What's easier in college or MiLB...northern player adapting to playing in southern heat or southern player adapting to playing in northern cold? I.E., playing for Florida Gators and drafted to New York Yankees. I've heard a couple northern college coaches use this scenario during recruiting and obviously believe the northern player has the advantage. Thoughts?
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I would think there's a threshold to how terrible the weather can be for baseball and still be playable. Here in the Atlanta area we routinely play/practice in cold in the 30s in January/February, so unless northerners are playing in significantly worse than that, I think their only advantage would be in playing in it more often, potentially (if that's even an advantage).
I could see someone from Florida or California or wherever that never has to deal with winter temps for practice/games facing an adjustment, but I'm not sure that's really that much worse than someone who grew up in the northeast having to play in May-August in Florida.
I think we all (across the country) start HS and college seasons when it is cold (30's and 40's). only differences is in south they start in February to play games, in the north we don't start until end of March
I moved from the warmer climate (southern CA) to a colder one (northern WA), and after adjusting went back for a long visit to CA, and it seemed to be easier to go from cold to warm than the other way around. I suppose it could have been because I originally started in the warm southern climate, but that's how it seemed to me.
No question in my mind. It is much easier for the northern baseball player to adapt to the southern climates. It is going to be tough in the summer/fall of college freshmen year but once you've acclimated, you'll be fine.
Most of my son's college teammates are from warm-weather states. It takes a lot of getting used to the colder climates. There have been a few games played in snow and freezing rain/sleet over the last few years. It is an adjustment.
In term of recruiting, I think the reverse is true. Supply/demand is definetly in the favor of the warm-weather college recruit willing to play baseball in the colder climates.
My player grew up in south FL and went to college in South Carolina where he thought the first month or two of the season was always cold. Now he is pitching farther up north and says it is the coldest he has ever played in.
That's not easy coming directly from breezy 70 degree days in FL.
But then, I remember the oppressive heat Memorial Day weekend at the ACC playoffs in Jacksonville in May. Or that in Omaha at the CWS end of June. The Texas league (pro) has nights where it is over 100 at gametime in summer. If you want to tag son as a warm weather guy, then he had the advantage.
A player has to learn to adapt through all situations .That's what makes them special and valuable. Different climates bring different results. A player must remain the same player where ever he goes and not let these things interfere. It's all in the way of approaching things mentally.
If you think that this might be an issue, then quit the game. If a player is good it doesn't matter where he plays.
BTW, Gainesville has some pretty darn cool nights in Feb, March. Not as uncomfortable as up north but it is still chilly in the evenings.
I think a college recruiter will consider whether the player has the skills and talent to play for his program on his field, in his conference rather than if he came from the north or south.
There's probably no one answer. It is also a matter of how hot and how cold.
My son lived in Houston until he was in 8th grade, when we moved to Connecticut. He says he prefers to play in cooler weather versus hot weather. But that's just him. One factor may be that he is a catcher, so staying warm in a game is not that difficult for him.
Either way, it is an adjustment, and one which most motivated players should be able to make.
As a pitcher it was a benefit when the hitters were freezing. As a hitter I wanted it hot. Most of all, when playing I had an attitude the weather didn't matter. When the weather doesn't matter in your mind it becomes an ally. Let it be a distraction for others.
Jerseyson has gone from playing in California, to New Jersey and now to Florida in his baseball career. Having going through a full cycle he would tell you that its much easier for a Northerner to get used to warm weather than the other way around.
I had this exact discussion with Sam Fuld (Tampa Bay Rays Outfielder) who grew up in New Hampshire, then went to Stanford and finally on to minor league teams from North Dakota to Venezuela before sticking with Tampa for a few years. He's told us several times "I don't even notice the weather, much less worry about adapting or not adapting"
I asked web, a kid from NorCal playing back east, about the cold after a game earlier this year was called after 6 innings because of snow. I love his response "cold is all mental".
"cold is all mental".
Yeah, tell that to those who have suffered frost bite and hypothermia. 
The cold can be mentally ignored. . . up to a point. huh?
