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Some great memories following your son

Discussion in 'Baseball' started by Braves, Jan 19, 2008.

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Jan 22, 2008 at 10:00 PM #61

Braves Watauga Pioneers #6

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itsinthegame said: ↑

OK T - I am going to do it - and I think I may regret it - but what the hey!

My eldest son went to a school in S.Carolina on a baseball scholly.
A nightmare. Redshirted as soon as he stepped on campus - much to all of our surprise. Played in the NECBL the following summer and did real well.
Despite my advice to leave after the first year - he stuck it out for a 2nd.
Another total waste.

Played again in the NECBL and then got out.

Transferred to a D-2

1st year - real good.
2nd year there - here is a sampling of what he won.

Conference Player of the Year
Hit .409 in one of the only wood bat leagues in the country
Regional Player of the Year
MVP of the Regional Playoffs
Broke the school's 30 year old records - single season - for hits - steals - runs scored - and a bunch of single game stuff.

Trip to the NCAA Championships
1st team All Star - NCAA Championships
Led the Nation (D-2) in steals (64 of 67)
Led the Nation (All Divisions) in Steal %
1st Team All-American
ESPN Academic All-American

Drafted in the 16th round - even though about 10 teams told us he would go at around 10.

Won the NY Penn League Championship - led the team in about 5 offensive categories.

Then - he gets his first Topps/Bowman baseball card.

Thats a sampling of what happened the last year or so.

And the funniest one ever - playing in the NYCBL summer league in 2006 - he
is the 1st team All-Star - 2B.

Last minute - the guy from his team who was entered into the Home Run Derby - hurts his hand. One of the coaches comes up to D - and says - We want your team to have a representative in this event. Will you do it?
He says why not - will be fun and he stands no chance against some of the monsters entered into the event.

Round 1 - he makes it through by hitting 5
Round 2 - he makes it through by hitting 4
Round 3 - he wins it with #4

LOL

Heres the real message - DO NOT GIVE UP.
Alot of people gave up on him without ever letting him on the field. We will never know why - and at this point - we dont care. LOL

They were dead wrong - and they greatly underestimated him.

And that is that.
Click to expand...

..and I knew D from those beginning years at the the SC school. Through your posts at HSbaseballweb, I was able to follow his career and his successes. This is definitely a "Rocky" story in the sense that he always had the talent, he just needed his opportunity.

Good things always happen to good people
Jan 22, 2008 at 10:08 PM #62

itsinthegame Full Access Member

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Thanks for the kind words mom, Coach and T.

The weird thing about this journey was that he was a kid that had great success all the way through High School.

A High School All-American. Recruited by so many schools I cant even remember them all.

And then - in a heartbeat - he was a bum. He didnt play poorly (fact is - he didnt play at all) - he was a solid student and never in trouble. He just became a bum - overnight.

To the kids out there - my best advice for them:

You can be real good - and then overnight - you might find yourself in a situation where you are considered a bum.
It happens.

Dont accept that - do something about that if it happens to you.

And do it with pride and dignity - and the hunger to do it all over again tomorrow.

That is all I could really ever say about this whole thing.
Jan 22, 2008 at 10:19 PM #63

Coach 27 Full Access Member

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To me

its a great lesson for every kid that plays this game. You can go from the pent house to the out house really quick. But the only thing that really matters is what you believe and you continue to believe in yourself no matter what. Who knows why some of these things happen like this? But the answer is not in allowing others to determine your fate. Leave that in the hands of the one person that controls it. YOU!

Ive been following your son for years. It started way back when I first met you on the HSBBW. I never had any doubt he would make it. All he had to have was a sprinkle of the fire that his dad has. Turns out he has much more than that. Congrats Gamer I know you are proud of both your boys equally.
Jan 22, 2008 at 10:58 PM #64

itsinthegame Full Access Member

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Coach - you are right - I am proud of both of them - for whatever good things they do - on the field and off.

My advice to the parents and players out there - DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
The world isnt perfect - and neither is college baseball.

To think otherwise would be delusional - IMO.

My son is living proof of that.

Last edited: Jan 23, 2008
Jan 23, 2008 at 12:15 AM #65

marlinfan1 Full Access Member

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Honor, Respect, Experience.....

ecu78 said: ↑

After visiting this site for awhile, I saw this thread and just had to add my special memory. My son liked to play baseball but was never great at it. He wasn't talented enough to play high school ball but he played summer ball whether it was Little League or Babe Ruth, He never made any all star teams or such. He was just good enough to start. Most of all, he liked to play Babe Ruth ball with his friends. The boys just had a good time even though success was hard to find. During a Senior Babe Ruth game one night, my son was playing first and a fly ball was hit behind first into short right field. He turned and hustled to make an over the head catch that Willie Mays would have been proud of. I just stood there not believing what I just saw. I was in awe. Before I could make my way out of the dugout (I was on scorebook duty) to congratulate him, he had already returned the ball to the pitcher and was in stance for the next defensive play. With the next pitch, a ball was hit to second and he dropped a perfect throw at first. I told him when he came in how pretty the fly ball catch was and then asked him what happened on the throw from second. I can remember how fast his smile changed into a lowered head. To this day, I regret not making a bigger deal out of the great catch. And now I can't. My son was killed almost two years ago, months after making that catch. I responded to this thread so I could tell the dads out there to make sure you appreciate the memories you have and ones to come. Make sure your son has a smile on his face after the game. More importantly, make sure you do to. Always be positive and somehow forget the "bad". Believe me, winning or losing a baseball game just isn't that important anymore. I would give anything to see that smile again.
Click to expand...

all come in life. This post made me cry period. It also made me proud of my own DDs for the right reasons, and it made me think how valuable experiences encountered with our kids, come back to the top of brain when we wake up in the middle of the night. I guess thats the time in Gods world that we take time to put aside the crap, yep, all the everyday crap, that we all deal with, and at that 4 a. m. moment we see the best in the world, our families, friends, and, yep even our foes! PEACE!
Jan 23, 2008 at 8:07 AM #66

Gman13'sdad Full Access Member

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ECU78, if you don't mind...

please allow each of us here at TBR to take a small piece of your son's memory with us as we continue to follow our sons in baseball and life. If we each keep him somewhere in our minds it will make us all better parents to our kids.

Thank you for sharing.
Jan 23, 2008 at 8:16 AM #67

One Putt Full Access Member

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ecu78 said: ↑

After visiting this site for awhile, I saw this thread and just had to add my special memory. My son liked to play baseball but was never great at it. He wasn't talented enough to play high school ball but he played summer ball whether it was Little League or Babe Ruth, He never made any all star teams or such. He was just good enough to start. Most of all, he liked to play Babe Ruth ball with his friends. The boys just had a good time even though success was hard to find. During a Senior Babe Ruth game one night, my son was playing first and a fly ball was hit behind first into short right field. He turned and hustled to make an over the head catch that Willie Mays would have been proud of. I just stood there not believing what I just saw. I was in awe. Before I could make my way out of the dugout (I was on scorebook duty) to congratulate him, he had already returned the ball to the pitcher and was in stance for the next defensive play. With the next pitch, a ball was hit to second and he dropped a perfect throw at first. I told him when he came in how pretty the fly ball catch was and then asked him what happened on the throw from second. I can remember how fast his smile changed into a lowered head. To this day, I regret not making a bigger deal out of the great catch. And now I can't. My son was killed almost two years ago, months after making that catch. I responded to this thread so I could tell the dads out there to make sure you appreciate the memories you have and ones to come. Make sure your son has a smile on his face after the game. More importantly, make sure you do to. Always be positive and somehow forget the "bad". Believe me, winning or losing a baseball game just isn't that important anymore. I would give anything to see that smile again.
Click to expand...

You're 100% right. Thanks for sharing. I'm sorry for your pain. Thanks or reminding me at this stressfull time of year what it's all about.
Jan 23, 2008 at 8:28 AM #68

BaseballMan Full Access Member

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Wow ECU

I don't know what to say other than thanks for sharing that. And you are correct that dad's need to be dads first and coaches second. The first three or four years my son was playing, I was very tough on him. We rehashed every little mistake on the way home sometimes to the point of tears. Luckily for me my son was a tough nut and always buckled down and tried harder. Otherwise, I could have driven him from the game. One day when he was twelve, I had an epiphany wathcing him play and realized that he was motivating himself to be the best FAR more than I ever did. That day I backed off and just became the proud and supportive dad. To say that our relationship is better for it would be an understatement.
Jan 23, 2008 at 3:01 PM #69

blackjackwally Premium Member

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ecu78

This is a very touching story and I am truly sorry for your grief. It has also been copied and pasted in several e-mails and sent to friends. God bless you.
Jan 23, 2008 at 6:27 PM #70

TheOriole Full Access Member

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In The Game aned ECU relate to both of these very well...baseball has given myself all that I have ever obtained....most importantly two outstanding and wonderful children through the power and strenggth of the greatest woman I have ever known and ALLL because of being around the game of baseball and learning what it had to offer in all it s lesssons therefore giving me what little I have now in which I am thankful more than any words can ever ever say
HERE"S TO BASEBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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