When did you know you had a "Player"

Ouch! That's terrible.

Glad that he recovered from such callous, irresponsible behavior.

How old is he now?

I realized it when my son was still very young. Some parents wrote a letter to the Pony League my son played in. They were complaining that my son's pitching was too dangerous and he should play with the older division. He was nick named "stinger".

NVR1...too sad...shouldn't happen to kids at that age...

But boy it sounds like he had a great response to what could have been a very bad situation.

No one likes to be forgotten.

The first time was when he said his first recognized word, "ball". Actually pronunced "bull" at the time but we knew what he meant.
Second time was when he cried his eyes out because he missed the deadline to move from t-ball to kid pitch.

When he was 7 pitching to the dads in a father/son game and we had to move him back cause he was scaring us.

Actually, I'd say for real when he was 3-0, 0.00 ERA in the 15U AAU Nationals and only one runner reached 3rd base the entire tournament against him.

When he was moved up to LL majors at 8, when playing 3 days a week in little league was not enough so he started playing AAU doubleheaders on Sunday...at 10, going 3-0 with 4o something strikouts in 17 innings, on the big field at 13 in the Top Team district tourney.

Like "Stinger" coaches told him not to throw so hard.

When he only got grumpy and complained during the offseason.

Geaux Cajuns!!

NVR1,
Good story, and I can see your son setting there on the picnic table, tears in his eyes, plotting his future! Competition brings out different things in different people. That’s why we play the game. Great story.
My son’s first word….BALL. We would play ball as soon as he was able to set up. I would roll it to him and he would throw it back.
I knew my son was a players when he was 3 years old..
Seriously, I think most parents think their son is good at a very young age. Then we start looking for reasons to make us change our minds, or events that reinforce our beliefs.
Like I said, I knew he was a player when he was three years old…. . . .plastic ball, plastic bat. From about 15 feet I underhand a pitch to him while baby talking to him…”Hit it back to daddy as hard as you can”…. . . .30 seconds later, covered in blood, I had to explain to my wife how a three year old kid with an 0-0 count on him could bust my lip and my nose at the same time with a plastic ball up the middle.

Fungo

Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.

NRV1, Good topic! We all know what happend to your son in the end!!

When my son was 12 in the championship of a out of town tournament. He had pitched a complete game victory in the semi's and had a couple innings eligibility left to pitch. He started the bottom of the seventh, game tied and proceeded to give up an opposite field triple. I called time out and brought the infield in and told them Josh was going to walk the next two batters intentionally to create a force and then get us out of the jam. He then proceeded to strike out the next two hitters and get a fly ball for the third out.

A couple of the other parents afterward told me (I hope jokingly) that if I would have put their son in that situation they would have killed me. I overheard a couple of umpires that had stayed around to watch the game say that it was a stupid move and I couldn't expect a 12 yo to handle that kind of pressure.

We ended up losing the game the next inning because of the "dreaded" California playoff .

After the game I told my son to put the feeling of that one inning in his "memory bank" and remember that he has it in him to get out of any jam.

BTW, 123Kmom "stinger", I like it . Mine was nicknamed "Danger boy".

PASSION - "There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those."

When he first lifted and held that baby bottle to his mouth
with his left hand. lol

Couple of years ago up in Cooperstown at 12 y/o national tournament. We made it all the way to the semi-finals out of 48 teams from around the country with a bunch thrown together at the last minute. He made a game saving diving backhand catch coming in from centerfield in the bottom of the last inning with the bases loaded in the quarterfinals to beat a powerhouse team from calif coached by Damon Berryhill. Never thought I could jump so high lol. He also batted about .600 for the tourny.

'07 Crafty Lefties Dad...

Great topic, we've got two times when we knew he was a player.
The first was like many of you probably, when he would "run the bases" after his brothers games, when he was just out of diapers. We knew he loved the game. He never has really liked any "toys" except for sports related things.
This past summer he matured from wanting to play with the best of his friends (who he will go to High School with) to wanting to play at the highest level he could (opposing High School). We let him know it was his choice to tryout for that team and if it came to a bubble choice for the roster it would go to the area kid. He was alright with it. Long story short version he was number 2 batter and started at catcher all year. Needless to say it made me proud to see how he has matured.

When I bought my 2 1/2 year old a t-ball stand for chrismas because I was tired of holding the ball up in my hands for him to hit it (that hurts by the way).

Of course Grandma was naive enough to say "oh let's just sit it here in the living room, he's too young - he cant' really hit it yet".

(funny - after the first whomped into the mirror she changed her mind and said "outside with that thing - now"

I can't really say I knew then either though - to be honest I was in denial - it took me 10 years to admit it wasn't a phase he would outgrow.

Sandman,

Here's the answer to your question about NVR1's son:
Steve Lerud - Catcher'03 Galena High Reno, Nv
Drafted by Pittsburgh

2003 - 3rd round draft selection
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/draftday/search.jsp?sc=lastName&sp=L

Bob,
"Doing nothing is still a course of action"

('06): I'm confident my 06 will get there, but where the seed sprouted was in our basement, when he was 7, playing imaginary games that lasted for hours. The pillows were thrown on the floor for bases and the couch became the home run "wall". I knew I had something different when he came up one day, drenched with sweat, looking a bit down. I said "hey sport, what's up?" and got a disgusted "I blew it, gave up a 2 run homer in the bottom on the ninth." I figure a kid that gives up a gopher ball to himself in an imaginary game, and is mad because he lost, will probably be pushing himself along pretty well later on. And he has...

03 was more conventional. Pitched out of a bases loaded, winning run on third, 16U ECTB World Series game, 3-0 count on the batter, with a 3 pitch K, and never looked ruffled. After the inning, I called my wife and told her, verbatim, " If he gets to college ball, I think he just turned the corner".

Good topic, if only to have neat memories brought back up............

At 10 months when he charged the playpen after being beaned by a pacifier. Ended up with a 1 nap suspension.

As a young 11 year old, my son made the local all star travel team. As he was young he was a bit of a bench player and got in a few innings in most games but not all. His team made it to the final game of the district tournament and he entered the game at 2nd base in the 5th inning. They were up by 1 in the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and second and two outs. There was a full count and the batter hits a high pop up to his position which he had to backpedal to reach. Never taking his eyes off the ball, he fell flat on his back and started pushing with his feet on his back to scoot under the ball for the catch!

Needless to say, he was the star of the game, received the game ball and hasn't looked back since.

1st time is hard to say at 9 he came home from baseball camp with the "Mr. Baseball" trophy. The clincher was at 11 yrs old. local tourney, tie game, bottom of the last, 1 out, runner on 1st.
I spy that look in his eye as he grabs his bat.
3 pitches, count 3-0, fouls off next 3, next pitch line drive dead center field about 3 feet over the 10 foot fence. 15 kids tackled him when he stepped on the plate.

This past fall his coach was calling him "Ricky baseball"

But I'll have my doubts again when he gives me a killer time getting out of bed these frigid mornings. 8am workouts the next 12 Sundays starting this weekend.

I can't remember exactly when it started, but at about age 10 I noticed he wasn't scared of hitting against anybody. He didn't care how old they were or how fast they threw, he just had a "bring it on" attitude. The faster the better.

As a 13 yr. old 8th grader at a small 1A school, he made the HS team & got some playing time. He even pitched an inning in a varsity game (1 K, 1 BB, 2 comebackers) and thought it was no big deal, he was just one of the guys. Just cool as a cucumber.

What cemented it was later that year, I took him to the semi-finals of the 5A state play offs to let him look at how the big schools played. He looked at the pitching (including some D-1 commitments) and said "There're not any different that what I see every day. What's the big deal?"

When did you know? What a great question. You guys are being very creative! Great topics that make you think.

As for my baseball playing son, when did we know?

* Maybe it was sometime around the time that the picture below was taken
* Possibly when he was starting as a 9 year old against the 12 year olds and not knowing he was a little ****
* Or could it have been when we put together our first travel team and his comment was "this is going to be so cool" From that point on he was a part of 7 state championship teams
* Of course there was the day that he came home and proudly announced that he had made the high school team ... only days later did we find out that he had made the varsity team! -- when I asked why he didn't tell us that part his response was .... "I did not try out to make the jv team"
* Maybe it was the fact that he got up every morning, all thru high school, at 6:00am to hit, on his own, in the garage
* And there was his first year of college ball when he competed against 4 other middle infielders (all ex all-state players) and earned a starting position
* And this past year when he made the jump to NCAA DI and old Dad wondered how he would do. All he did was lead the team in every offensive category and be selected the Southern Conference "all conference" shortstop
* And now as he waits to start his senior season of college baseball old Dad wonders if this will be his last time playing organized baseball. Will he be drafted and given another opportunity to continue his dream? I hope that he will be given a chance to prove that he can be a player at that level, for his sake.

My point in this writting is that "knowing your son is a player" comes in steps, levels and increments. At each new level you have questions. Some kids succeed, some do not.

Only the most optimistic or foolish are sure that their child will be a player at each new level.



Bob,
"Doing nothing is still a course of action"

Bob.......what a great picture. What great memories too. I knew when my kid got hooked on the game.......at 3 years of age,he would scream bloody murder if I headed out the door to a game and did not take him with me. My other children never did that.

Bob...absolutely the best picture on this site!

Brings back memories...

When Brandon was around 3 or 4...he'd convince his grandma to play catch with him in the yard. And of course she would...and he'd throw and she'd chase...fortunately his aim has improved.

Even now...he's counting down till his last senior days on that high school field...and can't wait to step back onto that mound.

What a fun thread.

My son had a real leather Wilson baseball glove in his bassinet in the hospital. I think the smell got deeply embedded in his brain ... and his heart.

He's an 04 and I don't know what level he will be able to rise to, but I knew that baseball had a hold on him when he was 3. He would be out in the backyard with a ball and glove, asking for someone to play catch, throwing the ball in the air and catching it endlessly if he couldn't find a partner. By about age 5, when dad played catch with him, he would want to play forever, so finally dad would say, "Okay, the next ball you don't catch, means it's time for me to go in the house." Son would jump and dive and do anything possible to catch that ball, just so the game could go on.

J-
We've talked about this before, our son was given a glove as a Christening present...an 11" Rawlings. I hated BB at the time and thought "what a strange gift". He used it for years.
But the first time we thought "huh" was when he was playing pony ball, starting his pinto year. (Year after T-ball-think he was 7) He was chomping at the bit to pitch, because the coaches wouldn't let the kids pitch until 1/2 way through the season.
Finally, the point comes and he is put in to pitch against a "real player" in a "real game" and the kid throws a knuckle ball.
For a strike.
I picked my husband's jaw off the ground and we have enjoyed every moment since.
It's an awesome game!


_______________________
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." Rogers Hornsby, Hall of Famer

When Will was 3 years old he would play wiffle ball with his dad and his older brother. When it was his turn to hit, if "prospects" did not look good at first base, Will, the determined soul that he was/is, would head straight to third base. You never got the boy out.

This is a great topic that I'm sure really gets everyone reminiscing about all the great baseball memories our sons have given us.

We knew when my son was eight and playing Little League. He went to a game knowing he wasn't feeling well, but didn't want to let his teammates down. Halfway through the game he told the coach he was really sick, and sat on the bench. In the last inning, the score was tied against one of the best teams in the league. He hauled himself to his feet and asked the coach if he could go back into the lineup. He then hit in the winning run. On the way home I took him to the doctor: strep throat with tonsillitis so bad his tonsils were almost swelling his throat closed.

And of course there were all those times he came in bruised and bleeding after falling into my backyard planters because "I HAD to catch the ball."

The other day we ran into the mother of a boy on his 8-year old team. She asked if my kid was still playing ball, then said, "I'm so glad I don't have to do THAT anymore." Naturally, we looked at her as if she were some kind of alien life form. We wouldn't trade the last ten years for all the money in the world.

I had a good laugh at Fungo's post, could have been our house.
Regardless of where our kids will fall in the future with baseball it was we as parents who saw something special in them at a young age and decided to devote ourselves to that development.
It takes special parents to make things happen for their kids and although we cannot imagine it any other way, there are soooo many parents out there with there own agendas. Some say, well I have to work, I'll get fired, it's too much money, I am too tired, etc. We faced those choices ourselves and decided that raising happy, responsible kids were more important and always found a way to manage between sports for him and dancing lessons for her. We also knew when to draw the line and when to say yes and when to say no.
Congrats to you all for raising such great kids!

Nine years ago, We were at a final team party for the rec league (ten year olds). Coach W said a few words about all the boys on the team. He waited to talk about my son till last. Coach W said that in twenty six years he had never given an MVP award. This year would be different.

He went on to say that he had been tougher on my son than any other kid he had ever coached.
(I had never had a problem with him). He also went on to say that there was a reason for this.What he said next was the kicker. " Maybe when Justin gets older he will sit down and think about all of what went on...And write me a check!"



"Everybody kind of perceives me as being angry. It's not anger, it's motivation." Roger Clemens

quote:

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Originally posted by hsbbweb:
Sandman,

Here's the answer to your question about NVR1's son:
Steve Lerud - Catcher'03 Galena High Reno, Nv
Drafted by Pittsburgh

2003 - 3rd round draft selection
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/draftday/search.jsp?sc=lastName&sp=L

Bob,
"Doing nothing is still a course of action"

---

Thanks hsbbweb!

At the age of 3 Bret would go outside while his twin brothers were in school and set up their tee...he would then put the ball on the tee and hit it...he then put down the bat and ran after the ball....after about 100 hits, I figured, housework can wait...! He's had the same work ethic ever since. At 5, he was chosen for the 7&8 yr old all star team...

Playing baseball has made so many great memories and friends for him and us...from all over the United States. I am thankful for every day that I had a dirty floor!!!!

When my '05 was about 12 and went to the coach and begged he be put on the mound, you see his team was losing and he was not about to let that happen, the coach put him on the mound and they came back and won the game.

The other time was when he was a 9th grader and tagged a fastball for his first high school homerun.

And lastly he got hit by a ball in the mouth and got a tooth knocked out, I took him to the emergency room and they called a dentist in and put the tooth back. When he was able to talk, the first words out of his mouth was "I am still going to the showcase" which was about 10 days away. He went.

CV

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

Earl Weaver

First, when my son was in TeeBall at 4years old, and the coach had to tell him not to throw the ball so hard.....not to the other players, but to the coach.


Second, when my son was about 10 years old, he went to a local HS camp in the town we lived in. The HS coach was very impressed, so impressed he kept my son after the camp to talk with him and invite him to work out with the HS team and be the bat boy.

Third was when he was in Select, about 12 years old and the coach he was playing for was playing daddy ball and wouldn't let my son pitch. I had 6 different coaches from other teams calling me to try to get my son to switch teams so he could be utilized.

Last time was just the other day....the high school coach from the town we used to live in (3a) called me to inquire if the rumor he heard about my son moving back into town was correct. Just to let me know that if it was, he had a position on varsity waiting on him. (He's a freshman). Told him thanks for the call, but we were staying put. (I spent a small fortune to get custody of him and he ain't going back!!)

First when my 04 was 6 and playing in a Dixie Youth championship game. He was catching and we have a picture of him catching a popup. The ball is about 2 feet above his glove and you can see a bubble from his bubble gum under his catcher's mask. He definately kept his cool.

Second when he was 8 and begged the coach to let him pitch in a 10 and under league. The coach asked him if he could pitch and he told him "of course". The coach finally put him in for an inning. He had a nine pitch inning, 3 KO's. When he came off the field, he told the coach, "I told you" and went and sat down on the bench.

Nothing seems to intimidate him now.

"When did you know you had a Player"..........when dad could no longer catch what he threw!

It started when we noticed he held his bottle with his LEFT hand. Next, the second word he learned (after Da Da) was BALL. When he was four, we bought him a plastic bat, ball, and tee. I looked out of the window one day and he was throwing the ball up and hitting it the length of our back yard. At 14 he had 17k's in one game at the USSSA World Series in Sterling Hgts, MI. Also, at 14, made the starting varsity rotation as a freshman. First varsity start was a complete nine inning win against county rival Heritage. At 17, closed the game (AAU Nationals) against Texas (after a rain delay from the previous night) to put the Knoxville Thunder into the national championship game against the Dulin Dodgers. Lots of steps, lots of fun!

If you can't have your cake and eat it too, what are you supposed to do with it?

When he was 4 years old I went in one night to give him a kiss goodnight and found him sleeping with his bat and ball.

Couple of moments of "knowledge" for us ...

Initially, at age 2 1/2 ... picture of him standing in backyard with plastic bat in hand, awaiting Daddy's "toss" ... pointing bat towards the roof line ... reminiscent of Babe Ruth (but then, he found out how hard the "big kids" throw the ball and he gave up hitting for pitching full time ... )

Actually, at age 12 ... playing on a local 14U AABC team ... as son heads to the mound in the first inning, the opposing coach (with a nasty tone in voice & sneering expression on face) asks umpire "How old is this kid, anyway?" When told the kid was 12, opposing coach just starts to laugh. The umpire suggests to the coach that he should "...wait and see what he does, first." After 3 shut-out innings against opposing coach's team ... we KNEW we had a player ... and so did the opposing coach ...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Go HIGHLANDERS !!!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When my ten year old son was playing on two summer league teams - and caught back to back seven inning games in over 100 degree sunshine and unbearable humidity - sweated through six tee-shirts - and then caught another seven inning evening game a few hours later. Nearly had a fit when the coach started worrying about whether the heat was too much for him to take.

And the time he was twelve and had a ball thrown home from second base that bounced up before the plate and hit him squarely in the middle of his cheek - he still scrambled for the ball to get the runner out - went to the doctor - nothing broken - and came back to watch his team finish the game. He was black and blue for two weeks after that from the forehead all the way down to the bottom of his cheek.

That's when we found out how tough he was.

Probably when he was about 9 and he was cut from the "A" tournament team and put on the "B" tournament team.. We played "A" in the Memorial Day tourney and he hit for the cycle, then we played "A" for the district tourney and he hit 3 homeruns..

BTW~ "B" beat "A" throughout the tournament season.. We still tease that coach mercifully to this day

_______________
"Baseball, it is said, is only a game. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole."

"JustMom"

My son always loved ball since t-ball but I never thought he'd be much; he rode the bench a lot but started comeing around in Babe Ruth. It wasn't until his sophmore year of high school that I saw something in him. He had pitched one time the last game of the year at Babe Ruth his freshman year for a couple of innings because they ran out of arms and did a good job; luck! Then he started working at learning pitching mechanics and the following year he went out for the pitcher spot at high school and got it. His first start he was all nervous and tightened up and was chocking the ball off. For two innings he got smacked around and was feeling bad. Then he fought back and over the next five innings gave up only one hit. That is when I knew he had something.

Great Topic,
My son was age 5 when he started T-ball, He hit a so called double and was smiling ear to ear, the next batter on his team got up and hit a ground ball to the shortstop who booted the ball, the ball bounced near Daniel who picked up the ball and threw a perfect strike to the first baseman, Throwing out his own player thus causing complete silence from the coaches until I said "atta boy Buddy way to fire that ball" we went to buy a video camera after that game and have taped all his games from that classic moment to the present, He is now a 05 Junior and in his Dad's eyes on his way to the next level if he continues the hard dedication and puts in the time. We do all the right things, Long toss, running, weights, elastics,hitting,fielding ..................etc.......Is was nice to have a son that you can actually go out and play catch with him, I Remember when you had to actually try to throw it in his glove, His Aunt bought him that velcro glove and ball thing when he was 3, I threw that in the attic and went out and bought him a $125.00 Wilson 10 1/2" infielders glove. He has made me very proud of him. And by the way, Now he has to throw the ball in Dad's glove. I tell him nothing over 85, because I don't see it coming untill I feel it in my chest protector. Good Luck this season Buddy...Dad Loves You

"Roundin third and headin home"

NVR1 you have a PM.

Knowledge is Power! Thank you Mavens and HSBBWEB!

This is another great thread! I'm prejudiced 'cause I'm a mom but I try to be a realist too! I knew he could possibly have something when he was still 9 and his s****r coach picked him to play on his 11-12 yr. old team, only because he knew how he played the other sport. After a couple practices, he came out to my car to tell me that my son seemed to be a natural and wasn't afraid of the older kids so he was starting him as their catcher.
Then after the last game of his next to last LL season, he announced to the coach that he was going to be MVP next yr. for the league. I chuckled, he did it. Coach still likes to tell that story to the kids he coaches. What the coach didn't know was that several other coaches were telling us to get him away from that coach and they'd do whatever, put my husband on as a coach(even tho he couldn't coach because of his hrs.). My son showed the loyalty he still has today by turning them all down. They wound up being #1 and he got his MVP award. Around the same time, he was always getting calls from a bunch of the high school players to come out for a game in the park and he wasn't afraid of them! They'd always tell us how good he was for such a young age.
Then for real, when he was the regional high hitter for Jr. Legion and we'd drive into the park and the parents, of all people, would embarrass the heck out of him by bowing down with their hands in the air as we drove by.(He hated that) He wound up w/a .667 BA for the tournament and was pictured in the paper just about every day.
Made varsity as a 9th grader and started and has received numerous awards since then. What irritates me sometimes but also makes me proud of his commitment is his loyalty. He has had numerous opportunities to play elsewhere that would benefit him more but always sites his commitment to the other guys on his team. This yr. he even gave up a showcase to play in regionals for his legion team - even tho 1 of the coaches chose to go on his vacation and take 2 players w/him!

When he started LL @ 10, in his first ever game, a kid called him a "chub"....and he was. He came over to me(coach)and said I'll show them...he proceeded to hit his first pitch outta here..went on the mound and shut them out. I guess he knew before me. Still agreat memory and he keeps that ball in the forefront of others...especially since he pitches now.

Thanks for the thread to remind me how important memories can be.

"If you can imagine it you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it". William Arthur Ward

"Baseball is Life"

My oldest's first word, literally, was "ballpark," spoken when I was a minor league baseball writer.

Both of the older boys were forced out of T-ball a year early, for the protection of the other players.

My 04, as a 9-year-old, had to play shortstop his first year in Little League because his brother was the catcher. But when the 03 pitched, the 04 had to catch, because he was the only one who could handle him.

There are other, frankly better, stories with them in hockey, but the combo of the two ...

When I saw Bob's great picture it reminded me of one that I had of Connor. I had to dig around a little but I knew that I could find it. Connor slept with this bat. He would carry it everywhere and when he was outside he would spend hours tossing pebbles into the air hitting them. He had bigger legs back then!



He just called and said that he met his new roommate, a catcher from Idaho. He can't wait to start throwing!

This is going to be fun!

Looks like about a 33/30 black Easton.

Geaux Cajuns!!

When he was 9 made the B all-stars in our local PONY Mustang league.

In the last tournament we played we got blown out, but on the way home he started crying, and said "I don't want it to be over."

Maybe when my Grandson was 4 or 5 years old and watching baseball and asking my son all kinds of " why " questions, on baseball situations . Maybe, when my grandson was 6 and playing T-ball, he was playing 1st base with the base's loaded no outs, for the other team. A pop up came to him and he called for the ball, caught it tagged the runner trying to get back to first for the second out and continued running to 2nd base,{ cause no one was covering the bag ] to tag the base for the unassisted triple play. And then , in t-ball you would stay on the field till the whole team batted in the same inning. The other team loaded the base's again and UNBELIEVEABLE, the exact same thing happened . Two unassisted triple plays in one inning. Then again , maybe it was when he was 11 and catching for his Mays team in a tourney in a different state and getting flattened by a boy as big as a man and holding on to the ball in a bang, bang play , when the kid came in standing up instead of slideing. Then again , maybe it was when he was 12, and playing in the region LL playoffs and he hit his 1st home run { and only home run in little league } over the fence to tie the game in the last inning. Or maybe , it was when he was 14 and after catching a double header, in the heat and when I drove him home, he put his catchers gear back on and persuaded me to throw him countless balls in the dirt so he could practice his blocking skills. Or, maybe it was his sophmore year in high school after catching a J.v. game , the coach told him to stay and catch the hardest, wildest thrower on the varsity. With four coach's watching , baseballs were flying all over the place , I thought it was the pitcher they were watching, I found out later it was actally an " audition " for my grandson. The next Varsity game he was behind the plate. He has been there ever since, as he enters his senior year. Or, maybe it was when he got the first call from a college coach , this past summer.

Every one's right when they say it happens in stages. We felt that our son had "potential" when during the first swing of his first at bat in Pee Wee Ball (that's when he started playing ball), he hit his first homerun, which was off of the pitching machine. We still have the ball marked with the date, etc. However, we realized that without hard work and dedication on his part, and the support of his family, the potential that we saw would never reach it's true fruition. Not a week has gone by since, that we don't emphasize to him the need to work hard and stay focused. He is currently doing well and is focused on realizing his dream.

When the doctor said: "It's a BOY!"

Is this heaven?...

quote:

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Because he has been so good, he has experienced been benched because "he is so good he doesn't need to play" as one coach put it.

He has gone through so many of those kind, that now he deliberately plays "down" just to get to play and be accepted.

It has been interesting to watch human nature deal with a baseball prodigy. And in spite of it all he remains to this day one of the kindest, most thoughtful human beings I know.

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What is the prodigy's name? I am always looking for great players. I don't think they should hide their talent.

"I love the HSBBW"

http://baseballresource.com/rodriquez04.htm


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Not sure when I first realized that he had something. My son has always seemed to have a passion for the game. From the time he was old enough to play on a team he just seemed to stand out in the crowd. ofcourse the fact that he walked around with a ball and glove 90% of the time gave us a clue.

Today, I constantly get dad's who come up and comment about my 9 year old. He's a definite athelete, put together very tight muscle wise and constant gamer. They comment how when he was 5 and 6 in t-ball he was already doing EVERYTHING perfect with his hands, feet, swing, throwing... It's a bit over the top but I get their point... I also get the "you know he's gonna cost you a fortune in travel teams when he's older..." From dad's I don't even know but know who my kid is... He's already been invited to several 10 year old Travel Teams and I look forward to watching him develop into a great player... He's got an older brother he's been watching for years and also he's gotten his fair dose of SF Giants PACBELL Park baseball games and Barry Bonds home runs to imitate and inspire him. He's got that EDGE also. Very intense, want's to win, very physical in your face kid who likes to go for the W constantly... I'm constantly reeling him back in whenever he goes too far. Interesting is his older brother is the complete opposite, calm, cool, collective... And finally my 9 year old watches WWF 5 nites a week which drive's his mother and I NUTS!!! Maybe that explains that whole in your face thing.. LOL!

When he was in seventh grade and starting on the high school varsity team.

He played summer ball with the same team the year before. And he played AABC 11-12 league when he was 10. Last year in eighth made the All District team with an .750 batting average in two games (4-4 in first game).

Bob, great post. Thanks. I knew...when at age 3yrs he sat down and watched the movie "Field of Dreams" and didn't budge! PGStaff: Jerry, what year was it that you built those baseball fields out there in Iowa?

It's hard to pick one precise time that I knew my son was a "player" because I think it's more of an evolution rather than a one time event but I have to share a rather momentous event that happened when my son was about 5 years old and playing in a "coach pitch" league and his father was the head coach of his team.

It was the day of team pictures and my son managed to stray away from his team and head over to the adjacent high school league field where he wanted to watch the "big boys" as he called them, play....he didn't think being in the team picture was nearly as important as watching the "big boys" play and even at his tender age he watched and he learned. It wasn't until the pictures were distributed to the team members that his absence was noted...my husband had some definite explaining to do when I noticed that my son wasn't in his team photo!!!

Needless to say, that scenario never happened again because Mom was there to make sure son was present for the team photos...but we still get a big laugh about it even today. I could relate a few other events that might qualify under this topic but this one has to be the best.



Ann

I’ve been watching this forum for a while and I still can’t think of any one day that made me think my kid is a player. I can think of different occasions, some big, some small; so small that only a Mom or Dad would see. Rather than turning this into a Dad brag and talk about specific times, I would rather give general ideas.

Whenever he was confronted with a challenge, he would always rise to the pressure and achieve results. Whenever given an opportunity, he would double off the fence. Whenever he is given a bad situation, he would give a quiet word of encouragement to his team mates. Is this a boy turning into a player, or a boy turning into a man?

He has had a lot of success between the foul lines, and more is to come. But we are most proud of who he is becoming outside the lines.



The Bullwinkle is verklempt, talk amongst yourselves.

Bullwinkle:

Excellent and touching post! Better even than Babs Streisand!

Isn't it amazing to watch our once "little guys" grow into such fine young men?

Good luck to all the young men out there.

ps. where do you get your hair done?

Although I am new to the message boards, I would like to share my own experience, so here goes.

My son was three, like many of you parents have stated your sons were. I always tried to instill in my son the basics of throwing to a "target" which was the center of my chest. Catching with "TWO (2)" hands.

I always reminded him of keeping his hands back in his swing, keeping his 'eye on the ball', and his head still, like a pro golfer does.

At some point in little league, he also started to pitch, besides playing ss, 2nd, catcher and outfield. Nothing wrong with being adaptable to any situation. I told him when he pitched that the most important thing to remember was to throw strikes. Don't worry about the other team hitting the ball. That is what the other eight players are for, to field, catch and throw the runner out. Many times that didn't happen. To help him maintain his composure on the mound, I would tell him to take a deep breath, just like when right before you take your backswing in golf.

I would also tell him to take his time, and not hurry. Get into his own rhythm, maybe count 1-2, or 1-2-3, and then throw. Stops the jitters. He had the ball, he was the "king" on the mound, and nobody could do anything until he threw the pitch. It worked!! He had very good 'location', wasn't over-powering, and got players out. Now as a high school sophomore, he plays, infield, outfield and catcher. Not at one time, of course.

I still have his little, vinyl blue fielding glove, wrapped in plastic, along with my fathers from when he played minor league ball.

Yes, he can play!!

I hope you will allow me to come back here, since I did become "long-winded"???

"Sherman...set the Waybac Machine for......"

I realized there was potential in my sons first Tball game. They put him in CF and a kid hit one to the fence. My son instinctively knew the ball was not going out but was over his head to the fence. Rather than chase the ball all the way to the fence, only to have to turn around and chase it in the other direction after it bounced off the fence - he took 2 steps toward the fence and waited for the bounce. He caught the ball on a one hop and turned and gunned the kid out at 2nd base.

http://www.highviewheat.com/index.asp

http://www.kristensfastpitchworld.com/index.asp

I remember when our son was a fairly new reader, he checked a book out of the library on "how to pitch". He would sit at our picnic table and look at the book and then practice throwing that pitch against our cinderblock garage. Later on he measured the distance to homeplate and marked off a strike zone. He also got very good at fielding grounders when the ball bounced back to him. He still throws out there when he is home from college. When I hear the sound of a baseball banging against the side of our garage, I know that all is right with the world. The boy is happy.

enias,
Would you say the HOF book is what made you realize you had a player or was there something that happened prior to the publication that led you to think this?
fungo

Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.

Bullwinkle put it best.......

When he said that he wants to coach BB when asked what he wanted to do for a living (he's 05, playing the game for the love of it).

When he quit football (after playing 6 years) so that he coulf concentrate on BB.

When he was on a traveling team playing 145+ games a season and he would complain when it rained.

"You can't hit what you can't see."
Ping Bodie (NYY 1918-21) Speaking on Walter Johnson

My Son Connor slid into home right out of the womb

It was interesting reading all of the accounts in this thread. At first I thought I might sound a bit presumptuous thinking I had a gamer at a young age (My son is still quite young, not yet 11) but I see others feel the same way.

My son was 2 1/2 when this picture was taken in our basement, working on hitting over the winter. He loves the game, perhaps even more than I do.... which is saying a lot.

I remember when he was about 6 or 7, he ran over to his mother after a Coach Pitch game. He had done quite well that day and was excited to give his mother a play by play, despite the fact that she had seen the whole game.... At the end he said Mom, I was born to play baseball I don't think it was conceit (leave that to his dad ) it was just a little kid speaking profoundly... or as profoundly as a child his age could....



cong

When he told me he wanted to pitch in the Bigs. However, I know the reality in today's era of modern baseball and try to enforce this in his mind. "You have a better chance of hitting the powerball lottery", I tell him. But he still works out and chases his dream.

Knowledge is Power! Thank you Mavens and HSBBWEB!

There are so many and some I hesitate to tell because of the possibility of injury that my son took many times w/ me standing on the sidelines watching. First was probably when he was 7 or so when he would become so angry at other kids for not making the play. He didn't inderstand that they couldn't physically do it talent wise. Or the times when we would lose and the other kids were ok, and he would cry and stress for days, he could never understand why they didn't care on the same level as he did. But probably the main times were when he would pitch with a 100 plus fever. Sometimes I let him because I knew he would make himself sicker not pitching then he would pitching, and sometimes ,when he got older, because he wouldn't tell me how sick he was. But the main one was when we were in a tournament and had a track meet on the same day. Don't ask. It is a small school coaching thing. Anyways, he ran in the track meet, ( 3 events) and pitched back to back games on the same day. He wasn't supposed to pitch back to back, but the other pitcher had to leave to take a girl to prom. We won second in the tourney. The latest time I knew was when he was bound and determined to get a scholarship to play. He signed 7 hours away in Kansas, and he is loving it. Oh, how could I forget. He would go to showcases after playing football Friday night. He went to one in Austin where we left the game at 10.00 drove all night, got there at 3.00, and the showcase started at 8.00. He was black and blue from the night before. He never considered football because of his size, but his senior year he was named to the top five players in six man football in the state of Texas. He led the state in interceptions two years in a row, but baseball is where it is at for him

tracy

I would be curious as to how he fared in the showcase on a Saturday morning after getting "beat up" in a football game the night before

Do you think it was to his betterment to perform in front of baseball coaches and scouts in that type of physical condition?

TRhit

TR

Or on the flip side it might just impress a few coaches. After all they are looking for kids who can take it to the next level.

Who knows the coach may see a toughness in the kid that the coach respects. After all coaches are looking for the complete package.

He did ok, probably not as good as in a better situation, but I do think his determination was seen as impressive, and he was not the only one in that situation. That was one of the first things asked at the showcases I assume because it was in Texas, and the people putting it on knew
friday night in Texas meant football. We live in a very rural area and the chance of getting attention locally was slim so we did the showcase route and they always seemed to fall in football season. At all his showcases he was rated as a possible mid level d 1 player or high juco

APARENT

That is possible but you also increase the injury potential in doing what this young man did

tracy

I would much rather see him do better than OK --there are showcases out of football season

A player wnats to attend a showcase in tip top baseball shape not black and blue from last nights football game

Most coaches I know dont see this as viewing a complete package

JMHO

TRhit

I agree, it would have been better, but it just wasn't possible for us. He went to a small school where he played everything. There was never anytim off. He went from football to basketball and from basketball to baseball and track. I dont know that he ever played baseball in tip top shape after he got into high school because they did track at the same time and because he was always over pitched because we didnt have enough pitchers. Luckily now that he is in college maybe he can focus only on baseball. Still tho, the showcase people said that they were in general impressed w/ multisport athletes

Well I would have to say it was at some point in his second full season. He was 6 years old and playing up in Minors having skipped Farm completely. He was selected for the All-Star game as a position player and his hitting, but the coach called him in to pitch relief and close, and he was cool as a cucumber. As I recall I think most of the other boys were 9/10? He then played with his age for tournament and won the regional championship game with a homerun with one of the sweatest swings I have ever seen, bottom of the last down by a run. Every year since then teammates have prayed and parents have yelled and hoped for him to come up to bat in that crucial point near the end of the game. And ever since then more often than not he seems to be the next batter up, or the ball is hit to him or he's involved somehow when the game is on the line.

Tx2

My kid was THE worst player on his Little League team @ 9 y.o. He literally got 1 hit all year & the Coach gave him the ball(GREAT MOVE he still has it in a trophy case). @ 10 he started switch-hitting & made the All-Star team that year & the next year. Thought I had a pretty good hitter on my hands.

The following year, he was on a team that made the "Bad News Bears" look like the '27 Yankees. Mid season, during a another blowout game, his Coach asked him if he wanted to try pitching... 3 up, 3 down 2 K's & a weak ground ball & he was hooked. Now all he wants to do is pitch. #3 pitcher on his varsity team as a Sophmore last year. WHERE DID I GO WRONG?.

His first over the fence home run was at his first coach pitch game, and I have a picture of him running between 3rd and home with both feet off the ground, looks pretty cool!

"It's hard to make predictions, especially about the future."
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra
New York Yankees

When I stopped coaching him and let him decide.

NorthernCalif Dad,

IMO - What a great answer!

Agree with you 100%

J.R.'s Mom---

Your avatar is making me dizzy!!

Is this heaven?...

Don't look at it for too long, it will put you an a trance! I just love this site, it is so addicting, what a great group of people it has attracted.

"It's hard to make predictions, especially about the future."
"Yogi" Berra

Welcome to you!!!!

PAmom (aka: "Dizzy" and "Loopy Girdlebiscuits")

Is this heaven?...

When I realized he would rather play baseball than breathe.

Age 5, almost a foot taller than the other kids.

Age 5 turned an unassisted triple play at third base. He understood the game at an early age.

Age 5, caught 200 popups in a row in my Dad's backyard.

Made the 9 & 10 year old All Star Team at age 8.

Made the 11 & 12 year old Little League All Stars at age 10.

Old baseball guys remarked they couldn't remember a kid hitting so many home runs in a season.

Age 11, played starting shortstop in fall league on a 13 - 15 year old team.

Age 12, began playing travel ball. Hit 28 home runs. Hitting 300 ft. shots over a 200 ft. fence.

Made the HS varsity team as a freshman and started at shortstop.

Selected league MVP at ages 12, 13, 14, 15

Played in 5 consecutive World Series

Named 4 times to World Series All Tournament Team.

Still would rather play baseball than breathe.

- Whoever said a walk was as good as a hit, couldn't hit.

Seems like he was always a good player.

I suppose when, as a freshman, he hit line drives at the pitcher during the games (4 pitchers in the 14 games he played), before they promoted him to the sophomores where he led the sophs in hrs and rbi's.

Mr. Beenthereil
Don't undestand what ya saying could you explain sir:

During 14 total games with the freshman team, before he was promoted to the sophomore team, he hit line drives up the middle (in 4 games) that actually hit the pitcher without the pitcher having had time to react to the ball being hit.

When you hit a ball that hard regularly, I believe you are a good hitter.

As I've said...he has always been a hitter. By then, however, I believe that he graduated to the "player" class.

Is this kid a hot prospect?

I want somebody tell me what a "player" mean, I want to post and I am not sure if I understand what a "player" is. In other words, when a kid become a "player"?

"Peace is, the respect for the other people's rights".
Benito Juarez

Racab,
When did you realize your son was a "player", determined to be the best he could be?

NVR1

OK!, my problem is that some people believe be a "player" is about stats in LL or HS. According with your description I realy don't know if I have a player yet. He is doing OK, and he is starting his career, but I am always telling him " work harder, it is not enough yet". He is a project, maybe a prospect, if he doesn't get to the Big Leagues, I think he is not a "player".

"Peace is, the respect for the other people's rights".
Benito Juarez

Racab...Your son is a prospect and a player.

We should all be so lucky to have a son so skilled and drafted and signed.

Beenthere

Still a long way!

"Peace is, the respect for the other people's rights".
Benito Juarez

I have a daughter and so, I have to write from that perspective. I knew she was a player when all of the other kids, boys included started saying that noone can throw harder than she can. In her league, her coaches stopped letting her windup because no one could/would catch her. Then, they wanted to make her move up to play the 12 year olds when she was 9. Now we have her on a "traveling team" which is a shame because she wants to play with her friends.

As a coach, I know when I have a player much the same way. I have a shortstop that others are in awe of. It isn't that they just "think he can play," they talk about all of his plays and watch him play at ever chance they can in practice. The kids will usually let you know if the kid is a player.

"There comes a time when you have to stop dreaming of the man you want to be and start being the man you have become." Bruce Springsteen

I know this is an old post but I had to tell this story. Our high school hoops team is 6th in the state, unbeaten locally. Last home game Friday night before tourney. My wife digs up circus tickets. Four year old son says "no, I want to go to the game." Passes up circus to spend night in cramped, loud gym. Great game. As it turns out, we win in OT on buzzer beating tip in. However; we didn't see it. End of third quarter, son says he wants to go home. One point game, packed house, hated to leave but he wanted to go. On the way home I asked him why he wanted to leave. Greatest answer ever, " I'm tired of watching someone else play, I want to go home and play myself." Go home and play hoops until wife and daughters get home. Next day, after my 9 hours of freshmen, JV and varsity practice, I pull in the driveway to find same four year old son with bat bag on shoulder, cleats on, bat in hand waiting for someone to pitch to him. I only wished my high school kids enjoyed playing as much as my 4 year old does.

eck10....sounds like we'll be reading about that 4 yr old in the future...

I remember a neighbor kid who knew my son was a baseball player....couple of years back..when my son was about 16...

One day door bell rings, this little tyke around 6...is wearing a complete uniform and has his glove in hand...and is standing at my door...wants to know if "my little boy can come out and play catch"....

So I told my son he had a visitor...son goes to the door...gets his glove and they play catch...and catch...and catch...

I think that made my son's day...and that little boy too...

This is a great topic. My son always loved baseball. He would play with neighbor kids who were 4 years older when he was 7 or 8 years old himself.

I knew we had a player when he was 11 and playing on a travel team. We were playing another team who were supposed to be the same age, but were all around 14 years old. He was playing catcher, which he normally didn't play. He normally pitched or the infield.

The ball was hit to the outfield and one of their bigger kids was coming home from second. The ball gets to my son about 3 steps before the runner. My son figures the kid's going to slide so he gets ready. Instead, the runner(who was the biggest kid on the team) barrels into my son and knocks him about 4 or 5 feet and on his back and gets the wind knocked out of him.

The parents on both sides start yelling at each other and it starts getting ugly. I could only stand there wondering how my son was and not saying anything I would regret. Luckily cooler heads prevailed and the game started back up.

My son decided that he would finish the game up at catcher, even though no one would have thought less of him if he had switched to another position. I was never so proud of him as I was that day. I realized that day that he was one tough kid and a gamer who loved playing baseball.

"Endeavor to Persevere"