Sports Teams, a Weird Little Society

[Jenksismyhero]

My Dad was an All-State lefty pitcher in high school. Went to a small D3 college nearby (one ss2k is very familiar with). Had ML scouts watching him pitch when he blew his arm out. He was finished.

 

Figuring that I might have inherited some of his talent (I'm also a lefty), I started throwing when I was 6. Where I lived ages 7-8 were t-ball thus no pitchers but I still kept working with my Dad. Then, my Dad got a new job and we moved to a new town. In the new town, all the little league teams had established pitchers (established pitchers = kids of the coaches). I played for two years and never got a chance to pitch in a game. At age 10 I quit baseball forever.

 

I had a similar story although a little later in life. I was a lights out pitcher in little league from like 10-14. My nickname was always "wild thing" because I threw it harder/faster than anyone else and one pitch out of ten was going to hit someone (and usually did) so everyone was scared to face me. In 8th grade my parents got me into a newly developed travel league with some kids I knew from prior summers. One of the kids was a pitcher and his dad was the coach. And of course, he was the favorite. He wasn't anywhere near as good as me but he started just about every game. The one game I did start early in the season I threw two pick off throws wild (IIRC it was the first time every pitching out of the stretch) and allowed some runs to score. After being berated for it, and running, I never got another opportunity. This despite the fact that whenever I came in for relief I rarely let anyone get on base, let alone score. I remember my parents screaming at the coach on a couple of occasions, but nothing changed and I basically started to lose interest in the game and eventually quit near the end of the season (why drive for an hour to sit around?).

 

Around that time I also found out that Bebe looked different (i.e., girls and boobs) and never played after that. To this day my parents bring up my baseball past as if I was good enough to play in college or beyond. I laugh it off, but you can tell my dad is still upset/pissed that I didn't stick with it.

[southsider2k5]

I played baseball through 8th grade and was absolutely terrible at it. It turns out I had needed glass for years and didn't know it. I ended up being a way better runner and basketball player than anything else.

[Soxbadger]

Baseball effectively ended for me when I went to tennis try outs instead of baseball freshman year of HS. I could have maybe made the B team (there were over 100 kids who tried out at that school), where as with tennis I immediately started as #1 doubles on JV. I played summer baseball for a few years in HS which was fun but by that time all of the good players were on HS teams so it was just for enjoyment. Where I lived had a lot of little league dads, but thankfully I only had 1 as a coach. The worst one used to hate me because I would steal his signs and then yell what they were going to do. He had this stupid color system and he would yell the signs. It took me about 5 seconds to figure out the indicator and sign pattern. I was okay, never the best. I was probably a plus defender and on the bases, but had almost no power. I was never really bullied and I actually did not do much bullying to my own team. Im really into the team concept and very loyal. So once you had the same uniform as me, I would kill for you. Its also probably because I always got my fair share of opportunities so I never really had anything to b**** about. I guess one time I did quit during a game because the catcher didnt throw a guy out on a pitch out. But then the coach talked me down and I proceeded to pretend I was Nomo for the rest of the game with a completely different motion than what I normally used. I also one time got hit in the head with a weighted donught that was thrown over a 15-20 foot fence. I just put ice in a bag and played the rest of the game.

 

My tennis career ended senior year after 3 years of altercations with the coach. My junior year he probably cost my school state because he had some one far weaker playing doubles than me at regionals/sectionals, and our team hilariously didnt qualify even though our singles went 1 and 2. Our 1 actually won state that year and went undefeated. Senior year I didnt even make the team due to politics. The coach then told me that it was to send me a message and that I was actually on the team. At that point I stopped going to HS all together so I couldnt even play because all of my classes were incomplete.

 

That was just an odd time. I was in all AP classes so I just stopped going to HS and took the AP tests. Im not sure why they let me get away with it. I always theorized that it was because I had good test scores and they wanted my AP tests to count for their school.

 

(edit)

 

I forget the most hilarious part. This year the coach I used to fight with called me for legal advice on a deal that he is doing. For whatever reason he did not recognize me. I never told him about our past. But every time he would call I would laugh to myself and think that this was the guy who wouldnt listen to me and thought he knew so much.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Soxbadger

[Jake]

It's interesting how many of you guys love baseball so much despite never having played it. Just shows how great the game is. My girlfriend has really started to get into baseball, and I always wondered if playing it was a requisite for really getting it. Clearly not so.

 

Perhaps another interesting question would be, especially to the folks that didn't gravitate to MLB because they were playing youth baseball, what got you into following pro baseball?

[witesoxfan]

I think the more interesting thought is how many pro baseball players are actually playing their favorite sport or if they were just really good at baseball?

[Jake]

I think the more interesting thought is how many pro baseball players are actually playing their favorite sport or if they were just really good at baseball?

 

Yeah. Thinking about the article I posted in the sports section...I wonder if one of the advantages enjoyed by the guys who stuck it out is that they loved baseball less?

[witesoxfan]

Yeah. Thinking about the article I posted in the sports section...I wonder if one of the advantages enjoyed by the guys who stuck it out is that they loved baseball less?

 

I know KW has said that football was his #1 passion in life and that if he were ever offered a job with the Raiders, he'd take it in a second. It also makes you wonder about guys like Julius Peppers, Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, and Julius Thomas too.

[LittleHurt05]

I think the more interesting thought is how many pro baseball players are actually playing their favorite sport or if they were just really good at baseball?

 

First you would have to look at the players coming from Central/South America that may have been very poor growing up. If baseball is the best way "off the island", whether or not you like baseball doesn't matter.

[witesoxfan]

First you would have to look at the players coming from Central/South America that may have been very poor growing up. If baseball is the best way "off the island", whether or not you like baseball doesn't matter.

 

Or that it's one of the only two sports they can really play. There aren't many, if any, basketball hoops in the neighborhoods, and football requires too much equipment for the impoverished nations to actually afford. You can play baseball - with a stick and rubber ball - or you can play soccer - with a round ball of some type. Some guys just turn out to be pretty damn good at it. It's also one of the best ways off the island too because guys are actually down there looking for players to sign at young ages.

Edited November 6, 2013 by witesoxfan

[NorthSideSox72]

I umped little league games when I was in high school. Most of the coaches were resonable, but there was a definite percentage that were jerks. I actually had to break up a fist fight behind the backstop, between a manager and a coach on opposing teams. I couldn't believe it. At a little league game with 10 year olds. Grow the hell up.

 

I was pretty good at baseball through little league and pony league. Before freshman year in high school, I went to the summer combine "class", where they train up the new players coming in. It was a big high school, plenty of good players. I was a catcher primarily, but had played OF too.

 

My problem: I was a very late bloomer, physically. When I started high school, I was 5'1", 110 pounds. The main catcher from my combine was already almost 6', strong, natural athlete (who went on to play at LSU and in the minors). I could hit for contact, but had no strength, which made me unusable at catcher or most positions. They tried me at 2B, but I was also not very fast. I just wasn't big enough or strong enough, so I dropped out after playing part of my freshman year. The head of the baseball program and varsity coach, who was legendary in the area, told me to go get bigger, keep practicing, and learn to switch hit.

 

I did all of those things. By the time I was a junior I was in a much better position to play again. But the coach had left, and the new guy told me I'd have to try out for Freshman squad, and that he doubted I'd ever see varsity. So I didn't do it.

 

I'm now 6'3" and, in college, weighed about 185. But it took until freshman year in college to get to my adult height. I was at a DI school, and had no real shot at getting on the team. So the opportunities had passed me by.

 

[Jake]

I became a highly sought after umpire in my Little League because I was willing to eject the coaches. Sad.

[Harry Chappas]

Youth sports unfortunately has become a very dark and seedy environment if your child has any talent whatsoever.

 

Baseball is the worst. 90% of the coaches involved in the upper tiers of travel baseball are folks you would not want to associate with on the baseball diamond. Whether it is berating or belittling their players or using the rules to their advantage to gain the upper hand.