PUHD,
You keep revisiting the same issue. I am assuming that you are very upset because you are under the impression that your son was told he would be the starting catcher when he transfered to D1?
If the coach told your son that he was going to be the starting catcher and that didn't happen, does that make the coach a liar? Are you saying that the coach had no intentions of ever having your son be the catcher, or that your son just didn't win the position over someone else? You do understand that many D1 coaches bring in JUCO players to challenge their #1 guy at that position, or to play out their senior year when their #1 gets drafted. They do this in the pros too, they bring in competition in spring (FA) to challenge their players to stay on top of their game. This is often done to the backup catcher, who never really gets to play much or take at bats but has won the spot of the back up guy.
Where you there when he made that statement to your son, or is that what was perceived by the large offer given?
Please take the above questions as they were intended, I (and probably) am just trying to figure out exactly why you are so unhappy. Your sons program had a great year in 2011, I can't see the coach or any coach not putting a player, regardless of position, in the lineup if he can hit. In any level of baseball a coach or manager will find a place for that player, because that is, as a hitter, the number one reason you are in the lineup, unless you are a Buster Posey type who has excellent catching skills as well as an unbelievable hitter. There are not too many gold glove guys out there. It's all about hitting.
You have mentioned that your son was converted to a pitcher this fall. On every level most catchers that can't hit with a strong arm get converted to pitchers. This happens all of the time, so I am going to assume that since your sons bat didn't find his way into the lineup than his arm did? How does that make the coach a liar?
Here, over the years, most of us give advice that if a coach tells your player that he has a definite spot coming into the program (whether from HS, or JUCO) ask a lot of questions, because you still as a player need to win that position over someone else, even if you are getting most of your college paid for by him. I believe this as the greatest source of unhappiness among players and their folks they were under the impression that they didn't have to work hard in college as they did in HS for their spot. After all, they were the best in the lineup, best on the mound, now they have to play behind someone else. They were the stud in HS, reality bites you in the rear when you get to college, no matter what level you shoot for.
As far as the statement about most of the people here are either employed by a baseball related business or sons were never lied to or first round picks, is so wrong and possibly shows just how you are unable to see things as they really are. The difference is that there are many here whose sons HAVE had a difficult time finding their way in the lineup, on the mound, difficult time with coaches, managers, they just don't come whining about it and call the coaches or mangers or organizations, liars. Their sons have found a way to get through it, or they eventually realize that the game has outgrown them and move on. No regrets and no blame placed upon anyone.
You seem to be so very disappointed that your son never had an opportunity to get drafted. You state you would have loved it to happen. Just to let you know that the catching position is very tough (probably the toughest) at the pro level. Much tougher than the college situation. You have no clue, or no idea. If you think that you are frustrated now, well again, you have no idea.
Many catchers drafted end up being converted to another position because they can hit and someone is blocking them or pitcher (ex. Jason Motte from the Cardinals) or released, if they can hit they have a job, somewhere. If this were to have happened to your son (same as college), would you have been upset as well? Definetly, yes. Would you have said the scouts lied to your son? I think yo may have.
I am just trying to get an idea as to where you are really coming from, as you as a parent (IMO) never seem to have been satisfied with your son as a player or his attitude when you first came here, and now it is all about the lying coach. Sometimes we just have to sit back and realize that our sons didn't get as far as we wanted them because either they didn't work hard enough, or that they didn't have the skills as they matured that we thought they did when they were younger. I know that sometimes it's hard for some to accept, I understand.
Your son will have his degree when he leaves college, that is and always should be the goal, if baseball were more important (playing time) he had the opportunity to go somewhere else, perhaps he accepted the opportunity not realizing how difficult the D1 level really is, or that he thought that he would get exposure for the next level. That happens all of the time, I am sure (in fact I know) that there are folks here whose sons have been in that situation, but again, they just understand how it works and their sons have taken to the challenge and still in the game. Or they have moved on because they realized that it just wasn't meant to be as they and their folks have dreamed. No bitternessi in the end.
I think you are a nice guy, try to understand that being disgruntled and bitter takes that away from your persona. I would suggest that you try to use your sons experiences in the negative, not the positive.
Coaches and scouts are not out to screw players. Yes, definetly there are some who are much more aggressive than others, you definetly have to be able to sit back and look at everything as if you are an outsider looking in, to figure out what exactly is happening. If you need help in figuring it out, we are here.
roar!, enjoy it all and best of luck to your son. Keep in mind that these visits happen to many and does not mean that he will get drafted, continue on the recruiting road, and get a strong commitment to college so your son will have options later on.