Need some Advice?

Jeff,

Thanks for the reminder of what this place is all about, and welcome back. It sounds like you're discovering a lot about college ball, and for many freshmen such as yourself it's not easy. I gather from your post that you've discovered college pitching is maybe tougher than you expected. It also sounds like you've kept a solid attitude throughout. As long as this is true, I would suggest sticking it out. It may get better, maybe not. As long as you're working on your game you're not wasting time, so don't think of it as a wasted year. Red shirt is an option if your coach really wants to save you, but if you want to play then play. Are you set for the summer?

Thanks....Yes,college pitching is different but its hard when he doesnt give u a shot in the fall and then expect to do wonders when you get that chance but if figure i stick it out and prove people wrong and move on after one year is the best opition. As far as summer...i was really hoping to go to a collegiate league but looks like i will be with my team from last year who will be 18u tournament team. Being honest,i hit way better with wood bats...i notice it and so do my team mates so the adjustment would be easier and playing in wood tournys. Im just a kid trying to fulfill a dream...dont smoke,never drank,dont party...straight edge and focused on 2 goals of geting an education and a dream of geting drafted. Some home problems and situations dont help because it takes effect on me but im trying to fight through it.

to 30

it's never easy starting another level. maybe the coach does play's favorites.


you said you did get the chance,maybe weren't ready? many players sit and wait for their chance,and it never comes.you have to be ready when you get that chance.

it sounds like your a hard worker, keep working hard, your chance will come, stay positive.


you never know when, so you have to be ready for it.

Jeff,

I'd keep the moving on after one year option under your hat, and don't let on to coach or teammates that you're affected in the least by sitting. Easier said than done, I know, but you can do it if you stay focused on the big picture.
I would strongly advise you to get on a collegiate team this summer. Too many reasons not to. There are more than a few posts on that subject and probably some who can help find something for you near Baltimore. Send me a PM if you need any more. Best of luck.

Okay thanks for the advice sizzle.

As far as summer leagues, the only 2 i can think of that are around this area is cal ripken sr league and clark griffen league in VA but i dont have any knowledge of any smaller type leagues in the area. If anybody knows anything on here and some valued information about summer collegiate leagues in my area i would greatly appreciate.

I can tell you that nothing from fall ball was set in stone at my sons college come spring season. One kid that played outfield and some third almost all fall started at 1st base all spring season. One freshman that started in the outfield opening day, hardly saw the field the last 2/3's of the season.

I've always told my kids that the world is not ordered in the way you see it today. Things change and all you can do is put in the effort. At some point effort and opportunity will collide. The outcome however, is uncertain.

Jeff,

I'm distressed that you seem to believe that your coach is favoring other players over you in spite of your superior ability. It may be an inconvenient truth, but successfull collegiate level coaches are quite good at a) identifying and recruiting good incoming players, and b) accurately and objectively evaluating and ranking their existing players. Sometimes they are wrong, but on average they are right. If they weren't, they wouldn't be winning coaches.

Point a) is in your favor, because your coach signed you to an NLI. He sees potential!

Point b) means that if you didn't get many at bats, he thinks that there are perhaps a dozen other players on the team who hit better at present. That's assuming that you can field, throw, and run.

He may be wrong, but let me assure you that if some other college coaches had observed you in practice, and had the same information about you as a player that your present coach has (how you've looked in practice this fall), they'd rank you just about the same. Your perfomance in practice may not have been representative of your ability, but it surely is the basis for your playing time. Going to another school really isn't going to help you get playing time, unless you manage to find a program that is significantly weaker.

So why haven't you had many at bats? Well, based on your previous posts, you are probably among the youngest players on the team, having turned 18 after practice started. Less than a year ago, you weighed under 150 lbs. So I'm going to guess that most of your teammates are bigger and stronger than you. And that probably means they have more power, find it easier to turn on an inside fastball, or maybe can start their swing a litle later.

Changing schools, or being aggravated with the coach, isn't going to fix that. Instead you need time in the weight room, and the batting cages. You may also need time for your body to fill out.

Given that, redshirting might make sense, but it isn't a decision you should take by yourself. You really should talk to the coach, and ask him what you need to do in order to be a regular player. You should not bring up transferring or redshirting. You also need to shed the idea that you're better than some of the players in front of you. It's OK to be self confident, but it's not OK to imply that the coach has been incompetent in ranking his players!

The hard part is in really hearing what the coach tells you. It difficult for most coaches to give unvarnished critiques, and difficult for most players to believe and assimilate what they're told. So you have to work at hearing his advice, and perhaps amplifying what he says, unless he is very blunt.

I'm quite sure that your best opportunity to improve as a baseball player, and to garner significant playing time, is to stay at your present school.

quote:

Originally posted by TheOutfielder30:
I know i am a better player then the kids starting,its been proven, and i know it inside my heart.

Jeff, the advice that you've gotten so far is very good IMO. I also think that most college coaches are pretty good at figuring out who to put on the field to give the team the best chance to win. They may not always get it right at first, but over time they usually figure it out.

The cream rises to the top, so make sure you are working hard every day and they will notice. You have all winter to prove to your coaches that you deserve to play.

Good luck!
Mike F

If you transfer at this point you will probebely have to start all over again with a new coach and you won't be in any better position to play then you currently are.

jeff,
There is another topic going on here on the HSBBW, you might want to read it, it's about coaches favorite players.

You've gotten good advice. Sometimes a player has to be realistic. What makes you so sure that transfering will get you more playing time? With 10 at bats in teh fall, what do you have to prove to another coach that you can get the job done.

Don't use excuses that home problems and situations affect your game, because every player always has some head stuff they have to deal with. If you are haing a tough time dealing with that on the JUCO level what makes you think that you can deal with it on a professional level? I am not telling you to give up, but maybe it's time to prioritize, and that may be focusing solely on your education. There are many things that you can do to remain in the game, coaching, trainer, etc.

Seems unfair that coaches will turn to players who might get in trouble or not seem to earn their playing time by doing all the right things. This is a lesson in life, not everything is fair.

The coach will play the best, that's a proven fact.

If you are not ready to give up baseball, do as suggested, stop worrying aobut teh summer when you have to focus on the winter training and workouts and spring playing time first.

quote:

He never gave me a chance

quote:

i got 10 at bats

quote:

i did struggle with my bat for a while

3fingered, very good assessment of Jeff's situation. Patience and hard work is the key here.

30,

It sounds like time for a gut check. You've been through a short Fall practice season and admittedly did not do your best. Now you can do what some Freshmen do and mope about it, or live in the gym and weight room all Winter and come out to Spring practice on a mission, taking no prisoners, and proving you belong. It's your call, you're not the first in this situation, and won't be the last. Take a look in the mirror TODAY and and ask yourself how you want to do this.

Parents are not the only ones who look at things through rose colored glasses, players do also. This is not directed at OF30 only, but whenever things don't go right the coach seems to always be playing favorites. An recent thread defined the "favorite", and many times it was not the best player, but the one who conforms to the coaches expectations. Now, look at those "favorite" players and see what they are doing different than you, if you can't live up to those expectations, maybe it is time to move on. It is not coaches job to conform to your play, it's you who has to conform to the coaches objectives.

Good post rz!

Fall practice is the time when players shouldn't come to conclusions that they are just as good as most, but how they can be better than the best. This can only be achieved by paying close attention to what players attract the coaches attention. Are they bigger, stronger, are they faster? Do they approach the game with a different mentality than most? Do they get over their mistakes quickly and learn from them?

Spring training is essentially about the same. If you go into it thinking that you might be better than most, you got it wrong. You have to figure out how you can be better than the best MLB player you are watching in practice. That might include more work in the weight room, more practice at your position (on your own), making necessary adjustments to your approach, etc.