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    It's officially that time where summer collegiate teams lose players and rosters occasionally have space where none existed. In the past 2 weeks, we've lost 2 to injury, one to flunking out of school, and one snatched away (okay, we actually agreed to release him) to a full contract at the Cape, which came as no surprise as the player was leading the SEC in batting average around .430, as a true freshman-watch for the name in the future, Jake Mangum, Mississippi State. A super kid with an unreal batting eye.  We also lost a freshman pitcher that will undoubtedly be a freshman All American...but he's already around 80 innings so he'll be wisely shut down for the summer.

   If you didn't get into your destination league, early to late May is when openings occur, especially pitchers.

 Some teams will be looking  for temps due to players held up by Regionals, Super-Regionals, and the College World Series. There are never guarantees and "temporary" usually means "temporary". We project 8-10 players coming late but we don't do temps. Nevertheless, many teams do and players do occasionally show enough to stay.

    Our spots are filled-don't ask. 

p.s. I was also tired of the same topic appearing here since March. 

 

 

 

      

 

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I guess you are not one to ask to impartially rate all the leagues, but I am fascinated with summer baseball.  Just really found out about it a year ago and have never been to a game (no leagues close to where I live).  Given your insider knowledge, can you describe the morning life of a summer baseball player?  It looks like the Valley Baseball league has some short commutes, so between home games and short commutes, exactly what to these 20 yo's (and younger) do between 8am(?) and baseball?

2017LHPSCREWBALL,

My son worked for the Parks & Rec Dept. 11-5 shift M-F. He worked out at the gym before work each day.Missed some mid week day games due to work, but made all of the weekend DH's and some of the mid week night games. GM of the team was not real happy about it, but since he was not putting gas in son's car or feeding him  there was not a whole lot he could do about it. The GM knew this was the deal when my son signed on to play with the team. Besides, there were more than enough players on the roster to field a team for every game.

Typical day for 90% of the players: they get up at 11:00-12:00, eat a little something, go to gymn, workout, back by 2:00, grab a little nap, to the field around 4:00-4:30, BP starts around 5:15, Game at 7:00, game ends around 9:45-10:00 p.m., clean up the field, post game meal at the ballpark, home around 10:45, they group together and play playstation, some guys actually go fishing, watch TV, normally watching baseball, bed around 12:30-1:00, then they do it all over again the next  day. Some days have civic  functions, camps, normally we have 5-7 guys work 2-3 hours (9-12).   

Bobby, what summer league was that?  Any summer league my son has been involved in the players need to be committed to the team an season.  If I were a GM an you came across like your post "there is enough other players on the roster to field a team every game" an "there was not much he could do about it",  doesn't play well with me.  The league's I am aware of there are players waiting in line to get on good teams in good leagues.  It surprises me that a GM an coach would allow part time player.  I also surprised others haven't jumped on this either????

Proud parent-in the Valley league, many teams find players part-time jobs if desired; most players don't want one but some do...and some have to for gas money and the like. The jobs we line up on our club are normally outdoor type stuff, working at most 9-12.  I've never heard of a player in our league priortizing work over baseball-some kids have had to take an on line exam, but even that is done in non-baseball hours. 

Bumping this up as it's that time of year where innings, injuries, and girl friends start decimating rosters. We have signed 33 guys (to a 30 man roster), but we've never had a May where we didn't lose at least 4-5, and with NCAA Regionals and Super-Regionals, it looks like we will 3 weeks into our season before there is even a potential numbers problem.   I've seen teams sign as many as 40 for a 30 man roster-saw one team with 27 pitchers back in November.   You get used to it.......but 27 pitchers is a lot of pitchers...(They are down to 17 now, which is pretty close-most teams only carry 12-15 position players and the rest are pitchers)

Players report today...except for several in NCAA regionals, DII World Series, or JUCO World Series...so we'll have about 21 of our 30 players for our opener Friday night, but that's how it works-sometimes good players on good teams go deep into June.  Most VBL teams have lost and added several guys in the past week or so. We had 2 that decided to quit baseball all together, one pitcher that suffered a nasty muscle pull-swinging a bat of all things, and a couple changing schools so they need the summer to work on their transfer.   They probably got the word at their exit interview that there was no future at their current school.   BUT, in anticipation of the 3 guys we will host, our frig is full and the first lady bought stuff that I never see the other 10 months of the year-Ho Ho's, Ding Dongs, Oreo's (and also bannanas, grapes, apples, etc. but who cares about healthy stuff). You'd think we were on a home and garden tour as opposed to hosting baseball players-everything trimmed outside, fresh mulch, the power washer has paid for itself. Play ball!

hokieone posted:

Bumping this up as it's that time of year where innings, injuries, and girl friends start decimating rosters. We have signed 33 guys (to a 30 man roster), but we've never had a May where we didn't lose at least 4-5, and with NCAA Regionals and Super-Regionals, it looks like we will 3 weeks into our season before there is even a potential numbers problem.   I've seen teams sign as many as 40 for a 30 man roster-saw one team with 27 pitchers back in November.   You get used to it.......but 27 pitchers is a lot of pitchers...(They are down to 17 now, which is pretty close-most teams only carry 12-15 position players and the rest are pitchers)

Son's summer wood bat team still juggling housing assignments as several guys have bagged out due to issues mentioned above.  Front office woman organizing housing has her hands full with last minute changes due to aforementioned no-shows.  Like trying to make out a lineup card, but her game lasts two months, not just 9-innings!

Hokieone, sounds like he'd be lucky to be living in your house.  Ho-Hos and Ding Dongs?  I'd never leave at end of summer!!

Last edited by #1 Assistant Coach
Add my son to the list of last minute cancels. Apparently he had been playing with a fractured hook of the hamate bone in his left hand for a while (he's a RHH). It finally got to where he couldn't grip the bat during D3 Regionals. He started every game of the season up until that point.
He had a CT scan last week and today the ortho says it's a "nondisplaced" fracture and put him in a cast for 6 weeks. Son begged the doctor to just remove the bone, but the doctor said he would not take on the risks involved with hand surgery just to speed up his return for summer ball. The doctor didn't rule out playing immediately after the cast comes off, but the summer season will be almost over by then. This was going to be my son's last season of summer ball, and he was really looking forward to playing in the Valley League. Needless to say he is terribly disappointed.
MidAtlanticDad posted:
Add my son to the list of last minute cancels. Apparently he had been playing with a fractured hook of the hamate bone in his left hand for a while (he's a RHH). It finally got to where he couldn't grip the bat during D3 Regionals. He started every game of the season up until that point.
He had a CT scan last week and today the ortho says it's a "nondisplaced" fracture and put him in a cast for 6 weeks. Son begged the doctor to just remove the bone, but the doctor said he would not take on the risks involved with hand surgery just to speed up his return for summer ball. The doctor didn't rule out playing immediately after the cast comes off, but the summer season will be almost over by then. This was going to be my son's last season of summer ball, and he was really looking forward to playing in the Valley League. Needless to say he is terribly disappointed.

MidAtlantic Dad,

I am so sorry to hear that. I can imagine how devastating that can be for a young man. My thoughts and prayers are with him. 

 

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