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Is Your 12 Year Old a FRANCHISE Player?

MTHMTH10,000+ posts
Stumbled across this ad seeking players on a USSSA site.

Age Group: 12U
Position(s) Needed: Pitchers
Description:
(Team Name Deleted) 12U is looking for 2 accomplished pitchers and 1 catcher for the Spring 2013 season. We will play 12 tournaments locally in the spring and also play in the CABA World Series in Atlanta this summer. We are looking for 2-3 Franchise Type players to take our organization to the next level.
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mmm1531mmm15315,000+ posts
I have two baseball related photos hanging on my office wall. One is my son’s 12 year old LL team. He is the shortest kid on the team, looks really short beside the 6 foot “franchise type” player. The other photo is a picture of his 16 year old team; he is standing beside the same kid, guess which one is taller then. They are both freshman in college, only one is still playing ball and it’s not the 12 year old franchise type player.

If the level that organization is trying to get to only means riding the backs of a few super stud 12 year olds I don’t think they are reaching very far. Overpowering a small field with a young man versus boys isn’t that great of a feat IMO.

I don’t blame them for looking for the 12 year old studs, they can sure make any coach look good. I guess I am hoping the organization has been formed for a lot more than winning a couple trophies for 12 year olds,... there are better levels to reach for.
Batty67Batty675,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by mds1:
quote:
Originally posted by Batty67:
Thank you for correcting my spelling, I suppose.


Batty67 - I am sorry if that didn't come across properly. I spent all of yesterday editing a college freshman's essay on George Orwell's views of 1930's politics. I think I overdosed on literature.


No worries.

I'm a scientist and a writer-editor, and I should know better. Just getting called on a spelling error publicly chafed me a bit. I admit, when I post on forums I am not a very careful writer at times...
lefthookdadlefthookdad5,000+ posts
I just inked my 13 yr old to a deal and named him the "Franchise" player

cost me room and board til he is 18
unlimited support of his hunting obsession
new batting glove's every season
unlimited throwing of BP and hitting of ground balls
upgrade of his cell phone every 2 years
new cleats every year
a new bat every time they change bat rules
plus, a few incentive bonuses to be named later
bballdad2016bballdad20161,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by lefthookdad:
I just inked my 13 yr old to a deal and named him the "Franchise" player

cost me room and board til he is 18
unlimited support of his hunting obsession
new batting glove's every season
unlimited throwing of BP and hitting of ground balls
upgrade of his cell phone every 2 years
new cleats every year
a new bat every time they change bat rules
plus, a few incentive bonuses to be named later


Now that is funny! Please send a copy of the contract, I need to get my son to sign one as well. HAHA
JMoffJMoff1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by biggerpapi:
I would like to apply for the position.

Sincerely,

Alex Rodriguez


You're a heck of a player but we're looking for stud pitchers and a catcher and those extra special players that can take us to the next level.

I suggest you stick with your current team, or find another local team you might catch on with.

Sorry, but we just don't see you as a fit.
J journey2100+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by lefthookdad:
I just inked my 13 yr old to a deal and named him the "Franchise" player

cost me room and board til he is 18
unlimited support of his hunting obsession
new batting glove's every season
unlimited throwing of BP and hitting of ground balls
upgrade of his cell phone every 2 years
new cleats every year
a new bat every time they change bat rules
plus, a few incentive bonuses to be named later


lefthookdad, you are getting off easy with that list Smile
biggerpapibiggerpapi5,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by JMoff:
quote:
Originally posted by biggerpapi:
I would like to apply for the position.

Sincerely,

Alex Rodriguez


You're a heck of a player but we're looking for stud pitchers and a catcher and those extra special players that can take us to the next level.

I suggest you stick with your current team, or find another local team you might catch on with.

Sorry, but we just don't see you as a fit.


Dang, cause I'm pretty sure I can stomp my feet and pout like the best 12 year old out there!
Coach_MayCoach_May10,000+ posts
Bum I had to laugh at your post because its so true in so many instances. I remember taking Matt Harrison to a tryout for a showcase team after his soph year in hs. After the workout the coach of that team comes up to me and says "Coach I am sorry but the kid a good player but were looking for elite type players."

The next summer he was calling me. "Coach I hear your boy is really coming into his own and we sure would love to have him come play with us." Coach he doesn't throw much harder than the last time you saw him. So I don't think he is going to be coming up to play for you.

Matt now pitches for the Texas Rangers.
P PGStaff10,000+ posts
I've mentioned this more than once. Here is the short version. Because of his brothers success, my youngest son was invited to play on a good 13 year old team. He was, by far, the worst, least talented, player on that 13 year old team. I suppose you could say that team had a few of those "franchise" types.

At age 17 my youngest son was what I considered a bit above average HS player with that magic word, projection. He received no interest at all from colleges. The only college interested was a Juco. Once again that was because his older brother went there.

He did well there and got drafted by the Yankees. I didn't want him to sign, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. Then in the expansion draft the D'Backs selected him in the first round. At age 22 he debuted in the Big Leagues. I'm not sure what happened to all the "franchise" guys.
Coach_MayCoach_May10,000+ posts
A new HC was just announced at the HS I coached at for several years and still help out when I am not too busy with other baseball activities.

A few years ago after tryouts I was sitting in the office with the other coaches and we were talking about who we were going to cut. We were talking about all the players and who needed to remain on JV for now and the upcoming season in general. We started talking about a freshman named Curt and I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. I asked the coaches about Curt "Ok what about Curt?" Laughs. Chuckles. And then one coach said "I know we don't like to cut freshman but we had a lot of guys come out this year. I just don't see how this kid can ever help us. I mean he can barely throw the ball from 2nd base to 1st base. He is so small and weak. There is no need to keep him." Another coach chimed in "I agree. He is never going to help the program. He seems like a great kid but we just don't have a reason to keep him around."

Something inside of me just couldn't do it. What I remembered about him from tryouts was he was always one of the first kids to the field each day. He had this smile on his face every day at tryouts. He was there at every fall work out. He worked so hard. And he had absolutely nothing in his game that made me think he would be a player one day. And he was so small and weak. But I just couldn't cut the kid. So I said "Well I agree with almost everything said about Curt. But something inside me just tell's me were doing the wrong thing if we take this away from him now. Lets give him a year and let him be around the program. We can always cut him next year if we don't have any room."

Well that season of course he was on JV. He barely played. But he was at every practice on time which around here is early. He always had this smile on his face like there was no place he would rather be. He was a joy to be around. He never complained about anything.

The next year came around and Curt had grown some. He was a lot stronger. But he still was not good enough to help us on the field. He sat the pine on JV and did not contribute much at all. But he was the same Curt. Always on time. Always happy to be there. Working as hard or harder than anyone else. So fo course we kept him.

Then something amazing began to happen. Over the summer between his Soph and Jr year he grew several inches. Put on several pounds. Basically he grew up. He worked so hard. He started throwing sidearm. He came out for tryouts and blew us all away. Throwing from the side he dominated our hitters. He was our #3 pitcher on varsity that year behind 2 D1 arms. And by the end of the year was our best pitcher. He earned All Conference honors and was a team leader.

His Sr year he was our #1. He didn't lose a game. He was a mid 80's guy and got money to play at a local JC where he did the same thing at that level. He played 2 years and earned AC honors and team MVP honors at his college. He suffered a injury that ended his career before moving on to another college and married his HS sweet heart.

That new coach at my former HS? Curt. He's going to be a helluva coach. He is already a great person. So when I hear about those 12 year old studs there's a reason I don't pay much attention to it.
floridafanfloridafan5,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by Coach_May:
A new HC was just announced at the HS I coached at for several years and still help out when I am not too busy with other baseball activities.

A few years ago after tryouts I was sitting in the office with the other coaches and we were talking about who we were going to cut. We were talking about all the players and who needed to remain on JV for now and the upcoming season in general. We started talking about a freshman named Curt and I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. I asked the coaches about Curt "Ok what about Curt?" Laughs. Chuckles. And then one coach said "I know we don't like to cut freshman but we had a lot of guys come out this year. I just don't see how this kid can ever help us. I mean he can barely throw the ball from 2nd base to 1st base. He is so small and weak. There is no need to keep him." Another coach chimed in "I agree. He is never going to help the program. He seems like a great kid but we just don't have a reason to keep him around."

Something inside of me just couldn't do it. What I remembered about him from tryouts was he was always one of the first kids to the field each day. He had this smile on his face every day at tryouts. He was there at every fall work out. He worked so hard. And he had absolutely nothing in his game that made me think he would be a player one day. And he was so small and weak. But I just couldn't cut the kid. So I said "Well I agree with almost everything said about Curt. But something inside me just tell's me were doing the wrong thing if we take this away from him now. Lets give him a year and let him be around the program. We can always cut him next year if we don't have any room."

Well that season of course he was on JV. He barely played. But he was at every practice on time which around here is early. He always had this smile on his face like there was no place he would rather be. He was a joy to be around. He never complained about anything.

The next year came around and Curt had grown some. He was a lot stronger. But he still was not good enough to help us on the field. He sat the pine on JV and did not contribute much at all. But he was the same Curt. Always on time. Always happy to be there. Working as hard or harder than anyone else. So fo course we kept him.

Then something amazing began to happen. Over the summer between his Soph and Jr year he grew several inches. Put on several pounds. Basically he grew up. He worked so hard. He started throwing sidearm. He came out for tryouts and blew us all away. Throwing from the side he dominated our hitters. He was our #3 pitcher on varsity that year behind 2 D1 arms. And by the end of the year was our best pitcher. He earned All Conference honors and was a team leader.

His Sr year he was our #1. He didn't lose a game. He was a mid 80's guy and got money to play at a local JC where he did the same thing at that level. He played 2 years and earned AC honors and team MVP honors at his college. He suffered a injury that ended his career before moving on to another college and married his HS sweet heart.

That new coach at my former HS? Curt. He's going to be a helluva coach. He is already a great person. So when I hear about those 12 year old studs there's a reason I don't pay much attention to it.


Wow! I LOVE your stories Coach May!

BumBum1,000+ posts
jp24, perspective is exactly right. There were I think two freshman players when Bum, Jr. was in h.s. and one of them (also a pitcher) is in the Mariners system now with Bum, Jr. and the other never made it out of h.s. ball. Bum, Jr. waited until his junior year, and I recalled being pretty mad at the time after he went 7-0 his sophomore year in J.V. and they never moved him up. All kinds of crazy thoughts at the time, like maybe they were ruining his chances.

Did it ultimately matter? No more so than my secret love affair with Ellie May of the Beverly Hillbillies.

Just trust me on this. Enjoy the process and have fun.
Last edited by Bum

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