going pro or college out of high school

JOe,
This is a pretty personal decision for each player and family. That is why it should be discussed before the draft. I know what was right for my son, may not be right for others. I just know that my son did not want to attend rooky camp, but would rather get his experience at school.

There are those that will argue that education is most important and unless you are getting lots of money to go pro, go to college.
I do believe a lot in this, however, I also know from what my son has said, he loves the ENTIRE college experience, not just baseball, and he would not have given it up even for a lot of money.

We also heard alot about not going to school because of what might happen if you get hurt, you might miss yur chance. That too is a personal decision, but I can tell you, my sons conditioning program has made him healthier and stronger. His coaches are very aware that many pitchers have futures beyond college.

There are many things to consider and there are many reasons why a player does not go pro even after drafted (even besides money).

TPMom is right. There are great arguments on both sides, life changing money, no money , college experience, best training and instruction, chance of injury, maturity level, coaches winning at all costs, get your education now, you can go to college any time (mlb scholarship) etc...

Do what you really want to do. My son made his own decision and went pro. I gave him advice on the pros and cons on both sides and told him to do what was in his heart.

Just one example I can point to is a young man I worked with some years back. This lefty pitcher got 800K signing bonus with the Braves. He insisted that they also pay for his college tuition if he decided to go. For spring of 03 he was on the 40 man roster and would start the season at AAA. He was injured, throwing arm, during the season, sat out the year and began his first college semester. He started his comeback the next season and had a setback. He was now in his 3rd semester of school. Last year he was back in A ball working on a comeback when his arm gave him trouble again. He is now in his 5th semester of school, will probably begin the year in A ball as a 25 year old. He made some pretty good investments and has a wife and child. He tells me that with his business degree just a couple of years away, he can finally prepare for a real future. I think he's finally realizing that he may not progess in the game, but has something important to look forward to.
I believe TPM gives some fine insight as usual, each situation is different.
I also believe that an education lasts a lifetime, baseball is just a great part of the journey.

quote:

I also believe that an education lasts a lifetime, baseball is just a great part of the journey.

Now THAT is a quote I am showing my son tonight!

I agree with everyone else in that this is a very personal decision based a wide variety of factors. We know players that have signed out of high school and thrived in pro ball, rising quickly and earning a spot in the rotation by the age of 21. We also know others that have done well in college ball and gone on to successful pro careers. Finally we know plenty of players that have dealt with obstacles and adversity in both paths. Some have gone on to reach the pro level and others haven't.

The best advice I would give to anyone trying to guide their son through this process is to give them all of the information they need to make an educated decision and then let them follow their heart.

One last thought...
It's so easy to judge someone elses decisions by what you've read or your own experiences. However, in reality, no two situations are alike and each player has to play with the hand that he's dealt.

I know my son needs to follow his heart, but his heart is pure baseball. Its a nice problem to have and a no-lose situation. He's got a great spot lined up on a college team, but he's also being considered for the draft. Either choice would be following his dream, but neither one is the clear-cut correct decision. Its really hard to know if you're doing the right thing, so you make the best choice and don't look back. Whatever happens, he's got our support 100%. Life has no guarentees and we're well aware of the risks of choosing pro ball or college ball. We'll just pray a lot and trust that things will work out as they should.

KC,
I understand your dilemma. As people told us, son was in a win-win situation, nice opportunity to play at a good program, and be considered for the draft as well. He also was pure baseball, and I can tell you he gets enough baseball that sometimes it is overwhelming.
A very good piece of advice was given to son and he followed. Make the difficult decision based on the one that you feel you will never look back on, or doubt. We feel he made the right decision because he never doubted it(maybe a slight bump in the road). I personally feel if he had chosen the other path after HS, he would not have been as happy as he is today.

Hi KC...
The good news is that your son really doesn't have to make that decision at this time. Right now all he should be thinking about is his senior season. Everything else will become clearer as the draft approaches.

KC, maybe some comforting advice is that soon all the cards will be on the table, both the offers from scouts and schools. I trust by your posts to this point, that you and your son will see the offers for what they are and can be, and will make the decison that is best suited for your son. Good luck.

quote:

It's so easy to judge someone elses decisions by what you've read or your own experiences. However, in reality, no two situations are alike and each player has to play with the hand that he's dealt.

AMEN!

I also might add that simply hearing his name called on draft day will have a mesmerizing effect on the young ball player (and his parents). You suddenly realize that his “dream” has become a reality and it is decision time. Your philosophical approach of “what if” in the college vs. professional baseball debate is cast aside and you retire to the kitchen table and you start all over from scratch in a very practical and personal manner. I think the first sentence was something like: “OK, what do "we" do now?”
Fungo

I have not experienced this yet, but I actually do have a point on it. Now, I am probably too young to understand what the dilemma must feel like but my "thought" is this,
You can always go back to school.
I mean, if a scout comes knocking on my door or my name gets called on draft day I personally, am going to sign no matter how much they pay me or what round I go in or what team it is. I would sign just about anything they throw at me if it meant I was going to play pro ball. And if a baseball career doesn't work out then, I can go back to college and get a good education and start my "second" career.
My final thought, you can always go back to college, how often does a pro ball club want you to play for them?

-Kevin

Hey,
I want to retract what I just wrote. I think I was out of line, offering my opinion on something I have never experienced. I shouldn't have responded at all. It's not my place to comment on something that I have no personal experience with. I'm sorry.

-Kevin

Cather41,
You do not have to apologize for how you feel about being given a chance to go play pro ball someday. I admire the fact that this is something that you truely would want to do, and it seems like you would pay them to let you play!
Yes, you can always go back to school but many players don't. As you get older, as you are recruited to colleges, you will understand. I do hope that you get the opportunity to have the choice someday! Work hard on the field and in the classroom, good things will happen.

Fungo mentioned about having son's named called on draft day. Then the "ok, what do we do now!".
The possibility of being drafted is something that should be discussed in advance so that you don't have to go through the "ok what do we do now" stage. And discussions with scouts should be honest. If you make teams think that you will accept an offer (especially the first 10), know what each round will pay in bonus. Be prepared. Seriously consider that you will go pro, do not do it just to hear your name called and then make demands. Do know that only a select few chosen early get to negotiate for the big dollars. And this year's prediction the top rounds will go to very few HS players, for now anyway.
In sons case they talked 5th, 6th ,7th round, and we knew approximately how much each round could bring, which was not acceptable for him to give up college out of HS. Therefore he was not drafted. I am realizing now, the honesty made him more credible for what he wants to accomplish in his next draft opportunity.
JMO.

I personally don't think its wise to make decisions about the draft at this time for several reasons. First, focusing attention on the draft before your son's season can affect his performance. Secondly, scouts really can't give you an idea of where your son might be drafted until they've been able to see him play this spring. Finally, your son will mature alot this spring and still needs time to process everything. At some point in April or May you'll be able to give him more of the information he needs to make these decisions.

Also, while its true that most of the larger bonuses go to those selected in the 1st and 2nd rounds, MLB does negotiate with high school players in other rounds. We know a 6th rounder who signed for $400,000 plus a full college ride and another drafted in the 10th round who signed for $950,000 plus college. Of course, these are not the norm, but are good examples of how each situation is different.

Again, IMHO you don't have to make any decisions now.

PS. At this time of year our sons had no clue as to what they wanted to do if drafted out of high school, but by May they had a pretty good idea. Our oldest had a harder time with decisions in high school, but was able to eventually make them with time, information, and support. When he was a junior in college, though, he knew without a doubt that he wanted to go pro and made that clear to everyone who asked. Each kid and situation is different.

quote:

if a scout comes knocking on my door or my name gets called on draft day I personally, am going to sign no matter how much they pay me or what round I go in or what team it is. I would sign just about anything they throw at me if it meant I was going to play pro ball.

Catcher, I used to think that same way with respect to my son, and, I think, he did, too.

But, it didn't work out that way for him.

With hindsight one learns that those things can not be controlled the way we might like.

Unanswered prayers are sometimes the best.

I can tell you that I am so, so, glad the way things have worked out for my son.

Things will work out for the best for you to catcher.

Keep reading here.

Going back to the beginning of this discusion, yes, it is a personal decision, always should be and not influenced on what others have done or received in the past.
It is important to speak to son regarding draft, IMO. When 40-50 scouts turn up for a game, I think it is in best interest of someone to explain to the player exacty what is going on and what may happen, whether it be parents or an advisor. It is a very big decision in the end, bigger than choosing college, can't be ignored. It's also a very heady time for players and their families, who sometimes lose sight of exactly what's going on.
The examples TXmom cited for bonuses, is far and few between, sometimes a team will find extra money to spend because an earlier round draft pick decided not to go. Do I want that opportunity to become a professional baseball player out of HS, or do I want the money? How much money will it take for me to sign, what rounds am I looking for, etc. should be discussed. I think some, and I know examples, get persuaded by the money, and no one told them about what happens after you sign. JMO.

Catcher41--I think you may have expressed the knee jerk reaction of any boy who has grown up dreaming of playing pro ball. Nothing wrong with that reaction, as long as it is not the basis for decision-making.

I am interested in the dad vs mom dynamics that go on with this decision, as well.

ADDITIONAL VARIABLES:

1. What kind of student is the player? Is he the type that breezes to a 4.00 GPA? Is he a 3.00 student, and with the near 12 month rigors of college baseball, would struggle too much with college studies.

What good is a college degree if you get it without really learning anything, especially kids who want a "specific" career versus liberal studies.

2. Living in a bus, or living on a college campus.

3. Mental and physical maturity.

4. The scouts projections overall.

5. Social skills.........personality. Is he a confident kid, or shy and timid. Makes friends easily?

*********** If you were drafted and awarded a large signing bonus, and say after everyone gets paid, including Uncle sam, you had $1,000,000 leftover to put in the bank to earn $75,000 of annual interest while you dedicated 100 % of your efforts to get to the "show", without any textbooks in your team bag, what would you do?

I believe to get the most out of anything, the effort requires 100% commitment. As an example, we attended a recent Junior Day. The head baseball coach said in his 2 years there so far, he helped "up" the team GPA from 2.3 to 2.9

Not much learning, is it? I am sure that is more the norm than the exception in college baseball. These boys aren't dummies, they are just trying to achieve two major projects/goals at the same time.

Is their baseball development in college also earning a 2.3 ???

Lots of great points made. The one that doesn't get mentioned too often that I was glad to see in this discussion is "maturity". Questions you should ask are: Is your HS son ready to be on his own? Is your HS son ready for a full-time job? Is your HS son ready for competition among men? Most HS players will need to continue to improve their game at least for another 3+ years before they will ever see a MLB field. IMO, as a family you need to include in your discussions where you think the best environment is for your son to mature and improve his skills.

RHP,
Great post! As mature as my son was coming out of HS, even working part time job in HS, I could not see him joining the work force at 18.

As a parent there were some other issues to contend with. For the round he might fall into, and the possible MAX on the signing bonus, did we want him coming home and living with us out of necesity to save him money? He would be returning home in the fall when all of his friends went off to college. We would need for him to work with a trainer to physically develop properly,eat properly, possibly pitching instruction, someone to throw to, someone to catch pens , etc. These were some of the things that concerned us and were factored in to his decision.

I have been quiet for a while, mainly reading the posts and enjoying the different opinions and good advice given by the posters...well, I thought I would share our experience with the decision making of our son's college vs. pro...

Last June our son was drafted in the 20th round, fell to that round because of signability issues...mom and dad looking out for son's best interest...so we played the game...back and forth with scouts...and so on....when the first day of the draft came and went we could vissibly see how dissapointed son was(even though we had discussed how he was in a win-win situation)it was clear to see where his heart was ...he was not drafted on that first day...after talking to the scouts and re-considering signing bonuses his name was called within the first two rounds on the second day...smiles all over again.

Our son was very young only seventeen and this concerned us as parents...letting him go to live his dream at such a young age..here we are eight months later and there has been no regrets in any way...he is living a dream ...the fact that he is young has been a plus...he has his college paid by MLB to start using a he wishes in his off time....received a very generous signing bonus that has been invested fo his future....you can talk about getting hurt in college or arm giving out in the the mimor league process...however no one mentions the fact that there are no guarantees in life...you could fall and break your back and there goes everything...so I feel you can't base your decision on what if...it all comes down to the fact whether in college or pro that our boys love the game of baseball...which route you take to reach the ultimate prize..the major leagues, really does not matter as long as you get there and we know how difficult that is....

TPM as far as coming home on his time off..it's really not that bad...works out at the gym...part time job for a few hours just to stay real...is now the Head Coach for his High School's JV baseball team and will be the Grand Marshall of the parade for the Little League's opening day...this is all very special to me as a parent, for these are memories he will have for a lifetime.

RHP05Parent...how are you??? Hope all is well with Eric.

Catcher41...son felt like you do...sometimes we know what we want..even at an early age..GOOD LUCK!!!

PINCHMETWICE,
Thanks for sharing your story because in the end, it all comes down to a personal decision, players take different paths for different reasons. Many things to take into consideration.

It is obvious I am a strong proponent for college vs pro out of HS. The most important thing is for a player to make the decision for the RIGHT reasons for him.

Hi to your player!

PINCHMETWICE -
Doesn't spring training start in a couple of weeks? How can he be JV baseball coach this spring? Or was he injured last year?

Spring training is at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter..less than thirty minutes from home...he will be done most days by 4pm...his JV team starts practices at 6:30...I feel that this is such a great thing for him to do...he will learn so much from this...he has matured so much in the past eight months, handling so many responsabilities on his own and becoming such a confident young man...that I am most proud of!!!!

Pinchme,
You obviously have a great situation, a team that drafted him that is close to home for spring training. Obviously it worked out for son.

But what about the young player that does not have the opportunity to be so close to home for support? Doesn't know anyone when he gets to rookie camp. Are the decisions our sons make based upon just "I want to go play", or serious consideration of ALL the parts of the equation?

TPM,

It is a very nice situation...however this is only for a couple of months...the club will then decide if he is to go back to Tennessee or hopefully Low A ball in Iowa, I believe... remember he went straight to Rookie ball in June to Tennessee for three months...every situation was considered...then again you know your son's strengths and weaknesses...in our case his wings were ready to fly and he handled his months away better than what we expected...really not much different than going away to college for the first time....both our son's have so much in common...I look at it this way...they are both playing the same game.....just in different stadiums...say hello to son and wish him from all of us "the very best" for the coming season...

Pinchme,
Guess we should tell the story as it is a great one about choices, if you don't mind.

Pinchmetwices' son was a year behind mine. Both played for a great summer team, senior summer for mine, so he was very much in the spotlight,while the younger guys sometimes took a back seat, only because of, well you know, that's how it happens sometimes.

One went to college, one went pro, both have same long term goals, just different paths!