Expectations of players (and parents) playing in college baseball

My son leaves for his freshman year of college next week.  He will be attending a small NAIA school.  I have been trying to get his head into the fact that he probably won't see the field much if at all this year.  He needs to get in the weight room and get stronger.  He knows that will be an everyday thing and is fine with it.  His goal is to be able to travel this year if possible.  I think that is a great goal but may not be attainable with 10 or so guys each week not traveling the odds as a freshman of making it seem a little lofty to me.  

 

My son has always had to work for everything he has achieved which I am proud of.  He isn't the superstar athlete but has always finished near the top of every team hes been on in hitting, defense and pitching.  He does not expect to pitch in college because he doesn't throw hard but he did lead his summer team in wins and era this year playing against a number of college hitters so who knows.

 

Since he will be our second and last to leave the nest my biggest fear is what I'm going to do with all of my new found free time.  I've already got sights on a new sports car and some fishing.  

 

I feel great as a parent knowing that my son is getting a chance to realize his dreams and asperations whatever the future will hold.

On a campus visit just the other day, coach asked our son,  "so why do you want to play college baseball."   Son replied,  "Because it's what I most want to do and I can't think of anything I want more" or something like that.  The  coach applauded the passion, then  preceded to tell him how hard it would  be, how much work it would take, how  many guys get to school and realize how much more demanding it is than high school and how much delayed gratification there can be  -- with many hours put in paying your dues, making yourself better,   but with not much guarantee of playing time at least early on -- , and decide college baseball isn't really for them after all.   I appreciated the upfront honesty from the coach. 

Great topic! My son chose the walk on route at a very good D1 over a little money at a less prestigious program (also D1).  He actively sought to play against players perceived as better then him and didn't think he would mind being at the bottom and working his way up.

 

In January of his freshman year he was hurt and out until the season started and by then far behind the 8 ball for any play time. He did travel every week but really didn't play.  Then the injury bug hit the team and he backed into a chance, one that would have lasted a solid month before anyone ahead of him came back except he suffered an impact injury in like his 3d game and was on the shelf for the rest of the season, missed summer ball and barely got cleared to play in field before Xmas break!

 

He hit great in the fall and also every chance he got during this last season.  He would go 2-4 or have a pinch homer and not see the line up for 2 or 3 weeks.  That was hard but he continued to succeed until it couldn't just be discounted to luck anymore and as a walk on sophomore he forced his way into the line up through the post season and was one of most successful hitters in the post season on his team.  Like BOF says, that post season success goes along way towards helping a young man forget the toil before he actually got a chance.  

 

He will go back in 2 weeks and believes he has earned his spot.  I expect him to have to force the issue again because I have been around the block and know the freshman with the big scholarship will get 4 or 5 chances to his single chance all fall long.  It isn't fair, it isn't even close to fair so be prepared.  

 

School is SUPER hard, baseball is harder.  He has no life beyond books and balls and on their rare off days only gets out of bed to go eat and then returns to bed.  Sounds terrible doesn't it?  But he loves it, he is happy and he loves competing with and playing with guys whose skills he respects.  

 

I feel great as a parent because my son is happy, is working to total capacity, a trait that will translate into anything he does his whole life and he has shown me that he will never allow another person to limit him but to continue to follow his own dreams.  I no longer question his goals and just sit back and admire his commitment to himself and know that with the traits he has shown he will be able to be successful in whatever life brings him.

 

This ought to be a very interesting year.  I expect the worst so that I can't be disappointed. He expects the best and sets about making it impossible to ignore him.  

Here's another one.

 

Son just finished two years at a D2 JuCo this past May.  His freshman year there was 50+ players in the fall.  Ultimately he played in about half of the fall games and went 7 for 13 at the plate.  Made the travel squad the very last weekend.  By spring the roster was whittled down to 35 through grades, injuries, self cuts.  Coach never really made any cuts.

 

Spring comes and coach utilizes him as the DH for most games, playing 1B when not DH.  Must have impressed somebody during practice.  At first, he's not really producing - batting average below .200.  After a few weeks he is hitting his stride

and his batting average steadily rises - finishes the season batting just over .300 with 2 HR's.  All this while keeping a 2.5 GPA - not great, but not bad either.

 

Sophomore year he is the starting 1B.  Another slow start, but by mid-season he's hitting over .300 and is ranked in the top 3 in number of doubles nationally.  Finishes the season with a .365 average and broke the school record (23) for number of doubles with 24 - finished with 27 doubles - hit 3 in the regional playoffs where the team placed 4th.  All this while keeping his GPA at 2.63.

 

Up to this point nearly every school in the ODAC (D3) has talked to him along with a few D2's.  Day after we get him moved home, he gets a text from another D2 wanting him to visit (officially).  He calls the assistant coach who says they are really interested him.  They had already talked to his JuCo coach.  We go visit and shortly after he is offered a very nice scholarship.  We are pleasantly surprised he is able to continue his baseball career.  We've learned to accept that each season (or even games) could be his last.

 

I have to agree to "expect the unexpected".  He did a lot of growing up in the 1st year learning to deal with baseball, injuries, illness, academics, living away from Mom and Dad, life changes, teammates quitting and decision making.  I'm sure at one point it seemed like a grind.  I still think he had "fun" though.  At least he seemed to whenever we managed to see him play.

 

Of course, he'll be at a new school and will have to "earn" his way into the lineup as he did in HS and JuCo.

 

The grind never ends.

 

My son had his first year at a D3 last year. The second week of school he was diagnosed with mono, so he missed every bit of fall ball and was miserable. He was prohibited from working out at all for 8 weeks, and lost around 10-15 pounds. He was also distracted by having a girlfriend at college in another state.  Not surprisingly, he was thinking of transferring. On a positive note, his head coach was very supportive and understanding.

 

Over Christmas break, he and the girlfriend broke up. His head coach came to visit him, which was a nice touch. He worked out some, but he was not in great shape when he showed up for the spring semester. He battled tendonitis, and played innings here and there. He really struggled at the plate, but still enjoyed the being on the team.

 

After the season ended, the head coach was released and a new coach hired.

 

His take on his first college season? College baseball is different from high school, more intense (even D3). Grown man baseball.

 

 

 

Interesting topic...   In HS my son was what I'd say is a late bloomer recruiting wise.  Of course like many HS'ers - he thought D1, D2, but realized quickly D3 is where he'd be if he wanted to play.  Since he knew he would only go as a pitcher - not much of a hitter - it made aspects of the HS and Legion seasons easier and that part of the transition into college easier I suspect.  Because he's a higher academic type kid - finding the right fit when being recruited by various D3's was a challenge. He's not an Ivy level, could have played NESCAC (but the FinAid would have been lower), and ended up in the Centennial at Muhlenberg (he got a good academic award which helps).  He's going to be a Senior this year.

 

Freshman year was a huge surprise. We didn't expect him to get many innings, but he ended up in the regular rotation. He got into a tie game in the 2nd/3rd game they played and held on / shut down the opponent while his team figured out a way to win.  He started with 3or 4 wins - could have had another but the bullpen and defense blew a 10 run lead on the last day for their FL trip (a harbinger of things to come :-)). Once conference play started the games got harder and once the team started playing poorly it snowballed. He would talk about the 'division' between pitchers and every day players when it came to the blame game. If the pitchers gave up 10 runs, then it was their fault even though the batters got 8 runs - the batters neglected their ability to field the ball some times from his viewpoint.  But hey - it's D3 - if everyone had 5 tools they wouldn't be here.  He ended 4-3 with a high ERA - mostly because he felt the official scorer didn't know the difference between an error and hit ;-)... The freshman season carried over into summer ball where he played initially for a solid mens league (InterCity League) in Boston before being picked up by a collegiate league team (Old Orchard Raging Tide in the FCBL).  Oh and academically - he did great - it was easier than he expected, but he still had to study for the first time..

 

To say the Sophomore jinx happens is an understatement. The season started with a new Head Coach as the old head coach became the AD.  The HC came from a D1 program. After what most considered to be a successful Frosh year - there were expectations set.  He came in as one of the 4 set starters and was generally aligned to have the tougher opponents. Like the prior season the defense would let him down at times - still cannot get over how many "infield" or "bunt" singles to SS/3B one pitcher can give up. Things got worse about halfway through conference play when he felt a pop in his shoulder on a pitch.  Suffice to say the "inability" of the administration to properly address the situation was frustrating from 300+ miles away. They have a team doctor, but he was only around 1-2 days - naturally the ones before the injury. After a few days of frustration, we ended up getting him an appointment back home and we were able to get an MRI scheduled.  As it turned out (the best news) - he had popped his labrum (think cracking your knuckles, but with your shoulder).  2-3 months of strengthening and rehab put him into summer ball again with the mens league - where he did fine.  Academically - he ended up on Dean's list

 

Junior year he had to prove himself all over again; however, this time his school workload overtook his usual gym & workout time and thus as the season wore on he just didn't have the velocity, command, control, etc.  I believe he said he lost 15-20 lbs... I know twotex got to see him in pretty much his last start - suffice to say it wasn't necessarily his (in)ability to pitch, but instead "other factors" that led to him not being used much after that. Routine fly balls - dropped... Easy grounders - misplayed.  As a pitcher that s*t gets to you after a while. No way are you going to strikeout every batter. Even more frustrating - those players don't "lose" their position, but you're considered ineffective as a pitcher - go figure. Anyway, the team ended up in the Conference tourney (only 4 make it), but he didn't get to throw there. For him though he did have a victory of sorts - one of his friends/teammates that he's helped with workout regimen and through the ups and downs of how you're treated ended up as the goto pitcher for the team (a player that wasn't on the radar much frosh/soph year). From my viewpoint - that's a good teammate.

 

So in 3 short years he's gone through the gamut of being loved and shunned. He knows that you *have* to keep working on it and how quickly you will be discarded when someone else is more effective especially as a pitcher. No resting on your laurels. This summer he's got his workout regimen back and is again doing well in the men's league.  Heading into the Senior year while he will have to prove himself again - if the staff of now 4 seniors each with solid experience can keep it together - they could do pretty well.  That's the best part about baseball I think - there's always hope. The HC is in the 3rd year of his way of doing things and with the late success they had, perhaps that'll be the kick in the pants. Hard to believe in less than a year it'll be all over. However, maybe in 2-3 years I'll document the travails of my youngest who's going to be Freshman at Belmont Abbey (another pitcher)...

How bad do you really want to play college baseball? Your 17, 18 years old. How hard have you had to work to get the opportunity? In the class room. On the field. Off the field. How much adversity have you actually faced in life? How much have you faced in the game? Have you ever worked your butt off for a week and sat during the games because you were not in the line up? How about for two weeks? How about or a month? Have you ever had to pinch hit in a critical situation? Have you ever been told to hurry up and get hot because you might be needed in a match up situation a couple of batters down the line up? How much failure have you had? In the class room? On the field? How much pressure have you ever had put on you "on purpose by the coaching staff" to see how you can handle it? Have you ever had to really compete for it? Have you ever had team mates that spent every second of every day on the field trying to beat you out? Trying to get in your head to gain the psych advantage over you? How many team mates have you had in practice talk trash to you and try to discourage you in order to gain an advantage over you? Why would your team mate do this? Because he wants to play just as much as you do. He is as dedicated to it as you are. He has invested just as much if not more than you have. Imaging being a Soph Jr Sr and a young gun is going to come in and take his innings? Come in and take his position? Really? And you think they are not going to fight for it?

 

You can have all the physical tools and really be a player. But if your son is not ready to compete he is going to have a hard time. And be ready to compete day in and day out with an academic work load he has not faced before. A schedule for the day he has not faced. A world where grown men 21 22 23 years old do not care about his dreams and yours. They care about theirs. They know the ropes. They know the "game." Many are prepared to compete on the field actually playing the game. Few are prepared mentally.

 

Its easy to love the game when its going as planned. Its easy to love the game when its going good. Do you still love the game, the grind, college baseball when your having to compete for an at bat? A situational inning or batter? A chance to get a chance? Your son needs to be mentally tough. He needs to understand that he needs to love the process. He needs to understand he needs to love competition. Real competition. He needs to understand its not where you are its where he can be if. If he is tough enough to stay the course.

 

When a kid has a plan and that plan is blown up what does he do? Does he fall apart or does he develop a new plan? Did life go as you planned? When it got blown up what did you do? Some would say for those that went to college to play baseball and everything went as planned they were lucky. Well I have a different take on that. How much growth did they really have? I say those that have their plan blown up and learn what it takes to stay the course and fight for it see tremendous growth as a player and more importantly as a man.

 

The problem is not college baseball. Its no the coaches. Its not the game. Its the players who are drilled to hit an off speed pitch for years, drilled to field and throw for years. Coached and taught to play the game at a high level for years. And sent into a world as boys mentally that is ran by men. Do your son a good one. Prepare him to be mentally tough. Allow him to fail and learn what it takes to overcome it. Embrace adversity and see it as growth. Before he is in a situation where he will be faced with it.

 

There are many talented players who never see the journey through because they are too mentally weak to see it completed. And there are many not as talented players who do because they are mentally prepared to compete. They see adversity differently. It does not astound me that so many players do not see it through. Every player loves the game when they are having success and the plan is going as planned. Its a different story for many when thats not the case. I understand there are other situations where players move on from the game. This is not a knock of those kids and really on any kid. Its not for everyone.

One of my wife's friends has a son at a major D1 in a power conference. He got playing time as a freshman, and started as a soph and junior. School is very good from the academic side and he had a planned major coming out of high school. Once he got to college, baseball interfered with the pre-requisites for his major. So, he had to choose a major that would fit his baseball schedule.

 

Even though he is attending and playing at the school he wanted to go to for baseball and academics, the academics is not what he planned on.

 

Great topic for this time of year.  In summary, expect the unexpected is a pretty good way to describe it.  For college baseball players I think everything gets measured by either team & individual results (records, conference championships, etc...) or playing time.  The incredible amount of hard work that goes into off season and in season preparation isn't necessarily what comes out. 

 

There is so much competition to find the college field at any level, and it is understandably THE most difficult thing for a high schooler to understand.  We did our homework, went to some of his college team's games while still in high school.  We felt and expected he would have a genuine shot at making the starting rotation freshmen year.  While he did eventually make the starting rotation as a freshmen, he underestimated what it would take to get there.  He was fortunate to get the opportunities, and deliver to win the job freshmen year.  There were others on his team who did not get that opportunity for one reason or another.  He had 8 recruits in his 2014 freshmen class and 6 were with the program at graduation.  This is typical for his conference but not typical for D1 overall based on folks I know here and elsewhere.  

 

College career highlights:

Fresh. Year: Exceeded expectations, w/e starter for conf. games

Soph.  Year: Exceeded expect., w/e starter, conf champ, 1st team all-conf, 3 time pitcher of the week, no hitter

Junior Year: Not exceed expect., injured, rehab

Senior Year: Not exceed expect., starter & bullpen roles never solidified

Classroom:  Exceeded expectations all four years

 

My son attended a high academic D1.  He was NOT required to play summer college baseball as most of his D1 counterparts were.  It was left up to each player to play or not play.  After a lot of thought & research, he (we) decided he would work in the summer (every year) to position himself for a future summer engineering internship and make money.  As the father of a pitcher, I  had often wondered if playing summer college baseball helped or hindered his expectations, skills and results for his college baseball career.  I've come away thinking it neither helped nor hindered his baseball career but certainly helped his current professional career.

 

In summary, while my son's career highlights may seem adbnormal I think they are more normal based upon the topic.  It was a lot of ups and downs and frankly a lot of it was out his control.  That may be the most frustrating part of all of this, because he typically did his job well when called upon and didn't make a fuss.  His baseball expectations were always focused on winning games, winning rings and getting a job out of school.  He exceeded my overall expectations with college, but I have to tell you I had a lot of up-front concerns with his time management, discipline and organizational skills.  That is where he really demonstrated something extra and exceeded my expectations because it ain't easy for these young men.  

 

I hope this adds to the topic.

Its an interesting question and there are some really terrific responses above.

 

I'm not really sure how to answer it other than both our boys both exceeded and fell short of both their's and our "hopes" at different times.  I'm not sure I'd have called them expectations - more like "hopes."

 

They both had tough, tough days...weeks...months...seasons.  And they both have had terrific days...weeks...months...seasons too.  Playing off a theme mentioned in different ways above - they sure did have to grow up in more than one way and (at times) it was tough to stand back and just let that happen as a parent.  I think perhaps the most rewarding part for us were the times they learned how to pick themselves up off the dirt and go back at it and make 'a new plan' as Coach May says.

 

As I said...tough to do sometimes.  But very rewarding when you see your son grow into a man.

 

Good topic.  Hope to read more responses.

The path we choose. It's simply a starting point. The dream we have. It's simply a plan. Where it goes no one can answer. The way its traveled develops the man.

 

Fire consumes some. The same fire forges the steel of others. What can be seen and hung on a wall does not tell the story. The life that is lived will.

 

Be more concerned with the man that emerges from the fight. Than you are with the results of the fight.

 

Just thought I would throw this out there.

Nice.

 

BOF,  I think you need to give your avatar to Coach May.

Sure but Yoda speaks in riddles, I think maybe this is more appropriate:

Seriously every kid going to play in college should read Coach May's post above. Great stuff. 

My son is going into his junior year as a pitcher at a very well respected D2 school.  I'm not sure he could have had two different years to this point.  It has not been particularly easy and there have definitely been hurdles to overcome.  

 

He is a scholarship player and I think that helped him during his freshman year - and it was a tough one.  He came onto a team that had 12 seniors.  He got a pretty good number of opportunities to prove himself and had flashes of doing well, but it was a rough year.  He had 9 appearances including 4 starts totaling 22.1 innings pitched.  He wound up with a 10.48 ERA on the year.  Yeah, not good at all.  It was definitely hard for us to watch.  It was not all bad, a lot of bad breaks, and a lot of bad pitches.  His typical outing would go something like this - infield single, bloop single, double to the gap, 2 runs in.  Then a bunt single, infield single, bloop single and another run.  Nothing seemed to go his way and everytime he gave up a big hit, it was with runners on that got there with the kind of hits above.  Very frustrating.  About half way thru the season, he basically got a tight shoulder and had to rehab it for about a month.  Came back pitched OK, then came post season time in the conference tournament.  I didn't even bother to go, figuring there was no chance he would pitch.  Double elimination tournament, lost the first game, then won 2 elimination games.  He calls me 30 minutes before game time and tells me he's starting the game.  I was on my way home from work and had to rush to get the computer hooked up to the TV to watch the game on the live feed.  No doubt, we were about as nervous as can be!!  Well, he winds up pitching an outstanding game.  Goes 6 1/3 giving up just 2 runs and leaves with a 6-2 lead.  Great way to end the season.  In his exit interview with the coach, he was told that he almost got sent to a JC for the next season so that he could get some more experience, but thanks to that last performance, he's back with the team.  Big sigh of relief.  We know he is better than what he showed most of the year.

 

Sophomore year, he's hoping to become a starter.  Tough part is, although 12 seniors graduated, we bring in 17 new players and 11 of them are JC transfers, so he's competing against a bunch of new Juniors as well as 4 juniors that were already on the team.  Very, very competitive.  Total of 10 junior pitchers on the team plus 2 other sophomores and 3 freshman pitchers.  He does well in the inter-squads in the fall and coach tells him he'd like for him to seriously compete for a starters role in the spring, so bring it in the inter-squads in January.  So, goes through January without giving up a run, but does not get a starters job.  2 JC transfers and 1 D1 transfer are the weekend starters and a Freshman gets the initial weekday start.  He's bummed and I tell him hang in there, something will happen during the course of the season and you'll get your chance, just be ready.  Well, all 3 weekend starters do pretty well and none of them missed a start for any reason - when the heck does that every happen??  Weekday starters just kind of rotate and he never gets a start there either.  He does however, become one of the top weekend relief guys.  Winds up the year with 22 appearances totaling 41 innings.  He had the 2nd most innings other than the 3 weekend starters (most innings was 41.2) and the 2nd most appearances behind our closer.  He did wind up getting one start.  An elimination game in the SE Regional tournament.  He didn't get the win, but he pitched very well.  Went 7 1/3 innings, taking a shutout into the 8th.  Wound up charged with 2 runs (1 earned) and we won the game in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the 10th inning to go into the regional finals.  Final numbers on the year - 22 appearances, 41 innings, 2.63 ERA.  Once again, coach told him all starting rotation positions are open and he wants him competing for a starting spot.  We'll see what happens.

 

Here's the thing.  We lost 1 senior (2nd baseman) from last year and one guy got cut.  Still tons of competition for play time and he's going to have to beat out a starter from last year - who are all seniors now - if he wants to start on the weekends.  It is not easy and you better perform, or you will find yourself sitting a lot.  I think this year, we picked up 5 new kids.  All JC transfers.  3 pitchers and 2 position players.  Still won't be easy to get that mound time.  

 

School is another issue.  He has never been a great student, but has gotten by and remained academically eligible.  Things got hairy for him this last semester and he really struggled academically in large part to the baseball/school workload.  I think the team went the first 6 weeks of the season without a day off.  7 days a week of baseball.  At most, they get one day a week off during the spring season.  Even in the fall, it is 5 days a week.  We have seen quite a few good players become ineligible over the last two years.  We have seen 3 very good players get cut/kicked off the team for attitude and off field issues.  We have seen a number of players decide to transfer because they were not happy with play time and/or did not like the coaches.  

 

I have seen my son grow tremendously over the last two years of college and baseball.  I talked to him towards the end of this past year and told him how proud I was of him being able to mentally get through his freshman year and come back his sophomore year and do so well.  I said it must have been tough.  He told me it wasn't that hard.  Wow, I know it was hard on me.  

 

You've got to be mentally strong to get through the rough spots and keep going - with confidence in yourself.  If you are not mentally tough, forget it.  College coaches don't put up with much.  They will cuss you out, they will ignore you, they will expect you to get the job done and they don't have a lot of concern for hurting your feelings or trying to build up your confidence.  If you can't handle it, they don't care.  They'll just find someone else who can.  

 

At the end of the day, if you love the game, you will deal with the lows and cherish the highs.  You will do what you have to to get better and compete for play time.  If you lose the love of the game, you will not make it.  If you depend on a coach working with you to keep you feeling good about yourself or coaching you to get better, you will not make it.  It's up to each individual player to improve, to keep their confidence up and to get out there and compete.  No one else is going to do it for you and there are plenty of guys waiting to fill your shoes if you don't get the job done.

 

I know that someday all this will come to an end.  But I am very grateful that I still get to watch my son play baseball.  And I am very grateful that he still loves to play and is doing what he needs to keep the dream alive.

Daughter is recruited by a lot of D-Is and D-IIs.  Coach tells her that he is going to make her an offer she can't refuse and so, she goes to the local D-II.  She is his first recruit.  She signs to play OF but is not athletic and not fast.  She has a cannon for an arm and is very good technically.  They go through fall ball and she shares time with another very fast freshman OF. 

 

Headed for Alabama and first games of the year.  1st baseman gets on the bus, looks around and walks off the bus.  She says she is not going to Alabama.  DD is called to the front of the bus as team heads down.  Asked if she has ever played 1st base.  Tells coach that she did one year of HS but has never been coached in that position.  He tells her she is the starting 1B.  She starts all 52 games and is 1st Team All Conference, 1st Team All Region and nominated for All American.  Seniors on the team hate her and do stuff all year to her.  At one point she wanted to quit. 

 

Sophomore year, she is hard charging and again 1st Base. One week before year starts, she is hit by line drive in her right hand.  They are playing huge national tournament in Arizona because they are now ranked program.  She plays but hand hurts.  In fact, it hurts all year long.  Later test show it was broken.  Played the year because she was afraid that if she missed a game, she would lose her spot to others who were really 1st basemen.  She starts all 54 games and is again 1st Team All Conference.

 

Junior year she is still 1st Base.  She will start all 57 games.  Her team is now ranked as high as 4th in the nation but will finish ranked 13th in the nation.  She is having a decent but not great year but "rolls over her kneecap" and so, can't hardly walk.  They drain fluid from her knee and she is wrapped up like a mummy.  She is told "hit the ball out and you won't have to run."  Trainer and Coach are awesome and work hard to get her back to where she can run again.  She does hit a lot of Home Runs and breaks single season and career home run records.  Breaks school record for walks in a year and career.  Is Second Team All Conference, 1st Team All Region and H.M. All American.  (Voting for all conference was a little suspect.) 

 

Entering her senior year this year.  She has been Academic All Conference as well while at her school.  We were so fortunate that she made the choice that she did.  She loves her coach and teammates now.  We don't know what to expect from this year but a year without injury sure would be fun. 

 

I am a proud dad and so, if any of you want to read about my kid, here is her updated bio:

 

http://www.umsltritons.com/ros...35&path=softball

Awesome post, Coach....I assume you're a Cardinal fan...if so, even better!!!

Yes, huge Cardinal Fan.  Hardly, if ever, miss a game. 

I would guess son's college career went as he expected, overall. I had really no expectations, other than graduating and was pleasantly surprised athletically.Self-confidence and humility can be very helpful until the skill set is honed.

Our local small town newspaper (comes out once a week) had a great article on a young man that graduated in '13.  His "dream" is making his college team again this year and earning playing time again.  He was a "late sign" last year and so didn't get much at all and was not in the coach's plans.  Yet, he played after he got past 3 weeks of pine time. (injury)  He ended up doing great.  Now he just wants to play again.  He knows he is on the clock.  He mentions how much baseball means in his life and so, he knows it is going to end.  I really like that young man and his family.  He will do well in life. 

I have found over and over again that the plans I have are nothing compared to the plans God has. His always trump mine. His always exceed mine. So I am learning to trust his plan no matter how bleak it might seem at the time. In the end his plan is always way more awesome than anything I planned.  Prov Chapter 3 vs 5-6

 

For those offended, sorry. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Mod's can delete it won't hurt my feelings. But I had to say it. Some will understand why.

Coach I, for one, applaud your post.  These sentiments are SO true.  I know this is not a religious site, but I am proud that there are people in this world who are not ashamed of their religious beliefs and will share them openly.  Again, I commend you.

Well said Coach May!

Love

Had to repost.

If the mods decide to delete, they have no reason to delete my posts, so it should stay up.  

OK, let's test this theory.

 

God has nothing whatsoever to do with baseball.

I can't speak for all moderators or the owner, but I have no problem with anyone expressing sincere beliefs of whatever sort within the context of a constructive post relevant to the thread.

 

However, if someone wants to use such expressions as the occasion to start an off-topic argument about religion or politics, I will curtail the debate.

 

If you're wondering why I let the thread on safety rules go on the other day when it veered all over the political roadway from the right shoulder to the left, I would say that I considered stepping in but refrained because the thread was sparking a lot of interesting non-political commentary and the introduction of politics was sort of inevitable given the OP.  

 

Even so, there are millions of places on the Internet where you can argue religion and politics, but precious few where everything doesn't get seen in terms of the red vs. blue culture/religion/political war.  

 

We would like this site to be a refuge where people can talk about baseball without caring how the other members vote or worship or abstain from either or both.

 

My inclination on this thread is to leave everything intact but ask people to consider that BOF started an important thread try to help the conversation regain its original course.  

 

Best wishes

Wow, Swamp, you're pretty good at this moderator thing.

 

BOF, nice topic...

“did your college baseball experience turn out the way you thought it would?”

 

Cabbage just headed down to school for year #3, his sophomore playing year.  I sent him a note with the question... will see what he comes up with.

 

As a parent...

In spite of the fact I have always been around the game, things change.  HSBBW was such a tremendous resource for minimizing surprises during the recruiting process and during the first few years of college baseball.

 

I've told his story before so I'll try to condense.  I think I had realistic expectations as to what level he may play at and how he may contribute.  However, significant injury certainly created cause for unexpected routes to different schools and different playing position decisions.

 

While he has always been a max effort kid on the field, he has not always been as passionate about things off the field.  So, I wasn't sure how he would handle the full load of the college athlete (and having to work some too).  This has been the most rewarding surprise of all.

 

He has always had lots of different interests, so I wasn't sure if he would stick with the increased and focused commitment, particularly after having to sit nearly a full year with injury, recovery and rehab and being told he likely wouldn't be able to hit again.  By the end of last season, he led his team in BA and OBP, albeit with less-than-full-time PA's.  HC had great things to say about the example he set with his commitment and buy-in as a team player.

 

I had heard in advance that his first school (competitive Calif. JC) typically gets 80-100 solid players trying to make the team every year, with players coming from a wider geographical range than for most JC's, but I didn't fully grasp how tough that is on players as they go through several layers of cuts.

I was under the impression that the first school was the exception until he went to his second school and they, too, had 90+ qualified players fighting for a spot in the fall.

 

Although, in hindsight, this is logical for JC's that have you for a short time, I am a bit surprised that there isn't more instructional development with hitters and position players.  There are plenty of reps, drills, workouts and situational work but they pretty much expect you to have the necessary skill set when you show up.

 

I didn't really expect for him to have to go through the recruiting process three times.  The last conversation I had with him was a reminder that the Calif. JC sophomore showcase was coming up soon - thus the start of yet another cycle.

 

Having several required baseball-related classes was a bit of a surprise at one school.  Lastly, the fact that his HS friend roommates survived living together 300 miles away from home without killing each other certainly exceeded my expectations.

 

I guess, in summary, I would have to conclude the same as others...

 

-Expect the unexpected and other detours, regardless of how prepared you think you and he may be. 

-The hurdles are higher and spaced more closely together.

-It's not the destination, it's the journey.

-As much as we think we're in control...   ha ha

 

Hoping the journey continues for a little while longer before the next one begins!

Have to say I wish I had found this site when my son was still in H.S. as it has opened my eyes to the crazy world of college baseball.Thanks to all who post here as it is a treasure of information. My son just returned for his junior year at a very good academic D3 that historically has produced some excellent baseball teams. I wish I could say the journey so far has been as expected but as others have posted the road has been full of surprises. My son began attending camps & showcases the summer before his junior year of hs. His goal was to attend a D1 in the South. He was given ratings of 4 or 5 [5point scale] at the 3 camps we attended that summer. He really liked the program at one school but did not meet the academic requirements to get accepted. He rejected the other 2 schools because he didn't like the campus. Back to square one. His junior year he was 1 of 3 non seniors who started & he ended up 2nd in team ba. That summer we hit the showcase trail again except this time he focused on schools within 3hrs. driving time of home. He did 3 D1 & 1D3 and again scored very high but he rejected all for various reasons. Things were not looking good. He contacted one of the national recruiting services but couldn't afford the cost. He then registered  with an on-line recruiting service that was very reasonable & got several campus visit offers but they were all too far from home. Senior year begins with no real prospects & son decides he will go to local branch of state univ. which does have a successful bb team. I couldn't believe that after all the time & money we had spent for travel teams & camps & showcases & all of the high reviews son had received at camps & showcases he wasn't getting any interest. Then, in late fall, the e-mails & phone calls started coming. He visited several schools,a D1,2 NAIA, & 2 D3. All made offers of aid, some very generous but the moment my son arrived on the campus of his current school he told me that this school was where he was going to go. Needless to say I was stunned that he was so positive about this school without even talking to anyone or interviewing with the HC. We were escorted around campus by one of the bb team's starters & had lunch with several team members. The HC met with us for over an hour explaining his program & expectations & how son would get opportunity to start as an of but probably wouldn't pitch much because HC liked his hitting. We left feeling good about school. After several back & forths with financial aid dept.we reached an agreement & enrolled. Fall ball begins & son does very well hitting over .400 but grades are down he's having hard time with balancing bb & class work but manages to stay eligible. Season begins & he makes travel squad & looks to be starting of. Then 1st game in Florida & he doesn't play. Next game is against Marietta, he doesn't start but is put in as pinch hitter. He gets a base hit & has started every game since. He latter told me that if he hadn't got that hit he probably would have been a sub the whole year. He went on to have a fine year ,hitting over .300 & named conference player of the week. His grades improved but I could tell something wasn't right. When he came home for the summer he said he wanted to transfer to a D1 closer to home & be a walk-on because he couldn't stand his HC. He was accepted at a local D1 & we thought things were settled. HA! Last day of July son informs us he will return to his D3 school. Seems his girlfriend had been the one wanting him closer to home but they had now broken -up. Fall ball begins son does well again & solidifies his starting spot. Grades show dramatic improvement & the HC isn't so bad after all. Soph season ends with son again hitting over .300 & on solid academic footing. What a difference the loss of the girl friend made! Son has begun jr yr & is looking forward to a successful season as team returns 5 .300+ hitters & 4 seasoned starting pitchers. Academically he will finish his requirements for his major this semester & is already looking into grad school. To sum up my son was prepared for the rigors of college ball but was surprised by the toughness of his classes & was completely unprepared for the emotional roller coaster of trying to take care of his college work & keeping peace with a girlfriend. As for me I always knew he would excel at bb and would be a good,not great, student & I knew that once my son set his mind on something nothing would keep him from achieving it.     

 

Great story and once again proves the power of a woman :-)....  Seems like the gf might have been the cause of much angst... One can only the imagine the late night calls/texts that took place in order to reassure her instead of perhaps some late night studying since bb does take up so much time! 

What a great thread!

 

Coach May raises great points as well as everyone else here. 

 

You can go somewhere that guarantees 4 years of playing time.  You can go somewhere else where it might be a stretch to even see the playing field for a few years.  When you have to stretch to beat someone out, that will often times provide the best opportunity for growth as Coach May suggests.  It will provide more pain as well and that is something to consider. 

 

Everyone has to make these decisions for themselves.  In general, the higher the risk the higher the reward.  Sometimes, however, no matter how hard you try (when trying to overcome the odds) it just wasn't meant to be and you need to learn from the experience and move on.

"God has nothing whatsoever to do with baseball"

 

God has something to do with all things)))

 

The journey the young men start out with has many twists and turns. Few go though it unscathed by some type of hardship. Be  it injury, coach issues, academic trials,playing time, etc etc.

 

I know for my son, watching  him go through the tedious efforts of finding a job in this economy with a liberal arts major it reminded me of the daunting recruiting process.

 

 It is a funny thing, but the process and journey of baseball helped prepare him for rejection and helped him see what kind of people he wanted to work for.

 

In the end he chose a company that showed him utmost respect, good training, old school classy company. He chose the ones who showed him they loved him. He learned that in the baseball process. Someone who saw what he had accomplished and knew what it took to get there, and although very little work experience, they like college athletes who finished their degrees as it shows dedication and commitment.

 

Again his work ethic he always displayed in his quest to play high level baseball,helped him in this next phase of life.

 

Since we all know that very few will make their childhood dream of playing in the MLB, the efforts put forth, the hardships, the rejection, the friendships, the good and bad of their baseball journeys is a huge part of who they are as men.

 

Seeing them process through life after baseball, seeing the same drive, passion for success and ability to compete with confidence has been really rewarding.

 

Just thought I would contribute from the other side of the game

Beautiful post. Thank you

My original post was in response to someone praising those who stand up for their religious beliefs, with the expectation that my position would be unlikely to survive a thread locking. Which, unless I'm seriously losing my mind (which isn't exactly out of the question these days), did happen shortly after I made the post, so I'm surprised this thread has been bumped.

 

The primary point being, that for some people expressing their beliefs is apparently praiseworthy, while for others' locking a thread is more appropriate.

 

So, to reiterate my test/position.  God has nothing to do with baseball, or anything else. Just to be clear, I'm not asking for a debate on the subject, or denigrating anyone else's opinions.

Probably going to lose some of my Karma points for this, but what the heck.

 

I am not christian and I have no issue with anyone who wants to post anything regarding believing in god and his plan when it comes to baseball. My belief is that he has a plan for everyone, no matter what you do or what you believe in.

 

With that being said, I also have no issue with what was posted about G-d not having anything to do with baseball. If that is what someone believes, then that is just as ok than someone believing it does.

 

 

Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and opinions.  Our moderator has been clear on what the playground rules are here...

 

"if someone wants to use such expressions as the occasion to start an off-topic argument about religion or politics, I will curtail the debate"

 

We have a very good thread with valuable information.  Please, let's not have it washed away.  Jac, not sure what exactly your "test" is, but can you please keep it separate from this thread?  I am not singling you out as being on one side or the other, only that the "test" seems to veer from the OP.

 

Thanks all.

 

 

 

Jacjacatk,

 

I do not have an opinion on whether you are losing your mind, but your recollection of this thread being closed is not accurate.

 

This thread was never locked because I wanted to leave open the possibility of its returning to the original purpose BOF set forth when he started it.  I think it is important for parents of aspiring college ball players to hear as many stories as possible from beyond the other side.

 

This isn't a thread about God and baseball.  It's a thread about what people who have experienced college baseball want to share with those who aspire to experience college baseball.

 

Let us all stipulate that nobody with unsettled opinions about God will come to a baseball web site to gain additional insights into the cosmological questions.  

 

And let us further stipulate that nobody with settled opinions about God will have those opinions overturned by anything posted on a baseball web site.

 

Therefore, if somebody happens to allude to questions about God in a manner with which you do not agree, take a deep breath--and let it go unchallenged.  

 

And to everybody else, if somebody happens to allude to questions about God in a manner with which you do agree, please refrain from piling on.  

 

Thus my exhortation to every reader who encounters a religious or political opinion in the context of one of your threads is:  Let it pass.  

 

Let the allusion remain incidental and let the thread stay more or less on the subject of baseball.

 

To do otherwise is to annoy some people while persuading nobody.  It's a bad investment of your key strokes.

 

If you let these things go, I promise all of you that will not lose your membership in whatever church, synagogue, madrasa, temple, debate society, drinking club, or philosophical school to which you claim allegiance.

 

 

Two quotes from Rick Blaine in my favorite movie (Casablanca) apply:

 

"I don't like disturbances in my place.  Either lay off politics, or get out."

 

                                         and

 

"You'll excuse me, gentlemen. Your business is politics, mine is running a saloon."

 

And where he says "politics," please read that as "religion and politics."

 

 

 

Sorry, Swampboy, but you should see Casablanca again. You totally missed the point of the story, favorite movie though it may be.

 

Um...... is that okay to say?

 

JCG, 

You're welcome to educate me in a Dialog.  But I do know the context from which I liberated those lines.

The fact that my posts are the ones that draw responses from the moderators with regards to this subject is instructive.

 

Either the first mention of religion in a thread is OK and can't subsequently be disagreed with, or some sincere expressions of belief are considered less moderator-intervention worthy than others.

 

That's certainly the prerogative of the moderators/owners here, but folks might want to keep it in mind when considering which forms of religious expression are actually suppressed in our society.

 

And lest I actually get blamed for getting this thread locked (and I apologize for misstating that it was closed before), this will be my last post on the subject.

Jac,
In defense of swampboy, I think his comments were directed to everyone.
JMO