This is to encourage people and people are invited to share their stories....
I see threads of desperation here all the time at the rec level, travel level, high school level, college level, and pro level that a player has reached (or reaching) the end of their "baseball" journey. Happens to every player who ever played. Obviously, when it happens is different. For those who love the game and are faced with this painful reality, there are options that allow just as much fulfillment as a player but in a different form.
We've had members here who became high profile athletic trainers so they could still be involved in the game. Many have gone on to become coaches. Many have gone on to become scouts. Many have become baseball administrators. Many have become umpires. There are literally hundreds of baseball related activities that can be just as rewarding as being a player. Many have used the competitive skills they learned in baseball to become successful in other careers.
As far as I knew personally, nobody loved the game more than my son. He played at a large high school, excellent D1 program, and had a 10 year pro career where the only success he did not experience was playing in the big leagues. When he retired, it wasn't because someone made the decision for him but his life circumstances changed and so he had to leave the game. There were tears involved. I told him at the time there was light at the end of the tunnel. I told him that when you see your son someday hit a homerun, it is the same thrill as you hitting a homerun. Watching someone you coached succeed and so forth. He is now a varsity assistant coach and there is an adjustment process for him. I keep telling him at the high school level, you have to work with the hand you are dealt. Lamenting how talented guys "ought" to be is beside the point. The point is dealing with what you have walking the halls of your high school, and figuring out a way to make the collective successful.
