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My name is Chris Barnett and I’m an unsigned 2007 RHP from southern Ohio (Tri-State- OH,WV,KY). I’m 6’4” and 170 lbs. I have recovered from Tommy John surgery that happened in May 2006 (tore at a pitching lesson with a pro), now medically released by Doc Kremchek.

Because of the surgery, I am still looking for a college at the end of my senior year of HS. Before surgery, I was clocked at 85-87 mph in the Fall of my junior year of HS at Columbus Clipper Stadium by a pro scout. I am almost back at full strength (11 months post-surgery), but have not been clocked recently. I have been seen by some pro scouts including a couple associated with PG. This spring '07, I have been batting about 500.

I’ve posted a shortened bio in the Unsigned Players forum. Some pictures are at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisbarnett07/
slideshow or one at a time

I would appreciate any advice. Thanks for your help.
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Chris,

Virtually all schools are looking for pitching.

Call Mike Dee at University of Illinois at Chicago for a look. They are competitive in the mid-level Horizon League.

If you're 85+ room for you at lots of programs.

And don't listen to anyone telling you that you have to be hitting 89+.

Happy to talk with you with your parents permission:

john petrulis 815-469-4520.
Chris,

Welcome to the HS Baseball Web!

From our e-mails before you posted, you sound like a bright young man with a great attitude, and the ability to take the initiative to pursue your goals.

At 6'4" and mid-80s+ before surgery, there should be a place for you at a good college baseball program. I hope some of our members can help you with suggestions and/or contacts!

(I have also created a shortcut for this post in the Recruiting forum.)

Best wishes, and keep us updated!

Julie
Start calling coaches. Arrange visits. NAIA schools & JUCO's, if I'm not mistaken, can evaluate you without restrictions (unlike NCAA). Go pitch for them. Some might want to wait until their season is over, but they will probably look at you.

Some schools hold open tryouts or eval camps in the summer. Check their websites, call the coaches.

Best wishes for you.
BeenthereIL, MN-Mom, Texan and Bama Bomber,

Thanks for the replies. All have good suggestions. I have been on campus visits, written and e-mailed coaches, and sent updates. In the beginning coaches responded- come to our camp, try-out for us, come work out, but I said in all the letters or messages, up front, that I was recovering from TJ and I was in PT and could not do any of this until I finished my protocol in March-April 2007.
Most of these coaches filled their rosters with healthy players and are no longer interested because they could not wait. I understand. But here I am, on the way back to the old me, graduation in 5 weeks and college starts in less than 4 months.
I haven't given up on my ability and myself. I just need to find a coach that will believe in me too. What now?
cb, my advice was for what you need to do now. I understand you have done it in the past, but you need to pick up the phone & tell these guys you are back in the saddle.

Sure, some may have filled up. But they all haven't filled up.

Yes, the search will be harder now. But it isn't impossible. There are still players who sign during the summer after their senior year. Know of a pitcher who signed D3 in August after his senior year.

Best wishes.
Players, especially pitchers, sign up until school starts, as Texan points out. That outcome will require action on your part though. With less than half the pitchers getting nearly all the innings, many warm bodies are required. If you call them, they will either get the ball rolling for you or point you in another direction.
Excellent. I know it can be hard to "cold call" someone like that. But almost every coach will respect someone who takes the time and effort to come see them. If you don't hear something before long, contact him again.

And keep making those trips. It lets them know you are very serious.

Best wishes for your search.
I got this message today. I have taken out all the personal info. Why can't more coaches think like this? Things happen for a reason-can't question why.

Thank you CT, JS and JF; You give me Hope.

C Barnett,
I am Coach_________from ________College. I brought in ___ State Pitcher of the year 4 years ago because of your exact situation and he has thrived here and has now become the most prolific pitcher here at ____. He's a SR, and has rewritten the recordbooks. Many will back off of you because of your previous injury, and probably won't offer you any money. But if you have any interest in coming _____ to play for a high quality program and make an impact from the beginning, send me a post back or email me at _______________.
Last edited by C Barnett RHP
(Two things in my favor about not being signed yet)#1. Coaches are starting to take jobs at other colleges, so I will not have lost the coach I signed to play for #2. Spring grades will be out for players soon and some may not be eligible for their teams next year. Some can make it with summer school classes, others won't. Hope this doesn't happen, but it will to some guys.

Some pics from last week- slideshow.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/chrisbarnett07/albums/

Thanks-C Barnett
Last edited by C Barnett RHP
thepainguy-
Thanks for looking. Don't know what 4 pics you pasted though. Velocity- don't know. Had a scout/former pro pitcher watch me, that knows me before TJ and he said I was throwing better than he has ever seen me throw. Arm strength is good.
I throw a fast, curve, change and cutter. Been pitching several years. My Dad is mostly my pitch coach- he was recruited to pitch for Ole Miss. We are from MS.

Are you a scout or coach?

Why are college coaches afraid of TJ pitchers, when lots of college pitchers and pros have it and if I have already had it, I am good to go in college without taking off a year for rehab? That is what I cannot figure out.
Last edited by C Barnett RHP
quote:
Originally posted by C Barnett RHP:
thepainguy-
Thanks for looking. Don't know what 4 pics you pasted though. Velocity- don't know. Had a scout/former pro pitcher watch me, that knows me before TJ and he said I was throwing better than he has ever seen me throw. Arm strength is good.
I throw a fast, curve, change and cutter. Been pitching several years. My Dad is mostly my pitch coach- he was recruited to pitch for Ole Miss. We are from MS.

Are you a scout or coach?

Why are college coaches afraid of TJ pitchers, when lots of college pitchers and pros have it and if I have already had it, I am good to go in college without taking off a year for rehab? That is what I cannot figure out.


I like that you keep your elbows below the level of your shoulders. Your arm action resembles Greg Maddux and Dan Haren in that respect.



I am involved in scouting at the major league level. Your mechanics interest me, but your history of TJ problems concerns me.

The concern with TJ pitchers is that the problem will crop up again and they will lose you before they get their value out of you.

One suggestion that I would have for you is that you learn about the concept of pronation. It might help to protect your elbow.
Last edited by thepainguy
thepainguy,

I know stretching and exercises will be a daily thing forever. Are you saying it will tear again, soon? This is not what my Mom and I have read and answers we have gotten.

It was a very small tear, Doc said frayed. They tried to rehab it for 5 weeks. I asked Doc Kremchek, Cincinnati Reds Doc, what caused it. He said it probably was not mechanics but that I was over used. I would not get enough days rest in between full games.
You’re saying I’m done soon? I hope not. I have worked too hard in rehab.
My pro pitching coach played for the White Sox, and San Diego Padres-Majors, Mid-Reliever, and he had it done while a soph. in college. He is still pitching and 30 years old.

I am glad you like my mechanics. I work hard on them but I hope my best is yet to come.
Last edited by C Barnett RHP
C B,
There really isn't that much concern any more. A lot of pro teams have signed pitchers who have had TJ surgery.

There's always concern about someone who has had an injury so that will affect some college coaches, but will probably be more of a way for them to offer less of or no scholarship than anything else.

One real issue for a college coach is simply that they only have pitchers for a few years and it does take time for a pitcher to get back to full ability after TJ surgery and also no way for the coach to know if that particular player is going to continue to work hard on the rehab.

Painguy isn't really involved in scouting. He's stretching the truth more than a little bit. He has virtually no baseball background.
Last edited by CADad
quote:
Originally posted by C Barnett RHP:
I know stretching and exercises will be a daily thing forever. Are you saying it will tear again, soon? This is not what my Mom and I have read and answers we have gotten.


No.

I'm just saying that that is just the concern.


quote:
Originally posted by C Barnett RHP:
It was a very small tear, Doc said frayed. They tried to rehab it for 5 weeks. I asked Doc Kremchek, Cincinnati Reds Doc, what caused it. He said it probably was not mechanics but that I was over used. I would not get enough days rest in between full games.


Overuse makes sense. That's why I asked when you started pitching.


quote:
Originally posted by C Barnett RHP:
You’re saying I’m done soon? I hope not. I have worked too hard in rehab.
My pro pitching coach played for the White Sox, and San Diego Padres-Majors, Mid-Reliever, and he had it done while a soph. in college. He is still pitching and 30 years old. I am glad you like my mechanics. I work hard on them but I hope my best is yet to come.


Just remember that mechanics aren't enough. It's not a coincidence that guys like Ryan and Seaver were total freaks about conditioning. I would consider buying their books and looking at their conditioning routines. Also, notice that you don't have to pump a lot of iron to get the job done. In most cases they just used 2 or 3 pound barbells.
You are looking at pictures of people throwing baseballs and sending write-ups to someone who may or may not be using them, but who doesn't want it to be known that he has an association with you. You aren't recommending prospects you are simply trying to tell your buddy if there's an injury risk, something you probably have no clue about. That isn't scouting.
quote:
Originally posted by CADad:
You are looking at pictures of people throwing baseballs and sending write-ups to someone who may or may not be using them, but who doesn't want it to be known that he has an association with you. You aren't recommending prospects you are simply trying to tell your buddy if there's an injury risk, something you probably have no clue about. That isn't scouting.


W.
quote:
Originally posted by CADad:
Painguy isn't really involved in scouting. He's stretching the truth more than a little bit. He has virtually no baseball background.


I'm not trying to defend thepainguy. I don't know very much about anyone on this forum, either. As such, I don't take everything I see here or elsewhere as Gospel. But your charge is more inflammatory than necessary. Would you prove it here and cite your qualifications? Otherwise, edit your post. I'm getting tired of the personal attacks on this forum.
infidel_08,
I never claimed to be a scout or an expert so I don't know why I have to justify anything. Everything I've said in this post about painguy came from what he's written.

As far as my background, I've been coaching baseball for over 30 years from youth ball to HS level baseball. I played HS, legion, Junior College baseball and played rookie ball for the Angels, which was semipro and not the minor leagues but we did play with and against professional players. I also played D1 tennis and professional tennis (and made almost nothing and never beat anyone with a world ranking).

My background has nothing to do with this other than perhaps to show that while my baseball background is worlds more than painguy's, I don't consider myself to really have much of a baseball background and don't consider myself an expert like some people with little or no baseball background.

There have been people who are far more respected on here than I am or ever will be who have challenged painguy's claims. Personally, I think that someone who is not a scout, claiming to be involved in scouting and misleading a young man who is trying to further his baseball career is pretty low.
Last edited by CADad
Good idea, BobbleheadDoll. Open up a separate thread with your evidence. Folks can refute with their evidence. All those who want to see it, can see it there.

My problem is the name calling within the topics that degrade them. We are losing civility here. Present your case and let others agree, argue, and decide for themselves.

If you have real concern for someone like C Barnett RHP who is looking for help and you know someone is a fraud, send a PM. It's ultimately his decision whose advice to follow.
Last edited by infidel_08

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