your comments appreciated

I thought I was helping my son choose to attend college but when it finally came time for him to pre-enroll at his college, he made his own decision to accept the drafting team's offer. I feel that my son made his decision because, ultimately, it was his decision- I only helped guide him to the point where his insight was clearer than was my perception.

No regrets(from him or I)...the "kid" just decided to start making his own "man" decisions. One of his reasons for signing was that he did not want 3 more years of un-certainty about whether he could make it in his chosen profession- baseball.

I wish that I would have had clarity to know what career path I wanted to pursue at 18.

PM me if you need more specific answers to your situation's questions.

baseonballs50, You will find a wide range of opinions here on that subject. Some of the information is covered on the main site and other sites have dealt with it also.

School was the obvious answer for my son for now. It may not be for some others. It is still his dream to make it to the bigs some day. I am proud of what he has done so far in school.

Some things to think about:
Age and maturity
Grades in school and where he has been accepted for college
MONEY (signing bonus), including school tuition
Drive to succeed in the minor leagues



"There is among us a far closer relationship than the purely social one of a fraternal organization because we are bound together not only by a single interest but by a common goal. To win. Nothing else matters, and nothing else will do." Sandy Koufax

We have discussed this subject with many of my son's teammates (younger) that are coming towards this decision.

Simply put, it really is a decision that is personal and individual in each case.

For my son, his maturity level was the biggest reason to go for the college scholarship in lieu of negotiating with a pro team. In talking with scouts during his senior year, he was considered to be in the 10-15 round range, we deemed his scholarship to be worth much more than the money offered for those rounds, and that unless a large amount of money was offered (it wasn't) he was not mature enough to "take the chance" in the minors over the college experience. We are convinced now that he made the right choice, he LOVES college, the team, the travel, the whole experience.

One small thing to keep in mind when weighing the two: the day you step into the minor leagues you're expected to be a man in every way,(some are not ready) the day you step into college, you are treated like a man, but allowed some time in a structured environment, to become a man. Very key point in my son's case at least.

Good Luck!

www.leaguelineup.com/sdprospects

Very good post, matadordad. In particular, your last paragraph carries great insight that could be very helpful for a lot of people.

Matadordad...Wise words, Thanks for your insight.

We have a good friend who played at Georgia two years ago and is now with OPP's son in the Pirates organization. He was treated like a King at Georgia. New fielder's gloves, bats, shoes, batting gloves. Food after the games in the locker room.
Personal trainers. Tutors. Recognition. "Most" every player
pulling for their teammates. Freebies everywhere! It was better
than being at home--he didn't even have to take out the trash!

Signed and went to Williamsport for $800/month. Didn't understand half the players on the team. Had 5 players in one
apartment, slept sometimes in the bathtub. No A/C. 100% responsible for himself. Every player playing for themselves(can't blame them). Long bus rides. Long way from home.

You really have to be self-motivated to go right from high school and make it in the pros. And many do it. Our friend many
times questioned his decision to sign after his JUNIOR year in college. But last year he led the SAL(South Atlantic League) in
batting(over many first round picks-he was drafted in the 42nd round) and wasn't even a starter at the beginning of the year.
He is determined to succeed and I don't have any doubt that he will.

What a choice for a young kid in high school to have to make.
But as one father told me at the game the other night "Would you rather not be in that situation?" I think not.

Sorry for the rambling, but I think a lot of us are having these thoughts, it's good to see what others are feeling.

Moc1

There are so many different elements to consider when trying to make this decision. Matatordad and Moc1 made extremely insightful comments about maturity and the realities of minor league life. College is probably a better place in which to grow when you are 18. On the other hand, the pros may be a better place for the baseball skills to develop. They are much more interested in how the player will perform in 5 years than how he is doing right now. They are more likely to take care of the player's physical health (pitcher's arms, etc.) than a college coach who cares primarily about winning right now.And then, of course, there is the money factor that complicates the decision-making even more! We discovered that gathering as much information as possible was the best approach and in the end listen to your instincts. Good luck!

Baseonballs50,
I think this is one subject that should always be discussed. There is no right or wrong answer. There is no correct path to follow. Thanks for bringing it up.

quote:

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I would like to hear thoughts and comments from those who have had to help their sons in making a decision to go to college or go pro. I don't need to hear the pros and cons. I was just wondering what factors made your sons choose the paths they did.

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I really think you have to look at the pros and cons. Every player that makes that decision must weigh the pros and cons. The challenges, whether they are in college or the pros, will be the same for each player; the difference is simply how each player is equipped to handle those challenges. There are hundreds of variables that come into the equation. Academic ability, athletic ability, desire, maturity, money, economics, the list goes on and on.
With my son (and me) the key factors were maturity and the ability to keep as many options open as possible. Assuming he has the ability to play professionally, the professional option will likely remain open (and may improve) even though he opts for three to four years of college. Had he turned pro out of high school (he was drafted in the 5th round) his college option would have become more obscure. No, the college option would not disappear, but it would become more difficult to “start over” toward a degree if his professional baseball career faltered. Understand too, he would be starting in college knowing he would have to do so without ever playing college baseball.
The game of baseball is very important to my son. He will never play the game because of the money. He doesn’t play the game now because he has to play to maintain his baseball scholarship. He plays the game because. . . . . . . Well . . . . that’s just what he does.
Fungo

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

"..what factors made your sons choose the path they did?"

For our family, it was one of the most difficult decisions we have had to make.The ultimate decision was my son's, but he was looking to me for guidance and advice. I lost sleep and prayed during the process that the advice I was giving him was objective and accurate. For some background, my wife has been a teacher for the last 27 years, the last 3 years at the University. My degree is in secondary education.

The factors we considered:

1) The benefit of the college experience should he not again get the opportunity to play professionally vs. how going Pro would help him with his long-term goals (after whatever career he might have.)
2) The risk of injury playing college ball
3) Looking at the careers of Older friends who had picked the college route vs. friends who had gone pro
4) His maturity
5) Money: How much would it take to provide him enough financial security (to live his dream)for a period of 4 to 5 years, with the additional support of a college scholarship to pursue his career goals when baseball ends.

He decided to go for it. Did he make the right decision? Absolutely. He's made some great friends and experienced a little adversity. For the first time,he had to sit out last summer do to an old injury that didn't heal properly, but he was able to play in the fall Instructional League.

It's been about 10 months since I've seen him play (high school), so hopefully I'll get a chance to see him play this Spring or Summer.

I thank you very much for you all taking the time to tell me a little about your experiences and those of others you know.
I was recently told that many players that go pro, often say they are sorry that they did not attend college. However, very few college players are not sorry that they chose to go to school instead of pro after HS. Do you agree with this statement?

The question might be a bit unfair. I think it is more about "economics". Everyone wants a great education. Everyone wants to make a decent living. A fortunate few have a choice to make out of high school, college now or acceptance of a financial package that meets their individual needs at the time.

I would guess that most players, even those that receive million dollar+ signing bonuses out of high school still would love to have a college education. I know there are exceptions, but I believe most college players would have turned pro had their economic expectations been met initially.

I would have loved to have my son have the "college experience", but things worked out in a way that enabled him to pursue the career he loves now. He is experiencing life in a way few will ever experience. It's a trade-off. But let me tell you,professionally, he is getting the opportunity to play with some of the best players in the country now, position for position. He's training with some of the best coaches in the country now. It's competitive and intense and he wouldn't have it any other way. Might he fail, i.e. not make it to the "Show"? Sure. It's a gamble, but his life experiences in such a short time have already been worthwhile. Best wishes to all who have some tough decisions coming up this June.