There aren't any facts in your posts. There are only your reading comprehension errors.quote:Ignore all of the true facts in my post
Well this thread has turned into a monkey **** fight
whocares: Nobody was mentioned by name in my post. The post was directed to someone else. Who rattled your chain?
quote:Originally posted by Daque:
whocares: Nobody was mentioned by name in my post. The post was directed to someone else. Who rattled your chain?
Don't need to mention any name to know who you are coming to defend. TG is Batman and you are his Robin.
Unfortunately, I think a lot of us have been "that dad". 
I know I've had the characteristics of that dad more than I like to admit. Sometimes the worst offenders can't seem to see it in themselves and always think the message was intended for someone else they know.
My son's team practiced outside yesterday for the first time this yr! Whoopee!!
I know I've had the characteristics of that dad more than I like to admit. Sometimes the worst offenders can't seem to see it in themselves and always think the message was intended for someone else they know.My son's team practiced outside yesterday for the first time this yr! Whoopee!!
Innocent Bystander--I think you hit the nail on the head! Glad to hear you got your first outdoor practice--hoping we get one monday supposed to be almost 60 yeah.
whocares: To quote Shakespeare, "Me thinks thou doth protest too much." Could it bee that you are, "this dad?"
quote:Originally posted by Daque:
whocares: To quote Shakespeare, "Me thinks thou doth protest too much." Could it bee that you are, "this dad?"
Not 'this dad.' Been around these boards long enough to know the pretenders and characters.
Different boards, but same pretenders.
Spewing prattle on a web board means squat. Maybe you have been on this one for years. Maybe you know a lot of baseball and just have not revealed it. All I see is a lot of negative garbage trying to trip other people's triggers. I am done with you since you post nothing of baseball value.
This is all so confusing... 
I feel like I'm hearing the same things from one person with two names! Whenever one personality gets challenged the other kicks in, or maybe there are three personalities and two are arguing with the third? 
I feel like I'm hearing the same things from one person with two names! Whenever one personality gets challenged the other kicks in, or maybe there are three personalities and two are arguing with the third? quote:Originally posted by Daque:
Spewing prattle on a web board means squat. Maybe you have been on this one for years. Maybe you know a lot of baseball and just have not revealed it. All I see is a lot of negative garbage trying to trip other people's triggers. I am done with you since you post nothing of baseball value.
And what are you and TG spewing?
noted
I've recommended this thread be locked. It's not about baseball advice anymore.
quote:Originally posted by RJM:
I've recommended this thread be locked. It's not about baseball advice anymore.
Gee, I wonder how that could happen? You must just have bad luck with EVERY board you happen to post on.
It ain't you. It's that everyone else ain't as knowledgeable as you.
whocares and Daque,
Please take the rest of your argument elsewhere if it needs to continue...either on another website, or via PM. It is just detracting from what was a pretty good thread.
RJM,
I think that Doughnutman did a reasonable job of explaining why he reacted the way he did earlier, and it sounded valid to me, especially considering some of your previous conflicts on this site. After Doughnutman's explanation, your best move would have been to "bury the hatchet", and not in someone else's scalp.
You bring some good thoughts to discussions here, but you sometimes need to tone down the antagonism.
Julie
Please take the rest of your argument elsewhere if it needs to continue...either on another website, or via PM. It is just detracting from what was a pretty good thread.
RJM,
I think that Doughnutman did a reasonable job of explaining why he reacted the way he did earlier, and it sounded valid to me, especially considering some of your previous conflicts on this site. After Doughnutman's explanation, your best move would have been to "bury the hatchet", and not in someone else's scalp.
You bring some good thoughts to discussions here, but you sometimes need to tone down the antagonism.Julie
Back to the original discussion...
I have observed in my 7 or 8 years of reading our forums, that our members are much more likely than average to have sons who become the rare "freshman starter on varsity". To repeat Fungo's quote:
= = "He did make the varsity squad but I found out right away there were parents of upperclassmen that I had to show unwavering respect to simply because their sons had already "made it". I soon realized the responsibility to maintain peace rested with me --- the father of the incoming freshman. This was their turf and I (we) were the newcomers." = =
My son also fell into that group, the first freshman to play varsity in many years. I don't think I became "that dad/mom", but I was pretty DUMB! I have a good excuse, though: it was before I knew about this site.
I was shy and quiet when I showed up to the first varsity game son was playing (called up a few games into the season), and surprised when he started. But after a few games, I actually wondered ... now this is embarrassing and sounds so foolish ... I actually sorta wondered why none of the upperclassmen's parents came up to me, introduced themselves, and said "Gee it's nice that your son is playing varsity". Dumb, dumb, DUMB! My son was taking their son's spot, or their son's friend's spot! Luckily I at least had the sense to shut up and not say a word about my son - just watch the game.
For all of you parents whose sons do make varsity earlier than the norm, or who you suspect might do so - the safest bet is to "zip the lip" when at games, as several parents have mentioned above. But feel free to come on this site and share your good news with us. Honestly, I think we should be able to do that here. Well heck, I'm allowed to say, we CAN do that here! For those who don't know me, my son is almost 23 yrs old now so I won't have any freshman reports to share. But I love to read about your sons!
Julie
I have observed in my 7 or 8 years of reading our forums, that our members are much more likely than average to have sons who become the rare "freshman starter on varsity". To repeat Fungo's quote:
= = "He did make the varsity squad but I found out right away there were parents of upperclassmen that I had to show unwavering respect to simply because their sons had already "made it". I soon realized the responsibility to maintain peace rested with me --- the father of the incoming freshman. This was their turf and I (we) were the newcomers." = =
My son also fell into that group, the first freshman to play varsity in many years. I don't think I became "that dad/mom", but I was pretty DUMB! I have a good excuse, though: it was before I knew about this site.
I was shy and quiet when I showed up to the first varsity game son was playing (called up a few games into the season), and surprised when he started. But after a few games, I actually wondered ... now this is embarrassing and sounds so foolish ... I actually sorta wondered why none of the upperclassmen's parents came up to me, introduced themselves, and said "Gee it's nice that your son is playing varsity". Dumb, dumb, DUMB! My son was taking their son's spot, or their son's friend's spot! Luckily I at least had the sense to shut up and not say a word about my son - just watch the game.
For all of you parents whose sons do make varsity earlier than the norm, or who you suspect might do so - the safest bet is to "zip the lip" when at games, as several parents have mentioned above. But feel free to come on this site and share your good news with us. Honestly, I think we should be able to do that here. Well heck, I'm allowed to say, we CAN do that here! For those who don't know me, my son is almost 23 yrs old now so I won't have any freshman reports to share. But I love to read about your sons!
Julie
,quote:MN-Mom
People are strange primates. Some parents teach the wrong things. If your kid's better, he should play. Maybe they think it's politics...
Imagine the pressure in the dugout on your frosh son who's taking some senior's playing time. Wow!
When my older son was moved to varsity as a freshman, he was used as an outfielder, pitcher and DH. One of the senior pitchers let him know that he was NOT happy having a freshman batting for him...
I was also a little slow in recognizing that the starters parents were friendly enough while the bench parents kind of stayed away from me.. After having been in their situation in other sports I understand a little better the wall that seems to be there, and how difficult it can be to feel a part of both groups.
I always made it a point to cheer for everybody's kid but my own, we had enough parents who only cheered for their own boys.
I was also a little slow in recognizing that the starters parents were friendly enough while the bench parents kind of stayed away from me.. After having been in their situation in other sports I understand a little better the wall that seems to be there, and how difficult it can be to feel a part of both groups.
I always made it a point to cheer for everybody's kid but my own, we had enough parents who only cheered for their own boys.
Last year as a strictly JV parent I would stay late and watch some Varsity. Even then I got some odd looks, but I just cheered away. This year, son is pitching some for the "Vsquad". It is different. One parent complimented my son to me, but the other parent just stared. Her son is injured but still couldn't say a nice word. I just thanked her and said something silly to break the ice. It was weird.
How argumentative is the single word, "noted?" Get up to date on the posts.
A tangential comment. Making the varsity depends on a number of factors including politics, how good the kid is, and how weak the varsity team is. It has been my observation that a player does not learn much after two years with the same coach. The first year is all new and somewhat overwhelming. The second year reinforces the first year as far as the knowledge base is concerned. The third year is redundant. While making varsity may be great for the peacock parents it may not be in the best interet of the player.
Regarding Julie's comment about being dumb. A better word word would have been ignorant (of baseball mentality) which is curable. Stupidity is forever.
Regarding Julie's comment about being dumb. A better word word would have been ignorant (of baseball mentality) which is curable. Stupidity is forever.
I never got caught up in all that parent respect thing since it's the players, not the parents on the field. When my son took over a position manned by a 2-year varsity starter, he deserved it and would've had no problem telling anybody he earned if somebody asked me why the other player wasn't in.
Obviously as a freshman parent, there's things to learn about the fundraisers and all the other parent involvement in the program but nobody needs to be apologetic just because they got a freshman kid who's good enough to play varsity. Now that don't mean you go around acting like a jerk as that freshman parent or you start blowing your horn about an 8th grader in front of other varsity players parents. It also means those parents of the upperclassmen can't get bent out of shape if a strong frosh comes in and wins a spot.
Obviously as a freshman parent, there's things to learn about the fundraisers and all the other parent involvement in the program but nobody needs to be apologetic just because they got a freshman kid who's good enough to play varsity. Now that don't mean you go around acting like a jerk as that freshman parent or you start blowing your horn about an 8th grader in front of other varsity players parents. It also means those parents of the upperclassmen can't get bent out of shape if a strong frosh comes in and wins a spot.
quote:His kid throws about 70mph. Nice for an 8th grader, but hardly varsity material for next year.
Tell him to transfer and play small school baseball. We've played three teams with pitchers throwing low-70's...So, the good news for him is that he'll be in the rotation...the bad news...we beat them by a combined 59-0...
I don't understand guys like this...Even in small HS baseball (which someone here likened to a 13U pick-up game) 70 isn't going to cut it...
Low70's. won't cut it for varsity ball but it would be enough to play freshman ball. Don't remember too many fireballers on the freshman teams. You had a few hard throwers scattered around at that level but that''s about it. Of course they'll have to get stronger and add some mph to their game if they want to play on the varsity.
Reality check time. If this kid is pretty much matured and throwing in the low 70's he is a marginal player. The advice should be to focus on academics, not to transfer to a smaller school to play on a team with a short HS season. The low 70's is batting practice speed for travel a year younger.
The game will tell you when your ride is over. Play as long as you can and have no regrets looking back.
The game will tell you when your ride is over. Play as long as you can and have no regrets looking back.
I say the kid has a chance to pitch Varsity. I saw a sophomore lefty throw on Varsity yesterday. Mid 70's, breaking balls, decent movement. Held them to 2 runs over 4 innings. Most coaches would take those results anyday. Not to hard to imagine a kid in 8th grade gaining a few mph in a year. I would be surprised if he didn't gain any speed if he is willing to work at it. If he knows how to pitch, he has a chance. It also depends on the competition. His league may not be competitive or he may start in the games against the lesser teams on the schedule. But a lefty always has a chance if he is willing to work and knows how to pitch.
quote:The advice should be to focus on academics, not to transfer to a smaller school to play on a team with a short HS season.
I was being facetious. However, if a kid wanted to play, our school would be a great alternative. Our academics are first rate and our baseball season is the same number of games as any other school. There are no cuts but positions and PT are earned. The kid at the end of the bench doesn't play but he is getting a chance to 'get better' in practice. We obviously don't play as competitive a schedule but games between the better teams in our league are won the same way as at bigger schools; good pitching, good defense and timely hitting.
The weak programs that can't field a competitive team get blown out. (i.e. the ones with pitchers throwing 70).
However, Doughnutman is right about soft throwing lefthanders. Seems like every small program has one or two (except us
) and they can be very effective.I agree. 70 isn't bad for 8th grade. The kid's dad is tall. He may become a big kid. If the kid does the work and develops physical strength and arm strength he could have a good future. In many cases the difference between freshmen and other grades is strength, especially upper body. I'd love to see him be an important member of the pitching staff as a soph when my son is a senior. I'd love to see him be a stud next year. The team would be that much better. But it isn't going to happen.quote:I say the kid has a chance to pitch Varsity.
quote:Originally posted by Doughnutman:
I say the kid has a chance to pitch Varsity. I saw a sophomore lefty throw on Varsity yesterday. Mid 70's, breaking balls, decent movement. Held them to 2 runs over 4 innings. Most coaches would take those results anyday.
Come to think about it, you're right. My son's team last year had a couple of soft tossers on varsity who threw no more than low-mid 70s. And they were RHP's too. So yeah, they could play varsity. However, these two pitchers got hit hard on the varsity level. Overall, the pitching struggled. The lefty in the rotation threw a bit harder but knew how knew how to pitch. He was crafty. Even though he wasn't a hard thrower, he'd keep the games close and could battle.
If you are the parent of that kid who happens to be better early and starts as a freshman/sophomore in
HS, don't apologize and don't walk on eggshells just because your son is better than some older kid. Be proud of your kid and support the team.
No need to rub it in, no need to gloat because if your kid keeps playing the game and moving on, more than likely the roles will be reversed at some point.
HS, don't apologize and don't walk on eggshells just because your son is better than some older kid. Be proud of your kid and support the team.
No need to rub it in, no need to gloat because if your kid keeps playing the game and moving on, more than likely the roles will be reversed at some point.
quote:whocares: To quote Shakespeare, "Me thinks thou doth protest too much." Could it bee that you are, "this dad?"
Wonder if that could be said about the OP? What do you think Daque?
GapFinder: Don't think so since is was a report of a common error committed by newbies and had no bearing on him. I saw the post as warning other newbies to tread lightly until you learn the ropes.