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Happy to Say; Recruiting is over for us!!

O OA5II1,000+ posts

First of all; I have been on this website off and on for several years.  The knowledge has been unbelievable.  There have been times when you want to yell at it for not getting a straight answer and times you want to yell at it for getting a straight answer.  If you have been on longer than 6 months; you know what I am talking about.

 

My 2014 son has played on some good solid summer teams but was never a top player.  We followed the timeline listed on the site as best we could as money would allow.  We also had to become honest with ourselves in the last 18 months.  At 15u; they all think they are D1 and of the 14 players on his team; 7 have committed to D1 but he isn't one of them.  He is still chasing the dream. 

He had interest from D2 but his HS and summer coach both said that juco would be best bet to get on field and play early.  Being from Texas; my son emailed EVERY juco in Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Kansas and gave them summer schedule and when he was going to a showcase in August.  The only showcase our budget would allow.  He then got list of every coach at that showcase and emailed every coach thanking them for coming. 

He was offered and we took a trip to a certain school last week.  He was ready to commit on trip but we advised him to come home and unpack it over the weekend.  Last night; the HC called from the school and my son made his commitment. He is excited, dad is on cloud 9 and mom is still crying this morning.

 

My ineffective unexpert advice for parents and players is:

"There is NO magic formula".  My son had a buddy commit as a sophomore in HS to a ACC national power while on a Christmas camp that his family so happen to hear about while on family vacation.  Saw another kid who was hitting .250 early in the summer but kept busting his rear end get seen on back to back weekends by a D1 school crush the ball and throw runners out left and right get offered and commit and as his work paid off he has seen other schools come along.   Saw a kid have multiple schools after him; get injured and all the top schools back away except for 3 that  stuck around and he committed to them and now back to throwing in low 90s and just laughs at the top schools for trying to come back.

My son is not as big, as fast or have as strong of arm as some of his counter parts that are still looking for offers.  What he did do; was run from station to station, base to base and dugout to field and back when he got to the ball park.  He also; was what certain coaches were looking for at that time.  No rhyme, no reason. 

With all that said; you have to chase the dream.  The dream isn't going to chase you. If your son wants it bad enough, he will find a way.  If he doesn't; he will find an excuse.

 

Last edited by OA5II
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justbaseballjustbaseball10,000+ posts

Congratulations!

 

I think 2 things struck me from your post above:

 

1. You were able to listen too and take advice (i.e. from your coaches about where to target) and from here as well 

2. Your son "owned" the process.  <--HUGE advantage and probably bodes well for his future.  (Reminds me of stories of another poster's son way back when...Prepster Jr.  ).

 

Again...congrats!

ClevelandDadClevelandDadHSBBWeb Administrator

OA5II - I couldn't be happier for you and your family.  This is what the hsbbweb is all about imho - finding the proper fit.  You do not have to be extaordinarly talented to play in college.  What you need is decent talent plus everything that you described - the willingness to go out there and make it happen.  Although my son did not end up at a juco - he could have and there are similarities between your son's path and my son's path.

 

Here is the thing and I would highly encourage you to encourage your son this way.  He might not be the most talented player TODAY but he very well could be the most talented player four years from now IF he continues to do the things that has gotten him this far.  Be the guy who out hustles all the other kids he competes with.  Be the guy who shows up on campus in the best shape.  Be the guy who is the first at every practice and the last to leave.  Be the guy who continually strives to improve his arm strength through long tossing, his strength through weight training, and his speed though all the things you can do to improve your speed.  Encourage him to be ready for potentially one at bat (or inning pitched) that might change the outcome of his career.  Encourage him to do all these things and more - not because that is what you want him to do but simply because he loves the game more than the next guy.  Be persistent and never allow him to hang his head in the face of adversity and someday you very well could see a cloudy-looking crystal turn into a polished diamond.  Those stories we all heard as kids about the ugly duckling turning into a beautiful swan and the tortoise and the hare are more than just fables - they can come true if a heart-felt belief is acted upon over time. 

 

All the best to your young man and your family in the future!  

ClevelandDadClevelandDadHSBBWeb Administrator

Thought I would add to my post above... here is a story posted by Fungo a few years ago about Drew Sutton who has since played in the major leagues...

 

Every player is a concoction of ingredients.  It's like baking a cake without a published recipe and trying to determine what it's going to taste like before the timer "dings".  Coaches are like "taste testers" ---- all have different opinions.  I want to share a story about a frail skinny kid that used to come to my house for batting practice.  Not a contender was what everyone said -- but I knew better because I knew Drew.  Drew had nothing going for him  ---- except Drew. 
 
Drew Sutton was my son's teammate in high school. He always played in the shadow of my son with little attention given him. But his desire was obvious and in my opinion close to being an obsession. He lived here in our town with his divorced mother while his father lived in Texas. I suggested he come to our house and I would help him with his hitting. It was a daily event to see him coming down the driveway and he would "pound" baseball until I was exhausted and only after I "mentioned" I had other things to do. He went JUCO out of HS and then on to Baylor and then was drafted in the 15th round by the Astros. Today his desire is still evident as he breaks records and sets on the doorsteps of MLB. Watch for Drew Sutton next year to make the move.
An article from last week's paper: The former North Side High School and Baylor University star is a member of the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Texas League and was named the Houston Astros Double-A 2008 most valuable player.
Corpus Christi is the Astros' Double-A affiliate.
"It was a great year for me personally," Sutton said. "I wish it would have been a better year for the team."
Sutton had the fourth highest batting average in the Texas League hitting .317 for the Hooks, with 20 home runs and driving in 69 runs.
Sutton finished with an on-base percentage of .408, second in the league and was named to the Texas League's Midseason and Postseason All-Star teams.
But Sutton does not a lot of time to savor his award.
He has been assigned to the Arizona Fall League and plays for the Scottsdale Scorpions.
Sutton is one of three position players and four pitchers from Corpus Christi assigned to Scottsdale.
"The Scorpions are a combination of five teams," Sutton said. "The Astros, (Pittsburgh) Pirates, (San Francisco) Giants, (Boston) Red Sox and the (Los Angeles) Angels."
Sutton played the majority of the 2008 season at second base, but saw action in 15 games at third and shortstop.
"Here, I'll play each position," Sutton said. "Of course, absolutely, this year was a big step in the right direction."
Which adds to his chances of making an even bigger step in his career.
"Putting the numbers up that I did, it is possible to be close, to get a chance to go to a big league camp next (spring) and compete," Sutton said.
But what about a move to Triple-A before the majors?
"There is talk about Triple A, but (Astros) told me that the possibility existed of making the bigs if I played in Triple-A or not," Sutton said. "They did not see it as a necessity for me going to Triple-A."
Sutton, 25, said it was September 2007 the last time he has been in Jackson spending most of his offseason in Nashville working and training.
"I'm glad to be out here," Sutton said. "The first of September (2007), I had to get a real job while living in Nashville teaching lessons, so I'm not complaining.
"I'm playing with and against great players."  
handyrandyhandyrandy100+ posts

I know the young man and OA5ll, and consider him a good friend, and my son is still friends with his, even though they no longer play together.If ever there was a young man who deserves this opportunity, this is him.  He has worked his tail off, been a great teammate, and done everything he could do to get better.  His parents have been good team parents, never a drama.

Wherever this young man goes, the program will be better for having him as a part of it, even if he never plays an inning.

Last edited by handyrandy

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