High School Scholarships?

My first comment is that obviously the local sports section is clamoring for "news" with the lack of high school games being played if they have to resort to a full page feature of a 12 year old.

My second comment is that my favorite part of the article is when the dad says that the boy will be playing for not one, not two, but FIVE teams this summer. Um, yeah.

I think I'll withhold the rest of my comments!

I read the article. What AAA team? Typed his name on a search, nothing shows up. Typed my fathers name (minor league player from the 1940's) and his stats pop up. What two schools offered a scholarship? The article is all a lie. This is an absolute joke.I know a man who scouts locally for Florida Atlantic, I will ask him about this guy quoting a quote from Cooney. An article about a 12 year old, what is this reporter thinking? The kid can only fail now! This kid will now have a target on his back because of his fathers ego trip. I feel bad for the kid.........

Maybe I am wrong! The MLB HOF bust is already being cast!

A star "second baseman".....lolololololol

Look at his glove and footwork...doing everything wrong.

When is he going to be playing in Lockport this summer and for whom?

With 5 teams this summer, when does he get to be a "kid"?

This I have to see.

The kid is 12 years old and already they're talking about getting drafted out of high school. No 12 year old is good enough to talk about something six years away. Other kids mature, injuries, bad luck, a million things can happen from the time a player is 12 to when he has to perform at a high level.

You see this sort of thing all the time in basketball, kids getting promoted and trumped up way too early. I guess now its starting to carry over to baseball.

At the end of the story they talk about him playing for 5 teams during the summer---I hope DADDY is having a good time

The whole story is bad enough, but when someone said he was a second baseman, I had to chuckle. How many of the best 12 years are playing second base?

Exactly my point, too, Fast.

BeenthereIL- I agree 100%. That ball is hit right at that kid and look at his glove position. He is getting out of the way of a ball hit right at him. Throwing hand is an a great spot as well LOL. Gimme a break. Like you said earlier, "why is he at second?"


"Fear Strikes Out" all over again, another Jimmy!!!

Sounds like a really good player. Why is it so bad to be a good defensive second basemen? I wish him luck in attending a nice college baseball school. Congrats on the offers to go to high school in Florida.

quote:

Originally posted by ripcord51:
Sounds like a really good player. Why is it so bad to be a good defensive second basemen? I wish him luck in attending a nice college baseball school. Congrats on the offers to go to high school in Florida.

At 12 years old the BEST defensive infield player is the shortstop, ESPECIALLY if he is a "phenom" getting scholorships and knocking on the door of the major leagues...lol

tt, I just looked at the photo and it is sometimes hard to tell by one still shot how someone is playing a ball or a hop. Your commnet about a ball hit right at him and he is getting out of the way is interesting as most infielders are taught that they should go around the ball and field slightly left of center to be in a better position to finish the play, especially on balls hit right at you. Most High School errors I see are balls hit right at you. I am a bit suprised ny many of the reactions on this site regarding this young player. I would think as adults you might take a few shots at his dad or whom ever is behind the article but to rip a 12 year old boy seems a little out of place. By the way I don't know him or his family.

He is very much left of center, that is for sure! This is all aimed at his father 2bagger, just as I said earlier, I feel bad for this kid! He has a father who appears to be living through him.

Ripcord, of course there is nothing wrong with being a good defensive second baseman. Depending on good a school is or if there is a great SS, there are a lot of fine fielding second baseman. But if you are all that (one of the only 12 year olds in the country getting scholarship offers) how good is the SS on the team he plays for?

Of course no 12 year old would be drumming up all this hype and you can't blame him....but his dad must really be something.

So it is impossible in Little League for the 2nd basemen to be better than the shortstop on a single team?

ripcord,

Nothing is impossible, but highly unlikely. I was told this a long time ago. Never fill out a college recruiting questionaire and say that you're a 2nd baseman. At the least, call yourself a middle infielder. The coach's first response would be; why aren't you the shortstop? Arm not strong enough, not enough range? It is what it is.

quote:

Originally posted by ripcord51:
So it is impossible in Little League for the 2nd basemen to be better than the shortstop on a single team?

Not impossible, just improbable....Unless of course the team is "team daddyball"...

For the record, there are many great defensive 2nd basemen at all levels. I happen to know a few, the key here is at the 12 year old level BEFORE arm strength and / or range usually dictate the switch.

Most Major League 2nd basemen were actually drafted as shortstops and converted, check most drafts and you will see very few 2nd basemen drafted.

tt, I am not sure how you can tell from one photo that this ball was hit right at this boy, but as I look at it I don't think like you said that he was trying to get out of the way. I am not saying he is fielding it the way I would like to see but getting out of the way, sorry it doesn't look like that to me. Once again I would mention that the comments might be intended at his dad but it looks like some were sent through his son.

I won't even try to comment on whether or not he's fielding the ball correctly as I quite honestly haven't got a clue. He looks and, from his comments in the article, sounds like a genuinely enthusiastic player. He's doing exactly what many of our boys do or have done... practice and play the game they love. He's not the problem.

The comments here are not directed at the 12 year old - he's just a boy, who I am sure did not go after this publicity on his own. I am also sure that he's a good (maybe even great) player for his age... but HE'S ONLY TWELVE YEARS OLD! And as someone mentioned earlier, the boy now has a big ole target on his back, thanks to his overzealous father. What's he afraid of - if the boy is as good as his dad believes he is, in time we'll all know it. And you for sure want your middle school classmates to know that the high school they will be attending isn't anywhere good enough for you... you'll be off to where the grass is greener and the sky is bluer.

And once again I have to say, FIVE SUMMER TEAMS? Is that what a "team" is to this dad? Those are more like guest appearances... or maybe he's like a boy that we knew who "played" on every traveling team in three counties. In reality he was on numerous rosters as a fill in just in case a team was short players for a tournament game. It became a "where's Waldo" game to find his face in the crowd every time a picture was published in the local paper of a team that won another tournament, because INVARIABLY he was there! Five teams - and elite travel teams play how many games every summer? Right.

If this wasn't so sad, it would be funny. In fact, had it been published on April 1st I wouldn't have fallen for the joke. Shame on dad and shame on the reporter for even writing the story. What purpose was served by printing this article? Are there not enough high school players in the suburban Chicago area that he could write a personal interest story on someone who has more than a couple of years of youth league ball under his belt?

Well, time will tell, I guess. I wish the boy the best - he's got a tall order to fill.

12 years old and a bright shinning star. Photos never tell the whole story, I have seen plays where everything looks bad and then everyone starts cheering because they got an out. My point is the kid could be good and he probably is but there is absolutely no reason to bash a kid on a photo or for any other reason, he is twelve. Now with this article he will have to deal with other pressures from people he doesn't know and maybe even joyously from other kids or parents. Now people will be watching and waiting for him to make a mistake. I am sad for this BOY this 12 year old BOY. After reading the article I did notice what travel team he played for and realized the manager is a man who believes in self promotion. Did the father learn that from him? Was it the father who submitted the story? Did the writer write the story or was it just a press release sent in by someone else? The one thing that is probably true is the BOY saw his name and picture in the paper and showed it to all his family who are all very proud of him and because of that I am also happy for him.

tho they don't mention it in the article, I'm pretty sure his "advisor" would recommend they plan on him repeating a grade before he begins HS -

that allows an extra yr of growth/maturity .. if they shop a smaller HS in a conference w/smaller fields it prolly lets him put up crazy numbers & maybe make a run at a national HR title

THEN, if he then turns down his draft offer out of HS,
he'd soon be eligable again as a 21 yr old college soph



but maybe I'm getting ahead of myself

Likewise, I hope for the very best for the boy, he sounds like one heck of a ball player who truely loves to play the game. It really seems like alot of pressure to put on him at such an early age though.

I am sure that many of the people who frequent this forum remember players or pitchers especially, who at 10-12 years old were on 2-3 travel teams and were outstanding players at the time. When you try and find out how they are doing now (at high school age) you come to find out that they are not even playing baseball at any level. Sometimes the pitchers pitched so much for the teams when they were young (because they were the "stud" pitcher at the time) that by the time they are juniors or seniors in high school their arms are shot. Either that or they just burn out or their teammates catch up to their skill level and they are now just another player.

I truly hope that we are reading about this player in future years because he has continued to do well and not because he is another case study in baseball burnout or not being able to meet such lofty expectations

People are being critical of this kid's father for the article. But, be for real, how many of you would turn down a newspaper article featuring your kid?

I think it's more like people just "rolling their eyes" like they do discussing a "coach pitch" world series

btw, how does the dad's real estate plans fit into the baseball story?

Perhaps I'm looking at this from a different perspective. I'm wondering how to get him to date my daughter. Of course, she's 13 so she'd have to be the "older woman." Let's see, he's playing for 5 teams and she's playing for 2. He's going pro and she's ... Ok I can dream can't I!

Oh my God! I know this guy from Northern Burbs! Anybody here who knows this father knows all about him. Take EVERYTHING he says with a grain of salt. He has a slight habit of stretching the truth, starting with his own playing career. The boy is a typical 12 year old player with slightly above average skills who may some day develop into a good player. To describe him as this article does is very unfair to the young man. He cannot live up to that billing at this moment. The man pushes this kid very very hard which I have personally witnessed. It is a very alarming sight indeed. This poor kid! If he does not live up to his fathers billing........ The fireworks will fly sure as day turns to night!
Way over the top.

This team the father coaches, the Elite(LOL) Illinois Seminoles(fathers creation)(Not Schaumburg Seminoles); had a very tough time beating the Wilmette Travel B team in Cooperstown last Summer. Let's just say this coach made it very evident that he was not happy with the team's performance

I just told my son's coach that my 10 year old son will not be playing 2nd base this spring in case a college recruit is present. He is not too happy about that so I demanded an immediate trade. Did I do the right thing?

Rip, you are doing the right thing.... maybe you can negotiate a case of PowerAde to be traded with your son. At that age it's important to learn the quintessential fundamentals of negotiating.

Also, make sure he knows his canned responses well:

1. We play one game at a time, we always do our best.
2. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, and sometimes it rains.
3. Well... to be honest with you, we needed a live chicken to take the hex of of Hector's glove.... unfortunately we couldn't find one in time. From now on we'll be sure to keep one in the clubhouse just in case. Here chicky, chicky, chicky.

OK, my funny hat is off now

Rip......I think you are missing the point people were making about second baseman. There are an awful lot of good players playing second base. The point was is that if you are one of the very best players in the country it is unlikely you are at second unless the best player in the country is on your team playing SS.

A player who makes the plays, is solid fundementally, hustles, is in the right place at the right time and shows leadership has helped many teams at 2B.

Just found out from another parnet that the travel coach quoted in the article is an alias used by the father on a regular basis. Again, this guy continues to lie and lie and lie. There is no coach Peter Woods of the Northern Metro League!
I saw this guy coach in Cooperstown last Summer, Yikes!!!!!

I started this thread because an article in the News-Sun claimed that a young boy was receiving “High-School” scholarship offers, and I was under the impression that high schools were not allowed to solicit athletes financially. I was hoping to get an answer to that question, but HSWeb readers found several other inaccuracies in the article, many more theatrical, and my original inquiry was lost. I still hope someone will provide an answer to that question.

I will say, however, that the article exhibits one of the dark sides of travel baseball, in this case, an unrelenting and unrealistic father. I have no doubt that this article was written, in large part, by the father and submitted to an unsuspecting and naive sports editor of a local paper, for some self-fulfilling purpose. I am also sure that this same editor is now kicking himself for not researching at least some of the material before sending it to print. And what of the son? Did he not read this article and question some of the information his father provided? “Dad, who is Peter Woods?” for example. Every day more untruths are surfacing with regard to this article. Makes you wonder what the article in “Baseball The Magazine” will contain. Perhaps a hidden bloodline to (insert your favorite HOF player here).

But overzealous parents are not the only problem with Travel ball today. This same unrealistic and self-promoting theology exists with some Travel Baseball coaches as well, as they label their athletes with terms like “5-Tool” and “One of the best in the country”. All this can do is set these children (At the travel ball level, they are still children) up to fail under the weight of the expectation. And again, it is not the players themselves bragging of their own abilities, but the parents and the coaches. I would venture to say if the News-Sun article had been written by the boy himself, it would have been much more modest. And truthful (or maybe not). This type of behavior, by parents and coaches alike, is counter-productive and an embarassment to the sport.

Thank (insert your favorite higher power here) that eventually, these adults lose control over their children’s / players futures, as they come face to face with the final frontier for the “daddy-ball” gang…. High School Sports.

All of a sudden it doesn’t matter that you are the coach’s kid, or the heaviest sponsor’s kid, or the kid of the prettiest mom in the stands (wait, that one will ALWAYS matter). Now these children are not playing every inning of every game, not pitching in the playoffs, not being consoled, cuddled, protected and peppered with undeserving praise. Now they have to make it on their own. And EARN their newspaper articles.

JKennedy- I could not agree with you more! Well said and well written. This appears to be and is a totally false representation of the fathers credentials, coaches quotes and lastly and most disturbing of all, a 12 year old kid and his ability. I really feel for this young man, his fathers ego has dealt him a severe blow, a blow that the kid may never recover from.

Fathers that have played professional baseball usually understand this and do not spend this type of energy promoting thier sons. In this case the father has clearly not played baseball at a high level, you can tell by the way the article quotes him and by the lack of substance in the article.... A friend of a friend said this! I played AAA! Peter Woods said this! on and on. "Back it up"

Hey Dad, who did you play for and when? What towns did you play in? Did you play college ball or were you drafted right out of high school and in what round? Who was the scout that signed you? What team does Peter Woods coach? and what are his qualifications to be an expert on baseball talent?
Lots of questions Dad, yet you have provided no answers. How can we be expected to believe this about your son, when you have no credibility yourself? George O'Leary lost out on a job because of falsified resume, who looses out here? Your son!

"Gee,Thanks a lot Dad"!

This is both sad and comical. The 12-year old should not have to deal with the pressure that his Dad is obviously putting on him. His baseball goals at this point should be to develop into the best player that he can be, and to make (and hopefully excel) at the high school that he wants to go to.

The father should wake up, and the newspaper should be embarrassed.

JK, darn well said.

Jim,
Very well said!
As far as your question goes, I personally have heard the word "scholarship" thrown around quite often with the inner city kids when in reality it was financial aid. Not saying this answers your question but just one scenario....

Catholic and private schools offer something like a scholarship, but I am not sure how they package it.

Maybe the Yankees are paying for his schooling! Heck, the kid is the next Babe ya know.........

TT...Long rumored in football at two of the South side powers. One that I graduated from.

Parents will scream to heaven and say it never happens but I know a kid at one of the local high school that is likely to be a junior starter that would have gone to _____ for free. And, believe me, he wasn't academically gifted!

This dad has an ego the size of Grand Canyon. My team played the Lake Zurich team his son played on this past fall. Not to pick on the kid but he is an average player at best. Now let's have dad explain how an average player is going to be going pro out of H.S. The dad's so called Elite Illinois Seminoles lasted one season and he lost his two best players to Russ Ganglers Schaumburg Seminoles this year. Can anyone find the U13 Illinois Seminoles this year? The team is gone and this dad is scrambling to find anyone willing to put up with him so his son could play some where.

This article was obviously written by the big ego daddy and he is probably slipping the writer a few bucks to run with it.I guess it is something the kid can put in his scrap book.

bradyman- Exactly Right! I saw this ranting MADMAN in Cooperstown last Summer. His team had trouble beating our travel B team from Wilmette, infact we should have won that game. Our B team against THE GREAT ELITE ILLINOIS SEMINOLES LOL Give a break... Please.


Daddyball BIG TIME