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At the university where my son plays, the first drafted pitcher wasn't a starter or even a regular pitcher. He mostly came in as a middle reliever when he did pitch. He didn't really get that many innings in over the course of the season. I asked a coach from another college why he was drafted ahead of the regular starters and he said the needs of a college team are different from a pro team. Can someone please explain the different needs to me? I always thought baseball was baseball and winning was the name of the game.
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InTheMit - I don't think anyone can ever figure out what they are really looking at or what they see. When you sit down and study who was drafted and who was not it makes you wonder if the scouts were blind or what! But they are the pro's and the one's that get paid to do it so we just have to assume they know what they are doing - but it does make you wonder.
Just because a pitcher is drafted does not mean they are any good. A player (LHP) was drafted in the 30rd in 2006, pitched 4 innings in HS his senior year. He threw 4 out of 25 pitches in the strike zone when I saw him.



Drafted because one MLB scout saw him throw 85-86 mph and DNF him. He is at a 4 year college now.


And other pitchers that threw 93 mph that year did not get drafted
quote:
Originally posted by Frank Martin:
Just because a pitcher is drafted does not mean they are any good. A player (LHP) was drafted in the 30rd in 2006, pitched 4 innings in HS his senior year. He threw 4 out of 25 pitches in the strike zone when I saw him.



Drafted because one MLB scout saw him throw 85-86 mph and DNF him. He is at a 4 year college now.


And other pitchers that threw 93 mph that year did not get drafted



******So take their money, right?
I remember reading an article years ago, I do beleive it was written by Alan Simpson but I could be wrong.
It was about two pitchers, one who was the starter, who did very well,one who only relieved a few innings that season. The second pitcher was drafted much higher than the first.
The article was about projecting players, that the pitcher that had put in just a few innings, was "projected" to do better in the future.
I do beleive that projecting a players future attributes can only be done by one that is qualified to do so, that would be a paid professional scout or a person qualified in identifying talent (coach, agent). I am not understanding why so many of you can't seem to understand this concept. In pro ball, a team drafts on needs, a high school player needs development, some college players are ready to contribute asap.
Something I have observed over the past few years, some very good college players do not translate into MLB pro ball players. Players are drafted for a number of reasons, MOST for organizational purposes, players to support teams for those to play with and aganist who might one day be MLB players. That doesn't mean that everyone drafted doesn't get a fair shot, but in reality, it is what it is.

Brn2hit,
Not all college coaches look for a player who will be ready to make an immmediate impact. Many programs, good programs, work hard at developing players for 1-2 years into their program. And most players who enter into the larger programs, evem smaller programs, are usually NOT ready to contribute.

The only real thng to be concerned with, is if your son is one of the lucky ones to get drafted (no matter what round) does he want to play professional ball or head to college, stay in college, despite whatever is offered.

JMO
Last edited by TPM
Sorry I posted this in the wrong forum! It should be in Going Pro!


My son was considered a pro prospect in high school.
My son went undrafted out of high school, but did have pro options to consider before the draft.
My son attends college.

Making decisions should be a task that all children are encouraged and taught to render. There is always risk in making a decision and with enough guidance and supported practice kids will develope a stronger sense of their own thought process and confidence in arriving at a conclusion. Teaching children to make decisions and work with a conviction towards executing on any decision that they set in motion is in my opinion the key element. College Vs. Pro is different in the mind and circumstance of each individual case and family member within a household yet only one in that house will usually be executing the decision made. You cannot predict the future or conditions that the next day will bestow, but a direction can be decided upon and then every effort can be given to succeed in that pursuit. Teach planning and adjusting skills and execution discipline and then support the process. There isn't a person with 100% correct decision making performance and children should not feel as though that is the goal, what should be fostered is the ability to give THOUGHT to issues, apply ones abilities to a answer and move forward. College Vs. Pro, pick either one and feel confident that you know you will now attack that effort to accomplish what it is that lead you to head that way.
Fans in the stands make every play because they need not execute on any of them, thus they are always right and have all the correct answers.
Don't teach or condition your children to look back at decisions with regret, but condition them to move past obstacles that block or deny their arrival at attempted activities with new decisions on new plans.
College Vs. Pro to each his own. Both right if one is dedicated to his new path. Production and satisfaction come with moving ahead not by second quessing and assualting ones reasoning after the fact.
Good luck in the future!
Last edited by PCX

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