College Ball 2014

Not much to report yet.  Son heads back to college today (5 hour drive).  Semester and practice begin Monday.   First game is Feb. 8.

cabbagedad,

 

You said it brother!  Watching MLB Tonight, Intentional Talk and Clubhouse Confidential is sometimes interesting but getting old real quick.  I roll my eyes everytime I hear the word....Tanaka, or there has been a Tanaka sighting at the movie theatre or city zoo.   I don't care anymore!    Just let me know when someone signs and overpays for the guy.    Enough pro ball.  Gimme the good stuff.  Let's play some college ball! 

 

The Holidays are behind us.  College schedules are out.   I've been culling over college teams & rosters as I follow my favorite college players.  My wife and I have discussed logistics for the Spring as this will be my oldest son's last year playing college baseball.  I've been keeping in touch with some of my HSBBWeb buddies and we've made some plans to hook up at some games.  I'm really looking forward to that.  In some cases, we are going to have to fly north, so I've double checked all my airline, hotel and car rental points as well as flight schedules and pricing....check, check and check.  We're good.  I've loaded my college son's and high school son's baseball schedule onto my master calendar.......I will be protecting those dates as best I can from the dreaded.....gulp...unplanned business trip.

 

As is typical of this part of the year, I have to take a crowbar to my son's lips to get information about his college team and conference.  More advanced interrogation techniques are being planned.   Our season starts March 1, so it will be about 7 weeks before I have all my questions answered. 

 

In the meantime, I need to get my college baseball fix before March 1, so I've got to find some D1 local games for some teams that I follow.  I should have that nailed down soon when I see who the starting pitchers are.  It is all in the planning.....

 

PS...Sleeping bags/heavy blankets are an essential item for those college baseball parents and fans.  Bring them just in case!

 

 

 

I'll have to remember that.  Last year at the first weekend series fro my son's team we went to, it never got above 36 F and there were occasional snow flurries.  Took us an hour to warm up once we got to his apt after the doubleheader.

I have also found one of these very useful. I recommend these to all parents of young men playing in northern schools.

 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cole...ytic-Heater/13228605

 

That someone was me cabbagedad - thanks for starting this thread.  I am going to feature it at the top of the forum and people can update it as often as they like starting now.  Good stuff!

Son went back to school Thursday for the start of his final season. Sure enough at the first meeting there are two new guys, at least one of whom is from a DI, whom son said is big, muscular and hits with power. Supposedly one more coming. Just one of the facts of life a DII player and his parents must live with as we have discussed on this board before. We're at the stage of my son's collegiate career though, that the more talent that comes in the better! This year is going to be very exciting with many new guys fighting for positions.

 

 

My son went back Thursday as well. Should be interesting year. Makeup of the team is pretty different. Only 14 guys back from last year. Graduated 11, 2 academically ineligible, and I believe 4 transferred or got cut. 30 players on the roster, 19 are JC or D1 transfers, 11 straight from HS. No one on the team from before last year - only 1 senior and he was a JC transfer last year. It is a D2 school. Looking forward to see how the season goes. I thought it was interesting that there were no signing announcements for next year. I guess with only 1 senior, there aren't a lot of big needs. Looking forward to games starting. Feels too long since the couple of games in the fall.

 

Now I know what to get my wife for her birthday, thanks Bishop!

I have also found one of these very useful. I recommend these to all parents of young men playing in northern schools.

 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cole...ytic-Heater/13228605

 

My wife got a similar one of those for me for Christmas, although after last spring I think she should have opted for the heater with at least  100,000BTU output. 

 

At the first decent weather game we had ,I did not recognize 1/2 of the parents, I was getting used to the cold weather duck hunting look. I still haven't put away the cold weather hunting gear in anticipation of upcoming spring games.  

My son is a freshman LHP at a Juco.  He told us today at practice he was gunned at 91.  That is a personel high (was 89).  Real excited as 1/2 the 35 man roster are pitchers.  He needed to stand out.

Great news 32.

Pretty neat trip for University of Tampa baseball team to travel to Cuba this week - http://tampaspartans.com/article.asp?articleID=4793 

17 days till son's first game in Montgomery. He and I are ready to go!

Although we do not have the continuous cold in East Texas as some further north, we still use a heater at many games. I have both the BlackCat and also use a My Buddy heater. The My Buddy is larger.  Both have a tendancy to extinquish in the wind. And both will burn blankets, etc if too close.  My wife will use the My Buddy by getting a couple of friends and put heater in the middle and cover all three of them with a large blanket. Hint: now is a good time to go ahead and buy extra propane tanks. They go empty at the most inopportune time!!!

Good tips! I'll have to look into the heater.

 

For Christmas, we got ourselves the warm furry 'alive' kind of heater. My son is looking forward to "Thor" (big name for a sweet little yellow lab) coming to the home and local games. I know I'll get to meet his friends in the stands this way, and get to know the guys better at the tailgates after. 

 

He heads back Saturday, so excited to get going!

 

Last year (when my son was a freshman at a JUCO), several of the veteran parents told of a game where they used similar heaters during the game.  The main problem they had was the wind was so strong it kept blowing the heaters out. 

On occasion, a touch of Jack Daniels has been known to keep me warm. For medicinal purposes only of course.

University of Tampa Baseball wins first game in Cuba...

 

http://tampaspartans.com/article.asp?articleID=4795 

Son threw 90 pitches and said "did pretty good".  Got his uniform which is a purple-ish camouflage pattern. 

 

He was selected by his coach to travel to the Dominican Republic this summer to play baseball and mission work.

 

Good luck to all your boys this spring!

 

 

Those are the best kind of heaters!  We love our "yellow heater".  Not to mention it will be a chick-magnet for G.  Well played Mom, well played!

That's funny, Fenway, I was about to say in my post that the pup is a guaranteed "chick magnet."  As an added benefit, I'll get to meet the girls he is hanging out with.

 

(Correction, I am guessing my HUSBAND will enjoy that job 

 

 

 

 

Man, getting my son to let me know what's going on is like pulling teeth. You would think by now, he would just give me the scoop from the start. Here's our texts tonight:

 

Me - good practice?

Him - yeah, we did intersquads

Me - did you pitch?

Me - (an hour after he read it) No?

Him - yeah, we all pitched to 5 batters

Me - how'd you do?

Him - I got four of them out

Me - what did the other guy do?

 

Goes on like that for about 10 more messages. We've been talking baseball for years. You would think by now he'd know just to tell me the scoop. At least it was good news. Haha. Can't wait for the season to start in a couple weeks. Getting withdrawals. 

bballman - you're lucky.  All I usually get are one word answers.  "Yes". "No."  "Maybe."

 

The female attendance in the crowd tends to have a direct correlation with the temperature, from my experience.

 

 

My sophomore year, our conference tournament was hosted by a school that is a few hours northwest of my school. In order to get to the tournament from my hometown (southeast of school), my dad had to drive through my college town. About three days before the tournament, I was in the dining hall for lunch and two girls with whom I was friendly expressed desire to come watch the games. Not one to pass up the opportunity to help get more fans to our games (especially ones that looked like these girls did), I called my dad and asked if he'd be willing to stop by campus and pick them up. After my brief description of the girls, it didn't take very long for him to say that he would be able to do so.

 

As we finished infield/outfield for our first game of the tournament, I looked around the stands. The student section for the opposition was in full force, sitting behind a handful of scouts behind home plate. Near our bench was mostly a combination of parents and a few girlfriends. I stepped a bit further out of the dugout and peered towards the entrance to the complex. At that very moment, I spotted my dad…wearing his favorite collared shirt, khaki pants, new shoes, and sunglasses. On either side of him was a 19-year-old blonde, smiling and walking arm in arm with him down the concourse.

 

I rolled my eyes and went back into the dugout, knowing full well that his sole intention was to make sure the other fathers saw him. After the game, I told him I'd text my mom and let her know about it and he said "we've been married for over 20 years, do you really think she would care?" So I texted her. About a minute later, I get a response, saying: "Good for him, I'm at the spa."

 

 

Best of luck to all your sons this upcoming season! Son is flying out tomorrow. It was great to have him for almost a month. Looking forward to seeing him during their Spring break trip.

 

@bishopleftiesdad... Thanks for the tip. Will have him buy it a local Walmart as it is out of stock online!

@JH... Great story!

That's our typical text dialog as well.  With incoming phone calls, there is a distinct pattern with only four possible scenarios...

 

No needs = no calls

baseball equipment related need = call dad

$$ or any other need = call mom

noteworthy day on the field = call dad

 

They started inter-squads this week and I got three calls (a record).  Only one was for equipment. Mom got nothing.  A very good week based on the formula.

 

 

My post here last night was meant to be humorous, so I want to follow that up with a more personal (serious?) one.

 

I've always loved these threads. They change every year, depending obviously on the occurrences and experiences on the field. But what I love so much about the changes is that we can watch the kids playing grow up together. The majority of posters here start out as curious high school parents seeking information on the game. As time progresses, we share the trials and tribulations that occur on the field in such a way that I find oddly intimate. I've met some HSBBWebsters in person, but not as many as I'd like. Yet I feel a connection to each person here as they share such experiences. I joined this site at the age of 15 and shared a lot of my experiences growing up with the game with the "Old Timers" here. I truly enjoyed the interactions, whether it was a congratulatory post, a disagreement or an encouragement.

 

The annual College Ball threads, to me, are significant in that it's a continuous evolving within the game. Posters that were once curious onlookers seeking information turn into seasoned veterans in these threads. I would imagine that many high school parents read this thread simply in an attempt to gauge the level of joy they will receive while watching their sons compete at the next level.

 

As a former college player, the best advice I can give to parents and players alike is to never, ever take your experiences playing college ball for granted. If I could travel back in time to my college playing days and give up what I'm doing now (read: pause what I'm doing now ), I would. 100 times out of 100. There will be a lot of ups and downs throughout the experience. You'll encounter a frustration with coaches, with your son(s), with performances, with traveling, with competition, with injury. You'll also encounter the exact opposite- the thrill of success, of accomplishment, of pleasure.

 

College baseball gave me a lot of things. I have trophies and plaques and even a school record. I have an enhanced knowledge of how to throw a circle changeup. I have more Nike Drifit shirts than anyone needs. But most of all, I have memories. The memories aren't because of any of the things noted above. The memories are created by the extraordinary connection I forged with my teammates. It's impossible for me to describe the bond I have with my teammates to those who have never experienced such a connection. I spent thousands…literally thousands…of hours working in concert with my teammates, all striving for the same goal. We spent early mornings pushing our bodies to the limits and late nights pushing our bodies to the limits (in two very different senses of the phrase). We worked together on the field, in the weight room, in the classroom. We lived together, both physically and mentally.

 

I received a call this afternoon from one of my former teammates saying that he plans to propose to his girlfriend soon. I had casually introduced them to each other in 2010, without even an inkling that there may be a connection between them. He wanted me to know that in advance so that I could plan ahead, saying, "Man, you started this all. You gotta be my best man. You're my brother."

 

Enjoy the memories you forge with your sons, and those that they forge with their brothers. The bonds that will come out of the experience of college baseball are lifelong, and are exactly what make the entire roller coaster worth it.

 

 

 

JH - Great post! My son (class of 2010) is getting married in the spring. Three of his teammates, a coach and his brother will be standing with him at the alter. I have always referred to Baseball as a brotherhood. Your post makes that point so well.

ILVBB - Congrats! 

 

J H - as I read your post, all I could envision is how much my son wI'll be nodding when he reads your description on the college baseball experience.

JH - What a great post! My son has been roommates with his teammate (and catcher) for all four years. They will be friends for life.  They also live with 4 other senior baseball players in a 2 family house off campus. Needless to say they do everything together.

 

 

 

cabbagedad - That's pretty much our scenarios as well.  Though when it comes to $$ issues I end up finding the funds from somewhere.

 

The best call I received was his first year during the fall season (he's in his 2nd year now).  He was getting limited playing time and at-bats and wasn't quite making the "travel" squad.  Team only took 25 players to away games - what the bus would hold.  The Friday before the last away game he calls me at work, "Dad, are you sitting down?  Guess what?  I made the travel squad."  The best part was they were traveling to play a D1 4 yr school (he's at a D2 JUCO) that was barely an hour away from us - his school is a 4.5 hour drive so home games are sometimes farther away than some away games.  He's never failed to make the travel squad since that time.

JH - Totally agree. This is the ONE thread I look forward to the most. 

 

I get to catch up with everybody and see what is going on in the college baseball world.  It was only a few years ago my son was a college freshmen.  We (freshmen parents) knew absolutely bupkis, and had no idea what to expect.   But, we had HSBBWeb as a guide and source for advice...in a word it was "priceless".  I've made some great friends here and shared many private experiences with them.  Everybodys path to get to college baseball is different.   There are even more paths once they are in college and graduate from college.  This thread is that reminder for me.  

 

Lots of players and parents are going through similar situations and life experiences through their college careers.  Not only is there a brotherhood among the players, but there is a brotherhood among HSBBWeb posters here too.   Birdman14's son and my son are both seniors and we've shared many, many life experience since they were freshmen.   Actually, I had to text Birdman14 as he sat in I-95 traffic that his son's first college at-bat was a crushed RBI double to the gap.     There are many other players and posters here that I follow very closely.  It is an absolute pleasure to get to meet them and see some of them play.  I wish everyone a great 2014 season!

I saw a photo of my son posted on Instagram of him sitting in the Trainers Room in a tub full of ice last Tuesday night.  I commented..."wouldn't it be more effective if your arm was in the ice too?"  He responded that his arm feels great!  Which was good news, as he's slowly but surely coming back from TJ surgery.

A couple hours after our Instagram communication, my son sends me a text...."BTW, I forgot to tell you that I pitched to four batters in our intra-squad game on Monday and threw well.  Two flyouts, 1 groundout, and a K."  My response..."Good job, son. Keep working hard & Stay Healthy, it would be nice to see you on the bump this season."  He responds that he will be back on the mound for Friday's scrimmage. Well, Thursday evening rolls around & I still had not heard from him.  I learned that he wasn't sitting in that tub of ice for kicks on Tuesday.  He was dealing with a sore rib & groin.  You're kidding me?  His arm is feeling great, but he's having other nagging injury issues? Evidently he didn't pitch on Friday, but has been receiving treatment & expects to pitch in Tuesday's scrimmage.  I hope the injury bug stops biting my kid before the season starts, he deserves a little bit of love from the Baseball Gods. 

 

BTW...in regards to parental communication, I'm with everyone else here.  My son contacts his mom the majority of time when he needs something.  Dad & son communicate about baseball and other sports, and occasionally the "Mom told me to ask you" comes into play. 

My son has been back to school for a week. My house is awful quite with nobody at home to greet me but my 80 pound goldendoodle. He has thrown 2 bullpens and hit during individuals. Somehow they have been able to get outside a bit as well. Plans are already made and airline tickets purchased for the first weekend down in South Carolina.

 

I am going to try and make as many games as possible, as this is my son's senior year. He is supposed to be in the rotation and a starting outfielder. I'm hoping for the best for him and knowing that this all is likely to come to an end real soon.

bsbl247,

 

My fingers are crossed for you and your son.  I'm hoping the baseball gods are listening, and he can get some game time soon.   As anyone who has dealt with college baseball injuries knows, it is a fight to get healthy and an even bigger fight to get back into the lineup.   Good luck and stay healthy!

 

birdman14,

 

I plan to take a lot of pictures and movie clips this senior year.   Some people will definitely have me confused with a tourist.

 

 

Most HS players and parents have no idea how big a part injuries are in the college game. My son has so many friends who he played with in HS (and now current teammates) who have had either part of or whole seasons effected by an injury.These kids are pushing their limits physically, plus they are really not getting enough rest because of the demands of schoolwork and the results are tired players who's bodies may not recover properly.

 

Best of luck to all of the HSBBW players who are back at it now getting ready for the season. 

 

To the new pitchers. Throw strikes and trust your stuff! I talked to my son yesterday and he said they were scrimmaging with 2-0 counts and so many of the young pitchers (and some older ones) did not understand the need to throw strikes. He told me on the phone "if you think about it the best hitters are going to get out 2/3rds of the time, so just let them get themselves out". 

 

Birdman - let me guess your food bill is now half of what it was a week ago?

 

Fenway: Are you sure that isn't you, that guy kinda looks just like you! And the hat, I need one of those to keep the top of my head from burning. Enjoy your C's senior year, picture and video away. There will be some great memories to capture.

 

BOF: You are right the food bill will be cut in half and more! And it already would be except for that trip tho Costco to stock up his apartment.

 

Best of luck to everyone's sons during the coming season.

Received a text at 9:30 Saturday evening...forgot to tell you, pitched 2 innings today, no hits, no walks.

 

Happy to hear, but just trying to figure out what triggered the memory at 9:30 at night.

Season starts 2/14, 3 game series down in SoCal. Plane tickets already purchased.

 

Good luck to all your sons this year!