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My son does a podcast, Stache Talk with Kirby Connell, each week interviewing his teammates and a few parents, fans, and his coaches.  We do it to let UT fans get to know the players off the field.  We ask all the same general questions such as family, high school career, recruiting story and so much more.  For some of you, you should listen to their recruiting stories which is near the front of each podcast.  Some high level high school recruits, transfers, juco transfers and some walk-ons.

What has surprised me more than anything was when we ask them if they grew up a fan of UT.  Only 25% of all the players we have interviewed so far grew up UT fans.  I thought when son recruited to UT that he would be the minority not growing up a UT fan.  Was wondering if this the norm or if this is a freak.  Do you think most P5, D1, D2, D3, or Juco guys grew up fans of their schools they ended up attending?  Do you think the level of play affects whether a player grew up a fan of or not?

I know middle son's JUCO has almost no baseball or softball players that grew up or even now are fans of their schools.  Most of them are a fan of one of the two P5 schools in their state.  I get amused that there are very few fans, including parents, who wear the juco gear.  They wear one of the two P5 schools' gear.  I must say when my son committed I became a UT baseball, only baseball, fan immediately.

Last edited by PitchingFan
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I became a UT fan last year and they are my grandson's favorite team.  I loved watching them play.  They seem to have overwhelming talent.  My favorite player was Jordan Beck and the Guardians unfortunately passed on him.  He was taken one pick later after their second pick in the first round.  I believe they will regret that decision.  The young, left handed slugger from California is going to be something as well.  Their pitching is second to none.  I was sure they would win it all last year.  That Notre Dame team was the type of team who could given anyone trouble with older, gritty guys who probably were not intimidated by the mystique.   I love their coach as well.  Fans are created by success.

I was never a fan of any college baseball team outside interest in how my college team was doing until all my teammates had graduated. When my son got to college ball interest I became a fan of whomever was playing BC. I grew up within walking distance. Instead of becoming a fan of any of their sports I found the smugness of BC people off putting. That said, I have friends who went there.

The only pre college interest my son had was Louisville. He verballed there when he was ten. The thing is, Louisville never knew. My daughter verballed for softball when she was fifteen. My (five years younger) son felt the need to announce his intentions.

My son became a Louisville fan when he got to sit with two pitchers in the stands behind the plate at a Villanova game. They let him hold the gun. They asked him what he thought the pitch was before charting what it actually was.

I'm an Old Blue so California baseball is in my heart. Fond memories of bringing tall boys into Evans Diamond and watching some incredible SC and Stanford teams drub my Bears.

Son grew up with the passion, but is at a very different school very far away. He still has Cal as his #2.  #3-#6 are the schools that his closest HS and club teammates attend and play for.

I'm on the faculty at UC San Diego so I root for my Tritons to take the occasional game off the Gauchos or Dirtbags.

When our boys were young we went to MLB and MiLB baseball games wherever we were, but it never occurred to me to go to college games, except for our local college, but I would not say we particularly followed their team until maybe high school.

All but a few of the players we knew in HS went to in-state schools.  For all the local boys who went to their local school, yes, they were familiar with them - anywhere else, no probably not.

I would think that a school like UT, which presumably recruits nationally, players would not have known the school until they began recruitment.  That was my experience with my son's school, which is far from home.

It turned out I had lots of shirts in the school colors, so I still (after 3 years) haven't actually bought actual school gear (I have a hat, but I look terrible in baseball hats).

PF, are you not a UT football fan this year?

@nycdad posted:

If I were a betting man (I am). I'd wager a good deal of money that most college athletes, and especially baseball players given the nature of college baseball were not fans of the teams they are playing on. And to the ones that were, that's awesome....

Never knew much about Clemson University until son was recruited as a junior in HS. His dream was to attend and play at the University of Miami,  so going to Clemson was not in his plans.

Very often you don't realize until many years later how decisions made as a young 17 or 18 yo  can make a huge impact on where you will be years later.

Go Gators!

When our boys were young we went to MLB and MiLB baseball games wherever we were, but it never occurred to me to go to college games, except for our local college, but I would not say we particularly followed their team until maybe high school.

All but a few of the players we knew in HS went to in-state schools.  For all the local boys who went to their local school, yes, they were familiar with them - anywhere else, no probably not.

I would think that a school like UT, which presumably recruits nationally, players would not have known the school until they began recruitment.  That was my experience with my son's school, which is far from home.

It turned out I had lots of shirts in the school colors, so I still (after 3 years) haven't actually bought actual school gear (I have a hat, but I look terrible in baseball hats).

PF, are you not a UT football fan this year?

NO.  I’m a Georgia football fan so no.  I think UT fans are too fickle. They will be calling for his head today if Vandy beats them

I think most parents are always a fan of their kids’ team, even if you hated them before they ended up there…  

I’m a bit odd about wearing team gear, I’ve never done it – not even a cap, not in youth sports, HS or juco or pro ball (no window decals or bumper stickers either). The one exception was Arkansas, Trev loved being a Razorback (although he wasn’t a fan growing up) and asked me to represent on game days. I bought a Razorback Columbia fishing shirt, red with a Razorback logo on the pocket – It was about as understated as a cardinal-colored shirt can be I suppose. I think this oddity was an attempt to not inject myself into his thing. Pretty sure it all stems from watching the movie In Search of Bobby Fischer a long time ago…  A good watch for a sports parent, if you’ve not seen it.

I think kids today are more individual athlete focused as opposed to following teams – at least that’s how it worked in my house.

@PitchingFan, It's really cool how your son gives back in this way.

@OskiSD posted:

I'm on the faculty at UC San Diego so I root for my Tritons to take the occasional game off the Gauchos or Dirtbags.

Baseball really is such a small world. I have followed 2017 Triton Jack Larsen's journey in the Mariner's system, just because a close friend of mine is also a good friend of Jack's dad. And coincidentally, Jack has played a lot of his minor league career alongside @joemktg's son Joe Rizzo.

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