Seeking guidance

I guess it comes down to how much you value the lessons and memories created by baseball that have zero to do with recruiting for college.  We have had a lot of kids from our school be cut as freshmen, transfer to private schools and start.  If money isn't an issue, I think its valuable, and would do it if my son really loved the sport.  It seems like the signs show he is likely not a college level prospect, that said, some kids do develop late. If you are going to do, the sooner the better.  Give him a couple of years to enjoy the game, the discipline and the friendships.  I love baseball for a lot of things outside of chasing the dream.

I hate to do this but I have to answer a question with a question(ok lots).

How big is he? Does he lift? How fast does he run? Fb velo? How many pitches does he have?  And how does he do in school?

of course I could go on...

Both my boys love baseball.  One played better than the other.  When my older son went to sign up for tryouts, he saw 20 people better than him on the list and didn't even bother to sign up.  They had a winning team and if he had gone to any other high school close by, he would have played.  So he was a manager/statistics guy for the Varsity team So-Sr years.  It was a way for him to still be part of the game he loved.

It was the same for basketball for him.  He didn't make the first cut freshman year.  When he came to the car after the first day of tryouts and told me, I asked him if he wanted to manage, and if so, march right back in there right now and ask the coach.  He wound up managing the JV and V teams for 4 years which led to a basketball managing job at his ACC college.  Ironically, he won the 3-point free throw intermural contest one year in college by making 97 of 100 throws.

He loved being part of these teams, in his own way, and both of my boys loved playing rec baseball and basketball.

I guess I just wanted to point out that if his HS playing days are over, there are other ways to be part of the team.

I think kids should play the sports they want as long as they can.

I'm not familiar with TX or the HS programs out there but my guess would be if he doesn't make JV this year I would switch to rec.

I would probably give him one more crack at a club team, one that practices and specifically doesn't leave the state of TX. It would 100% be a new club team.

If your son were a "great outfielder" the coach would have kept him on the roster. Having him tryout again translates to - we don't want your son, but if nobody better shows up or numbers are down we will gladly take more of your money

You are a paying customer for travel ball, if you are not getting what you are paying for move on. The playing time alone is enough to leave, but between the tryout thing and the lying coach it's time to move on. Find a program where he can get reps and there aren't parents coaching. I know this may be an unpopular opinion but a facility team may actually be useful here, especially if he can go in and use the cages/bullpen at his disposal. But do not leave the state of Tx unless it is for work/vacation.

If his goal is to just play HS ball some coach lying about his greatness while also cutting him isn't going to do him any favors. Get him reps, have him train a bit and see where he is. If he gets cut Day 1 of HS tryouts then rec is probably the answer. If he keeps making cuts or ends up on the team then maybe it is worth putting more work in and reassessing.

@Good Knight posted:

I hate to do this but I have to answer a question with a question(ok lots).

How big is he? Does he lift? How fast does he run? Fb velo? How many pitches does he have?  And how does he do in school?

of course I could go on...

Thanks for the questions - happy to answer! He just turned 15 in July, so he's always been one of the younger ones in his class. He's 5'9 and 155lbs. Yes - he lifts or runs 3 miles every day of the week without me asking him to do it. He takes protein and even bakes items such as protein brownies. He's not a fast runner - he runs a 60-yard dash in 8.36 (as of last Dec.).

His fastball is roughly around 70 mph. He throws a 2 and 4 seam fastball, has a great curveball, and he throws a changeup.

He's great in school. 4.0 student in all honors classes. Helped me coach my daughter's Tball and 6U baseball teams before she decided soccer was her sport.

@PABaseball posted:

I think kids should play the sports they want as long as they can.

I'm not familiar with TX or the HS programs out there but my guess would be if he doesn't make JV this year I would switch to rec.

I would probably give him one more crack at a club team, one that practices and specifically doesn't leave the state of TX. It would 100% be a new club team.

If your son were a "great outfielder" the coach would have kept him on the roster. Having him tryout again translates to - we don't want your son, but if nobody better shows up or numbers are down we will gladly take more of your money

You are a paying customer for travel ball, if you are not getting what you are paying for move on. The playing time alone is enough to leave, but between the tryout thing and the lying coach it's time to move on. Find a program where he can get reps and there aren't parents coaching. I know this may be an unpopular opinion but a facility team may actually be useful here, especially if he can go in and use the cages/bullpen at his disposal. But do not leave the state of Tx unless it is for work/vacation.

If his goal is to just play HS ball some coach lying about his greatness while also cutting him isn't going to do him any favors. Get him reps, have him train a bit and see where he is. If he gets cut Day 1 of HS tryouts then rec is probably the answer. If he keeps making cuts or ends up on the team then maybe it is worth putting more work in and reassessing.

Thank you for this - much appreciated.

The problem with many of the Select teams at 15U is that they don't practice, or, the practices are "optional".

The automatic assumption is that with the boys being in their high school programs, they either can't/don't practice with their Select teams on top of high school practices. HS tryouts for baseball are in mid-January here, and his high school's baseball team is really. They went to the state championship in June.

I agree with the assessment the coach made about my son. He is an over-thinker and needs more confidence to be a better player. However, did that warrant cutting him or making him try out again? Compared to the rest of the team - no. If I were coaching the team and considering the coach's comments, I would've made all but two of the players try out again.

To add to that - they used him almost exclusively in RF or occasional pitching. It wasn't until I spoke to the coach towards the end of the season that he even knew he also plays 3rd, SS, and 2nd.

First, learn to walk away from the non issues that don’t matter and you can’t control. It doesn’t matter what age he started playing baseball and what age he started playing travel. What matters is “How good is he now?” It doesn’t matter if he’s young for his grade. All that matters is, “What grade is he in?” My son was 5’4” 120 with a May birthday in 8th grade. He was 5’11” 135 (skinny) freshman year. Thinking about this stuff only creates mental obstacles.

Your son is not going to be asked to return to his travel team unless they don’t find someone better.  He’s not going to get more playing time unless he improves dramatically by next summer if he makes the team.

It’s unlikely your son is going on to play major conference college ball or pro ball. Only switch schools if he’s in the wrong school academically. The grass may not be greener on the other side of the fence.

His throwing velocity and foot speed are below average. Rec ball does stink in many parts of the country. But he should find a place to play where he gets on the field on a regular basis. He can’t improve sitting in the bench. He can’t have fun sitting on the bench. No one ever yelled, “Watch ball!” at the start of a game.

The taking a short lead example demonstrates he’s not comfortable with his ability. He needs more confidence. Confidence comes with success. Chances are it’s not going to happen with his current travel team.

There’s nothing wrong with being a great student. It’s his future. As the fans chant at Harvard sporting events against non Ivy competition … “You may be beating us now. But, you’ll be working for us later.”

By the way, the coach is blowing smoke up someone’s rear. A kid running an 8+ second sixty isn’t a great outfielder. He’s slow. His range is limited. He’s also too slow to play middle infield. With your comments about his hesitancy in the bases I’m guessing he’s also not quick reacting in the field. He has to learn to react rather than think.

The net of it: Your son needs to work on getting bigger, faster, stronger more talented and more confident. He should give travel on the right team where he can get regular playing time another year. The game (talent evaluators) will decide where and how far he will go in the game. At some point he will have to decide if he enjoys playing where his abilities allow.

Good luck.

I have lived in Texas for over 50 years and have been involved in baseball for all but a few of those years. I understand the baseball landscape very well - especially at the 6A level. I know who played in the 6A state championship game in June. So I am going to be very blunt about telling you the truth. Your son will not get another opportunity to play baseball at his current HS. If playing HS baseball is important to him your only solution is changing schools. The private school route would be the most realistic based on all you have said.

Welcome to hsbbw, and I feel your pain. A similar thing happened to my nephew. His parents were upset that the choice was non-competitive rec league or too-into-themselves travel teams.  He moved on and is developing a competitive, but non-athletic, interest.

That said, often those are the choices.  With travel teams, you don't really know what's going on.  Maybe they have a couple of other kids (better kids?  friends of theirs?  who knows) they want to bring in, and that's why they are cutting only a few.  Maybe they want the team to be about college recruiting, and they don't see that for your son.  Maybe they felt guilty about taking your money and not playing your son.  You can second-guess it forever.

But from all you have said, this team is no longer viable, so if he wants to keep playing, you'll have to find another team.  I agree with PABaseball, going to Georgia is supposedly about college recruiting, although for 95% of players it's not actually necessary.  So you need a local team.

In our area (not Texas) there were some local travel teams that were set up just for fun - the coaches' sons didn't make the high school teams (which were not nearly as competitive as yours), but the dads wanted their sons doing something outdoors in the summer. They played in-state travel tournaments and mostly lost by a lot, but it was "more competitive" baseball, and a lot cheaper.  Maybe some Texas posters can say whether these exist down there.

Changing schools seems like a last resort, unless you are unhappy with the school for other reasons.

@RJM posted:

By the way, the coach is blowing smoke up someone’s rear. A kid running an 8+ second sixty isn’t a great outfielder. He slow. His range is limited. He’s also too slow to play middle infield. With your comments about his hesitancy in the bases I’m guessing he’s also not quick reacting in the field. He has to learn to react rather than think.

The net of it: Your son needs to work on getting bigger, faster, stronger more talented and more confident. He should give travel on the right team where he can get regular playing time another year. The game (talent evaluators) will decide where and how far he will go in the game. At some point he will have to decide if he enjoys playing where his abilities allow.

Good luck.

Thank you for your comments and I agree. He's been consistently working on getting physically stronger.

What would you suggest he do to get faster? His sights are set on cross country, but I would think Track, where he's forced to run shorter distances at greater speeds, would be the better option.

@adbono posted:

I have lived in Texas for over 50 years and have been involved in baseball for all but a few of those years. I understand the baseball landscape very well - especially at the 6A level. I know who played in the 6A state championship game in June. So I am going to be very blunt about telling you the truth. Your son will not get another opportunity to play baseball at his current HS. If playing HS baseball is important to him your only solution is changing schools. The private school route would be the most realistic based on all you have said.

Completely agree, though I haven't told my son that.

@PABaseball posted:

But do not leave the state of Tx unless it is for work/vacation.

This was solid advice, but also made me laugh out loud.

It sounds like you have a smart, hard working kid.

He must be aware his measurables are below average. And probably way below average at his school. If he's serious about continuing playing that needs to be the focus.

If you want to spend any more money on baseball I would do it on a trainer and lessons before paying for any more travel ball.

Or just play rec and enjoy the game!

@Slider11 posted:

Thank you for your comments and I agree. He's been consistently working on getting physically stronger.

What would you suggest he do to get faster? His sights are set on cross country, but I would think Track, where he's forced to run shorter distances at greater speeds, would be the better option.

Cross country might make his legs stronger. But he can do that with weights. Baseball is about burst. It’s about the first step. It’s about ninety to one hundred-eighty feet.

Both my kids were fast relative to age from the beginning. But, my daughter (softball) ran awkwardly after quickly growing from 5’2” to 5’10”. I sent her to speed camp at a nearby university known for it’s track program. They got her running properly and sprinting at optimum speed.

My son didn’t go through an awkward stage. But I sent him to specialty training geared towards optimizing his sixty time. But this was because he was a college prospect. Your son needs to improve speed and reaction.

My kids attended a large classification high school in a large state. The coaches typically are very aware of what they have coming up from JV. The best freshman skip the freshman team if it’s allowed. There’s also a good chance the coach knows who is entering the high school from middle school. Once a kid stumbles on the ladder to varsity it takes incredible improvement to get noticed again.

@Slider11 posted:

Thank you for your comments and I agree. He's been consistently working on getting physically stronger.

What would you suggest he do to get faster? His sights are set on cross country, but I would think Track, where he's forced to run shorter distances at greater speeds, would be the better option.

I'd recommend stop the distance running and focus on speed and agility. You'll never make an 8+ runner a sub-7 runner, but you can make him more athletic. I'd recommend finding a good speed/agility trainer or buy a bunch of the stuff on Amazon and watch some videos. You can do most of it at home.

Check out The Athletic Factory on Facebook or Instagram. This is a great example of a place that will make him faster and quicker.

If he wants BB in his life and you have the resources, enroll him in a private school that he will play in. Keep his grades up and with his training he can look for HA D3 opportunities.

So I was a sprinter, but I also ran XC in HS. Let me just say that I weighed 20lbs more during track than I did during XC...and I am a petite female. I can imagine this weight difference would be much more significant for an average sized male. That's great that your son runs on his own, but he definitely needs to cut the endurance runs and train specifically for sprint speed. There are lots of really great YouTube videos that explain good sprinting form and drills on how to get there. You would be amazed at how much time you can drop, when proper running technique is implemented.

Personally, I would find a completely new team, but not move/change schools. Ideally find one where he is in the middle, so he's not the best or worst. More than anything find him a coach/program that emphasizes repetition/practice. There's too much dead time in games...practices are way more efficient use of your time.

"After the call, I told my son about it and I believe he's still interested in trying out with them again. The problem is at his high school - he tried enrolling in the baseball program again, and they told him and other boys that didn't make the team that they have too many incoming freshmen. Sophomores that don't make the team and can't enroll in the program because they need the space for the freshmen."

Interesting approach from the coach.   Does this mean he won't be allowed to try out again or just that he won't be placed in the baseball class until he succeeds in making the program through the tryout process?

While I agree with others that have replied that he is not likely to make the HS program in the future it surprises me if he would not be allowed to tryout every year if he chooses to.  My sons played at one of the most successful and cutthroat HS programs in Texas and while you weren't allowed to be part of the baseball class until you made one of the teams, players who did not make the program one year were allowed to try out every year until they chose not to.  There have been players in the program who were cut following the FR and Soph year tryouts that made the varsity as JRs and those kids earned a heck of a lot of respect from their peers. 

One of my favorite examples to give people about how much can change in a year or two is of a player one of my sons grew up with.  While the player  made the HS  program as a freshman because the HS baseball coach knew some of the family history (older brother was a late bloomer) from a different sport.... the premier club team in the area did not offer him a spot on one of their 3 15U teams because of his 7.80ish 60 time and incredibly weak arm....his 60 time 2 years later at the AC tryout was in the 6.4 range and this kid later had ~300 ABs at one Big 12 school and will continue his career this next year at a different Big 12 school while he continues his prep for medical school...

the most accurate statement ever uttered about baseball-- "you think you know but you don't"

Hope your son keeps working and trying....

@Slider11 posted:

he runs a 60-yard dash in 8.36 (as of last Dec.

Concentrate on pitching. Some kids mature late mentally.

As for the "he'll never play here", he'll play where his talent and work ethic take him. If he doesn't play an inning in between and shows up his sr year throwing 93 with control and off-speed, he'll play.

@LaunchAngle posted:

"After the call, I told my son about it and I believe he's still interested in trying out with them again. The problem is at his high school - he tried enrolling in the baseball program again, and they told him and other boys that didn't make the team that they have too many incoming freshmen. Sophomores that don't make the team and can't enroll in the program because they need the space for the freshmen."

Interesting approach from the coach.   Does this mean he won't be allowed to try out again or just that he won't be placed in the baseball class until he succeeds in making the program through the tryout process?

He can try out for the team again in January, he's just not allowed to enroll in the class and put in the extra work at school. I believe the coach did tell the kids that didn't make the team last year that they wouldn't be allowed to enroll again if they didn't make the team as freshmen.

Sometimes a kid is in it because he thinks that's what his dad wants.  One of my sons played ball because that's what boys in our family did growing up.  When he started high school he said "Dad, would it be ok if I ran track instead of baseball?".  Shame on me, I never knew he didn't like baseball or that most of his best friends ran track.

@Smitty28 posted:

Sometimes a kid is in it because he thinks that's what his dad wants.

That’s a good call out. I’ve had that discussion with him, and told him I’m proud of him no matter what he wants to do. I’ve told him that it’s his experience, not mine, and I’ll support him with whatever he wants to do.

I agree that sometimes the high school coaches choose the players they have been seeing do well since little league; the problem is that many of those players are not recruited by college coaches for lots of different reasons, including academics.  My son was not a great player at 15, but he kept at it, still played other sports, then grew 10 inches, got some pitching lessons, and was a lot better by the time he was 17.  He was not a fantastic prospect even then, but his high grades made him attractive to HA schools by the summer before senior year and in one recorded outing his FB hit 90. He ended up with exactly two college offers, and he was thrilled. He was a weekend starter by the time he was a sophomore in college.  But at 15 he was still stinking it up at 3rd base in his summer league, learning how to play the game.  So, I think maybe your son is too young to give up a sport as difficult as baseball at 15. I agree with Slider11; concentrate on pitching.  Maybe next year he'll have a better feel what his potential might be. 

Lots of good advice here from others who know what they are talking about.    Here is my $0.01 contribution.  It is great your son loves the game so much even when faced with obstacles.  I've spoken with D1 players who rarely played in games yet they love the teammates, friendship and practicing.  It gave them a sense of identity and value.  I'm in no way questioning your son's desires but some kids just don't have it no matter how hard they train or try.  I would definitely encourage your son to find a team where he can actually play consistently, he will enjoy the game much more.  Not that this may apply but some kids with self esteem issues - classmates or teammates may make it difficult when you play on a lower level and ridicule you for it, thus you want to play with and against the best and you are part of the best.  Whether or not if your son plays on the field it is an excellent opportunity for some family, father/son time.  A time to share common interest, show support, show love.  He will soon be out of high school and an adult so value these limited days ahead.

During the game is not the time when a player should be taking the time to contemplate what to do next, it should come naturally and the correct choice will be how you react instantaneously.  Your son appears to be an excellent student academically, he should also learn the game of baseball by becoming a student.  If you can find an instructor who not only works on mechanics but also teaches learning and understanding the game itself, it might help tremendously.  My son got to where he is at today by understanding the game better than many other players.  My son definitely has some talent, but he is of average height/weight, isn't blessed with exceptional coordination, talent, speed or has heredity on his side.  However, when he combines his knowledge of the game, his talent, his work ethics, fundamentals and desires it gives him a better advantage.

As a parent it can get frustrating when things don't work out the way you envision it.  You support and love your son which is great.  If your son really loves the game then share that love with him regardless of the outcome.  These times when it is most difficult or even failures can be the fond memories you will recall 20 years from now as a bonding opportunity with your son.  Best of luck.

• Do I bother having him try out for this team again or find another?  If he truly enjoys it, find another team.  Others have said it, but he isn’t valued on his current team.  Its important for him to get quality reps and not just be parked in RF.  By his age, most kids have found their general game time position(s).  That doesn’t mean he can’t break out of RF, but without the reps, he won’t.  You’re most likely in a major metro area with tons of options.   It takes some research to sift through the BS and find the right fit.  Training outside of the team practices is highly recommended too.  If you’re in the Houston area, I’d be happy to share some knowledge with you.  
  
  

on a similar note: I was recently asked by another parent if I thought a kid would make a HS team   Kid is heavy, slow, not a huge arm.  My response:  who knows?  he’s 14 and doesn’t  look like he’s hit any growth spurt.  Could be a beast in the near future.  You just never know.    

@TexasLefty posted:

On a similar note: I was recently asked by another parent if I thought a kid would make a HS team   Kid is heavy, slow, not a huge arm.  My response:  who knows?  he’s 14 and doesn’t  look like he’s hit any growth spurt.  Could be a beast in the near future.  You just never know.    

This reminds me of an exchange I witnessed. Our town had summer sports camps in the park for 7-12 year olds. My kids did them all more for fun than skills development. They were run by quality people. There were just too many kids to get quality reps. My kids enjoyed being instructed by college players in various sports.

I was approached by the D1 coach running the baseball clinic. He commented my son (at the time) had mature skills and instincts for a preteen. We had a short chat. I told him I had played D1 and was currently coaching 18u Gold softball for a program he was familiar. My teen daughter had already committed.

So, the coach knew of me when I observed the following conversation. I knew the parent. The kid was from our LL. The kid was not very talented. The parent was willing to leave no dollar unspent to make the kid a baseball player. Keep in mind these are preteen kids …

Parent to D1 coach: Do you think my son has the potential to become a college baseball player?

Classic, noncommittal response by coach: (What the coach didn’t want to say was “Stop sending your son to my camp. You’re wasting money. He sucks.”)

If he keeps working hard at the game there’s no telling how far he will go.

I was within earshot. I passed Pepsi up my nose with that response. It was to avoid laughing out loud. It’s one of the great noncommittal, “keep spending your money on my camp” comments I’ve ever heard. The coach looked at me and smiled as Pepsi ran from my nose.

We often talk here about hearing what is actually said by coaches rather than what you want to believe he’s saying. The parent went back to LL telling other parents the D1 coach of the camps said his kid has a future in college baseball.

Epilogue: The kid never made LL all stars or the middle school team.

Slider,

6A baseball is super competitive at the good programs, and it sounds like you are in one of those schools. I’ve seen the heartbreak with close friends when their son was cut. It’s hard.

My view here is that you have about five months for your son to demonstrate significant improvement in his game at the tryouts in January. This year’s JV tryout is really his last chance to play HS baseball. If it were my son, I would recommend that he focus on one specific area of the game that he feels will get him noticed in tryouts: either pitching velocity or hitting for power. But not both. Either PO or position player. It should be his decision.

Then get lessons with a qualified private instructor who can help him improve. And of course he needs to be in the weight room as much as possible.

@Texas posted:

My view here is that you have about five months for your son to demonstrate significant improvement in his game at the tryouts in January. This year’s JV tryout is really his last chance to play HS baseball. If it were my son, I would recommend that he focus on one specific area of the game that he feels will get him noticed in tryouts: either pitching velocity or hitting for power. But not both. Either PO or position player. It should be his decision.

Then get lessons with a qualified private instructor who can help him improve. And of course he needs to be in the weight room as much as possible.

sound advice.  

Slider, I have a few comments.  I suspect baseball in Texas is a lot like baseball in Georgia, especially in parts of the state that have a concentration of talent and baseball resources.  In our part of Georgia, for those kids who are decent but not great ball players and who are zoned for a baseball powerhouse high school where they won't make the team, there are alternative high school teams at the bigger travel organizations.  Is there something like that in your area?  This way your son would continue to get practice and playing time so he could improve without having to move schools.  I have seen kids (more than one) who could not make my son's high school team play for one of these high school alternative teams and ultimately get recruited to play in college!

I agree with others here that your son's measurables are not NOW where they will need to be to be recruited to play college ball.  BUT . . . he is only a rising sophomore!  And I HAVE seen kids who started out high school with a 8.0 sixty or an 79 FB, train and work hard for a couple of years (and let puberty do its thing too) and turn themselves into a 6.9 sixty runner or a 88 FB pitcher.  If I had placed a bet when they were 14/15, I would have put all my money on them not playing in college.  And I would have lost that bet!

Your son sounds like he is committed.  That says a lot about him, especially given his confidence issues.  (BTW, those can be worked on too!)  With a 4.0 gpa (and a commensurate SAT/ACT score) a kid with decent measurables can get looks from DIII coaches.  There are others on here who can tell what your son would need to shoot for.  But, there are many DIII baseball schools, and they have to fill their rosters, too.  And they recruit later, which gives the late-bloomers a better chance.  If your son dreams of playing college ball, he needs to work hard, play as much as he can, improve his measurables, and keep his grades high.  It may not work out for him, but I wouldn't be the one to shoot down his dreams.  You never know.

There is a lot of terrific advice here. We are also in Texas (San Antonio) and we played at a 3A school. I don't know how the 6A schools operate but in order for my son to excel we had to partially take him out of the HS program.

Weight Training: Our HS Weight Training program was geared towards Football and Power Lifting. They did no exercises/work for the throwing sports. Not even simple arm care. We had to pay for a trainer that focused on rotational power and building speed. We then moved him into a structured baseball specific training program in a group setting. He got the basic movements from the one on one training and that set him up for success in the group training.

Select/Travel: In my opinion travel baseball is a joke. If your kid is not a blue chip/top 10-20% in the nation then It is a money grab. We played for an expensive team one year. We then moved him to a low cost (50 bucks a month) team so that he could play and we could afford other opportunities (training, training , training). We only played in local tournaments, and he focused on whatever his private coaches told him to work on. Some of the coaches were dads but we were only there to get game experience and because of the low cost they had several teams in the same age divisions so there were plenty of playing opportunities.

Position: Pick one position and focus on it. Find a good positional instructor that he gets along well with and do what he says. If it is pitching that he chooses he needs to build those muscles, hand strength, forearm strength, flexibility. Gains can be made quite quickly just in improved flexibility. With 5 months to train before Tryouts he can get in 40 bullpens. Pick whichever fastball has the most movement 2 seam or 4 seam, and changeup. Focus on those two pitches 80% of his throws, Pick one more pitch to just barely work on for the other 20%.

Does your son have the "baseball" look? My son went to many showcases and college camps where they wrote him off because he is only 5'9" and his throwing velocity from behind the plate was 82 (He is a catcher). In many instances he had the lowest pop time both in games and in drills however he just didn't "look" fast. Trying to read the baseball tea leaves can be difficult especially in Texas. Either way as others have said he should try to find a way to stay connected even if it means managing. Also, he can try out and if he doesn't make it he can continue to work for next year. Kids can make terrific strides.

Thanks everyone for your time and advice. I really appreciate it!