IMO, perceptions as to the "realities of minor league baseball" vary greatly.
Little doubt that everyone who gets the opportunity is gifted as a player and for those of us who love the game, our envy.
I would bet the article accurately portrays that player"s "perceptions" but others take similar situations and perhaps view the glass "half full."
As bbscout says, it is hard work but perhaps even harder mentally. Our son is in the MWL and they play in great venues with fine crowds and community support and are generally supported on and off the field. Yes the busrides can be long and tedious but for mine, coming from a DIII, it is somewhat like riding a limo, at times, compared to the college experience.
The tough issues are the mental ones. If you are a filler, you know nothing about how you are viewed in the organization. Perform well, still don't know whether you are a prospect or filler. Perhaps the very best thing you learn is to control what you can and forget about what you can't. You need to play your best every chance you get and focus on tomorrow when today was disappointing. Mine sat for most of April and only got a chance when a starter missed a bus. While the starter was given 2 days off, mine went 5-9. Since then he has had over 500 at bats and played, for the most part, at a pretty consistent and high level. But still, he has no insight into his status within the organization.
Season will end next Monday and he has learned his play did not earn a trip to Fall Instrux while others who were not as productive this year did. Again, nothing he can control. He will take one month off to heal a body that is sore beyond belief. But he is planning already for next year because this is what he loves doing. Is he living in a dream world? Probably. But he is not done dreaming and I am not done supporting his his ability to dream. Perceptions can motivate and perceptions can cloud judgements as well, both his and mine and I often question whether I should suggest options be explored. Since I am pretty confident his "perceptions" of the "realities of minor league baseball" differ from the article, I feel comfortable I should keep those "questions" for another time.

quote:

Perhaps the very best thing you learn is to control what you can and forget about what you can't.

infielddad - Great post and good reminder for players at all levels.

Infielddad, Great post. Jason Armstrong was a college senior sign who is hitting right close to .300 and is proving to himself and his organization that he is a .300 hitter. Bill Mueller was a 22 year old college senior sign who hit .300 right on the button, but the higher ups said that he did not have any power. Well, the nxt 4 years in the minor leagues he hit .302, .309, .297 and .302 and still did not hit for any power. What happened? he went to the big leagues and kept hitting.300 and two years ago he won the American League batting title with the Red Sox. Bill Mueller has a great make up, and I think Jason Armstrong does too.

infielddad,

It is one thing to be a great writer, it is quite another to have something to say on top of it. In that post, both elements were clearly there. An instant classic and refreshingly honest appraisal of not only baseball but society itself. It does seems strange, in a capatilistic society, that actual productivity could be out-trumped by anything else.

thanks, bbscout, I'm still watchin, even if I am off-the-wall...........

Bill (a k a Infielddad) ...
Wow, what a great description of the kind of attitude I believe it takes to make it. Jason obviously loves the game and goes out there and works hard ... the kind of player that does experience success because the game is about so many intangibles. And as far as instrux go ... I prefer to see it as a positive ... he doesn't have as much to work on as those guys that were invited

Doug (a k a bbscout) ...
Since you have been thru minors yourself and since your input can affect a young man's chances to live the experience, I always enjoy your take on these threads about minor league life. I have seen discussions on college boards where people wonder why kids choose to sign and why others choose to return to school for their senior years ... all personal choices that each young man makes, hopefully to his benefit in the future. But some players are just ready for that next level, just want to get there ... long bus rides and all ... and live their dream, and they will give it their all for as long as they can, hoping to make it to the Show. That drive and determination are examples of other intangibles, I believe.

I hope our son has what it takes ... I know his heart is in it, just like Jason, and I pray that they both become "prospects" in their own organizations and get to take that first step on a big league diamond. But if nothing else, he will keep at it as long as he can (fortunately his wife is very supportive) because he believes that his MLB club saw something in him that they think will bring success.

By the way, I am sending you both a copy of a recent interview from the club's minor league a9scout.com) site that I think you will enjoy.

I find this thread very interesting. The writer’s reference to the flea bitten flop houses leads me to believe there is more than just a little sensationalism in the article.
Ghouse, as the father of a minor league player I feel as if MLB gets blamed most of the time when a player quits. They always make reference to the long bus rides, low pay, living out of motels and fast food. Sounds a lot like travel ball, high school ball, and college baseball except the pay is much better, they get to play more games, and they don’t have to go to class. I know my son would rather set on a bus watching a movie on his lap top than setting in study-hall thinking about baseball. I told my son when he started professional baseball that he should look at it as a four or five year challenge to make it to the big leagues. His knows his success or failure will not depend on how he does in one at bat or one game or even one season but rather his overall commitment to the challenge. He, like all young players, know going in that professional baseball will be tough and most won’t make it to the big leagues.
My son is a standard run of the mill southern boy from Tennessee and played his college ball in Alabama. He’s currently playing “A” ball in the New York Penn league and he recently commented how cruel the fans in New York can be to their own players. He quickly added that it’s no big deal though.... He said he would much rather be booed on a baseball field than applauded in a cubicle.
Fungo

Fungo ...

quote:

He said he would much rather be booed on a baseball field than applauded in a cubicle.

I will definitely pass that along to my son who feels the same way, I am sure. It is tough to hear "fans" dissing your son, but that puts it all in perspective for me.

I'm sending this thread to my son. Only parents of players with the same kind of heart that is talked about here could understand the gift that you talk about. I've always said if my son ever had the chance I'd support him all the way - it's his dream. Living and aspiring towards your dream is truly priceless.

Much success to all of your sons!

BBscout,

I e-mailed your earlier quote about what it takes to get to the top to my two sons. Thank you, very well said!



H-1

Good posts by all, even ghouse. So the young man didn’t have the “make-up” to make it. Is that such a sin? Sounded like he gave it at least a shot and after being frustrated by not moving up, having his velocity go from low 90’s to 80’s, staying in (his perceived) fleabag motels, maybe saw the writing on the wall and moved on. I’m not going to hang him out to dry and say he should give back his signing bonus, basically call him a loser who won’t make it in the real world either because he doesn’t have the “make-up”.

Trust me, my son would absolutely LOVE to be associated with everything good and bad about being in the minor league and living his dream. He’s envious of guys like Jason, Josh, AJ and others who are doing what it takes to keep playing. If it wasn’t for a down jr year, maybe he would be now. He pretty much eats, sleeps and dreams baseball. If he doesn’t get the chance after this year, he still wants to do something involved in baseball. And if that doesn’t work out, believe it or not, life goes on and hopefully he will have the “make-up” to make it in whatever he pursues.

Hopefully I’m not coming off as this being a personal thing. I’m just putting myself in the dad’s shoes of this young man and wish him the best.

And I do appreciate the posts about making it and life in the minors. Like hokieone and lafmom, I too have shown it to my son.

Peace.

Just a quick tally, I know there are more than a few websters son's in the minors, here is a list of some off the top of my head, if your son is in the minors please post it here:

Bighit's- Pirates
Fungo- Blue Jays
Racab- Mets
TXmom- Giants
FutureBack.mom- Self explanitory
AHS-Rangers
Lou Santangelo- Astros

Please list any others I have overlooked, I know it is a lot, and I'm sorry for not listing them.

Glove Man NJBB son plays in affiliate of Royals.

I was watching the Cubs/Dodgers game last night. There's a player (can't remember his name!) who hasn't been in the majors in seven years. He's been playing in Japan. Apparently he played in Tampa all those years ago and was released. Had his first major league extra base hit last night with a very nice double. No one can doubt this guy has passion and determination!

I know it's tough to be in the majors and even to move up in the minor league system, but this guy had an ERA under 1 at one point in 5 starts! Why wasn't he promoted. That's not justice.

quote:

Originally posted by Catch43:
I know it's tough to be in the majors and even to move up in the minor league system, but this guy had an ERA under 1 at one point in 5 starts! Why wasn't he promoted. That's not justice.

He was promoted....from Vancouver to Kane County.

BB Scout;
Do you recall the story of Dontrelle Willis when you coached the Giants Area Code team?

It regarded his "youthful" desire to hit during the games and you finally "gave in"
and allowed Dontrelle to hit and of course he hit a single. Josh Beckett did the same in the year he played.
The "common tread", they knew they could succeed when the opportunity was presented.

When we travel to Korea, Japan, Australia with 18 to 84 players, players like Trayvon Robinson, Torri Hunter, Aaron Hill, Adam La Roche, Jim Edmonds, Jermey Bonderman,Bobby Jenks, Dimitri and Delmon Young and Scott Kazmir will "rise to the situation" and demand the opportunity to excel.

This is amateur baseball at its "finest".

BB, you are correct the pro scout in Richmond did not do his "homework".

Bob

I think it's unfair to say the kid didn't make it because he didn't have the make-up, the heart, the ambition, etc...

The kid lost his fastball. If you are a pitcher in the minors, and you throw in the mid 80s, you better be a lefty specialist, a knuckler, or a submariner. Anyway, the kid got hurt. For pitchers who don't make it, my guess is that a high % quit because of nagging injuries. While I do think that the article made the kid seem kind of soft, it seems to me that even if he was the toughest kid in the world, it just wasn't going to happen for him.

Catch43 ..
As bbscout said, he was promoted from short season low A to full season high A. His Vancouver team was very very good and there was a lot of quality competition in the league last year. But our son was in the NWL as well and I think Mr McGirr has slanted his descriptions of the living and travel arrangements to suit his argument.

Bottom line ... he chose to quit after not even finishing out his first full season ... emphasis on the word CHOSE ... it wasn't for him. Period. Bottom line. He still considered an accomplishment from his college days as his most memorable game (my son's most memorable was his first pro start), so perhaps he had difficulty adjusting to the developmental aspects of minor league ball rather than the winning-is-everything aspects of college ball. It is a tough adjustment, especially for competitive personalities, and some never really make that adjustment. Some do and they continue on. Some don't and they leave/quit. That's just the way it is.

It seems to me that one reality that is lost on some of these players is who the audience is they are actually playing for. Just because there may be several guys ahead of you in one organization, doesn't necessarily mean there isn't some other organization that may value your services. Thus, as long as you are playing/producing on a consistent basis, there is a chance that somebody else will acquire you and give you the chance that you may be lacking in your present organization.

I know, but A isn't even taken seriously. He should of been promoted to AA. But I never took much consideration to the fact that he CHOSE to quit. He did make it seem that minor league life was horrible.

Many movies portray the minor leagues as fun. Just being with the guys, actually getting paid to play. Like your living out your dream. Just a few steps away from the majors.

Even our own AHSPitcher17, Shane Funk, only had good things to say about the minors.