What will it take for me to make varsity?

I played my Freshman year. I was 5'9 12o lbs. Most coaches look for coachability, dedication, and attitude. They want someone on there team thats a team player.

Is your dad able to work on the baseball field? I did a lot of work at the varsity field on dugouts, bullpens, batting cage, backstop etc., a lot of people said that the only reason my son played so much as a freshman was because of all the work I was doing. I was naive enough to think it was because of all the hard work my son had done, just goes to show, ya never know!
You are about the size of that mlb shortstop they named world series mvp that plays hard every second of the game. His dad must have worked REALLY hard on the fields!
PS What I'm trying to say is; if you really hustle and work your tail off, you might surprise yourself!(really don't think it'll make a difference if dad helps out on the field)

It will also depend on which seniors are graduating and which positions are opening up.

quote:

Once they see me there jaw drops. I only throw 60-70MPH and am going to make sure i add more speed and accuracy.

I don't get it. What makes their jaws drop? That phrase at the HS varsity level is usually associated with 85+mph throws from SS/3B to the first baseman's chest.

And 60-70mph is typical freshman pitching speed.

quote:

im 5'6 115-120 LBS

That's 6 inches shorter and 60 pounds lighter than our HS's average varsity player.

You remind me of several of the recent American Idol contestants.

Mains3,

Hey, pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. Just work on your game, workout, and long-toss for more arm strength. There are many, many good posts on HSBBW suggesting how to do so.

Mic, do you really have to berate a 15 y.o.?

His hope that he can make varsity (a month off ) is belittling to all varsity players who sweated in weight rooms and toiled on HS freshman and JV teams to *perhaps* make varsity as juniors, or -- rarely-- as sophomores.

He asked: "What will it take for me to make varsity?" I presume he wants a realistic answer, not a dose of the famous HSBBW fantasy usually meted out by people who make their living from baseball.

At least in our part of the country, I've never seen a 115 pound freshman with average running speed throwing 60-ish on a quality large-HS varsity team. As for his "jaw dropping" fielding ability, I wonder how many 95+ MPH bouncers he's scooped up at SS or 3rd when he was in 8th grade?

mg, how about a tad more tact in delivering that reality since you dealing with a kid here.

Mains3, Do you like baseball?
Do you like playing all the time?
Then don't rush into the Varsity team.
You will get much more playing time on JV.
That's were you improve your game and grow into your body.
So when you do go to Varsity your a starter, Not a bench warmer.
Enjoy the game kid.

MG,
You Talked about belittling.
What did you do??
Adult's are open game, Kid's are not.
Understand??
EH

Mains3 is long gone. He posted one day. His posts that day show that he's pretty clueless about what varsity baseball demands. (he admits his 60-ish pitching could be more accurate)

My post was mostly directed to freshman Dads I've seen who can't understand why "junior"
has to play with kids his own age in 9th grade.

As for being tactful, HS freshmen --and their Dads-- are just a few weeks away from reality.

---
By the way, reality can involve the rare southern California HS where 100+ kids (virtually all highly experienced) try out for 16-20 spots on the freshman team.

How do you know he is long gone? You have the ability to know if someone is reading, but not posting?

Sorry, but you were offbase in how you approached responding to a kid's post.

Yeah I should have given the "jaw dropping" 14 year old the politically correct answer to making varsity:

quote:

Most coaches look for coachability, dedication, and attitude. They want someone on there team thats a team player.

MG

quote:

By the way, reality can involve the rare southern California HS where 100+ kids (virtually all highly experienced) try out for 16-20 spots on the freshman team.

How do you know what goes on anywhere?
Are you going by hear say?
Are have you experienced what happen's in SoCal.
Are you just blowen smoke?
I'm thinking about having my prostate checked.

EH

There is no magic elixir for making varsity. This should have started months ago in the form of workouts, etc. I am assuming you are asking "What can I do to catch the coach's eye at try outs?"

If THAT is your question then...show up early and leave late...wear your uniform (including your hat) like a baseball player...hustle/sprint everywhere you go...dive for balls, even when you don't think anyone is watching.

Just go out and do your best. Remember, unless you are starting, you really do NOT want to be on varsity as a freshman. It is much more important that you get playing time and AB's. If it does not work out, just play hard on JV and remember that you can always get called up later in the year.

The other thing to remember is that if you do not make it, it is in no way indicative of your overall talent. You are competing with guys 3-4 years older and probably outweighed by some of them by 75-80 lbs. Your throws now will be quite average for that level, but when you catch up in size, you will surpass them in ability, it just may take a year or two.

MG just spoke from his heart. Everyone has an opinion so let them voice it. We dont have to agree with it but we should at least try to understand where he is coming from. The fact is in this day and age of baseball it is becoming more and more of a (I want it now!) mentality. Baseball is a sport where you have to work and toil and persevere and look at the long haul picture. How about work your butt off and just try and make the team period? Get in the program and take it from there. The real work to make the team is done in the off season. Try outs is where you show off what all the hard work in the off season has done for you. Good luck I hope you earn a spot in the program. And I hope you want it bad enough to work at it when no one is watching.

Coach May

quote:

MG just spoke from his heart. Everyone has an opinion so let them voice it. We dont have to agree with it but we should at least try to understand where he is coming from.

Were all here on this site for one reason are another.

But Bereting a young man isn't one of them.
The kid's proud of the fact he's small in stature, But play's the game with Heart and Hustle, and people are amazed at how good he is for his size? That's all he meant.
EH

micdsguy

I normally read and never respond, I do not have that much wisdom. But is obvious from your post that you do, so what eaxctly do you mean by "HS freshmen --and their Dads-- are just a few weeks away from reality."

What reality? Who's reality? What am I going to learn as the father of a 15 year old freshman, I hope you can tell me so that I can avoid giving my son any false hopes.

By the way, I live in the DFW area metroplex
and the area is loaded with quality programs and players and yes my son is going to one of the quality programs.

So please explain reality to me!

Your points are well taken. Good Post!

Catcher28,

Mic I think means well but he has a tendency to rip. That's unfortunate, because a lot of what he says is true. In this case though (a frosh with perhaps unrealistic expectations of varsity this year) I think diplomacy was in order. There is no reason why this kid cannot eventually play varsity, once he adds some weight, power, and arm strength. But tell him that, don't belittle him in the process.

Heck, we've got one kid in our league who's 5'2" and can hit for gap power!

Size can be a sore subject for me because my own son is a LHP who is just pushing 5'10" (still growing almost 17). It is less of an issue now but as a freshman he was shorter than the kid who posted here.

Son, if you want it bad enough, and you are realistic with yourself and work at it and perhaps wait your turn, it will happen.

5'10" and size is a sore subject???? Try having a 5'7" D-1 SS for a son. Now that really makes size a sore subject. Especially when yopu travel and everyone is calling him a smurf!!!!

;-)

quote:

Originally posted by theEH:

But Bereting a young man isn't one of them.

Stuff like this is just funny to me...I don't think the kid asked for a funny french hat (Beret). Ohhhh...you meant berating. Never mind.

It was close to being spelled right?
LoL.
When I type with my new Blackberry, I leave whole word's out sometime's. LOL
EH

Did your "new Blackberry" (PDA,wine?) make you post bizarre stuff like this?

theEH

quote:

I'm thinking about having my prostate checked.

mains


The first thing you want to do is improve your game and JV may be the way to go

This aside you want to make yourself better than the guy at your position and that means hours of hard work

Go for it and making the JV as a frosh is no sin---it is part of the process

micdsguy,
Did you Understand what my message was to you??
Don't Slam some kids dream.
He wanting advice not to be BERATED by you.
Kids are easy target's.
ReRead the kids post.
He's young and was proud of himself, That's all

Anyway I'm an easy target to, So if you have a need to slam somebody during the day.
You may use me, I can take it.
I might get my feeling's hurt, And Cry a little bit.
But I'll get over it.
EH

First things first, don't get down on your size. It's something that you can't control. I would not plan on playing varsity. You have other players in front of you that will get first priority. Freshman is probably the best place to start, even though I know that isn't where you want to be. I am not too much bigger than you are, I'm only 5'8" and 125lbs. I can assure you that 60-70mph is not a varsity speed. However, there is a way that you can improve that. I would STRONGLY suggest joining a program that does plyometrics on a regular basis. I'm also a freshman and before high school workouts started, I threw a consistant 72mph. I joined a plyometrics program and I now throw a consistant 80-81mph. It is incredibly helpful and I hope that you will take this advice. Make sure to give 110% in practice and you're sure to get noticed.

TSP4, Welcome to the HSBBW.
You are very wise beyond your year's.
And you understand about paying your due's. Good luck to you.
EH

EH,

Thank you very much. I've read a lot of posts already and I'm willing to listen to what you have to say. I'll do my best.

"90% of the game is mental---the other half is physical."

TSP4

theEH,

I've mentioned this before, but I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your posts, from the wise:

"Adult's are open game, Kid's are not."

...to the witty:

"I'm thinking about having my prostate checked."

I'm not sure what that last line meant, but it was hilarious.

Julie

pfbear, I have only two words to say to you!

DAVID ECKSTEIN.

I think the guy that started that deal was not a freshman and just wanted to see what everybody wrote. I think micdsguy was calling his bluff.

Yep, probably a cousin of the poster on every baseball board who annually writes:

quote:

"I'm 14 and throw 88 mph. Is that any good?"

Hard to tell for sure, There was a kid on the pitching group here recently who said he was 5-8 and 310 pounds. He wanted to get his pitching speed up to 60mph. Everyone (except me) laughed at him until he posted pictures of himself, his team and a baseball blog he does from Brooklyn. Nice kid and one of the few here who has a realistic view of his talent and D-1 chances.

I kinda think Mains3 was scamming the board. He was SO OBVIOUSLY not varsity material. But one of the rules on HSBBW is that you can't hit a child with reality

Well unless you can know for sure, Let's give them the benefit of the doubt.
I like to give young kids a positive response, that if they work hard anything could happen.
I can't help it if somebody's scamming us.
But there are young one's that read your response, And might not want to post for fear of being Berated.

Anyway think about it?
EH

I agree with EH, if you do not know, why assume the worst? Moreover, if it were a prankster, responding is a waste time and just serves to motivate them. Worse, your re-sponse could certainly keep others, with legitimate questions, from posting.

“His hope that he can make varsity (a month off) is belittling to all varsity players who sweated in weight rooms and toiled on HS freshman and JV teams to *perhaps* make varsity as juniors, or -- rarely-- as sophomores.”

How does trying to make varsity belittle all varsity players? Trying for varsity belittles no one and making varsity simply means that they are one of the best players at the school. You do agree that the best players should be on varsity. Or is it the players that have been there the longest.

“My post was mostly directed to freshman Dads I've seen who can't understand why "junior"
has to play with kids his own age in 9th grade.”

Why direct such negative comments to freshman dads? Most are just getting started (I am) in HS sports and don’t know much and are here to learn from the veteran posters. I actually thought that was what the message board was all about. I know I have received a great deal of valuable information and advice from some very knowledgeable baseball people.

Reality! Yesterday was the last day of HS tryouts and the coach made his decisions, so at least for my freshman son and me reality has become crystal clear. Reality is what the coach believes not what you or I believe.

quote:

How does trying to make varsity belittle all varsity players?

Boasting that one has varsity level talent when one doesn't have it belittles the skill and sweat that varsity players have invested. I don't think many of you realize how huge the difference is between age 14 and age 18 in sports.

Bet that [long departed] 115 pound kid won't be bragging in school around "the big boys" about how he thinks he's varsity material.

Heck, my kid's tried out at PROFESSIONAL showcases. But his enthusiasm is tempered by a ton of realism. He doesn't mention "jaw dropping talent" around pro scouts In pitching, he knows that "jaw dropping" starts around 94 mph.

quote:

Reality!

The following math is typical of a fairly large HS around me. 2/3 of players who try out for freshman team make it. 1/4 of those will be cut the 2nd year. nearly 1/4 of the remaining will not make it the junior year and a few will voluntarily leave (usually due to lack of playing opportunity) the senior year.

I'm not counting the kids who get yanked off the team by their parents due to perceived slights by the coach or whatever. Grades, other sports and babes take some minor toll.

(correct me if your experience is much different) I'll guess that 20% of the freshman from Day One will be there at the very end. I shutter to think what the math must be like in S Cal or Texas.

[quote:]
Im a freashman and really want to make Varsity. I know a great deal of the game, and it seems all my coaches are impressed with me after seeing me pitch, and field. I am an average to above average runner, and am a great fielder. Also I have a strong quick swing. The only major problem is that im 5'6 115-120 LBS. When people first see me they say stuff like ' he probley cant even make the trow across the infield." Once they see me there jaw drops. I only throw 60-70MPH and am going to make sure i add more speed and accuracy.

By the way im a Pitcher, shortstop, and thirdbaseman.[quote]



Now were in this post is there an insult to varsity player's.
I see a kid that is proud and confident, about his abilities.
And asked, What could he do to help himself make Varsity.
That is it, nothing more.

He said when People first see him.
Not when a scout first see's him.
So why bring up Pro scouting event's.

EH

The math is no differant any where in the country.
It's all the same. And they stop playing for all the same reason's.
There's only so many roster spot's in each school team.
There's just more school's in California.
My son's school had 2500 student's and they were considered small.
But still most of the kid's made the freshman team, and they also had a practice squad.
They can be added to the team later in the season and many were. It made all there hard work worth it to them.
And they were a part of a League Champion Freshman team at the end.
So I like to root for the underdog over achiever type.
That's just me.
EH

“I don't think many of you realize how huge the difference is between age 14 and age 18 in sports.”

You are assuming that the rest of us are not as well informed as you, while I might not be I am sure there are many others that post here that are.

”Bet that [long departed] 115 pound kid won't be bragging in school around "the big boys" about how he thinks he's varsity material.”

Bragging? Around the big boys? Even if he did brag what does it hurt, the big boys (if they are big boys) do not have anything to prove to a 115-pound freshman and if they have any confi-dence in their abilities will not care how much he talks.

”Heck, my kid's tried out at PROFESSIONAL showcases. But his enthusiasm is tempered by a ton of realism. He doesn't mention "jaw dropping talent" around pro scouts In pitching, he knows that "jaw dropping" starts around 94 mph.”

The kid was trying to make a HS team not a pro team. I would think that “draw dropping poten-tial” starts around 94 mph, “jaw dropping talent” starts with location/movement and then velocity.

Do not assume that all freshmen are 115 pounds and physically less mature than seniors. Also, do not assume they have not paid their dues when it comes to baseball.

As far as players continuing to play your numbers seem quite realistic for most HS is this area, however there are the baseball powers that 100 trying out for 15-20 spots. I would assume your attrition rate is also fairly accurate. I would imagine that these numbers are typical of most areas in the country.