Taking time off baseball after high school to work on my game?

If people only knew how hard it is to play professional ball they would never make comparisons.
And why does everyone hitting  85 think they will reach 90?
Entering pro ball at 24 with little or no experience equates to complex league ball...with 18,19 year olds mainly from latin america.  Seeing how you have set standards for yourself, I doubtnyou would be very happy.

Fly ...

 

Everyone here is telling you not to follow your plan. Everyone here is or has been heavily involved in the game. Among those telling you "don't do it" are parents of college players, parents of pro players and a pro scout. Why do you believe you are right when you don't have the experience? How many players do you know who followed your two year plan out of high school? Even if you hit 90 you're a risk from not playing for two years. Every D1 recruit hits 90. You won't be special, just older and less experienced which equals higher risk for the coach.

You've met teenagers before, yes?

I've observed an interesting phenomenon. As my kids (26 & 21) get older and mature I've become smarter. Twelve years ago my daughter was a talking doll. Pull her cord to hear her say, "Oh (with angst), you just don't understand." There isnt bigger drama than a 14yo girl. My son was an eye roller. His eyes said, "Whatever" (with sarcasm).

Fly; your a pitcher?

 

"True Story" Willie Mays in an All Star game faced Luis Arroyo, a little LHP and on a 3-1 count he threw Willie a change up. Willie hit the ball deep into the LF seats.

 

10 years later he is facing Luis Arroyo again and on a 3-1 count he throws Willie a "change up". Guess where it landed?

 

"You learn by playing the game, not talking the game".

Hitters have a long memory and so do pitchers.

Bob

"Founder of the Area Code games and Goodwill Series International"

FlyEmirates,

 

Is it fair to say you lack some confidence? Players do develop at different times.  Some early on, some in college.  Throwing 90 or better isn't something all pitchers reach at the same age.  The smaller colleges and Jucos have many 90 mph guys that threw mid 80s in high school.  They just developed later on by playing and learning.

 

I think what people here are telling you is you don't need to take years off in order to get better.  Most people get better by actually playing the game.  If I were you and baseball was that important, I would be looking for colleges that have a track record of developing pitchers.

 

Swampboy,

 

I find myself usually agreeing with your opinions. However, one small thing... NAIA is not necessarily a step down from DII or DIII. In fact, there are some NAIA teams that would be middle of the pack or better in DI. And yes, some NAIA schools would be a step down. Also some of the better scholarship deals are offered at NAIA schools. Just wanted to clear that up because it seems people sometimes look down their nose at the NAIA. The last NAIA team I coached had a roster that included two future MLB pitchers, An outfielder that made it to AAA, a catcher and a shortstop that signed pro contracts and none of those guys was our best pitcher or player. At the time there were three DI colleges in our state, none of which could even come close in talent.

PGStaff, 

 

Point taken.  I shouldn't have used the phrase "drop down" because it distracts from my point, which is that the normal choice for a ballplayer at a crossroads in his college career is to make a move that lets him stay on the field even in the face of ever narrowing options.  

 

I was referring to players who start out at a D1 and for whatever reason--grades, injury, competition, maturity--don't get playing time.  They often choose D2/D3 over transferring to another D1 and sitting out because they know they need to play to keep the dream alive.  When NCAA options run out, a fair number find they can keep playing if they switch to an NAIA school.  It's not an up or down move--it's an "I gotta keep playing somewhere" move.

 

And I was contrasting that thirst to play with the OP's assumption that he can spend a year not being part of a program and get closer to his baseball goals. 

 

I definitely wasn't trying to re-ignite the debate over how divisions and organizations compare.

 

Regards, 

S