Curve ball?

Oh, yeah he did not make the team.

My opinion,

If he made the team, let it go, and if he missed the cut I think you have every right to see where his improvement should be.

Yeah, he did not make the team. If he doesnt make sophomore year, what chance will he have a playing for a college? He has played ball almost his entire life, and now, he seems to have lost a big chunk of who he is.

Tryhard
Well I’m sure you will get some good recommendations from the group here.
LWE has a good baseball program, it’s the only school that the Oak Forest Sophomores had trouble with last year(lost Big). Of Course we played like we were sleeping that Saturday morning.

I’m sure the Providence Coach would like to talk to you or what the heck just move to Oak Forest!

why didn't they want to see a curveball?

First of all, I am sorry that your son did not make the team. If he is truly committed to playing ball, HE, not you, should approach the coach(s) and ask what were the factors that denied him a spot on the team. He should not be confrontational (i.e. "why didn't you want to see my curveball?"); just go in asking what the coaches perceived were his weaknesses. Then, he should try and play as much ball this spring, summer and next fall as he can (park district, travel teams...anything to improve his strengths and perceived weaknesses).

I have never been able to figure out what coaches are looking for because some of the kids that are cut may appear to be better players than some of those players who make the team. Remember, fairness has nothing to do with this. Coaches are looking for certain things that they believe fit within their program and will allow them to win.

I know it is very, very tough to get cut. My older son was cut after his sophomore year. He didn't try out his senior year, but he did keep playing (park district) and continues playing now during the summers (he's a junior in college). Despite his "adversity", he still is finding a way to enjoy playing organized baseball. My younger son, a senior in high school, made the varsity and will be pitching for a DI school next fall...so I have seen both sides.

Hopefully this will be helpful for your son. Good luck.

I is very tough to get cut from a team. Ask Michael Jordan. He still hurts from it.
Boris gives good advice and your son if he is a serious ball player should be empowered by this to be the best ball player he can be.
Some coaches are not impressed by CBs. You will find most people are impressed by heat. Your son could also be a result of the numbers game. A lot of hard throwing pitchers.
Use the rejection to your advantage. There will probably be a lot more rejection to come so use it to grow in the game.

IMO any freshman "who throws 75-80 mph with awesome accuarcy and a good change-up" would have no trouble making a freshman baseball team. I find it hard to believe that if he was throwing like this in tryouts that he would get cut. I think LW East has 2 freshman teams if I remember correctly.

My son is a senior now but there weren't many kids throwing faster than what you state when he was a freshman. I think Graffy ( now at ND ) was upper 70's or close to 80 when he was a freshman.

I feel sorry your son didn't make the LW East freshman team. I would look for a strong travel team to play on this summer and keep working and try to get as much pitching in on his summer team. Try out again next year - if your son really throws as you state he'll have no problem making the sophomores next year.

Good luck!

yeah, he worked out at diamond sports academy for the last 3 months to insure that his arm was strong and ready for tryouts. They only have one freshman team.

Michael Jordan was never cut, he just didn't make the varsity as a sophmore.

tryhard- Your son should ask the coach what he can do to make the team next but also he should ask if he can play for the HS summer team. By the time the summer season roles around some of the kids that made the team will find out they aren't playing and will end their playing after the spring season. Others will be busy with FB or basketball and won't be able to make all of the HS summer league games. They might be short players so by getting his foot in the door this summer he'll get an early look for next year. I know this happened at our school last year. Kid was cut from the spring team, talked the coach into letting him play in the summer and nows he's on the soph team.

Try...My son is a freshman lefthanded pitcher.

Happy to talk with you about what he (your son) might do down the road.

Be sure he plays somewhere this summer.

Hard to believe that they would cut someone throwing 75-80. I don't believe anyone had a gun at the tryouts, did they? Will ask my son when he gets home in an hour or so.

Give me a shout: john petrulis 815-469-4520

Does Lincolnway have a summer team? I have not heard of it if they do. Please let me know.

I could see the meeting ....

Your son goes up to the coach to ask him about the tryout and why was he cut......

Coach's answer

Where you at the tryout?


I would like to hear how many boys came out for the team.


This situation did happen at one of the private schools. I know the family,,,, he is now not only playing but was a started on last years sophomore team.

Freshman year his father did push the situation to the point that he didn't look to good but they gave in.

I'm not saying that you need to ,,, just that this true story seemed to belong on the subject today!

My son said the first day about 30. The last day about 80. Some people have said 100, but I don't think it was that high.

At Barrington they only had kids throw the Fastball and change. Maybe they figure early on some kids may mess up their arms throwing curves not knowing who has been throwing and who hasn't. They may also be looking for good arms and figure they will teach the other pitches and the way they want them thrown. A curve that is good on the 14 year old level may not be the same curve that is successful against varsity hitting. My kid had a 3/4 motion with a flat but very big breaking curveball at 14 and no one could hit it. That same pitch would get murdered in HS. They do miss on kids to be sure. Don't let yoru son give up. I can't believe that Lincoln-Way has only one frosh team.

From what I've heard, Lincoln Way East has a freshman team roster of 25 players. Only 1 team.

If the referendum passes, they will build 2 more high schools, i.e. LWNorth at Harlem and St. Francis Road (about 203rd Street); and, LW West, in New Lenox, (not sure the exact location).

They have land for LWSouth, which will likely be built in about 5-6 years when Manhattan gets away from their 1830's mentality and the farmers die off.

Apparently the site on Cedar and Laraway, which was used for many of the Central sports teams, (and which site was donated to the school district by a lady benefactor about 10 years ago), has been sold and the proceeds used to purchase one of the new sites (whether West or South, I'm not sure) with some money left over.

try....LWEast has a summer team selected by the varsity coach to develop players for next years team.

Just be sure that you play somewhere in the summer and go out for tryouts/the team next year as a sophomore.

Sometimes coaches miss things.

Call me at 815-469-4520 and I'll be happy to talk with you.

john petrulis

Thanks so much John. My son will look into the summer team. The varsity coach wants to see him sometime this week, so I will see what happens. I do not want to interfere much with this, as my son likes to handle things himself. I will call you soon.

try....

All I can do is try....lololol.

jp

I think many schools have very poor lower level coaching. A player I played with was a "B" team guy as a freshman, was cut as a soph. and was all-conference as a senior. As a junior he played JV and worked with the Varsity coaches after paractice everyday to improve is hitting. The Soph. coach later said that he made a huge mistake, but it still doesn't say a lot about his ability to choose players.

I responded earlier about my sons' different experiences, but what I forgot to mention was that my son who is now a senior and will be playing at a DI school next year...he was cut from his Sophomore summer team. Like I said, your son should just keep working hard and most importantly, enjoy the gift of playing the game.

How do they pick the summer team. Are there tryouts? Do you have to be on the regular high school team to be on it, or does he have a chance. Please let me know.

At my son's school, there are open tryouts. They have 3 summer teams, one that is basically the next year's sophomores (about 20-22 kids)and two varsity teams (each with about 15 kids...when it comes time for the summer tournament, they two varsity teams form one team of about 20). Although there are open tryouts, I believe the freshman coaches "talk" with the summer coach regarding the players who played on the freshman team during the season. However, if your son has a good tryout, hopefully the coaches have an open mind and truly give all players an honest evaluation and opportunity to make the team. But, I do think that the players who played on their high school regular spring season team have an advantage (JMO)

try...The coaches pick the team.

No tryouts.

I think I should move.

Try,

Why don't you just tell the coach to put your son on varsity. Playhard says it happens (check the freshman varsity thread).

I meant play baseball not playhard.

I would move or get your residency shifted to another school district to allow your son a chance to play. Southwest about 45 miles could use a frosh pitcher who throws around 80 with a nasty duece.

I think most schools could use a pitcher of any class that throws 80.

He is going on the park district team, just to hang out with his best friend and not have a pressure in the world. That is what he told me.

Your son is making a big mistake if all he wants to do is play on the park district team. If he really wants to get better he should try to play against the best competition he can find. Maybe this attitude had something to do with his not making the freshman team.

I really find it hard to believe that any kid that was throwing 75 to 80 mph with good control and a good change-up would have trouble making his freshman team. I would think he would have to stand out with this type of pitching performance. Maybe tryhard07 is spoofing a bit. JMO

1)They did not use radar gun at try-outs.

2)They had my son throw 10 fast balls and 10 change-ups. He watched another boy who threw 10 pitches and the coach stopped him and said that he saw enuf, that kid made it.

3)All travel teams near us are full.
I think I'm done, just wanted to know why he wouldn't want to see his best pitch.

Try...Do what many fathers do, i.e., when the kid doesn't make the hs team, dad starts one for him in the summer so that he is certain his son will play.

Done plenty of times.

If he was popping the ball at 80, someone would have noticed.

Many, if not most, are lucky to hit 70 as freshmen.

My son, Brett, isn't on a summer team as of this date. What is the hurry? He's a freshman.

This whole thing is really strange to me. I played on a Varsity team with 1 guy that broke 80 (everyone else was upper 70s and did ok). Even without a radar gun I think a coach should be able to tell the hardest throwers apart and any frosh. near 80 would be that. It just seems an odd situation.

Agree with you, GB.

I dont care what high school anyone is talking about here ...large enrollment , good baseball program ...if any freshman is throwing 80 ...he will make his freshman team .

I agree with you, Sull.

That is why I've been after Try to call me.

How many players make the Freshman team? Say 30 or more players if the team has an A and B squad. Any player throwing between 75 and 80 would easily make the Freshman team. Let's face it this is Freshman Baseball were talking about. In some cases Freshman Baseball is equal to rec ball. Some people that talk about miles per hour and estimate by saying 75 to 80 that's also a big difference. When you start throwing over 70, every mile an hour or two more is a big difference. Some people still don't realize that. If your son was throwing like that at tryouts the Freshman coach made a mistake. Keep a good attitude and play some good competitive summer ball is my best advice.