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Since coaches will be allowed to have 8 walk ons, without any guarantees if the player will actually show up and play, will coaches invite 12 to 14
"preferred" walk ons to cover his but? Or might the coach invite 12 to 14 preferred walk ons intending to keep the best 8 and cut the rest?

Do you guys think this will happen?

btw. At a D1 this week 3 walk ons were cut:
1 for missing a mandatory study hall
2nd for missing a 5:30 am practice
3rd for drinking

Any thoughts?????
"Clear the mechanism"
Last edited {1}
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My thoughts are that if you are a walk-on at a DI school, you shouldn't be putting your spot on the team in question by missing practice or academic requirements, or by getting caught drinking. The coach and program doesn't have money invested in you, so the thought is that the walk-on player can be replaced if they don't walk the line. If you cared enough about the school and level of ball to walk on, you would think you would care enough to do what your supposed to.
John Chaney former bball coach at Temple held all his practices at 5 am. A little tough to be out getting in trouble if you have to be up at 5 for practice. Plus, you can't complain that you overslept for class. Also gets you into all those 8 am classes that no one else wants to take.

As for the walk ons I don't think the new rules will change a thing. Plus walk ons have no leverage so the slightest infraction, gets the ax.
JMO, but some serious deals are being cut with walkons. I have been told that one player was told to walkon and then he would be given 50% the next season. Coaching staffs are having more trouble with how they are going to dismiss some good kids that have been in the program for 2 or 3 years but will never contribute much as a player. These same players want to get into high school coaching and know the game but are not gifted athletes.
I am not sure I understand this discussion.
Walk ons are not the result of over recruiting per say. Most walk ons show up on their own and a few get invited. Most are guys the coach has never talked to .
Over recruiting by a few coaches will still continue but more players will be RS and cut. Most schools used to carry more than 35 guys so a few that might have had a shot to stick around will not be able to.
You are already seeing the effects of the new rules as many coaches try to fall in line early before the rules actually take effect. There have been posts of guy who were given options who received scholarships where before they would be honoured and the player5 would have a chance to make the rosters. This has been going on before but not as prevalent. Players are being cut at the end of the year to free up scholarship money and I think for awhile this will happen more often. Coaches are also going to have to be more careful where the money is spent.
There is a difference between a recruited walk on and walk on who shows up for tryouts and gets a place to workout on eh team for the fall and possibly make the roster.

It will take coaches a while to become creative in their recruiting and crunching numbers. I think the roster size will stick but not the 25% or 27 max scholarships minimum. Just a prediction. The reason being, this creates less opportunity for everyone. I am not saure aobut teh redshirt, it it counts in the total, many players are going to have less eligibility. Only 9 play, but you have to have a reserve for injuries and academic probations. What I hope will happen is that more coaches will put thought into the recruiting process, instead of asking 10 walk ons to show up.

My son never had early workouts, but early classes, then 3pm until 7-8pm for workouts and practice. After practice the freshman had to be in study hall five days a week, two hours a day and those who were required to do study hall. Their schedules were planned that way basically for the whole team. I think because the philosophy of the HC was that school came first everyday, then baseball as it should be, IMO. Pitchers and catchers did bullpens by appointment with the pitching coach.
I understand there have always been walk ons in the past. How many, I do not know. But now we do know! There will be up to 8(unfunded spots) per team. I am assuming the coach is going to offer at least 8 preferred walk on spots to recruits. I doubt a coach is going to try to fill All the nonfunded spots with an open tryout in the fall.
The question is...are coaches goung to make offers to 10-15 recruits as preferred walk ons and keep 8 are fewer and cut the rest.
If that is the case it seems very risky to take a coach up on that offer (remember, it's all business)

Even if a kid is offered academic money doesnt mean he gets to play on the team. It goes without saying that getting the education is the first priorty. But lets be real, OUR BOYS WANT TO PLAY BASEBALL!

Is anyone here willing to consider a preferred walk on offer? It seems to me there are to many scenerios where a kid could be unjustly cut, crushed with nowhere to play baseball.

I understand all players (scholly or not) have to earn it. But with the 8 unfunded spots the coach has a lot of room for manipulation. A potential lose situation for the kid, but a win win situation for the coach.

On the other side the coach may never really know who is going to show up. Say 3 of his preferred walk ons verbled but at the last minute get scholly offers and go somewhere else.

So is the coach going to really concentrate on that 27 players to be the backbone of the team and just hope he gets lucky with one or two of the unfunded guys?

If a coach told my son " we really like you kid, but our scolly budget is used up" " we would like you to walk on" (interpretation: we like you, but we don't like you enough to throw 25% your way)

Any thoughts! I can be narrow minded at times, er uh well, most the time
One other thing, the student with earned state money will be more attractive to coaches. Think about those opportunities if you have good grades.

Schools with rich athletic departments will donate more money towards books and meals, housing that doesn't have to be counted. All of the out of state recruits will continue to get more. In state students will be your recruitied walk ons. You actually can have as many as you want.

My advice for those with freshman, sophmores in HS, concentrate on those GPA's.
quote:
by TD: will coaches invite 12 to 14 "preferred" walk ons to cover his but? Or might the coach invite 12 to 14 preferred walk ons intending to keep the best 8 and cut the rest?
gee, are you paranoid OR is everyone out to get ya??

a recruited walk-on IS ON THE FALL ROSTER ..

if the roster limit is 35, coach can't have 45 (or even 36) ..

quote:
by Red: Almost every program I know has a 6am workout
I'll take ya at your word .. but ya oughta expand your horizons ..

and - if the coach was even a semi-competent recruiter, why would he try to run off guys he recruited hard for MONTHS to get into his program Confused

gotta say - the Georgia Tech coaches/players had muuuch better things to do at 6 AM
Last edited by Bee>
quote:
Originally posted by TripleDad:
btw. At a D1 this week 3 walk ons were cut:
1 for missing a mandatory study hall
2nd for missing a 5:30 am practice
3rd for drinking

Any thoughts?????


Lots of thoughts, but here are a couple:

1) The reasons they were cut might also be the same reasons they didn't get a scholarship
2) They cut themselves.
quote:
TripleDad: btw. At a D1 this week 3 walk ons were cut:
1 for missing a mandatory study hall
2nd for missing a 5:30 am practice
3rd for drinking
that sounds like an urban legend ...
(regular) "WALK-ONS" are cut for any reason (or NO reason) when the OPEN TRYOUT is over

btw - we seem to be mixing & confusing terms -

Huuge DIFFERENCE between "recruited walk-on" & a walk-on try-out candidate
Last edited by Bee>
5:00-6:00 workouts are not uncommon Frank.

There are a lot of highly motivated coaches that do not miss a minute of the day to do something productive.

There are some coaches that want to see what you did last night (ie. my old football coach) a 5:30
work out is the next best thing to a crystal ball.

Other reasons too, my 09 sons winter baseball high school "voluntary" workouts are at 5:30 before school starts. Last year 45 started 18 finished.
WHO WANTS TO PLAY BASEBALL?????????
Basketball players were exempt of course.
quote:
Recruited or not I think they all would have been gone for their actions


It ain't HS anymore folks---it is college baseball which is real life--no more coddling---these are the rules--follow them or walk


TR
drinking, missing a study hall, or missing a 5:30 am practice is not going to boot your Saturday starter, your 325 hitting all conference short stop
or your 1st baseman that can change the game with one swing of the bat. and you know it!!
quote:
Originally posted by TripleDad:
5:00-6:00 workouts are not uncommon Frank. .... my 09 sons winter baseball high school "voluntary" workouts are at 5:30 before school starts. Last year 45 started 18 finished.
WHO WANTS TO PLAY BASEBALL?????????
Basketball players were exempt of course.
My '11 son has baseball workouts at 5:30am. He's there even though he's playing sports in the other seasons. My daughter has strength and conditioning at 5:30am for her college softball team.
Last edited by TG
TR, C'MON

1 practice, 1 study hall, 1 drinking episode.

If coaches are cutting the meat of the team for one one these episodes, they are going to have to borrow players from the rowing team to get 9 guys on the the field.

DREAMING HUH!

Fiction:

Ap News release: LSU cuts star recruit LHP for missing a 3 hour study hall on Tuesday. Mr. Lefty
was slated to be a starter this spring with his 93 mph fast ball and spider bite slider but the study hall episode was too much for the coach to handle.
Complete details have not been disclosed because there are no details, he just missed study hall!
According to insiders the coach was most distressed
about burning a 75% scholly this season.
In a related incident a potential draft pick for this spring has been released by the UNC coach for public intoxication while walking home to his dorm with his girlfriend. According to the arresting officer "they appeared to be swaying a little so I stopped to inquire where they were going, they laughed and said "home Barney" so I arrested them.
Mr. All Confernce short stop told AP they were just a few blocks from home and " it was no big deal" and added "I don't know why the coach did that" " I don't no what to do now" "It's not like I robbed a liquor store or was fighting dogs" " I just don't get it." Likewise Mr. all confrence shortstops' teamates are struggling to understand the situation.
According to Mr. UNC All American center fielder "we had the foundation for a run at the CWS, but now, well.. we will have to see how this shakes out.


TR- just having fun with ya Razz
quote:
I do not think it is "fun' when you lead kids to think they can get away with breaking rules because they are a supposed "stud"


In my opinion the STUDS are your backbone and your leaders. You don't AX them because of a minor infraction, but you make them pay and pay dearly, make them understand how important their leadership is to THE TEAM and if they don't get it, take action then.

I am certainly NOT an advocate of letting a stud slide, in fact the opposite. MY studs are held to a higher standard.

But I think we are sliding off topic here.
With roster sizes of 50 or more, junior colleges can afford to cut 4 or 5 within the first week. But what are D1's going to do when they have 5 or 6 of their allotted 27 mess up? Not to say there won't be harsh penalties or consequences; I'd just be surprised if they cut them outright. Otherwise, how will they be able to compete?
Last edited by Infield08
Sorry but 5 am practice are insanely stupid. No one is awake fully anyways. Last time I checked baseball is played from maybe 10 am - 11 pm

Had coached with team who thought it would be a bright idea to have BP at 11 pm at night right after we just had a game. A certain coach threw BP lighting up the radar gun, after 15 broken bats. BP ended, after having no more wood to hit with. They tried 8 am BP.A certain coach also shattered bats rather quickly. 8 AM BP ended fast too. Good news was team started hitting alot with threat of facing Rib Dibble in BP, likley because no one wanted to face a coach not happy he had to throw BP at late or very early hours.
Last edited by Frank Martin
quote:
Originally posted by Bee>:

gotta say - the Georgia Tech coaches/players had muuuch better things to do at 6 AM


Ditto at Clemson. Wink
I agree with Frank (one of the rare times). I must be missing something, our kids go to school for an education. It's not boot camp. Class first, work outs, practice later.
A coach who has practice so early in the morning because he is worried his players might be out the night signals to me that he recruited the wrong players.
I sent my son to college for the whole experience and that included going out at night if he so desired after practice, study hall, and when his work was done, whatever. They are entitled to a social life and smart coaches know that.
Last edited by TPM
quote:
by T-D: btw. At a D1 this week 3 walk ons were cut:
1 for missing a mandatory study hall
2nd for missing a 5:30 am practice
3rd for drinking

Any thoughts?????
sure, if it's not an urban legend, name the program so others can avoid those bumbling coaches.

I'd think that would be relevant homework in narrowing down school choices.
Last edited by Bee>
quote:
I think...legend or not...that a coach should cut walk-ons "recruits" if they're knucklehead enough to miss a workout, be out drinking, and missing study hall.
ok, but it sure doesn't speak very well for that coach's ability to identify players who are a good fit for his program Frown

or to run his program in such a manner that young "recruits" away from home for the first time have some adjustment room/time to balance their academic, sports, and social responsibilities

it could be valuable info to name the annonymous program that cut guys loose a few days after school started
Last edited by Bee>
quote:
Originally posted by Bee>:
quote:
I think...legend or not...that a coach should cut walk-ons "recruits" if they're knucklehead enough to miss a workout, be out drinking, and missing study hall.
ok, but it sure doesn't speak very well for that coach's ability to identify players who are a good fit for his program Frown

or to run his program in such a manner that young "recruits" away from home for the first time have some adjustment room/time to balance their academic, sports, and social responsibilities

it could be valuable info to name the annonymous program that cut guys loose a few days after school started


I agree with Bee> 100% on all points.

Let's share the info as to who is letting walk ons go after doing things ALL players mess up with once in a awhile. Let's know who relies on walk ons to make up their team when coaches should be out recruiting players, getting to know them during that process and getting feedback from coaches, teachers, etc. about their ability to handle the entire experience.
And honestly, I am not going to send my player to a program where he is a slave to a baseball program, that is NOT what college baseball is about. I understand that the first few weeks coaches need to get their players on a routine so they can LEARN to manage their own time, but again, getting up at 4am to run and workout at 5 and head to class most likely will not produce the grades needed for eligibility.
Last edited by TPM
Just want to chime on some comments I am seeing in various threads (including this particular one).

It appears quite a few folks are assuming that with the new rules, every team will have 8 walks ons (or only a MAX of 8). This is not necessarily true.

Here are the rules, as they stand right now:
1) Roster limit is 35.
2) If athletic scholly is given, it must be at least 25%.
3) A MAXIMUM of 27 players can receive athletic $$$.

No where in the rules does it state that a coach MUST give 27 players athletic $$$. Who is to say a coach (particularly at a high profile, state school the has HOPE or Bright light $$$) MAY decide to give Athletic $$$ to only 25 players? and have 10 walk ons? Right now, there is nothing in the rules that would prevent a coach from doing this.

I am not saying this is the best/right recruiting strategy, but in my example, this could mean that a coach could possibly have more $$$ to go out and recruit "blue chippers".

Just a thought..........

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