Should I Let Go Of My Dream?

Rulz:
First, don't let anyone tell you that it can't be done.

Second, don't worry so much about after college. You sound determined, hard working, and talented. Playing the game and working hard to get better will reward you for your whole life whether or not you ever play professionally.

There are guys drafted every year from the D3 ranks. If you can play you can play. All you can and should focus on is working to be the best you can be and playing as hard as you can play. That is all you can control and all you should worry about. Good Luck

we don't get to make the decision of how far this game take's us, that fall's on the shoulders of other's. we do get to decide how hard we work to get as far as we can,in life and baseball, etc.

i see your from nh, there have been more than a few from the granite state, make it pretty far in this game. the ones that i know, worked their tale off. some were cc,d1,d3. some are 5'8''. it's not the size of the dog in the fight ,it's the fight in the dog.

as the old saying goes, focus on what you control don't waste your time worrying about things you can't. work hard every day,you may even surprise yourself'

good luck in your goal.

the odds are long for you but no I wouldn't say give up your dream.

You can't control whether or now you'll play after college -- scouts etc. control that.

Decide the type of player you want to be (waht qualities do you want to exude? Confident, relentless, positive, "professional" - that's a way of being -, etc.) and make a commitment to be that way.

Pick a role model and act consistent with his values.

That's the only way to find out what's possible, and you'll have the most fun along the way and feel peace of mind no matter what happens.

(or, of course, don't do any of this)

Do you love the game or do you want to be drafted? If you love the game you play as long as the game lets you at whatever level the game lets you play.

You have two choices ...

1) Quit and wonder, "What if?"

2) Go as far as you can and know the answer.

Do you have to get drafted or signed to consider baseball a success?

Best thing to do do in this situation is to focus on getting a college degree. That's probably the best odds on having a successful career. You have to ask yourself what are your chances to make the majors.

About 30 of the 1800 drafted players each year come from D3. That's 1.6%. They're drafted on their tools and potential upside, not stats. A majority are pitchers. Velocity is velocity at any level of competition. Focus on your education and being the best baseball player you can be at your level. Enjoy the experience.

Of course I love the game. I wouldnt be taking the time to be asking this question or busting my balls in the weight room everyday, if I didnt. I've been playing the game ever since I was 4 years old at every level and some of my earliest memories as a kid involve baseball.

In a way, yes, I need to be drafted or signed for baseball to be a success. Obviously if I gave it my all and just didnt have what it took to make it then I could keep my head held high. It would still be a major disappointment however.Theres just something in me that believes I could make it.I've just never been given the chance to show it on a big stage.

I often hear people say that if your good enough they(scouts)will find you. To me, this couldn't be any farther from the truth. As with any thing in life, politics play a small role in it. The more connections you have and the better you know the right people, the more farther you're likely to go. I just feel like I'm one of those players that falls through the cracks and goes unnoticed.

"Of course I love the game. I wouldnt be taking the time to be asking this question or busting my balls in the weight room everyday, if I didnt. "

Good; then get off the computer and get back out on the field. If you continue to work your tail off and love the game I GAURANTEE you that you will feel your baseball career was a success... even if you never play a day past your D3 school.

best wishes and enjoy it man... you are a long time growing old.

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That's good skip!



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quote:

In a way, yes, I need to be drafted or signed for baseball to be a success.

BaseballRulz1789,

There are many who feel the way you do. Everyone has there own definition of success. However, it's still takes a one step at a time approach.

We run across lots of kids who define success as playing in high school. Others see success as playing in college. Then there are those that see success as playing professional baseball. And then there are those who measure success by getting to the Big Leagues, or even better, being a Big League Star or a regular.

Everyone one of the above successful steps is a step in the right direction. Only a very small percentage reaches the top. They make it through talent and persistence, but sometimes that's not even enough. Sometimes it actually takes some luck.

Continue to dream and work hard, but your first step to success should be playing for the team you're on. If that never happens, the odds of you ever becoming successful (by your standards) are nearly insurmountable.

The odds are against everyone. No one here can tell you it's impossible. Everyone here can tell you it is very difficult. There are thousands who gave it everything they have and didn’t get drafted or signed and if they gave it that effort they are all a success IMO.

It is all up to you. Go for it! The heck with reality, reality will ruin your dreams in a hurry. If everyone paid close attention to the percentages, there would be a lot more who would have given up early.

Best of luck

You should absolutely...


Hold On Tight To Your Dreams!

BaseballRulz1789 - you ask a fine question and my response will be to encourage you. Here is a saying that I like "A rising tide raises all boats"

How does that apply to you?

About 19 players each year get drafted out of the D3 level. One thing I have noticed is that many of the kids that do get drafted are on teams that go deep in the playoffs and often have made it to Wisconsin to compete for the national championship. You cannot control whether or not you will get drafted. You can control what type of teammate you are and you can control your own individual preperation/attitude for/during the season.

Make your sole focus your team and let everything else take care of itself. Become the leader of that team. Be the guy who wins every foot race. Be the guy who is in the best shape. Be the guy who has gained the most strength from the previous year. Be the guy who positively encourages his teammates with every fiber of his soul to be the best they can be. Be the guy who refuses to let the team lose. If the team wins, everyone else gets the credit. If the team loses, you take the responsibility without excuse. If the team needs someone to carry the water cooler, you carry it. If they need someone to shag balls in the outfiled, you do it. Don't expect anything in return. Don't feel like a martyr but like you are doing something from your heart because you know it benefits the team. Do these things and it will rub-off on people. Get 25 guys acting unselfishly like this and magical things can happen. Get magical things happening for the team and yes, magical things can happen for you.

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Outstanding Cleveland

Outstanding post!

Partner! You make the ultimate decision of how good and how far your can go. Scouts and recruiters DONT make these decisions YOU DO. If you do something extraordinary and SPECIAL you force there hand. My perfect example is GORDON BECKHAM. But Beckham would have never asked that question because he deep down in his heart knew he was a special guy. Start working your butt off and stop asking questions on a website. If you think you can play-GO PROVE IT by outworking and outhustling people.

Gordon was undrafted out of high school and was a small guy that turned HIMSELF into a first rounder. And is now a candidate for ROOKIE of the year in the big leagues.

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Ca...ca...can I...I ask you a quest... question on this web...site Mr. Rob...in...son sir?

Who is Gor...don Beckham and what tea...tea...team does he...he...play for?




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quote:

You make the ultimate decision of how good and how far your can go. Scouts and recruiters DONT make these decisions YOU DO.

I beg your pardon. Inspirational, but not reality.

There are things called recruiting and cuts the player can't control. What the player can control is maximizing his ability and getting in front of the right people. Then those people have the final say. Otherwise everyone would be playing at the highest level.

There's also timing and politics. Sometimes there are a million rea$on$ why the .250 hitter gets called up from the minors over the .300 hitter. A friend of mine got buried at AAA for the Yankees in the late 70's. The Yankees kept signing free agents. Yet the Yankees wouldn't include him in a trade because they saw him as a top prospect. Had he been included in one trade he would have been starting in the majors the next night. He got injured the next year and never saw a day in the majors.

You play the game until they take the uniform away because you love the game. If you want to go as far as possible, work real hard. And never stop working.

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quote:

Originally posted by RJM:
You play the game until they take the uniform away...

Most often they let you keep the cap.






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Ok heres another one-Buster Posey was a 50th rounder out of hs and a first rounder out of college. I said that you have to work hard enough to do extraordinary things. Dont ever give up on your dreams but you've gotta be willing to sacrifice, and work hard enough to make them a possible reality. Alot of players have dreams but never conquer the sacrifice and working hard end of it enough. If you are small-in a years time you can become a strong small guy by working out-etc. Attack your weaknesses and put the time in everyday.

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Etc.?

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quote:

About 19 players each year get drafted out of the D3 level. One thing I have noticed is that many of the kids that do get drafted are on teams that go deep in the playoffs and often have made it to Wisconsin to compete for the national championship. You cannot control whether or not you will get drafted. You can control what type of teammate you are and you can control your own individual preperation/attitude for/during the season.

Make your sole focus your team and let everything else take care of itself. Become the leader of that team. Be the guy who wins every foot race. Be the guy who is in the best shape. Be the guy who has gained the most strength from the previous year. Be the guy who positively encourages his teammates with every fiber of his soul to be the best they can be. Be the guy who refuses to let the team lose. If the team wins, everyone else gets the credit. If the team loses, you take the responsibility without excuse. If the team needs someone to carry the water cooler, you carry it. If they need someone to shag balls in the outfiled, you do it. Don't expect anything in return. Don't feel like a martyr but like you are doing something from your heart because you know it benefits the team. Do these things and it will rub-off on people. Get 25 guys acting unselfishly like this and magical things can happen. Get magical things happening for the team and yes, magical things can happen for you.

Great stuff CD...

Also good stuff in this thread...I'll add three more thoughts has not been covered...

IMO, Here are your "big breaks"...the kind that you cannot control, the kind that potentially change lives and careers...while as PG rightly says the odds are against you, IMO here has never been a more opportune time to make the effort to live your dream...

First, big article in Sports Illustrated in the last few months about the huge shift (due to the loss of steroids)from verteran players to youth and the resulting necessity to enhance and expand scouting staffs. If this is to be believed the scouting network in MLB has never been as wide or as deep.

Second, and this is my opinion alone...while genetic talent and tools most often triumph in the move up process....there has never has been a better time to seperate yourself from the pack with your work ethic, attitude, team play, habits (Some of CD's suggestions). Cool/Lazy/Ego while maybe not the norm is certainly too often the preferred personal choice everywhere I look. After watching talented player after player in our sphere believing their press, thinking they have "arrrived", and as a result squander real next-level talent through substance abuse, laziness, attitude, the blame game (politics, coaches, advisors), poor diet, lack of sleeep, lack of comittment to their own talent, grades, units, lack of real passion-action for their OWN dream and talent...and on and on. I have come to believe that old fashioned work ethic, team play, attitude, comittment, self development is quickly becoming a lost art. The old fashioned bright eyed kid willing to do anything, run everywhere, come early, stay late, ask for help, suck up knowledge, schedule extra work out's, barely exists anymore. And for that reason he really stands out, IMO, like never before. The SI article made mention of this, that more and moe teams are looking for that kind of player. I can tell you that in the 7 years we have seen more players blow up their own promising careers up with laziness and stupidity, lack of work ethic and attitude, by going sideways than we have maximize their talent levels. I have only seen a handful of kids who made the kind of full comittment. Be that player, maximize your talent. And Yes, still the odds are still heavily against you, there are against 99% of the players out there...but I can guarantee two things...by minimizing the sideways, by applying passion, by dedication you can set yourself apart, improve your chances, you can take your talent to it's logical conclusion and as other have said perhaps most importnatly you will, in the end, know.

Third...The answers to maximizing your own God given ability have never been so available...advancements in communication, in the availability of information, in training methods, in caoching, in sports science have never better. IMO there has never been a better time to get to your talent.

Fourth...This process is NOT a zero sum game....regardless of what happens someday when you set down the glove you will be a better athlete, a better person, a better employee, a better employer, a leader, a better father and husband, a better citizen and perhaps best of all an inspiration. In the end THAT is something REALLY special, and it is good for a lifetime.

Get at it. See what you can do.

44
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I love all the talk about "being all you can be", "maximizing your skills", "work harder than any others", with the idea that you won't have to say "what if...". At times I wish my son had more focus and drive.

But here is the flip side:

Lets say you dedicate your free time to working out harder than anyone else, don't play any other sports, take fewer time-consuming classes, put off having a well-rounded social life-like girlfreinds and being around parties where you have to make smart decisions.

Lets say you go to a college for baseball, beat the odds and play enough to get noticed, again beat the odds and get drafted to the majors after your junior year (with no degree), again beat the odds several levels of minor league baseball, and finally at the age of 26, you realize it is time to hang it up.

Now you are 26, with an unfinished major that was probably forced on you by the baseball team coaches, with no girlfreind, no job, a drinking problem, and wondering what should I do with the rest of my life. (I know, worst case scenario)

What if...
I had enjoyed my high school years by being more involved...
I had played all the sports I wanted to play...
I had learned to socialize with people besides athletes...
I had applied more time to getting better grades...
I had been around parties and learned when to say no...

What if...
I had persued a college major I was passionate about...
What if I had done internships or research work over the summers...
What if I had pursued a relationship in college...
What if I had graduated in 4 years with a useful degree...

There are 2 sides to this issue of when to let go of the dream. If the dream is overwhelming and the talent is there, I think a kid has to take that path of doing everything possible to reach his dream. The odds are stacked against you, even with great talent.

To cite an example of Buster Posey, or Evan Longoria, or David Eckstein is basically citing an example of a guy that overcame much greater odds than the outrageous odds that the most talented players are up against.

I'm not advocating that the OP "let go of his dream" with this post. I don't know his talent or his passion about baseball versus the rest of his life. I'm just trying to present a side that is often neglected on this "high school baseball" message board. You can be a great high school baseball player, and choose to let go of the dream, and it can be the right choice.

CD,
What a great post!!!
Being the parent of a DIII player who did get drafted, I would very much support the idea that you do not play DIII baseball with the draft as your goal.
Can it be a dream? Absolutely!
However, it is an individual reward. College baseball is not an individual effort.
College baseball, especially at the DIII level, is about relationships, about team, about sacrifice, about leadership, about getting better every day, about getting to practice early, staying late, graduating in 4 years without the level of academic support that exists at levels above, about lifting together as a team at 5:30am in early September so you are standing on a field in late May competing for a spot in the DIII CWS.
BaseballRulz, I would not give up your dream. But, I would also propose you would be better served by creating a vision of yourself as the team leader, the one who sets the example and creates the environment for his team to win the conference championship, the Regional Championship, and that slot in Appleton.
If you create, within yourself, the mind of a leader and champion, and act accordingly every day of your college baseball/college career, you may or may not get drafted. If you do this, your experience will be second to none, because you will have no regrets.
More importantly, by creating within yourself the ethic of a leader and champion, you won't stop using those talents and skills when baseball is done, and that will be long before your future is done, whether your ever get drafted or not.

Unfortunatly, many times we are taught that successes in our lives are based on a "title" you achieve, the number of zeros in your potfillio, or the way others percieve you. Too many times I feel that is nothing but "smoke-n-mirror" definitions.

BR1789, throughout the history of the game there have been thousands of players who feel as you do. Some have made it, many, many more have have fallen short for one reason or another, fair or unfair. The "tuff-love" side of me says, deal with it and don't bring me problems, bring me solutions. You have been offered many great examples, and experienced "reason-n-logic", in this thread. Because I'm a fan of the "dog", I'm rooting for you 100% as long as you don't pass blame on others if things don't work out.

When this baseball dream/journey comes to an end, good or bad, and if you look in the mirror and say I did everything I could, I would tip my hat and call your venture a success. Live your dream, give it 110%, and let the chips fall where they may.

When people like yourself chase a dream that is so hard to attain, you sometimes forget about the bounty, friends, and ideals you collected along the way. Those my friend are winnings that you use throughout life.

quote:

Lets say you go to a college for baseball, beat the odds and play enough to get noticed, again beat the odds and get drafted to the majors after your junior year (with no degree), again beat the odds several levels of minor league baseball, and finally at the age of 26, you realize it is time to hang it up.

All very legitimate questions, except for the fact that we are talking in this thread about DIII players.
The fact is most DIII players who get drafted are senior signs. Not all, but most.
Additionally, players matriculate through DIII's as students first, for the most part. The last stats that I saw for our son's school showed that those who played athletics had a higher graduation rate in 4.5 years than the student body in general, 89% to 86%.
As a result, when an injury forced our son to hang it up at age 26, he already had his degree and knew what he wanted to do with the rest of his career.

quote:

Originally posted by Ryan Robinson:
Ok heres another one-Buster Posey was a 50th rounder out of hs and a first rounder out of college. I said that you have to work hard enough to do extraordinary things. Dont ever give up on your dreams but you've gotta be willing to sacrifice, and work hard enough to make them a possible reality. Alot of players have dreams but never conquer the sacrifice and working hard end of it enough. If you are small-in a years time you can become a strong small guy by working out-etc. Attack your weaknesses and put the time in everyday.

So what you're saying is every player that works his hardest and wants it, gets it? There are plenty of parents on this board who can enlighten you on this one.

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Hey 44!


First...

Second...

Third...

Fourth...


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BaseballRulz,
Infielddad and CD both had great post and need to be listen to about their knowledge.
You and my son's case are quite alike. My son was getting hard "sniffs" as a junior in H.S. and went into his senior year with D2 and D3's looking at him, because the school he played at was not one of the best leagues no D1's would come to watch the players . Halfway through his senior year, he injured is knee and his BA. dropped from about .390 to .280 because he couldn't run. All contact from schools stopped and he thought that his baseball life was over. Three Juco's still wanted him and he choose the one that he felt would have the best chance to play at. The summer before his freshman year at college, he found out how bad his knee was damaged and had major surgery. The coach still wanted him on the team because of his leadership that he had heard about from his H.S. coaches and some of the other players. He redshirted his freshman year. He was a catcher and the JUCO coach is now working on him as a pitcher and may never catch again. He is now one of the leaders on the team because of his hard work yet may not even get as much playing time as he would like, but the players look to him because he works harder and leads by exsample. He may never play any higher than JUCO than again maybe D2 or D3 who knows but he feels that he has gotten a second chance and he his going to do his best and see what happens from there.
His battery mate and best friend in H.S. went to a different JC and was drafted after his freshman year and signed with one of the top college teams in the nation this summer. He called the other day and told my son that if my son hadn't pushed him to be better, he wouldn't have gotten to where he is. His final words of the call was "Thank You".
Don't give up your dream, but don't let your dream limit you, you never know what can happen.

Sorry this was so long and maybe somewhat off the point, but I was trying to say not to look to far down the road and sometimes you make a mark and not even know it.

quote:

So what you're saying is every player that works his hardest and wants it, gets it? There are plenty of parents on this board who can enlighten you on this one.

RJM,

C'mon, I don't think he is saying that. Maybe he is saying that the chance is zero in a million if you give up and don't work hard, but becomes one in a million with all the hard work.

Julie

Hey kid, sometimes you just got to make your own destiny by seizing the day!. If you want to play pro ball be aggressive by going into action with making that happen.

The MLB Scouting Bureau conducts many tryouts throughout the country. Here's the here web site...it's old info now, but it will be updated this winter or spring.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/officia...ut_mlb/tryout_us.jsp

Check MLB team web sites because they conduct their own tryouts. Look for Showcases where you can play and be seen by scouts.

Work outside the box and don't be defined or discouraged until you've given it your all. Use your imagination. How bad do you want it?

If you've done everything you could possibly think of and it still does not pan out, then you can look yourself in the mirror and know in your heart that you gave it your best shot. You can then hold your head high and don't ever have to think about the 'what if'.
Good luck kid.

quote:

Originally posted by MN-Mom:

quote:

So what you're saying is every player that works his hardest and wants it, gets it? There are plenty of parents on this board who can enlighten you on this one.

RJM,

C'mon, I don't think he is saying that. Maybe he is saying that the chance is zero in a million if you give up and don't work hard, but becomes one in a million with all the hard work.

Julie

I agree with Julie, and since Ryan Robinson is a professional scout (Cards I do believe) I would take into consideration what he is trying to tell you.

JMO.

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Consider it considered!




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quote:

Originally posted by rz1:
Unfortunatly, many times we are taught that successes in our lives are based on a "title" you achieve, the number of zeros in your potfillio, or the way others percieve you. Too many times I feel that is nothing but "smoke-n-mirror" definitions.

BR1789, throughout the history of the game there have been thousands of players who feel as you do. Some have made it, many, many more have have fallen short for one reason or another, fair or unfair. The "tuff-love" side of me says, deal with it and don't bring me problems, bring me solutions. You have been offered many great examples, and experienced "reason-n-logic", in this thread. Because I'm a fan of the "dog", I'm rooting for you 100% as long as you don't pass blame on others if things don't work out.

When this baseball dream/journey comes to an end, good or bad, and if you look in the mirror and say I did everything I could, I would tip my hat and call your venture a success. Live your dream, give it 110%, and let the chips fall where they may.

When people like yourself chase a dream that is so hard to attain, you sometimes forget about the bounty, friends, and ideals you collected along the way. Those my friend are winnings that you use throughout life.