BayouE, my advice is if your son has a passion to play, that he do whatever he can to pursue his passion. Somewhere, somehow, there will be a place where he can contribute.
I'm a firm believer of the adadge that it's all about the journey and self-discovery, not the destination. It's about what he learns about himself, his ability to embrace adversity as an opportunity for personal growth, and the spiritual journey that will be a life-long lesson that serves him in every faucet of his life.
I've written a few times in the past year about my own son's journey thru his own personal valley of darkness. There's parallels so I offer this as a lesson:
Sean led his HS team to a CIF championship, All-CIF, All-state, MVP honors, etc. Set HS records for career wins, career HRs, RBIs, etc. His Frosh/Soph years at Fresno he had talented upperclass pitchers ahead of him, but he had a key relief appearance at ASU to help Fresno State to Omaha, a key start vs George in the championship series where he pitched 3 solid innings before being pulled to be held available in relief for the final game.
Then returning from the '08 season for '09 he changed his mechanics to stave off bicep tendonitis that plagued him all through the '08 campaign. While he was pain-free in '09, that change destroyed his off-speed command and movement. That meant he gave up BBs and when he had to rely too much on his FB he got hit. He quickly went from #2 starter to back of the pen in his Junior year, his key year for draft visibility. He did work on adjustments and made fundamental changes to his delivery that proved to be very successful ... but only after the '09 season was over would he get the opportunity to use them. He finished '09 with a dismal 11.1 ERA and .402 OppAvg in only 24 IP, not pitching at all in the final few weeks.
At the conclusion of the '09 season he honestly believed his D1 career was over. But he believed in himself. He believed in his passion and he set off on a mission of self-discovery and to prove to himself he could compete to his full potential. He went to play summer ball in Chicago and worked very hard, committed every day to his physical and mental preparation. He mastered his improved delivery in Chicago achieving a 1.33 ERA, .213 OppAvg, and .95 WHIP, 42 Ks and only 8 BB in 42 IP.
He returned to Fresno in the fall continuing to pitch very well but knew he'd have to prove himself from the bottom of the board. He knew he'd have to re-earn every opportunity, every inning with consistent results. He began the '10 season getting appearances in middle relief when starters had struggled early and given up a big lead. And he did consistently well whether that was a 1 inning or 5 inning appearance, holding teams so our offense could try to hit our way back into the game. He was throwing 89-93 and had solid command of all three pitches.
Soon he found himself being used in more critical situations. You see, his battle through those emotional and dark days in '09 had given him an inner serenity, a calm but focused determination, and a spirituality where he knew the Lord walked beside him and he wasn't concerned about what happened in the future. That inner peace showed on the hill as he bore down on batters.
By the end of April he was moved to being used in critical win/save decisions. In the final 4 weeks he entered 7 decision situations and converted 100%. In six of those he entered innings with runners in scoring position, 0-or-1 out, and stranded 12 runners with no runs scored while getting 14 outs in those 6 innings. He went 5-0-2 in just the final 4 weeks of the season once he was used in that role. He finished the season with a 3.58 ERA, .226 OppAvg, 1.19 WHIP and 5-0-2 in 37.2 IP, all in relief. His total Opp OBP was only .293. That was the best OppAvg and 5th best ERA in the WAC of all pitchers, overall the best of the Fresno staff. He was viewed as the go-to guy in critical must-win situations.
His journey back from '09 was complete. He gave all the credit to his team, coaches, and the Lord. Here's a link to an audio of a post-game interview with Paul Leoffler in late April, the KMJ radio announcer after he no-hit, no-run Nevada for 4 innings for the save that signalled the turning point where he transitioned into the closer role:
KMJ interview. This FresnoBee article also covers the recognition of the turnaround in his role:
FresnoBeeNow Sean begins a new journey with a yet unknown destination. He had high hopes of being picked up in the draft, even as a late round pick, but it didn't materialize. He still believes he has the ability to contribute on the mound and is ready to play anywhere. He certainly has the passion and has proven he has the character and makeup pieces. At 6'5", 220 lbs, a 89-93 FB and good command of all his pitches we thought he had all the physical attributes too. He just had the burden of those 24 innings in '09 around his neck that really hurt his visibility at a key moment in time.
But he still has hope and prayer that someone out there wants someone like him. His spirituality carries him. He is contacting people he knows to see if there's any free-agent signing opportunities to continue his journey with his love of this game. So for now he's throwing pens, keeping his arm ready, reading his bible, and being the wonderful person he is a pleasure for me to hang out with until he either gets a call with an offer to play or he finds the compass point to his next destination.
