Update on your player?

Well, he seems to be working through his "baseball player's slice" and starting to concentrate on his short game. This scruffy par 3 course is helping with that.  Other than that, we're just waiting to see when his conference can play again, and if he'll still be there when it happens.

@JCG posted:

"baseball player's slice"

IKR

It is a simple enough fix really.

Baseball teaches to hit off the back foot.

You need to practice golf shots standing on left foot and right toe. Fix is pretty fast.

@Good Knight posted:

It is a simple enough fix really.

Baseball teaches to hit off the back foot.

You need to practice golf shots standing on left foot and right toe. Fix is pretty fast.

Thanks.  Yeah, that's what he's worked on and he's getting there.  For a guy who never really played before the pandemic, he's hitting the ball pretty well.

@Good Knight   Or just do what I do and play that slice......  then the most important thing to do is play it off like you faded it back on purpose

My kids are 32 and 27 now. The oldest, the softball player is a prosecutor of violent crimes. She’s been married seven years. She plays softball for the courthouse team in the county legal softball league. It amuses her to see lawyers compete as intensely as college athletes without the same ability or being in the same shape.

The youngest used five to play four to get his MBA. He works for one of the Big Four consulting firms. His girlfriend of a year recently moved in. A couple of weeks ago he told me unless he’s at a game or with me he rarely thinks about baseball anymore. He’s into a regular pickup basketball game and golf. Observing my son is like watching a movie of my life right down to at twenty-seven he realized it was time to calm down.  

My guy is still chasing the dream. He had a great first full season in the Rockies system in 2019. He made the conversion back to a starter and threw 132 innings, which is more than he threw his entire career at LSU. Covid really screwed up the development for him as it did for many, many players. It just stinks because time is NOT on your side in this game. I hope 2021 will get back to “normal” and he stays healthy as he hopefully progresses up the rungs.

Just the beginning here. HS senior who should get in some sort of a season in down in FL. He’s working hard to prepare for Mississippi State by focusing on getting stronger without losing speed and eating healthier. It’s still hard for me to wrap my brain around how big he is. He is also working on a pre game routine and has been interviewing with MLB teams. A couple of months ago he started mentoring 12 younger ball players which is outside of his comfort zone because he is shy. Our prayer is that he stays healthy and can keep having fun with the game he loves!

JCG,

it looks like Oakmont, Valley of the Moon

Bob

I can see why you would say that, Bob.  Looks kind of like Hood Mt. in the background, but those are the San Gabriel Mts. in SoCal.

Foxson graduated from ETSU December 2019.  He is now employed as a correctional officer in Sullivan County and is looking to work his way up.  He's now in booking.

He had signed up to umpire for the local leagues before covid-19 restricted everything.  So far he has only umped MS age games and only in the field.  He has yet to call balls and strikes.  At least he is keeping his hand in the game he loves.

@younggun posted:

My guy is still chasing the dream. He had a great first full season in the Rockies system in 2019. He made the conversion back to a starter and threw 132 innings, which is more than he threw his entire career at LSU. Covid really screwed up the development for him as it did for many, many players. It just stinks because time is NOT on your side in this game. I hope 2021 will get back to “normal” and he stays healthy as he hopefully progresses up the rungs.

younggun!!! Thanks for posting. I keep tabs on your player!  2021 hopefully will be better!

Haha. Thanks TPM. All these guys lost a year which is really the biggest issue. It’s a while other set of issues with the college guys. Glad my guy is not there.

CoachB25,

I remember that you said you had observed my son, Tim Melville from across the river many years ago. He is still living the dream.

The last two years have been most interesting. He began 2019 with the independent Long Island Ducks. After two strong starts, his contract was purchased by the Rockies and he was assigned to Albuquerque. In August he was called up and remained for the rest of the season. He was re-signed for 2020 on a minor league contract and an invitation to Spring Training.

While working up for the 2020 season, he noticed some rib pain and was diagnosed with a rib fracture. That limited his ST to essentially being a roving assistant. We were together the night the TVs were broadcasting that Covid had struck the NBA. The next day things began to shut down. The only good thing was that we had lots more time together than I planned for the week.

Eventually he was released to find other opportunities and he landed in Taiwan in the middle of the summer. He was one of three 'foreign' players to join the team in the second half of the season. The foreigners lifted the team and they won the Taiwan Series championship. Almost imediately afterwards, the 7-Eleven Uni-President Lions began negotiations with all 3 foreigners Brock Dykxhoorn, Teddy Stankiewicz, and Tim to return for the 2021 season.

He is awaiting work permits and another two week isolation upon arrival before he can rejoin the team. He is excited and so am I. Fortunately, most of their games are streamed live, many with English commentary by knowledgeable announcers. I would probably go for a game or two if I didn't have to do the two weeks in covid jail.

TMM

that is great story have your son keep a diary. My 22 years in Japan, China, Australia and Korea with our American teams provided a background of the future of baseball and the tools to succeed for players, coaches, scouts and parents.

Bob

@TMM_Dad posted:

CoachB25,

I remember that you said you had observed my son, Tim Melville from across the river many years ago. He is still living the dream.

The last two years have been most interesting. He began 2019 with the independent Long Island Ducks. After two strong starts, his contract was purchased by the Rockies and he was assigned to Albuquerque. In August he was called up and remained for the rest of the season. He was re-signed for 2020 on a minor league contract and an invitation to Spring Training.

Can't believe how many guys played for the Ducks.  Great organization and great fun!

Glad to hear the journey continues.

@TMM_Dad posted:

CoachB25,

I remember that you said you had observed my son, Tim Melville from across the river many years ago. He is still living the dream.

The last two years have been most interesting. He began 2019 with the independent Long Island Ducks. After two strong starts, his contract was purchased by the Rockies and he was assigned to Albuquerque. In August he was called up and remained for the rest of the season. He was re-signed for 2020 on a minor league contract and an invitation to Spring Training.

While working up for the 2020 season, he noticed some rib pain and was diagnosed with a rib fracture. That limited his ST to essentially being a roving assistant. We were together the night the TVs were broadcasting that Covid had struck the NBA. The next day things began to shut down. The only good thing was that we had lots more time together than I planned for the week.

Eventually he was released to find other opportunities and he landed in Taiwan in the middle of the summer. He was one of three 'foreign' players to join the team in the second half of the season. The foreigners lifted the team and they won the Taiwan Series championship. Almost imediately afterwards, the 7-Eleven Uni-President Lions began negotiations with all 3 foreigners Brock Dykxhoorn, Teddy Stankiewicz, and Tim to return for the 2021 season.

He is awaiting work permits and another two week isolation upon arrival before he can rejoin the team. He is excited and so am I. Fortunately, most of their games are streamed live, many with English commentary by knowledgeable announcers. I would probably go for a game or two if I didn't have to do the two weeks in covid jail.

Yes!  That is awesome.  You just made my day!  That is such a great story and a testament to both him and your family that he was raised that way.  It is such a challenge to go to a foreign country and try to play.  I wish him and your family nothing but the best!!!

From a parents perspective, baseball has been a God-send for all three of my sons.  Baseball has provided opportunities, focus,  and mindset that situations/problems can always be dealt with a positive attitude.   Years ago, my youngest son's high school coach had practice shirts made with #figureitout printed on the shirt.   By far the best best baseball swag any of my kids brought home.   I love that shirt.

Oldest son played 4 years of college baseball.  He was hurt his junior year.   Graduated from an Ivy with a engineering degree that he has put to use.   He met his engineering wife (and soccer player)  in college and married her 2019.   They recently bought a 250 year old farmhouse (that they are restoring) in a really nice part of New Jersey.  He is specializing in industrial cryogenics and gases, and recently passed his PE (Professional Engineer) on the first try.  She is a chemical engineer for an international consumer products company.  They both picked up tennis and platform tennis after college and has been playing in various leagues since graduation.   My son likes to build and fix things so he is putting his woodworking and welding skills to work on their house. 

After high school and high school baseball my middle son graduated from an ACC school in 2017 with an engineering degree.  He recently changed jobs within the same energy company going from nuclear energy to renewable energy sources.  He just got married in late Oct 2020.   Like his older brother, he also married an engineer.   He bought a house in early 2019, and has made significant improvements already.  They do a lot of hiking, play softball and he just started to pick up a tennis racket last Fall.

After high school baseball, my youngest son graduated college in 2019 and went into the Army as a specialist.   Basic training graduation in Fort Jackson was cancelled due to a hurricane.  His AIT training graduation at Fort Leonard Wood (Army Corps of Engineers) was cancelled due to the pandemic.   His Airborne training graduation didn't happen either due to Covid.   So, my wife and I are 0-3 on Army training graduations.   However, we've been fortunate that he is now stationed somewhat close (3 hours) to home and doing something he loves with the 82nd Airborne Divisional Command.  He's begun the process of going from a specialist to an officer, and it looks like he wants to make this his career.   This would require him to get his Masters degree which he is really excited about.   He just bought a new truck and has a new girlfriend who is in dental school.  Clearly, that #figureitout practice shirt applies to his case.   He didn't like high school and we kind of strong armed him to go to college.   He had to drop ROTC, but he eventually came back to the Army.  He never gave up.   The kid loves to learn now, and is clearly motivated. 

Again, I truly believe baseball had a tremendous effect on my kids lives in learning how to handle things when they were younger.  Now, they are grown men.

Awesome stories and thank you all for sharing them. It's really great to read the positive influence a fun game with a  stitched 5 oz ball can have on so many young lives.

@JCG posted:

Well, he seems to be working through his "baseball player's slice" and starting to concentrate on his short game. This scruffy par 3 course is helping with that.  Other than that, we're just waiting to see when his conference can play again, and if he'll still be there when it happens.

My HS junior son went to the range with me over the fall. He never played golf and was using the missus' lefty set. He has the "baseball player's slice" but launched many to the farthest range net by mid bucket. I was both filled with pride and disgust as a father and a 30 year player of this heart breaking gift from the satan who still can't hit it straight.

I feel your pain. My guy calls and borrows my clubs. And after they are in his trunk he tells me he broke the head off his driver!

Then he sends me vids from the course of how far he hits it!

I asked him to show me the place on the card for "how far you hit it", but he ignores me.

It’s pretty early in my son’s journey for an update, but someone out there may want to hear how baseball can help a kid find his way. My son graduated last May after playing 4 years of college baseball, with a nice job lined up to start in September. His plans of traveling and enjoying the summer didn’t work out as hoped, but I think he still managed to have fun living at the beach. Now he’s living with 2 baseball friends in a big city and working from home. He can’t wait to meet his coworkers in person, attend live sporting events, and support all the local establishments. On the plus side, he’s studying for his CPA exams and being stuck at home has helped that process. He’s missed out on most of the fun of big city life so far, but he’s making the best of it. Golf is a new priority and of course he hits the ball a mile... and has a bad slice. Lessons are up next.

Baseball to golf seems like a natural progression.  My 2 boys stopped playing baseball FR year of HS.  They wanted to play golf and the sports are the same season.  They both played college golf.  One DII  one DIII.  While in college - the oldest started playing in the AM and Open events.   Summer of his JR year - his little brother caddied for him as he qualified for the US am at Pebble Beach.  Now both are working full time still playing in AM and Open events.  I even get to caddy for them sometimes.

Son survived the fall freshman year at his school. Grades were good. More competition at his school with the shortened MLB draft/extra year of eligibility. Also, PG had the school as the #1 JUCO recruiting class. He did good enough in the fall to get a couple good mentions in head coach interviews, BA/D1 Baseball write ups of the team. I would say he is in the top 15 pitchers on the roster, or at least in shouting distance. Time will tell.

The daughter is also a golfer and had college offers.  She can drive it out of this world.  She was playing in a scramble with some of her colleagues this summer including her new principal.  They were on a dogleg left hole and she took out the 3 wood because there is an out of bounds over the green protected by trees.  The new principal told her to get out the driver since she couldn't drive that green.  She told him to watch.  She not only drove the green, yup, but she also went OB.  I coached her in HS golf where she drove 5 greens in her HS career.  Did I mention she is big and strong?  LOL  Her boyfriend golfed in college and they are fun to watch when they play.  I hit in the middle and not long.  I hit the second one on or on the fringe and typically 1 putt.  It drives the long hitters crazy!

coachb25

I play like you play and we call that golf. I play with my Nephew who had a 2 on a 525 par 5 last year and I call that BS.

@TMM_Dad posted:

CoachB25,

I remember that you said you had observed my son, Tim Melville from across the river many years ago. He is still living the dream.

The last two years have been most interesting. He began 2019 with the independent Long Island Ducks. After two strong starts, his contract was purchased by the Rockies and he was assigned to Albuquerque. In August he was called up and remained for the rest of the season. He was re-signed for 2020 on a minor league contract and an invitation to Spring Training.

While working up for the 2020 season, he noticed some rib pain and was diagnosed with a rib fracture. That limited his ST to essentially being a roving assistant. We were together the night the TVs were broadcasting that Covid had struck the NBA. The next day things began to shut down. The only good thing was that we had lots more time together than I planned for the week.

Eventually he was released to find other opportunities and he landed in Taiwan in the middle of the summer. He was one of three 'foreign' players to join the team in the second half of the season. The foreigners lifted the team and they won the Taiwan Series championship. Almost imediately afterwards, the 7-Eleven Uni-President Lions began negotiations with all 3 foreigners Brock Dykxhoorn, Teddy Stankiewicz, and Tim to return for the 2021 season.

He is awaiting work permits and another two week isolation upon arrival before he can rejoin the team. He is excited and so am I. Fortunately, most of their games are streamed live, many with English commentary by knowledgeable announcers. I would probably go for a game or two if I didn't have to do the two weeks in covid jail.

Your son should start a blog on his experiences in the game and outside (travels) the game in Taiwan. A friend’s son did this on his Japanese experience. It was very interesting.

@CoachB25 posted:

The daughter is also a golfer and had college offers.  She can drive it out of this world.  She was playing in a scramble with some of her colleagues this summer including her new principal.  They were on a dogleg left hole and she took out the 3 wood because there is an out of bounds over the green protected by trees.  The new principal told her to get out the driver since she couldn't drive that green.  She told him to watch.  She not only drove the green, yup, but she also went OB.  I coached her in HS golf where she drove 5 greens in her HS career.  Did I mention she is big and strong?  LOL  Her boyfriend golfed in college and they are fun to watch when they play.  I hit in the middle and not long.  I hit the second one on or on the fringe and typically 1 putt.  It drives the long hitters crazy!

My father in law is 87 and usually shoots his age or lower. He’s on the course three, four times a week. He could hit a ten yard wide fairway. Drives me nuts.

Consultant and RJM,

I wish he would write about it, too. It's just not Tim. Occasionally he posts something on Instagram that disappears the next day; usually not baseball related. His twitter presence is predominantly baseball and fun.

There is a quick YouTube/Twitter video of his first STINKY TOFU experience. This is nothing like the tame Garbage Plate he enjoyed when he played for the Rochester Red Wings in '17.

One other cool thing is that he got to hang with one of his distant cousins on his mom's side who lives in Taipei by way of Honduras. Small world!

TmmDad

Your son will be great memories

Bob

Great updates from everyone, i enjoyed reading about y'all's kids. Ryley spent 2020 in Brooklyn at the alternate site.. He learned the hard lesson of what it's like to have a great big league spring camp and not get a promotion. There is so much money/experience in the BP and no one is going anywhere soon. He hopes to get back to big league camp in a month or so and go at it again. I "think" he'll start in AAA and if I'm being a pragmatist, I believe he will stay there unless someone in the big league gets injured or the Mets find a way to make a run and make the playoffs...then maybe he gets called up as an "unknown quantity" to get some innings. Who knows!?! He is basically sleeping, eating, meditating, doing yoga, working out, playing golf, throwing and focusing on personal growth and development. We will have Sunday dinner with both of our kids in a few days and catch a bit more.

No golf course shots but a snapchat vid from us at Top Golf before Christamas.

@Shoveit4Ks posted:

Great updates from everyone, i enjoyed reading about y'all's kids. Ryley spent 2020 in Brooklyn at the alternate site.

Carter Capps is an interesting hire. I hope it works out for him and for Ryley (not so much for the Mets :-)

Good luck to Ryley.  Citi should be an interesting place to be this summer.  I think the Mets will make that run, especially if they sign Springer. They just need one more bat.

(Sorry to turn this into the Hot Stove thread.)

Edit - oh, I didn't know about Capps.  Good!

Son who played in College is still at it, however not on the professional circuit. He plays with a team that travels to the MABL and other amature Baseball tournamnets, once or twice a year. In college he was a PO, but for this team he hits and plays outfield. He has had offers from other teams to play with them however he likes the team he is with. He is now married and owns a house in NC, which he found with @Prepster 's help. He is working at an Academy giving lessons and helping run things there. He is doing some youth coaching, currently with a home schooled HS team. He has a degree in chemistry but I do not think he will ever go back to that. His wife manages an apartment complex in Charlotte.

My Middle son stopped playing baseball after his Freshman year of HS. He chose to focus on wrestling instead. He recieved a degree in Electrical Engineering from Ohio State University. He is working here in Columbus O. He is married and currently him and his wife are living with us. It was supposed to be temporary, a few months until they found a house. Then he had an opportunity to move to Tampa with his company. Then Covid hit. That put the move on hold, and they have been with us ever since. I really like it though. However they ar ready to move on with there lives, so he is staying in the Columbus office and they are in the process of finding a new home. He is an assistant Wrestling coach at the Highschool. And he actually gets paid for it.

They are all doing well and I am very proud of them.

Always good to see technology guys being hired and Driveline is one of the best outfits around so that's pretty cool. Cohen is making a splash...we'll see where that goes. Ryley has a good relationship with Meinhold already.

@BishopLeftiesDad posted:

...He is now married and owns a house in NC, which he found with @Prepster 's help. He is working at an Academy giving lessons and helping run things there....

One of the nicest young couples I've ever worked with. A very real pleasure getting to know them. If we ever get through the pandemic, I want to introduce them to my son who coaches nearby.

Also looking forward to getting together one day with one of their dads when he travels down to see them!

Well, it appears that (like so many) my son’s journey has been cut short due to injury. He has a back condition (as a result of a weight lifting accident in HS) that has already required one surgery and ultimately will require another (the same surgery that Tiger Woods had last). All journeys are different but his has been one of those filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. When he injured his back in HS it seemed he was done playing. A successful surgery allowed him to return but required him to miss the summer before his senior year - meaning he lost out on the optimum recruiting time. As a result the Junior College route was his best option and it took some convincing (on his part) for his mom to get on board. He had two good offers as a result of video and coach connections. He opted for Northern Oklahoma College-Enid, who had been to the D2 JuCo WS the year before and had most key players returning. His coach there happened to be the college roommate of the HC at the west Texas JuCo where I am a Volunteer Asst Coach, so fall of his freshman year our Texas team went up to Oklahoma to play them. I was in one dugout and my son was in the other. I had been giving my son space so I didn’t really know how well he was doing, but during that game I saw him play like a man for the first time. All the things I had been preaching for years (that I thought he didn’t listen to) were on full display. It was a proud moment and very cool to say the least. He won the starting job at 3B and (as the only freshman starting freshman position player) batted .381 in the 5 hole and was a key cog in what culminated in NOC Enid’s first ever National Championship. In the National Championship game he drove in the tying run and scored the go ahead run. After the game, watching him receive his National Championship award was one of my proudest moments as a dad. He was named by Collegiate Baseball as one of the Elite JuCo Players in America in Jan 2020. He was heavily recruited and accepted an offer to play at Texas State which was to take effect after completing his soph season at NOC Enid. When the 2020 season began his back started giving him problems again. I just recently learned that he was requiring 2 hours of stretching and treatment every day to be able to practice or play in a game. After practice (or game) he would ice and take muscle relaxers to manage the discomfort. When the season was cut short by Covid19 he had a chance to rest and recuperate. Follow up medical exams suggested that another surgery would be required in order for him to continue playing. We were evaluating the options when all elective surgeries were curtailed. We had the talk of it’s time to put life ahead of baseball so he called Coach Trout at Texas State (who is a name to keep an eye on) and told him he wouldn’t be reporting to campus. Instead he enrolled at the University of Central Oklahoma because they offer a very specialized degree plan that’s unique to his field of interest. For some reason (that makes no sense to me) he was able to start playing golf without it bothering his back. He played every day over the summer without incident and felt great due to the time away from baseball. He broke 80 after playing for 3 months. Some UCO players convinced him to play in the fall and the HC was on board as my son was UCO’s top JuCo recruit (they had offered him a big scholarship) so he was plenty glad to get him for free. He changed positions (from 3B to LF) to try and reduce the stress on his back and had a good enough fall to win playing time. But his back couldn’t take the daily grind and he has had to give it up and focus on getting his degree and starting a career. He has taken it all in stride (for the most part. He retires with a .361 career BA in college, a national championship ring, and the distinction of being a 2 time Academic All American. He has handled the joys and the disappointments with class and dignity. I am extremely proud of him and have no doubt that he will be very successful in real life - largely due to the experiences he had during his baseball life.

I feel ya on the back stuff.  My kid does 2 hours before every game and an hour after.  Due to CoVid who knows if/when he'll play again, but we've been living under that cloud for a long while.  Every time he dives for a ball you wonder if he'll finish the game. Or you see him keep bending over in the on deck circle and you know it's not a good day for him.  But like your son, for some reason golf isn't a problem.

Cherish every game, folks!

I love reading all of these updates.  We can all learn from each other as important is that we can learn from our kids.