Untimely slump

You might tell him to get excited and look like he loves the game. Baseball is all about overcoming difficult times. Every player that has ever lived has struggled at times.

I guess I mean he is unusually quiet..probably worried. He is out taking swings.

Dusty54,

Welcome!

Everything will be fine. I hope he does well at the camp. Best of luck.

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You might tell him to get excited and look like he loves the game. Baseball is all about overcoming difficult times. Every player that has ever lived has struggled at times

Playing this game will make you humble.Being humbled is a good thing.It makes you work harder.The recovery from failure should be the sixth tool in baseball.

This is such an incredibly positive site! Thanks

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Originally posted by Dusty54:
Here's one for you. My kid has been in travel ball since he was 11. Same team. He has played varsity since freshman but it's a d5. Lots of success. Won section 3 years and this year state. Won mvp and offensive MVP. Oh and last year at USA 16 he had 4 triples 4 doubles and multiple hits. So he broke record in hits this year for his high school. 101 AB 51 hits. He is center field good speed, good arm, so he is approached by a wonderful opportunity and bombs Rawlings 3 for 10 and other showcase .250 Now he is heading to Stanford and is not excited..don't blame him. What to say?

First let me offer my welcome as well.

Sounds like you got a guy who can rake so my advice is similar to PG and FOG who really know their stuff. I would like to add that while I'm not good at math (that's why I teach history LOL) 3 for 10 is pretty darn good if he was facing good pitching. Since it was a Rawling's event I'm willing to bet he wasn't facing pitching similar to that team everyone beats by 10 runs - he was probaby facing some pretty darn good pitchers.

Hopefully this will provide some perspective. Also, scouts aren't really looking at stats even in things like this. They are going to look at the kid pitching and see if he is any good. Then they are going to look at what his swing looks like. What his swing looks like and if he was on the pitch and just missed and a boatload of other things that don't play into stats.

There are scouts / colleges / coaches / organizations out there who will look at speed, arm and glove and think they can teach hitting. Like the other guys said - just relax and work some drills to get back in the groove. I started laughing when I read your post title and said to myself - untimely....when would be a good time for a slump???? I'm not making fun of you but did find some humor in that and hope you're not offended. Remember this....15 - 20 at bats won't destroy any chances he has. If he has the tools you're saying he has they will continue to look at him. Relax and enjoy the ride.

It's okay to laugh. I appreciate the insight. You hear so much about the summer between junior and senior year. Maybe a little panic sets in with the parents. Last night his basketball coach called and off he went to fill in. Came back excited he made 17 points....got his mind off the camp. He will be fine. I'm going to stay home and garden.

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I'm going to stay home and garden.

I remember that summer between my son's junior and senior year. My son had his best games at Camps and showcases when no one was looking. And made some of the biggest gaffs he'd ever made when plenty of scouts were looking. He was in a bad slump all summer.

One showcase in particular, he thought no one was there. . .he was tight in the hamstrings, had a sore arm, and they never warmed up the players in the cages before they hit BP. He thought he was just so so that day, and that is where the college he's playing for first saw him and first fell in love with him. After his senior spring. . .the one that is supposed to be too late to matter. . .he had lots of colleges recruiting him.

The summer before his senior year, he played on a summer team where everyone was recruited . One of his best friends had an awful year hitting, but played the best two innings of his life and had several d1 offers. I saw that scenario played out all summer with various players on the team. One kid on the team had an awful inning in front of a Major D1 scout at a school he really wanted to play for. That scout left, the kid was dejected. Later that night, he got a call from another major d1 that offered him a full ride. . .that scout left his game before the player had the awful inning.

All that to say, tell your son to go out, have a blast. You never know what will peak a scout's interest, because only they know what positions they are looking to fill and the particular style of player their coach wants. Some are fantastic at projecting talent, some are awful at it. Some programs are great at developing diamond's in the rough, some can't develop anyone, so they need established players. Some prioritize offense, some defense, some speed, some arm and glove, some love aggressive players some love play it safe guys, etc.,etc.,.

Enjoy the ride, it's bumpy and stressful at times, but be sure to tell him to sit back and enjoy the fact that he's actually trying out and playing on some pretty impressive fields, and some sweet stadiums.