Tell me to quit worrying!

KC ...

As you requested ... QUIT WORRYING !!!!

Now, back to reality ... worrying is what we moms do best ... I believe that is the very reason that men can't reproduce by themselves !!! God understands that kids, including male children, need to hear about the world from two different perspectives. (Men and women may all be equal, but we are different !!!)

We have a close friend who had the same thing happen between his junior summer and senior fall ... big jump in velocity, big growth spurt, and the genetic benefits of being a LHP. He committed to a college in the early signing period ... a kid who was not recruited by any school before October ... but had so much projectability by his senior season that he was drafted first in the supplemental round that year. He was a young senior, also, and his mom did all the worrying that most moms will do under those circumstances. We had very interesting talks about the challenges of life in pro ball for an 18 year old, life 3000 miles away from home as a 19 year old, etc. And the wonderful news ... both he and she survived.

You will probably hear different things from different people and I do believe that in some cases the genders are biased ... tho we do have a few male posters here who would have your son opt for college. But I think that the best advice I could give would be to get some good advice (our friend sought counsel from his high school coach, who directed him to an advisor who really helped) and find out as much as you can about minor league life and how you can be a good support system. Some posters here have first hand experience with sons drafted out of high school ... BigHit15 is someone I can think of right off the bat. So you might want to send him and/or others a PM ...

Good luck to your son, no matter the result.

Ok, I'll tell you to stop worrying! Great opportunity for your son. If you raised him to make good choices, he'll do what he feels is right for him. One of my son's friends was drafted this year and is loving the experience. Gosh, we worry even when they're at college. If you read what alot of posters think, if they're a pitcher, they should probably go to the minors before the college wastes their arm so who really knows what's right. Only your son can decide what's best for him. It could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. And he's young enough that he can still go to school. My son's friend came back this past semester to finish up his schooling before the season starts up again so maybe your son could do both.

Actually, I would worry too but what an opportunity! If it happens, let him fly if that's what he wants. We only live once.

Hey KCBaseball, I think we have alot more in common that we both thought. My sons velocity was very good last year and his pitching coach said he is looking alot better this year than last year at this time. We will just see where this all takes us. Would he be interested in delaying school?

Excuse my spelling, my fingers aren't attached to my brain tonight.

I'll join the chorus, too...Do not worry!!!

Think about it this way...Your son has another option!
First off, help him to stay focused on this season of HS ball...He needs to go out & have a great time this season. Just take things "in stride", a day at a time. It will all work out.

Only 2 months between June & August, 60 days...no big deal, really.
As FBM said, it may be time to talk to an advisor. I'll be happy to recommend the one my son is using. And talk to players & parents! One Players Pop is another great source (Zach Duke's dad). I've picked his brain a few times over the years! I second the Bighit15 contact!
Shane Funk, AHSpitcher17, was drafted out of HS & posts here, too. Check the "Going Pro" forum for his contact info.

Enjoy every moment!!

KC, I love the title of your post!

I will echo the "quit worrying", but as others above, I will sympathize with you; I think most of us would be thrilled for our sons but would worry also. How great that you found a place where you can talk with the parents of others who are playing pro ball, whether drafted out of HS or college.

I think this is a great problem to have (my son is a college soph RHP and did not have the opportunity to be drafted out of HS, but is loving college baseball). But it would also be scary to anticipate your son possibly heading to minor league ball at age 18. I also recommend reading AHSpitcher17's posts in the Going Pro forum. What a great young man who has shared interesting stories of daily life in the minors!

Keep reading, keep posting, and don't be afraid to ask for support as you already did. It's wonderful that so many parents of our "alumni turned pro" come back and offer their advice and guidance.

And don't forget to share your stories of the next few months with all of us, what an exciting ride!

Julie

KC - First, I think the males in the family have their own set of worries and fears. Often they just don't verbalize it as easily as we ladies.

You've been given great advice about an advisor. You also might want to PM another mom, njbb, who's son will enter his third year in the minors and is ranked high in his system. I'm sure she can provide some wonderful guidance for you.

Another excellent mom to talk with is TxMom...She had 2 son's drafted...One went the college route, the other out of HS!
So, there's the best of both world's!!
Good luck!

Excellent advice baseballmom - I wasn't even thinking!! We have some folks with great experience around here!

You are so lucky that you have the folks on this website for information and support. I wish we had found this some years ago when we were in much the same situation. In our case, our LHP popped the radar gun above 90 in March of his senior year. He had already signed with a DI program, and we thought everything was settled. Next thing we knew, there were 15 radar guns at his next game! It was a little overwhelming! Then the phone calls started with questions like, "How much would it take for you to sign?" and "What round would we have to draft you in for you to sign?" and "Would you consider going to a junior college?" Wow -- we hadn't thought about ANY of those things. And because we were poor baseball-deprived northerners (read the thread in the General Items Forum), we hadn't been exposed to any of these issues through other players, nor had our coaches. We scrambled for advice and didn't have a lot of places we could go to find it. If we had to do it all over again, we would have 1)found an advisor (though you have to be careful about who you choose) and 2)had many more heart-to-heart talks with the pro scouts, who would have been happy to answer a lot of our questions.

Grab as much advise as you can,both from folks in this website and beyond it, and filter it as best you can, and in the end, have him make up his own mind. Enjoy the ride, if possible, and best of luck for his senior season! It will all work out!

LHPx2, So did he go into the pro's?

Not then. The scouts were "projecting" him anywhere from 3rd to 10th round (could have been hogwash --we'll never know), but they sensed his ambivilance and ended up in the 33rd round. He was redrafted (higher) out of college and signed. He told us that he is glad he didn't go out of HS due to the maturity required for dealing with pro ball and the minor league lifestyle. So he's happy with his decision. He found that those high school players drafted as high as 3rd or 4th round (he probably would have signed if he'd been drafted that high)really weren't treated as "prospects" by the pro teams, and most ended up being cut after a few years, leaving them as 24 or 25 year olds with no college education. Again, he's happy with his decision. On the other hand, if the signing bonus is good enough and you're smart about how you spend and invest it, it can be a good move even if you don't "make it" all the way to MLB...

Thanks for the response. This is the kind of information that helps more than anything, experience.

WOW!
Aren't moms great?
I posted yesterday and didn't have a chance to check back till this afternoon...my son had his four impacted wisdom teeth pulled at 10:00 this morning. Life is full of highs and lows. His lifetime goal has been to throw 90mph. Yesterday in his lesson he hit not only 90, but also 91mph. Today we sedate him and pull teeth out of his head that haven't even cleared the gums. OUCH! He's on the sofa watching (believe it or not) the Alito hearings for judicial nomination. I keep thinking it will put him to sleep any minute!
I will follow up later with all of the great advice above. We have an advisor out of a Boston agency that came here to KC and gave our family a presentation (sales pitch) over the course of two days. He keeps calling and wants us to verbally welcome him aboard. I'm beginning to think we might have to. I hesitated because one of his first questions was whether we would consider walking away from his SEC D1 commitment and going JUCO. I kind of see it as an either/or situation. Either he goes pro, or he goes to the highest level of college baseball. He's also a strong student, so if he chooses college, he needs to be committed to the 4 year degree they offer. This advisor's question made me wonder whether he was looking at our best interests, or did he want his commission sooner than following the D1 route would provide? Now that he's throwing so hard, maybe it is a June issue for this year.
Keep the advice coming. You ladies are GREAT! You know, you can't go to your baseball friends here in town since none of them are going through this. I thank you for your help.

KC, I am not a Mom so I hope you don't mind one suggestion.
Your son knows a fair amount about college and some of the things to expect. Has visited, met the team,coaches, etc. There are benchmarks he knows.
Professional ball is likely something he knows nothing about other than it being his dream. Would suggest that he learn as much about professional ball and life in the minor leagues as he can. He needs to be able to measure those outside just the $$$ that he might hear about. Understanding that he may be playing in a very small town, long busrides, the need to be independent, etc. The life of a minor leaguer can be very, very difficult and, at times, quite isolated. Knowing what I know now, if he were my son, I would try and assimilate as much information on life in the minor leagues as I could. When he is making decisions, he should be able to benchmark equally, not something he knows against a dream and $$$$. The mental aspects of minor league ball require maturity, patience, confidence, perseverance and adaptability, at a minimum. There is a huge difference between the SEC and Casper, Wyo. or Billings, Mt.

KC--I think your worries are natural, and you are dead-on with the difference between the ladies and men in the audience, who want to enjoy the ride. From being an only son, and having only a son myself, I see a very special bond between a mother and son. Very difficult for either to really let go, whereas I bet most of the dads are ready to get their sons out of their hair (I can't wait to have my wife all to myself next year at this time). Good luck, enjoy, and KEEP worrying. The moms are often the voices of reason in the midst of the insanity we call a game.

KCBaseball....infielddad knows from whence he speaks....his son graduated college and is now in the minors.....right infielddad?

JT....you said it so well....my only child, my son leaves tonight....and my husband is the only one who doesn't seem upset by this event....because he now knows, after one semester with son away......he does get more attention when it's just the two of us.....men (with the exception of my son).....

AZRed - Isn't that funny how that works! Our own sons never make that category of "men!". They have their own special column!!

arizonared, I am actually a little anxious myself right now. Just read on a message board, from a reporter with "reliable" sources, that 8 minor leaguers were just released by the BJays. Even gave the names of two players, one of whom hit .301 last year. With how little information minor league players receive, stories like that create
To be fair, mine was not anywhere near the talent of KC's son, also mine is a righty. I am not at all suggesting the route of mine is the right one. Do know a bit about the life in minor leagues, though.

infielddad - Make sure and let us know about your son. Life in the Minors is obviously not an easy one in many ways.

infielddad

Please try to mail me at Butterriles21@aol.com
My PT function is not working.

Infielddad....hope all is well....

infielddad.......I can empathize with your feelings, though I haven't experienced them first hand.......one year, though, one of my former players who had completed one year in the Reds system was with me at the ABCA Convention in Orlando when the Reds released him......at the time I think it was better that he was with us and around baseball people as opposed to being home (it was January)......within a month he was offered a contract in the Yankees system!!

Everybody in baseball (players and families, and even coaches and managers in professional organizations) has a certain lack of control over what others are going to do and/or decide.

Here's to hoping that only good things happen for all of our baseball playing 'kids'!!!!

Infield dad,
Best wishes to you and your son. Its very true what crash Davis says "you have have to play this game with fear and arrogance" Was your son given a repoprt date?? (also didnt he make the all star team last year?.)
Kc, infielddad makes very good observations on live in the minor leagues.
PS. my son played in both Billings and Casper. VERY different from the North East, But he'd like to return as a tourist some day

Got the package and report date! One more Spring training and another chance to prove he can compete. He is really excited. Roommates already set up, place to stay in Dunedin...and leaving soon to get an early start. Thanks for the positive thoughts.
njbb, I was born and raised in Mt. I happen to love to go back but it is an adjustment.

infielddad,

It really takes alot to get me in the ladies lounge but this is certainly the occasion for it. I was just going to send a PM and ask but this is truly great news. All the best to Jason!

infielddad -

Thanks for sharing the exciting news. My best to Jason as well.

infielddad,

That is wonderful news! Hurray for Jason! We will really look forward to following him this year. Please keep us updated!

infielddad - Congrats to Jason!!!! WONDERFUL news!!!!

Great news Infielddad! Hope we get to hear alot of good things from your son this seaso.

quote:

Why do mothers bear the burden of worry while the males in our family are more ready to "enjoy the ride?"

Because it ain't true!

The males may hide it better, cover it with testosterone, but we dads worry every bit as much.

Yes we want to enjoy the ride, but I promise you we miss our sons every bit as much as you do, we worry every bit as much as you do, maybe even more.

We miss playing catch with my sons, going and watching every game they play, sitting down and BS'ing with them.

We just hide it.

Infielddad.....wonderful news......good luck to Jason!

Infielddad,
Wooo hooooo! Good luck to Jason.

I find it interesting that we never stop stressing no matter what level our kids play!

Excellent!!

TPM ...

quote:

I find it interesting that we never stop stressing no matter what level our kids play!

Ain't that the truth??!!!

BigWI ....

quote:

The males may hide it better, cover it with testosterone, but we dads worry every bit as much.

I agree with you on this 100% (not that you needed my validation ) and think the reason it goes unrecognized by many of us is that dads seem to worry about different things for their kids. I am sure some may disagree, but I believe it has to do with the different roles God gave moms and dads in relation to their children.

Fan-dang-tastic. Good luck to him. Now that O-dog has been traded, perhaps he can move up the ladder a little quicker.