Skip to main content

44 replies

Hey you with the crystal ball..........

KrakatoaKrakatoa1,000+ posts
Just tell me now what's going to happen to my HS freshman son over the next few years, I can take it!!

If you could receive an answer on this, would you want it? Or would it spoil the fun?

I think whether or not my son ever plays college ball, I really wouldn't want to know ahead of time. I think HE'D like the crystal ball, but I'm just trying to live day-by-day (because both Oprah and Dr Phil have told me to)..........
"I would be lost without baseball. I don't think I could stand being away from it as long as I was alive." Roberto Clemente #21
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

TRhitTRhit10,000+ posts
KRAK

Every day I tell myself how fortunate I am-- I am doing what I love--baseball---- my wife is 100% part of what I do --she is my heartbeat and pulse-----and then today the man who coached my sons Select Team 12 years ago called me just to talk and see how things are

Another aspect as to how how great life can be if you let it be so-- as many of you may or not know I was in the music business for a number of years in my early life---the other night I am listening to the radio and I hear LONELY by AKON with Bobby Vinton singing Mr Lonely is falsetto as part of the record-- the record has been # 4 on the charts for the past four wweks--a longtime friend of mine, actually my record producer in the 60's and 70's, wrote Mr. Lonely with Bobby Vinton back in the 60's--hearing the song I looked up his number and made the call --we had not spoken for many moons--- revived a great relationship with a simple 30 minute phone call

Life can be so sweet >>>>>>>>>>>>>
TRhitTRhit10,000+ posts
Hey there


Not feeling so hot right now-- just saw where an old NY buddy of mine , he was doing sitcoms at that time, Frank Gorshin (The Original Riddler) just passed away.

GoD Bless you Frank !!!

As we get older our relationships evaporate in space--we lose contact and then "POOF" they are gone

For all of you --hold on to what you have
Last edited by TRhit
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
Krak,
Don't try to think about the future, try to enjoy the present.
Sometimes when we try to imagine what life will bring a few years from now and things don't pan out, we become too disappointed.
This is not about you, it is about your son. There will be good days as well as bad days ahead for him, it is a necessary part of entering adulthood. You will have a lot of good days and bad ones as well, brush up on your parenting skills!
Try to enjoy every minute of HS baseball, because it goes by tooooo quickly!
FungoFungoHighly Regarded and Beloved Old Timer
Krakatoa,
Interesting post! No, I would not want to know ahead of time what the future holds. I don’t think my son would either. He has set himself some pretty lofty goals in baseball and I think I have taught him that everything depends on how hard he works and his attitude toward the task at hand. Will he obtain those goals? Who knows? The odds are against it... but if he works hard and falls short of his goals, the lessons he learns in his attempt to succeed may be more valuable than reaching the goal itself.
I have NO crystal ball. Instead I have a big brass hinge on a plaque in my office that was given to me by my employees. I have always felt in business, the future hinges on your previous steps. Progression through the levels of baseball is much the same. It all starts prior to high school (I know there are late-bloomers but they are the exceptions)... First you listen to what your son wants to do and together you work out a plan. You offer to HELP him...You don’t MAKE him do anything related to baseball. You are the mentor and the monitor. Your job is to keep him on track...but...if he wants to waiver from his plan; you are the one that has to adjust. You bite your lip! You start to learn a lot about your son. What motivates him and what hurts him. You talk with him about his goals on a daily basis. He’s driven by emotions and dreams.... you are the one that has to be in touch with reality. You learn to help him manage his youthful dream with his impending rendezvous with reality. As he develops and matures your role changes...as does his. He suddenly becomes aware of reality. He’s seen his teammates falter and fail. He’s seen society take its’ toll on those less committed. He's seen some of the ugly things life has to offer. He's becoming a man. You become his friend and his fan. You no longer have to be the constant nagging voice in his life because his maturity has made him a better listener.

Being the parent of an athlete I can tell you that I love it... and I hate it... but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I admit it’s been difficult but exciting. The parents of athletes have a very difficult task. You have to teach your son to be a winner while teaching him that it’s OK to lose. You know he trusts you and you knowingly encourage him to venture into a situation where you know he will be challenged to his very limits? You tell him to never give up, knowing all along ...at some point, quitting is not bad...at some point quitting will become the wise choice. If there were a crystal ball and we could see the future we could all see one thing for sure, all our sons will hang up the cleats…someday. ‘Till then, we parents need to be there.... For them, for us, for baseball. Wink
Fungo
itsinthegameitsinthegame5,000+ posts
Fungo,

Talking about reality - sometimes - you just get hammered.

That is life too. LOL - No goldilocks stories.

No "Field of Dreams" bs.
Just hardcore hammering - deserved or not.

Its about bouncing back that really makes the difference to me.

Its the bounce baby.
That - for most normal people - is the true test IMO.

Bounce high. Or bounce out.
L lafmom5,000+ posts
Wouldn't want it - wouldn't want my kids to have it. Knowing the future would alter the present. Facing the challenges, celebrating the joys, and being patient for the rewards is what life is all about. Want my kids to have the experiences and choose the paths that will make them the great human beings I know they will be as adults. This includes sometimes taking a hard path where you don't know what will happen!
Last edited by lafmom
itsinthegameitsinthegame5,000+ posts
Krak,

Anytime.

I figure - every once in a while - some idiot like me needs to tell a bit of the "other side". Ugly as it may be. God forbid if I told the whole truth.

No glory here my man.
Just some hard core bad stuff.
Sometimes - Cinderella just takes a vicious beating - and drops dead. LOL

Nobody writes about that - and very few want to read it either.
A AParent1,000+ posts
No I wouldn't want to know. After all, sometimes when you don't get what you want you end up getting something completely different. Then lo and behold - it turns out to be so much better than it would have been if you had gotten what you originally wanted.

We have a set of twins that we didn't expect, yet we all consider them the most awesome blessing.

My son was crushed last season when USD closed down their baseball program, yet last week his new team won their regional tournament and tomorrow he plays in the NAIA super-regionals.

When you start out on your path in life it is just that - a path. Sometime you crawl over the log in path, and sometimes you have to switch to another path. When that happens you end up on a different path, but it's still a path, and it still leads to where you are going.

Life is funny that way.
ClevelandDadClevelandDadHSBBWeb Administrator
Wow!!! Krak a fabulous, thought-provoking question. To everyone else who has posted here -classic posts and riviting philosophy. I would offer my two cents but cannot possibly improve upon the thoughts that have already been expressed. I am proud and humbled to be a member of this community! Many very, very bright and wise minds exist here.
hokieonehokieone5,000+ posts
As much as I hate to quote a New Yawk Yankee, Jeter said it best: "Write it down, I will make errors."


You will make mistakes, but...

Recipe to create a crystal ball:

(1)Take one young man, raised with solid values, healthy respect of his fellow man, and a good work ethic, with a passion for baseball.

(2) Mix in careful planning, add a dash of imagination, toss in as much objectivity as a parent can (we all have maybe a teaspoon full when watching our own sons), stir in lots of hard work, sunflower seeds under the seat and baseballs rolling around the trunk, smother the whole thing with lots of love, patience, and understanding, carry as gently as possible over the bumps in the road (and know they will be there, often unseen and unanticipated), and pray without ceasing.

Guaranteed to produce a successful result. Not necessarily D-1,2,3, Juco, or anything else, but guaranteed to allow you to look back and said "we did things right".
C Clemente21100+ posts
Tell me theres no better day than today, Start of round 3 state playoffs here in the lone star state. Cross town rivals,summer team teammates and just longtime friends playing againist one another with one goal,advancing one more round and who knows with alittle luck and hard work to the state championship.Good luck to all and don't we all wish we had a little crystal ball...THE ROCK WILL ROLL ON
TRhitTRhit10,000+ posts
Hokie

Love the " we did things right " statement--- fortunately I can look back as my last completed his college career in 1999 and feel good about it

I look at back at all the joy he brought me during his entire baseball career from LL to college--obviously I did not do everything right
as a parent but then none of us do

Bottom line is that whatever,however we did it it worked for him

For me the memories tell me how well I did as a parent--did I use a crystal ball-- no way-- just took it day by day and followed instincts
Last edited by TRhit
M MoDad10+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by Fungo:
Krakatoa,
Interesting post! No, I would not want to know ahead of time what the future holds. I don’t think my son would either. He has set himself some pretty lofty goals in baseball and I think I have taught him that everything depends on how hard he works and his attitude toward the task at hand. Will he obtain those goals? Who knows? The odds are against it... but if he works hard and falls short of his goals, the lessons he learns in his attempt to succeed may be more valuable than reaching the goal itself.
I have NO crystal ball. Instead I have a big brass hinge on a plaque in my office that was given to me by my employees. I have always felt in business, the future hinges on your previous steps. Progression through the levels of baseball is much the same. It all starts prior to high school (I know there are late-bloomers but they are the exceptions)... First you listen to what your son wants to do and together you work out a plan. You offer to HELP him...You don’t MAKE him do anything related to baseball. You are the mentor and the monitor. Your job is to keep him on track...but...if he wants to waiver from his plan; you are the one that has to adjust. You bite your lip! You start to learn a lot about your son. What motivates him and what hurts him. You talk with him about his goals on a daily basis. He’s driven by emotions and dreams.... you are the one that has to be in touch with reality. You learn to help him manage his youthful dream with his impending rendezvous with reality. As he develops and matures your role changes...as does his. He suddenly becomes aware of reality. He’s seen his teammates falter and fail. He’s seen society take its’ toll on those less committed. He's seen some of the ugly things life has to offer. He's becoming a man. You become his friend and his fan. You no longer have to be the constant nagging voice in his life because his maturity has made him a better listener.

Being the parent of an athlete I can tell you that I love it... and I hate it... but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I admit it’s been difficult but exciting. The parents of athletes have a very difficult task. You have to teach your son to be a winner while teaching him that it’s OK to lose. You know he trusts you and you knowingly encourage him to venture into a situation where you know he will be challenged to his very limits? You tell him to never give up, knowing all along ...at some point, quitting is not bad...at some point quitting will become the wise choice. If there were a crystal ball and we could see the future we could all see one thing for sure, all our sons will hang up the cleats…someday. ‘Till then, we parents need to be there.... For them, for us, for baseball. Wink
Fungo


Fungo,

GREAT POST - some very wise advice and observations.

Thanks.
W Will1,000+ posts
just let things play out. I am sure you will be with him and proud when he goes 3-4 or if a pitcher has a great game but remember you also have to be there when things dont go well. I guarantee he will remember the times when you were there when things were tough. And anybody that has been around this game knows it can bring you to your knees in a hurry.
ClevelandDadClevelandDadHSBBWeb Administrator
Must keep this thread alive. Thought about it all day and then it hit me. I know some of you out there think that country music is square. My view is any genre of music can touch the spirt. Here is what I knew Krak's post inspired. From Garth Brook's tune "The Dance"
TR and I may have our first disagreement on this one Smile See sections in quotes below:

The Dance
Written by: Tony Arata

Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared 'neath the stars alone
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go

"Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance"

Holding you I held everything
For a moment wasn't I a king
But if I'd only known how the king would fall
Hey who's to say you know I might have chanced it all

"And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance"

"Yes my life is better left to chance
I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance"
CM Coach May1,000+ posts
No way I want a crystal ball. I can honestly say that at least 90% of everything bad that has happened to me was brought on me by myself. If I knew the outcome Im sure that I would try to make it better or fix something that didnt need to be fixed. I would only screw it up. I do the best I can and try to treat others the way I would want to be treated. I have learned that what we want so desperately sometimes is not what in the end is what is best for us. I have learned that God has a plan and he can sail my ship a whole lot better than me. The journey is the gold not the final destinaton.
KrakatoaKrakatoa1,000+ posts
Uh-oh, more lyrics!! These are from Never Give Up On A Dream, by Rod Stewart:

If there's doubt and you're cold,
don't you worry what the future holds.
We've gotta have heroes to teach us all
to never give up on a dream.

Claim the road, touch the sun,
no force on earth could stop your run.
When your heart bursts like the sun
never never give up on a dream.

Shadows fall, daylight dies,
freedoms never got a place to hide.
Search forever for the finish line
but never give up on your dream.

Crazy notions fill your head,
you gotta break all the records set.
Push yourself until the end
but don't you ever give up on your dream.

Now listen to me
you don't need no restrictions yeah
Oh, sing it again
you can't live on sympathy.
You just need to go the distance,
oh the distance
that's all you need to be free,
to be free, to be free, to be free.

Sing a song for me children
you don't need no restrictions yeah
you can't live on sympathy.
You just need to go the distance,
that's all you need to be free,

Now listen to me!
Inspiring all to never lose,
it'll take a long long time before they fill your shoes
it'll take somebody, somebody, who's a lot like you
who never gave up on a dream.
No, you never gave up on a dream
no, you never gave up on a dream.

You never, never, never,
never gave up on a dream.
Last edited by Krakatoa
ClevelandDadClevelandDadHSBBWeb Administrator
TR,

We just maybe never will disagree on this musical stuff Smile Music is a very important part of life in my view. Can't believe you mentioned Josh Groban. He has one of the greatest and purest voices I have ever heard. Get his first CD (or any other one for that matter) that was made when he was still in high school. Unbelievable talent.
Next

Add Reply

Post
.

Membership Required

We're sorry. You must be signed in to continue. Sign In or Register
×
Are you sure you want to remove from your Block List?
×
Loading...
×
When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content.
Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following .
×
Advanced Search
Advanced Search
Link copied to your clipboard.
×