Thought I'd take a break

quote:

Originally posted by 2013 Dad:
I am so sorry. However, if your son loves to play, he should keep playing. Perhaps he can catch on with a summer team and be seen. Send letters out, etc. I wish him the best of luck.

2013 Dad - Not sure if you missed this part but the player is in the fall of his senior year of college - there are not many options available for summer play after you have ended your collegiate eligibility.

Cheapseats,

Thanks for clarifying. I misread. I was thinking senior in high school.

I had not posted when i first saw this a few days ago because I didn't know what to say .... just thinking of you iheart and your boy. I hope all is well and... see I still don't know what to say.
Blessings to you all

iheart:

I'm very sorry to hear the news. Life is definitely tough at times -- more times than it ought to be. I am sure your son will learn some valuable lessons and will have great memories of better times in baseball.

I am so sorry to hear this. Heart aches.

Oh my goodness, aren't you hsbbwebsters the best support in our vast, yet cozy cyberworld!
Yes, you are!
I am not so sure I can put into words how much your posts of encouragment and understanding have meant to me.
As you all know son was cut from his team as a collegiate senior. What hurt so much was the way it all happened. Just a note taped onto a door. Names listed, you have been cut.
Son had been there three years, no face to face, just his name printed on a list from a pc.
I wanted to post this experience as just one more bit of information for those starting out, how things might end, and what to expect, we did not expect this.

He is a good guy, a great player, and his team mates are going to miss him.

He will be fine, always has a smile on his face.
After the spring semester, he will be just 6 units short of graduation, with the class cuts out here in Cali, and being a fulltime student/athlete, I'm da-mm proud, and he is too.

Taking the high road.......
Thanks so much to you all for your kind words.

iheartbb

iheartbb - fixed your post so that **** proud of him showed up as da-mn proud of him! I am pretty sure that is what you meant.

Your son is obviously more than a good guy - he is a great guy! Scott Boras - the multi-millionare agent has always said the best piece of information he ever put in his resume was that he was a college baseball player. Few get to play in high school let alone the level your son has excelled at. Encourage him to keep his love for the game and God bless him and your family in the future.

Thanks CD, always got our backs.

Besides cutting a senior after the fall semester
the way in which your son was cut (by note) is so cowardly, rude, and sure doesn't seem like the coaches have very good rapport with their players. Hard to believe that after coaching a kid 3 years they didn't have the class to talk to him in person. That is just mind boggling to me.

Again, my sympathies. Hopefully you and your son will manage to "make lemons out of lemonade" with this crumby situation.

Thanks CABB,
I agree, no class.

I'm very sorry that this went down like it did! It sounds like your son is a great kid, he's taking the high road and will be fine. There is no doubt in my mind after reading your posts that his attitude is directly related to how you've raised him. Best of luck to your son, and kudos to you for being an excellent parent!

bsbl247,
Thank you for your positive support.
Appreciate what you said.
Best Wishes to you and your family.


iheartbb

.

For iheartbb's son. Reflecting on what CaBB said...

When confronted with any situation where you know in your heart and mind that you have travelled the high road, done everything that was expected of you, and done so with a good attitude and a cooperative spirit, then it is perfectly reasonable to look back after being mistreated and know that the problem is squarely on the other side.

Is it fair? No. If the roles had been reversed the situation would have been handled much, much differently. A player, such as yourself, may have had to be let go. Or perhaps not. The trouble with your situation is that you just don't know. And that is not fair, but that is the reality. You, on the other hand, would have handled this completely differently. If you had been in charge, and the same decision had been made, then the player involved would have certainly been disappointed, but you would have sent him forward with full knowledge of what had occurred. It's called telling the truth. It hurts sometimes, but it can't be denied. Your player would have respected you.

Your experience with this coach has provided you a valuable lesson that will ultimately serve you quite well as you move forward in life. And who benefits the most? Those who will benefit the most will be all of the thousands and thousands of people that you will encounter on all levels throughout your life. After their encounter with you they will know they were treated fairly. They will respect you. They will learn from you. You will have made a difference in this tough old world. You will have made it a better place.

It really is too bad that your coach, who most probably was treated unfairly at some point in his past, did not learn from his experience. If he had, you would have known it. And been respectful of his decision. I know you won't make his mistake. Hopefully he can change, but for now he is saddled with his poor way of doing things. And, unfortunately, so are the thousands and thousands who cross his path.

Conversely, if I'm ever one of those thousands and thousands who have the pleasure of crossing your path I'll know you're one of the good guys. One of those very, very valuable good guys. One who is making our world better. Earn respect. Go forward bringing your best. It is what we need.

And of course this whole ordeal reminds me of a song. One of my favorites. Pay attention to the refrain...the rest is kinda' mushy.

Sing it Clint!

More to the point...think: "Leaving here the better man."





.

Iheartbb,

My first thought reading all this was "ouch". I truly feel for your son and you, made all the worse by the classless way it was handled.

Almost all coaches as part of their day to day speeches/talks discuss integrity, pride, hard work, class, etc., but unfortunately, all don't practice what they preach. It would have take no effort for the head coach to man up and at least have the guts to talk to your son, one on one. I've seen a similar situation where the coach called the player in, explained it all, and offered to let the senior continue with the team in a coaching/mentoring type role to the younger guys. Your son's head coach's methodology was just purely gutless. My older son faced an only slightly related dilemma as a little used senior when they made the NCAA regionals with a roster size limit. The head coach made him an assistant coach, and to the tournament he went. I thought that was just classy.

It won't ease the pain now, but the college baseball on the resume will surely help in the real world. I've always read good things about your son-you have tons of reasons to be proud. I can't say the same for the head coach's dad.

IHeartBB - Thank you for posting this. As a father of a young ballplayer, it will go into my "gestalt" as we move forward.

Observer44- great post. I am one of those guys who tries to overprepare for the inevitable. Assuming health and all that has to happen (if it is meant to happen), I have figured that when my boy is done one day, be it after high school or college, I will move on to looking forward to him (not to mention his sisters) having kids and helping them develop in their sport or art - my grandkids. All this may sound naive and may very well not happen for some reason. I just wondered if somthing like this helped you move past "the end".

IHeartBB--I had to post again after I read the heartless way your son's being cut was handled. This was totally classless. While I don't like the idea of cutting a senior who has given his heart and soul to the program, it was the way it was communicated to your son that truly shows what kind of man the coach is. Your son may forgive him but there's always going to be a little bit of hurt there. You did right in coming on here to tell us this because believe me we all have empathy as we all know this day is coming for all of us. I've been thinking about this now for the last few days and wonder how I'll handle it when the day comes. Anyway, I think you found a group of people here who know what you are feeling and truly wish you and your son the best!

quote:

Just a note taped onto a door. Names listed, you have been cut.

Just a note taped to a door.

What a shame. Taping a note to a door has less to do with your son than it has to do with the character of the HC.

Tell you a story.... My son's first catching coach was an amazing hs catcher.... all everything. Went to college.. got drafted as a junior.. went Milb, played his heart out to the best of his ability. Not a huge bonus guy but totally solid.

One day he got the note taped to his minor league locker (AAA). You are out. A lifetime of dedication and love of a sport and no consideration by the HC other than the HC showing that he was not man enough to deliver this news face to face.

Matt left, moved on with his life... Finished his degree, is now a hs economics teacher, varsity coach, married, baby.. all good.

He loved every bit of his playing career. Still loves the game. The only negative thing I have ever heard him say is that he deserved a personal "thanks, but it is over".

His dismissal minimized him.

That was not "on him".. it was "on" the lack of character of the person who was paid to deliver the news (who lacked the courage to face his conviction/or someone elses). The HC is who was minimal in character. Shamefully lacking. Really.

Iheartbb, I am not only sorry for you and your son.. I am sorry for the HC and his lack of character. (And, next time you think of him.. visualize him in a 5 year old's frilly pink dress because that what he is..)


As a side note, I encourage all parents and players when you all are taking lessons, on teams, in front of former professionals (mlb/milb) ask them their story. Every time my son and I ask - they tell.. They are so honest. No sugar. It is tough. They will all tell you the wonderful side (like CD's boy playing Winter Ball with bad weather and beautiful girls/ hitting great and then missing home.) They will also tell you the hurdle they jumped, what the stumbling block was, who was straight up, who walked sideways, .. good luck, bad luck, what went right/wrong and where it furthered and where it ended.

Iheartbb, I anticipate that your son will take every lesson (good and bad) learned and it will make him even more successful in his post playing life as a result. (I hope that for all our boys.)

I'll be the one to say this....

Take the low road and tell us the school and head coach so ALL will know what a coward he is. I can NOT believe this tactless and spineless method to do that to a player who gave his blood, sweat, and tears for 3yrs to him.

Ok...now that I've got that out. Taking the high road is the admirable way so I know you won't tell us. But still.....

quote:

Ok...now that I've got that out. Taking the high road is the admirable way so I know you won't tell us. But still.....

That is sooooo how I think!

There is such a thing called "Karma"..iheartbb you and your son are on the good end of the stick!

Iheartbb, I am so sorry for what you and your son have been through.

It amazes me that Coaches feel like they can treat players like they do. If their AD posted a note on their door saying they were done they would be upset and demand a meeting.

Don't they see it is about deal with human beings and that it is not just "doing business". I do believe in the karma thing but even more I believe in people knowing who this coach is and how he treats his players. parents and players need to have this information when they are deciding which school they will for.

It is not bashing the coach it is just stating a fact.

Again I am so sorry for your hurt and I pray that the hut and pain goes away quickly.

quote:

How awful to cut a senior.

It is never easy cutting anybody. As a coach I hated it. I realize this is the college situation but either way it is tough. The way it was done is always open for debate. In the real world employees of big companies send pink slips. No matter how it is done there is no easy way.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

quote:

How awful to cut a senior.

It is never easy cutting anybody. As a coach I hated it. I realize this is the college situation but either way it is tough. The way it was done is always open for debate. In the real world employees of big companies send pink slips. No matter how it is done there is no easy way.

Assuming it went down exactly the way it was described, it was a lack of class and respect, period. Even if it had been done to a redshirt freshman that way it would be bad, much less a player who had been there and contributed to the team over three years.
Yes it is always hard to cut or fire someone, but there are correct and decent ways to do it. Standing up and being a man about it instead of a cowardly approach of not doing it face to face would never be right in many peoples book.