the broadcasters talk about how much a coach cares for his players and how these players happily sit and wait for any opportunity. How a coach is a great communicator. How "aw shucks", down home the guys appear during their interviews. It's a complete fantasy that is created to hook into the emotion of fans who have watched "Rudy" one too many times.
The reality is that College baseball is professional baseball. Every person is being paid EXCEPT the players, and every person receiving a paycheck is as self serving as anyone who works to provide food and benefits for their family and will act and make decisions accordingly. Remember this as you go through the recruiting process and continue through your son's career.
Nuke hit the nail on the head here. Truer words have not been spoken or written on this site.
"The reality is that College baseball is professional baseball. Every person is being paid EXCEPT the players, and every person receiving a paycheck is as self serving as anyone who works to provide food and benefits for their family and will act and make decisions accordingly".
Hokie One;
great summary of the strong Summer College Leagues. Having previous experience with the Virginia Valley League [my son played in 1990 with Winchester] and coached by a former Minor League Manager. "It is the learning experience that is important"
My experience was the old Basin League #1 in World. Each team roster included ex-professionals. Alumni in one year included 40 future MLB players [Dick Howser, Bob Gibson, Ron Perranoski]
Keep up the good work!!!!!
Bob
"Area Code games and Goodwill Series"
It's a "learning experience" all right> My son, having thrown only 0.1 innings in the 2 weeks he's been with the team and not having pitched since June 6, was told he's getting a start Sunday...in an exhibition against a local Babe Ruth team. He's frustrated, but all kidding aside, it may be an actual "learning lesson" in handling the types of frustration he's likely to see frequently if he thinks this is actually what he wants to do for a living.
Nuke83, Please don't lump all summer leagues with the college baseball issues. Our "paid" employees are the head coach, 2 assistants, and our trainer. Everyone else, top to bottom volunteers-ticket takers, souvenir shop, folks that work on the fields, mowers, announcers, and most importantly, host families. Everything going on behind the scenes is strictly volunteers, and a lot goes on behind the scenes, from program printing to bus drivers to post-game meals every home game to anything else you can think of. We have 40-50 different people that volunteer in some aspect of the operation. The host families really enjoy their "summer sons" and tears are shed when they leave. There are a lot of people that give of their time and talents so the players have a good experience and the community has a point of pride. All of these folks are doing the right things for the right reasons.
hokieone posted:Nuke83, Please don't lump all summer leagues with the college baseball issues. Our "paid" employees are the head coach, 2 assistants, and our trainer. Everyone else, top to bottom volunteers-ticket takers, souvenir shop, folks that work on the fields, mowers, announcers, and most importantly, host families. Everything going on behind the scenes is strictly volunteers, and a lot goes on behind the scenes, from program printing to bus drivers to post-game meals every home game to anything else you can think of. We have 40-50 different people that volunteer in some aspect of the operation. The host families really enjoy their "summer sons" and tears are shed when they leave. There are a lot of people that give of their time and talents so the players have a good experience and the community has a point of pride. All of these folks are doing the right things for the right reasons.
My comment was on College baseball, not the summer leagues. My reply was in the context that Old School posted which was more broad than summer leagues.
My son has had many, many host families on his journey and I completely appreciate all that the volunteers do and don't mean to detract in any way from their sacrifice and efforts.
Nuke83 posted:old_school posted:compare posted:My son's summer ball experience sucked. Son is a rising senior. Was offered a spot on a Cape team early last Fall through his college coach. Sons teammate, also a pitcher, was offered a spot on the same team late Spring, this kid is pretty good was drafted out of high school and played in the Cape last year for a full season. College coach is experienced and has sent several kids to the Cape in the past but not on this team. Both players head up early and watched a ton of other players show up. By the third game the team was at least 8 pitchers over the maximum amount allowed. After the third game both were told they were being released along with several others without ever touching a baseball. A complete waste of time and money but most importantly opportunity. Also pretty disrespectful to the host families. Pretty important time in these players lives. No, these players were not told they were place holders neither would have shown up for that.
The bolded should surprise nobody, the truth is what college baseball coaches expect and demand from the players would often get them fired in the real world...and many times sued as well.
It is the culture of the game from the top down and it won't change anytime in the near future. I do love when I read tweets from coaches about how they love the kids...all 35 to 45 of them they have on the roster!! They don't care about the kids, they care about having enough kids so they can do whatever they want and still be covered. All while expecting them to pay tuition and raise money...it is actually ridiculous when you really think about it.
In fairness they are least pretty open about it.
^^^^ This, this and this again. Nothing is more true. It's difficult listen to the broadcasters talk about how much a coach cares for his players and how these players happily sit and wait for any opportunity. How a coach is a great communicator. How "aw shucks", down home the guys appear during their interviews. It's a complete fantasy that is created to hook into the emotion of fans who have watched "Rudy" one too many times.
The reality is that College baseball is professional baseball. Every person is being paid EXCEPT the players, and every person receiving a paycheck is as self serving as anyone who works to provide food and benefits for their family and will act and make decisions accordingly. Remember this as you go through the recruiting process and continue through your son's career.
Some of these comments are not true and sound like sour grapes. Having a coach son, he cares so much for his players, you wouldn't believe what lengths he goes to, just to make them better people not just better pitchers. He works harder at his job than most anyone does. Coaching at the college level isn't easy! If the players don't buy in, are disrespectful which often happens, parents get in the way, there is nothing you can do about it and it's their loss.
College baseball IS NOT and never will be professional baseball.
There is a perception from many parents here that it's often the coaches fault, the program sucks, blah, blah. Not always true. Yes, some of these coaches are tough to deal with at times, but funny thing is that these will be the coaches your sons will always remember. Some kids have been spoiled so much its hard for them to adjust.
As most of you know, sons college coach was Kevin O'Sullivan. Sully could be your worst nightmare, if you didn't do what was expected of you. But reality is, he is the coach of a National Championship team, gets to Omaha every year for a reason, and he gets his pitchers to the next level every year, not one or two but many.
Patrick Jones posted:I am currently a hitting coach in the GSCL and I'm not sure what team you're talking about, hell maybe my team haha. I don't think I would put much stock into thinking the local kids get to play just because of them being local. However, I understand your frustration. I dealt with playing time issues all throughout my collegiate and professional career and it isn't fun. On my team we're having enough trouble trying to get guys playing time. We're playing to win but still honoring some contracts. Some very good players. I think the other thing to remember is what schools these kids go to. If its a big name school the coaches and gm will want to keep that school happy so they keep sending players back.
Well let's see. The center fielder isn't necessarily fast, hasn't shown a standout arm, isn't defensively head and shoulders better than the other outfielders and has one of the lowest batting averages on the team. Yet he has played almost every inning and every AB of every game. Does he deserve to play, yes. Has he done anything to monopolize play in CF? No, not even close.
Now, as someone mentioned maybe he has commitments and won't be there the whole season.
From experience, Summer league management is made from folks like HokieOne. They spend nearly 40 weeks each year so that our sons have an opportunity for 8 weeks each year. Having a successful Summer team for those who run the team is a time intensive effort that few of us or our sons ever realize. Luckily, we got to spend a considerable amount of time with the management of 2 different Summer teams where our son played and learned first hand how much they do before our sons arrive in their town and after they leave.
With that background, playing time very often is not about what some other teammate is or is not doing. It is what our son is doing. Is he early, is he doing early work, is he staying late, is he doing everything off the field and within the Community that they hope he will do. Is he keeping himself ready for any opportunity which arises, and how does he perform when that happens.
One Summer, ours (a former D3 kid) got moved aside when a drop down from the Cape was signed. He happened to be a starting SEC shortstop. However, ours was not moved off the line up card. He then played every game the rest of the Summer at 2B, 3B and any game at shortstop the head coach felt the SEC guy needed "to rest."
Whether it is college baseball, Summer league baseball, or any level of Milb and MLB above, sometimes things are not fair in terms of playing time. However, if a player does everything off the field to be fully ready and then performs on the field when the opportunity arises, they play.
It is not what the other guy is doing or not.
A player gets playing time by doing the things he can control and doing them better and more often than anyone else and then performing when his opportunity on the field arises. Success occurs when 1000 hours of preparation meets one moment of opportunity!