Update on your player?

Adbono - Yes, injuries are definitely part of the game, and how people deal with those set backs says a lot about them.   I think EVERY college athlete goes through some kind of issue(s), it is just a matter of how serious it is and how quickly you can run away from the college-injury-grim-reaper.   

I'm glad to see your son open a new academic door and discover his golf skills.   Shooting under 80 after 3 months is ridiculously good.  It is really amazing that he can play golf given his previous health condition and requirement of stretching and treatment.   My oldest son grimaces in pain when he tries to throw a baseball, and he graduated 6 years ago.   However, he is fine serving in tennis and his one handed backhand which puts a lot of pressure on his right arm  throwing elbow...i haven't figured it out yet.   

Glad to see your son open that new door, and go running through it at full speed!  Best of luck!

Surfing and wave photography are the (ongoing) obsessions for my homebound college boys.  #2 boy's (surfing Santa below) season has already been cancelled.  

#1 son is waiting to hear and may head back to finish his senior year before he knows if there will be a season or not.  Photo of his last college (Amherst) hit, a double off the LF wall to drive in the winning run in an eventual blowout win over archrival Williams.  He was fortunate to have a successful, very remote (HNL > BOS, 6 hr time difference ) internship with a private equity firm in Boston last summer. The company extended an offer, he gratefully accepted, and will be starting in early July.  Without his grinding in baseball, I don't know if he could have handled the 2:30am start of the workday during that internship.

Grateful for all.

Son continues to be "living the dream." Like many minor leaguers the start and season's abrupt end was tough. He was part of a "spring training roster" for 2 or 3 games (One was rained out). His lone action was as a PR for "Panda Bear" in the last inning one game. I saved the audio as a memento (no video) I guess that's a 90 pound tradeoff on the bases (lol). Fortunately last summer, he was able to play in a make-shift 4 team league consisting of indy, current and past Milb players and a few former MLB players. His performance there (MLB club received game and weekly updates)parlayed into an invite to fall instructional league.

One game in instrux due to others' injuries and testing positive, son played a few innings in centerfield, not MI.  He had three plays in two innings including an over the shoulder catch at the warning track (I think he last played CF his second to last year in Legion ball, or Fall Ball his freshman year of college).  In 2019,he was named best defensive player in his draft class for the team, and within the past month or so named the fastest player/baserunner prospect in the organization by two national publications.

He has really been working on his hitting, maximizing his swing mechanics and adding muscle (up to 185 pounds I think). No tutoring or outside jobs this offseason, except for working at a baseball facility and running clinics on defense.  It's nice having him around the house for a while, but he really belongs on a field. I think he was headed to AA. Would be nice. Those West Coast games were a late listen

Smoke, those pictures are amazing, all of them! RipkenFan, it's great that your son was able to figure out a way to get games in! Here's hoping baseball season will be closer to normal this year.

@adbono posted:

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.

Bumping this thread to reinforce the importance of playing team sports and the life lessons that can be learned…….

One of Alec’s profs at UCO advised him that he would be a good candidate for law school. In the process of getting his undergrad degree he set up an internship with a prominent defense attorney (who he had met while working a summer job). That went well and led to a connection with a Federal District Court judge. After graduating from UCO, Alec scored well on the LSAT, sold luxury cars for 8 mos to put some money away, and made applications. He began his first year of Law School last week - and he already has a clerkship (w/ the Federal judge) & a job offer (w/ the prominent defense attorney) waiting for him.
  The most significant thing about all of this is that he did it all on his own. He used his own contacts and his own initiative. Not one bit of help from a family member. No one can tell me that his drive, and perseverance, is not a result of the work he put in as a ballplayer.

Amazing story and what a testament to your son's character and discipline.  Thank you for sharing it here.

Awesome!

Thanks for bumping this thread, adbono. It doesn't get any better for a father than when you see your kids #figureitout. (Thanks, fenwaysouth.) It took 10 posts before I realized this began in January of '21.

Tim's journey continues. He was married at the end of 2020 and brought his wife to Taiwan for the first half of his next season there. In that postseason his flexor tendon? was injured. He chose rest over surgery and was idle for the '22 season and started rehabilitating in late summer. By now he had begun his studies at Northeastern University. (Thank you, KC Royals).

In January 2023 he signed with the Wei Chuan Dragons, also in Taiwan. He pitched until June and, in a fit of good luck/bad luck, his UCL failed just before the birth if his first child (daughter) back in the States. He was home for the blessed event and eventually returned to Taiwan for TJ surgery. After a year of rest, studies and Daddy Daycare, he started throwing again.

He was able to recover to the point to where the Long Island Ducks (again) brought him aboard to pitch in relief. With a total of only 9.2 inning over 11 games, four of the first 6 outings were not good, but he found his stride and finished strong. Plus, his degree in Finance is complete.

Legitimate Dad Bod. It doesn't help that the XXL special jerseys run small. LOL!

Son played a year of D3 and decided late in the next summer that the place was not where he wanted to be.   He looked to get on somewhere else, but most schools were already started back.  Then COVID.   College baseball was done.   He finished school and took a job with a group that does investing in companies with values that comport to those of Christians.  He got married last year and just bought a house.  He has been playing adult league ball and enjoying it.   He is a very fine young man and I am pleased with what God has done with him.

Fantastic Teacher!

Update on my daughter.  She got married and finished her Master's Degree.  She had twins 14 weeks ago.  They are precious.  Her and her husband built that house and they started moving in last week.  I am babysitting a lot with her until she goes back to work on Monday.  Her husband was hired in the same school district she teaches in.  He was also hired to be her replacement this year for middle school softball.  The twins are a boy and a girl.  They were huge for twins when they were born and are really active now.  Starting next week, we will swap off with her husband's parents to watch the twins.  That will save them a lot of money.

B25:

At one time it was hard to imagine much else in life than our kid's ball.  It is so much more.  They have lives and spouses and children and God is better to us than we could ever foresee.  

To those who are still in the midst of the chase:

Many people have been through here with starry eyes.  But, baseball is brutal. The goal for many is MLB.  However, the barriers are plenteous.   Many folks who went through here had some true studs for sons, only to see the dream die before the boy reached the pinnacle.  

Strive for the dream, but focus on reality.  Teach your son to be a man, your daughter to be a lady.  Teach them to be decent people who treat others well.   Teach them how to use their mind to think about things and to not simply be a crowd follower.   Teach them to be self-sacrificing.   And, by all means, do NOT allow your kid to become a victim.  It is far better for a child to die trying than to die in a puddle of tears blaming others for their problems and failures.   It is not the coach's fault, the teacher's fault, your parent's fault, society's fault, etc.  Bad things happen to everyone, but it is the over-comers who have the stories written about them.  Be an over-comer.

Hi, folks. Just realized I had my tenth anniversary on HSBBW in July.  Still, compared to this thread's group of august contributors, I am a mere Dennis. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKIyVnoZDdQ)

News of the West:

Eldest son: living the finance bro life (w/o the attitude) as an associate at a private equity firm in Boston. His partner teaches at an elementary school in an under-resourced neighborhood. Cognitive dissonance reigns.

Middle son:  working in an orthopedic urgent care office, applying to med school and surfing in order to stay sane. I've learned the med school admission process is...taxing.  His partner is a second year med student. They're both holding their respective breaths about what may or may not happen.

Third son: starting junior year with his third (!) coach. Says he loves the school but it's an academic reach for him.  Baseball resilience is transferable, he's found. Thank God.

@FoxDad posted:

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.

Update:  Foxson has been married since 2021 to a wonderful woman.  The past year has been very busy for them.  He and his wife built a new home and recently celebrated their daughter's 1st birthday.  Maybe she'll play softball in a few years.  We shall see.

He doesn't have any time to ump anymore.  He still follows the O's and Nats though.

It's a 350-mile drive to see them so we don't get to visit very often though we were there for their daughter's 1st birthday.                                                 

This is a great topic, IMO. Anyone, player or parent, coming here for the first time will realize that playing the game of baseball is only a small part of the journey. Our son's dream was the same as everyone else's son. It just didn't work out as planned because injuries got in the way. Fenway is wise to say that injuries are part of the game and how one deals with it says a lot about that person. Son didn't give up, he just found another way to be involved in baseball.

One important thing, remind your player, make sure that you finish what you started, get that degree. Son was insisting about not returning to get his degree. He got some great offers for some great jobs, but not a career. He did return to Clemson and it was the best decision ever made.

This fall marks the beginning of his 4th season at Florida and now officially the pitching coach with all the bells and whistles. In December he and his wife will be married for 2 years.

For many of you who complain about coaches, it's not an easy gig.  There is a lot to deal with but he loves it and loves being a teacher as well as mentor to 21 young men.

Several years ago I told people here just because your kids stop playing ball doesn’t mean they won’t keep doing amazing things. My daughter is now 36. My son is 31. It seems like just yesterday they were playing college ball.

My daughter worked three years in a law firm before going to law school. Both kids graduated from their graduate schools the same weekend. Son got an MBA.

My daughter worked as an Assistant DA for a major county for a few years. She made national news for putting away a wealthy military academy rapist. She now works for a Top 50 law firm.

But the big thrill was last Halloween “Boo,” the first grandchild was born. Watching my daughter be a mother is more incredible than anything she did in sports. She was a college softball player. She plays in a law firm softball league and works out.

Her husband was a college lacrosse player. They’re played in the same season. Let the battle begin.

My son went to work for a Big 4 consulting firm after getting his MBA. After five years he left for an equity position in a smaller consulting firm.

I remember a line my son said at Thanksgiving the first year after he was done playing college ball and working. He had spent years being asked by family members how his sports were going.  

“Damn! I’m as boring as the rest of you now!”

No, you’re not. He’s been married over a year now. They moved from the city to the suburbs. His wife and he are starting to consider when to have kids. He plays golf and pickup basketball with a regular group of guys.

I hope that new members and those checking out the site understand from this thread is that this site can become a small family and support mechanism.  So many of us have had our children go through the system playing the great game of baseball and yet, many are still here sharing their knowledge.   Just imagine the level of success that our children have had.  Some have made it all the way to MLB.  Some were fortunate to play professionally.  Others were able to use the game to gain an education and get a step up on life.  One constant has been the parents who have shared those experiences here.  Just read this thread and see the quality of members here.

That commercial "life comes at you fast" is so apropos.  I love it!   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuEQRi_5NFU

A couple updates from 3.5 years ago.  Oldest son will graduate this semester with a mechanical engineering graduate degree from Case Western Reserve in Cleveland.   His company paid for it.  He's picked up running and has been training for a half-marathon.  He's been promoted twice and has a lot of responsibility at work, and he says the running is extremely cathartic.   He's also picked up golf, and just beginning to play as he thinks it will help him in business.  Middle son and my daughter in law received their MBAs earlier this year.  Their company picked up the cost for the graduate degrees.  He is on an engineering management track and corporate rotation to expose him to various parts of the business.  He's moved from nuclear energy  to renewable energy to operations.  lt wouldn't surprise me if he is running this energy company in 10 years.   Middle son also picked up golf and we play together at least a couple times a month.  Youngest son left the Army as a geospatial engineer in Poland representing the US for the NATO alliance.  He was going to re-enlist but they screwed up his paper work.  He's married to a wonderful women and he's working for a large food distributor in their sales operations dept.   He's also picked up golf a few years ago, and plays with his father in law and myself.  We play together a couple times a month. Smart kid playing with the father in law.

Lots of golf, but no grandkids yet.  My wife and I are fine with it as long as they are happy.  We continue to travel quite a bit.  This year we've been to St Lucia for a wedding in January, Madeira for a hiking vacation in May, and Banff/Yoho Valley for a hiking vacation in late August.   I highly recommend Madeira.   We're staying busy.   This is my second full year of golf and I almost broke 80 last month.   Missed an eagle putt on 18 by 2 inches.  That is golf in a nutshell.

According to the app on my phone, I have 2 years 8 months 21 days 2 hours 7 minutes and 54 seconds until I retire.....but who is counting!

Fenway, great update!  Congrats on everything!