Question for parents of pro and college players

This should be a fun thread...reading the answers.

I would say the strong arm was always there but I doubt anyone (including me), at age 9/10/11 would have guessed he would go the furthest of his peers. By age 15, the dream was on with full force.

One interesting footnote, our now-14-year old seems to me to be ahead of his older brother at this grade. Better all-around player, throws about the same velocity, better command. But I still have no idea where it will end up for him. For now, we're just trying to get him ready to make and play for his HS baseball team...one of the more competitive programs in Northern California. Its fun, but I cannot predict even on son #4 how far it will go.

I don't think mine was ever considered a 'stud'.

In LL, he started out as an athletic player with good fundamentals. The guys considered 'studs' were flashier.

On a sidenote, I had two pitchers on my LL team: one a Known Stud, one who had started out as a poorplayer, but developed into a very effective, crafty pitcher. The competition was afraid of the Stud, but welcomed it when the other guy pitched against them. However, Other Guy's ERA and W-L record was much better than Stud. Reputations can count more than results.

Throughout travel team ball (10 through 19), college ball, and his adult summer team, he was always considered a solid player with emphasis on defense. Only on the GB National team was he ever considered a star.

I think it's safe to say that my son was considered the top player in his league growing up. He broke records and highly respected as a player. In HS, he was recognized in our city as a top player and a major contributor to his HS team's success. He continues to have respect of people here in the baseball community as a player and as a young man. However, college has not gone so smoothly. Will time allow him the chance to shine like he did? Who knows. I do know that he and I are grateful for the happiness, the friends and even the attention it has brought to his life over the years. It's been a wonderful ride!

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Throughout travel team ball (10 through 19), college ball, and his adult summer team, he was always considered a solid player with emphasis on defense.

Orlando, would you mind sharing what position your son plays?

These are great stories -- please keep them coming!

My son was always on the small size. He was always a good player but because of his size he was many times over looked. But after he would play/practice with a team he would stand out.
The biggest difference from his peers was his obsession to be the best. He worked for hours and hours on his own from the time he was 9 yrs old.

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The biggest difference from his peers was his obcession to be the best.

Thank you for saying that. It is a common trait of high achievers that should emerge from this thread. The high level of inner drive is a separating factor, more so than physical ability, imo.

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Originally posted by Dad04:

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The biggest difference from his peers was his obcession to be the best.

Thank you for saying that. It is a common trait of high achievers that should emerge from this thread. The high level of inner drive is a separating factor, more so than physical ability, imo.

I believe you both are right-on. I see it in my son.

Being a HS'08, I'm a little premature in this thread. My guy has loved the sport since he started breathing, he is also very blessed by God with talent.

How did your son compare to his peers on the field growing up? Was he always the stud? Yes. When I'm in bragging mode he is a stud. Rationally, he is a very good ballplayer; great arm, very good bat. Stud? I don't really know. I think that sorta implies a bit more attitude. He doesn't consider himself a stud. Just a team player.

Did he always throw harder/hit the ball farther? Yes and yes.

Or was he a late bloomer?No.

Where did he stack up when he first played on the big field? Not there yet, but he could be.

Infield08, he's a catcher. At 185 lbs, he's considered 'too small', and he hits doubles, not home runs.

However, he got the kind of schollie to a mid D1 normally associated with qualtiy starting pitching, and he's currently in short season for the Padres organization.

And if you asked him if he wants to be considered a stud, laughter would be involved.

My son was always the smallest it seemed. Still looks very small compared to some of the monsters he plays around. I'm always jokingly telling him "Don't stand next to Mark (6'6") or Matt (6'4"), you look like a midget!" But all through his baseball life I never saw any of his peers work as hard, or take the game as seriously as he did. That's been key for him. He starts his college career in September at an NCAA DIII school in the northeast.

My son was never considered to be a stud. The studs in my town were the sons of fathers who were very proficient in hype. Although he was relatively big as a kid (he isn't very tall now) he was never the biggest or strongest. He was just a very steady player with excellent defensive skills who played with more heart than our entire Little League put together. Perhaps the lack of props motivated him. He is only one of a handful of players in his age class of our LL to play baseball beyond freshman year in high school and the only one to play in college. He was also the only one to play travel ball and he (and we) got dissed BIG TIME for that. All the other parents thought that we believed that our son was better than their sons. Not at all. He just loved the game and wanted to play against better competition. And not have to worry about who was bringing the snacks.

The parents of the opposing teams would often seek us out to comment favorably on his abilities. After one high school game when he was a junior, the plate umpire stopped us to tell us that the umpires had noticed him and they all talked about him when they get together. The ump said they looked forward to working games in which he played.

He will not play on the big field but it doesn't matter. He loves to play and through the marvels of modern medicine, God willing, he will continue to play for many years.

I would say my son was never a stud as I see it. He was a tall lanky kid who showed no talent until 10yo. In fact he was probably the worst player on his Fast ball team at age 5-8. He just muttled through.
At 8-9 he asked to play real BB like a friend. He tried out for the Rookie ball allstar team and was carded so he could be called up. About a 1/4 way through the House League season he just snapped and became outstanding at turning double plays and throwing. At that point he was called up permanently to the allstar team but was allowed to continue to play with his laegue winning house league team. The next year he was carded again. 1st year of pitching. A coachhad usurped the reigns of the team who was upset that his son wasn;t on the team last season. The next year with a new coach he made the team and from that point on he was usually the top pitcher on the team. He was not a hard thrower but a junk guy. He at 15 stopped batting and knew he only wanted to pitch. He played HS varisty at 15 and won his 1st MVP that season. he also made team Ontario, OBA AAA city, district 18U allstar and Elite BB. He was selected to the Hall of Fames allstar 17U team selected from the 18U district allstars. I guess he was a stud in performance but was not a strong hard thrower. He was pitching against former minor leagus and college hitters at 16 and was very successful against them. His velocity has defintely held him back as far as pro ball so far. He does have lots of scouts approach him and me but his chaces are slim unless he gets a few more MPH on his FB.

What a great question! It reminds me of an article in ESPN magazine a few years ago, that asked pro baseball players, when they knew they were good - one pitcher said he knew he threw hard when other kids wouldn't play catch with him, or they broke blood vessels in their teammates hands.

Our son will be a D1 player this Fall, so we barely qualify - but he is the first player from our baseball crazy community to earn a college baseball scholarship in the last 10 years, and like "just baseball's" son, had to overcome the hype from other players considered the local "studs." Yet he always threw harder than the other kids. I think the key is his quiet belief in himself, and the fact he went his own path, doing the extra things - weight training and top travel teams and lessons, others passed on because it took too much time. Everyone said don't do it or sniped around the edges, or questioned why are you doing it. Don't listen to "everyone."

The coaches were going to cut my son from Soph baseball until he had a stellar summer between Frosh/Soph years. Then he was considered one of the top three pitchers for his class.

His junior year, he posted a 0.88 ERA but the coaches still had no confidence in him as they wouldn't give him any good varsity starts, kept pitching him JV.

Fall ball of beginning of Senior year he comes out throwing 89 - 92 (was always hard thrower but stepped it up a bit), and suddenly was on everyones radar.

We counted 72 D1 schools contacting him (unsigned/uncommitted fall senior year).

The whole story, is that shortly after being gunned in the 90's, he came down with mononucleosis, and we didn't know it. He continued to pitch, but lost velocity and tired easily (shocker huh?). Went to prospect camps, Jupiter, etc, all throwing mid 80's and fading quickly in ball games. Suddenly all those intersted schools were gone. He had a couple of good days in there, where he did hit 90's and the right people were there to see him.

All worked out, talked with him yesterday, he loves West Point and he told me the recruiting class they have for Army baseball is insanely loaded with talent.

If he hadn't gotten mono, he probably would have already committed before the Army coach ever saw him...funny how those things work out.

My son was never a stud, always taller than everyone but lanky, skinny and became very clumsy at base running at 14. He had a lot of the natural stuff.

He didn't throw as hard as everyone else until HS, he wasa very good hitter, not a power HR hitter but always managed to find the holes and played whatever position he was playing very well.

I am not thinking it was the phyisical tools, but the unique understanding of the game, the sixth sense as they call it. I think that sets players apart from the rest when they are young. I remember one day someone telling me that of all the kids on the team, I think they were 11,12 at that time that he would be the one to play pro ball. I thought that was rather amusing at the time.

I am REALLY enjoying reading these posts. Keep 'em coming!

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Originally posted by play baseball:
He was also the only one to play travel ball and he (and we) got dissed BIG TIME for that.

play baseball - We experienced a little of this too. Our son continued to play in the local Pony league while at the same time playing (by invitation) on a pretty good travel squad that had a lot of success at the national level. A lot of the locals were kind of PO'd the he'd miss a Pony game every once in a while, miss practice (I was coaching, so I didn't care) and eventually left the all star team early for a national tournament.

One local parent even told me by phone while I was at the national tourney that we probably acted selfishly and we were letting everyone down. "Why did we do that?"

At that time, our son was the only one in a league of 1,000 kids playing travel ball. Now, there are probably 150 kids playing travel ball (too many by the way).

Our local league used to have maybe one kid every 3-4 years make it to college ball...now we regularly have about 2-5 per year.

And just a couple/few years later, that same parent who called me disappointed in us was asking advice about how to get his own son into similar stuff. His son is now headed off to college ball next season probably with the help of that extra baseball that he initially resented.

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Posted by ClevelandDad: It is truly amazing when you look back on things and see how few actually made it past the Little League level let alone high school and beyond.

It was truly amazing going forward given the shallow meager gene pool my son swims in. My wifes family thinks my father in law looks sorta like Pete Rose, which is the extent of the talent my son inherited. His poor mom admitedly can barely walk around without tripping and falling down, and I was a slow, dim, light-hitting lefty catcher cut from the freshman team (with mandatory athletics) in that "baseball hotbed" Connecticut.

Under different circumstances my son might have been considered a stud but it seems since he was 12 he has always been surrounded by a lot of very talented kids. The team he went with to Cooperstown has 12 out 14 still playing in college and from his high school team there are currently 6 in the minor leagues and a couple others at college.

Those kind of numbers are pretty unusual so it made it dificult to tell who the stud was on those teams. They all were.

I am a little early on this as well. Son was recruited to a mid D1 for this fall.

I remember the conversation well. The 11 year old all star coach told us that our son was a developing player (i.e., not good enough to start). I actually was OK with that. The following year he was 2nd in the league in hitting and HR's (maybe 3rd). He had the 2nd most votes from his peers for the 12 year old all star team. That team went very far (one step from the LL WS). My son only played the minimum requirement. He did have a very strong arm and was on the team for pitching. As a 11 he led the team in wins (5-0) and as a 12 was the #2.5 pitcher. #2 guy was a 6'1" lefty that had control problems at times and it was felt that it would be better if my son would rescue him then the other way around. I agreed with that as well, though the lefty improved to the point where my son hardly visited the mound.

I will admit, I was very disappointed that he played so little his 12 year old year and I still do not understand why. The team was successful because of pitching, not hitting and I felt that he should have been given a chance. I held my tounge like a good parent.

13 and 14 year old Pony years he was one of the "studs", batting cleanup and was the top pitcher.

Through HS he distanced himself from most of the others with his hitting. Though he still has a very strong arm, he is done as a pitcher and will attend college as a C/RF. He still has a long way to go to be considered a true "stud".

Of those on that 12 year old team, 2 others will continue play in college (both pitchers). One of those was also a high MLB draft choice. He was very special even as a 10 year old.

i saw njbb son at a team one showcase in 03. i think my son may have been on the same team. anyway he was by far the best ss i've ever seen,moved like he was on roller skates . it was like watching the globetrotters with a baseball. we weren't surprised he was drafted the next year,the kid can play.

I remember in T-ball people surrounding the fence where we were playing because son kept diving and catching balls at first base. That was our first clue he was pretty good. As he grew older, he became a hitter as well. Now as a college-age player, he stays up there in BA and sometimes makes the leader boards in summer ball. I would say he always was the good player on the team and then college - everyone was good. He certainly had to up his level of competition. He's holding his own now. He still loves it.

Mine was good from the start. Strong arm and good bat from T-ball on. He also had a good understanding of the game. He stll holds the single game home run record at the local Little League and the single season HR record at his high school. The HS field has legit fence distances by the way.

He was recruited by 4 of the 5 service academies and VMI for football. When he couldn't get his SAT and GPA up enough and decided against the prep school route, the academy recruiting stopped and he went to a high level D-III for football. That didn't work out so he is attempting this year to revive his baseball career at a JUCO in Kansas.

In T-ball and Coach Pitch my son was good but not a real standout. His first year in Kid Pitch he played the minimum but hated it and worked so that he was starting at 3rd by the end of the season. After that he was one of the local stars of his age group in Pony until he broke his throwing hand just prior to his HS freshman season. He played sparringly as a FR and was primarily a DH as a soph. He hated the lack of field time so he worked hard to get in shape and he started and set the single season batting average and HR record for the school his JR season. He also had a perfect record pitching as a closer. His SR year he set the career HR record for the school and lead the conference in strikeouts. He lead his legion team in HRs and, I believe in batting average and doubles, this summer. He was recruited to a mid D-1 this year and has a couple of pro scouts interested in watching his progress.

The one thing I can say about him is that his work ethic was/is incredible and he never accepted not being the best player on the team or not playing.

JT, Jr always had a knack for the game (field sense)...and was one of the better players in LL...but never hit with a lot of pop. Was one of smaller players in 7th and 8th grade before he hit his growth spurt in 9th grade and passed many guys. The biggest think he has going for him now is his work ethic...where on his D3 team, allowed him to pass some players on the depth chart who did not put the work in.

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Originally posted by CPLZ:
All worked out, talked with him yesterday, he loves West Point

Isn't this all that matters? Nothing to be ashamed of there, I hope you are all very proud of him!

Great discussion


I have had the great fortune of watching two sons and a stepson play college baseball, all with varying degrees of success

All three were stars in the LL thru HS levels, I won't use the term "stud" but they were outstanding. We knew early on they had talent but they had to make it get where it should and they did

My youngest son, who perhaps had more talent than all three of the others but never had the "drive" gave up the game as a HS junior.


The memories of watching them as they developed will never evaporate---and all four are now holding great jobs and earning a nice living---one in banking, one in media, one in hotel/tourism and the youngest is a teacher