Gone but not forgotten

I used to like to read posts from HitDad in the Chicago suburbs. I think his son went to Minnesota. It has been a long, long time since he has been here.

And, of course, the Principal.

jemaz,

I also miss the Principal. As you may know he passed away from a heart attack some time around 2 years ago..

I am traveling to Lynchburg, VA next week and was going to make it a point to look up his nephew, Derrick, but upon checking the Liberty University baseball website found that Derrick is no longer listed as a team member. I did learn that Liberty University is having one of it's best seasons ever as a direct result of several transfer players.

The Principal was a wise and caring individual who was directly responsible for assisting his nephew to experience baseball beyond high school.

And yes, there were several other great hsbaseballweb posters who have stopped participating for various reasons, not the least of which may be that they have gotten tired of some of the "poster-wars" which have arisen upon occasion.

A part is also just that their time to contribute/gain from hsbaseballweb has just passed.

I like to come put matches under toes every now and then.

OPP

OPP, Amen Brother.

Gary19 was one of my favorites. Spoke with him often but haven't seen him around in a while. His son was going to Garden City CC in Kansas but he is not on the roster any more. Hope he is ok.

Very good thread by the way.

TXDad

Gary may be embarassed by the stance he took on LeBron James.

Yes, Baseball can end quickly.

My brother tore up his elbow in fall practices his freshman year of college.....never has picked up a baseball again.

One of my son's former coaches had a son going to a top ranked Juco until winter break. Too many injuries that hadn't healed, so the kid dropped out of school and got a job working construction.

Enjoy it while you can.

We have to understand what brings most (not all) to these boards. It is a forum that we can share success stories about our sons, gain and give information about their path to the next level. Baseball is a game of ups and downs and for most of us it will end on a down note. I have seen Webster’s sons struggle as the competition gets tougher and at some point they are forced to hang up their cleats. We all know these players aren’t failures; they just have to move on to a different arena. Explaining this transformation sounds so simple, but we know this is more than a game to these boys and their parents. It has been the focus of their lives, and our lives, for a very long time. It’s a bitter pill to swallow to have to give up the game. Our sons have put every ounce of effort into this and at some point in their careers they will come up short. It has to be a rough and painful transition from player to non-participant.
I appreciate those that have gone before me and I have learned a lot from their struggles. I appreciate their leadership, their input, and their guidance. I would love to hear from them again. It would be informative to have many of the old Webster explain why and how they and their sons handled the situation. I’m sure there would be many smiles as they relived the glory days of their sons. I also know there would be some tears as they think of what the future could have been.

Like the old poem about Casey, Baseball doesn’t always end as we think it should.

quote:

---

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright.
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light.
And, somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout,
but there is no joy in Mudville -
mighty Casey has struck out.

---

This thread reminds me of the countless lost dreams that have faded into memory over the years. The list of great baseball players that could have, would have, should have been is certainly very long. Like my friend who was all set to go pitch in college when the love bug bit. He can throw ninety mph right now with a breaking ball that would make the best hitter look stupid....and he's 42 years old.

Lamber...I must defend Gary19. His stance on James was truly the way he felt. Unfortunately none of us can change our life's experiences that helped to shape our perceptions. Maybe, due to the tremendously long discussion thread we had on the subject, he changed his views or at least gave it some more thought...or maybe he didn't. It really doesn't matter. I hope that is not the reason he no longer posts. I think it would be so petty of any of us to hold that against him.

TXDad...I think Gary19's son attends Independence CC in Kansas. Maybe he will drop in and tell us how he is doing.

justbaseball...Sometimes it's good to share what's in your heart. Thanks.

I've been reading and posting for sometime, and have enjoyed SO many thoughts that make me think. Even those where some do not agree can be opportunities to draw information that might help our sons or help us make decisions....

I've seen some go...be it because they have moved on due to various reason ...but their part in guiding my son toward a specific goal has not gone unnoticed. All of you are important to this process.

This is a unique arena...old websters if you're reading any of this... come home for a visit...and share your wisdom...it is greatly appreciated by those of us who are still learning...

Pam

This is a good way to start the month of April...

I too, miss Gary 19.
He is a free thinker who has contributed to a lot of interesting topics...
I miss The Principal, Turn2Mom, MomDownUnder and the truth.....

Let's hope they all pop back in soon and bring us up to speed.

Hey Texas2004, this might be a good article for you at work!

Don't want to think about the end yet, Mike has a few more years, I hope.

I still remeber the first sping after I stopped "straping up". Didn't know what to do with myself!

Yep, I miss Gary19, Another BBmom (Selena), Duke's Mom, Pitchermom, Tenndad, GregG, mhonel.
I've noticed, too, that there are usually about twice as many lurkers as there are folks on line.
Yall come on back, we miss you!!