Our son has verbally committed to a D1 school but is keeping options open for the draft. He is receiving questionnaires from pro scouts and the local scout bureau, but some of the questions seem too personal, ie. siblings’ health, etc. Not that this is an issue with our family as there are no health issues; it just seems to be too much too soon. Is it okay to just fill out the basic info on the player and wait until the spring to see how the player does and how he might be rated for the draft before disclosing the entire family pedigree?
Posts: 40 | Location: Texas | Registered: July 19, 2005
Texbbfan, If the questionnaires are perceived by your son to be too much too soon then I would suggest he convey his feelings to the clubs scouting him and I’m sure they will back off. BUT, if he wants to keep his options open as you suggest, then he should comply with their request. It is in my opinion that the phrase, “Keeping his options open” does not impress MLB scouts. They are looking for a player that has an immediate strong desire to play professionally. Whenever a MLB club anticipates offering a signing bonus and a job to a young player they want to know as many things about their potential “new hire” as possible. If your son is fortunate to play professionally you will soon learn the management/employee relationship is a little different in professional baseball than say a “normal” job. For instance, the management can fine their employees at will and demand overtime without paying a shift premium. The normal work month during the summer is probably 29 days per month. Workplace harassment is fairly commonplace not only by your fellow employees but those “other employees” you happen to be sharing the field with every night. Professional baseball is tough .... but rewarding! Fungo
Posts: 4965 | Location: Spring Creek (Jackson),Tennessee | Registered: December 26, 2002
Filling out all of those forms can be overwhelming, but Fungo is right ...they are job applications. If your son is interested in playing professional baseball, he must apply in order to keep his options open.
Here are some things we did to make the process a little more managable. 1. We set aside one day a week to do them...usually Sunday afternoons at the kitchen table. 2. I usually filled out the medical information, since I knew the dates, Dr. names, etc. better. 3. We told our sons to be honest in their answers. If they weren't sure how to answer they usually put ? or "Don't know" in the blank. If the question seemed too personal or made them uncomfortable, they left it blank. Even though they filled out the information and answered the questions independently, I think they found it helpful to have one parent around for ideas when needed. Looking back, it was a special time we shared each week and I missed it when it was over.
Finally, even though it can be time consuming, questionnaires are a valuable process for the player, scout, and club. One of our oldest son's friends was disappointed when he wasn't drafted out of high school. Several years later I asked a scout why the kid was never considered. He said it was because he didn't returned a single questionnaire to anyone during his senior year...said he would have been drafted if he had.
Posts: 491 | Location: Dallas area | Registered: December 31, 2002
Fungo We went to an invitational showcase on August 2nd and the scouts did a great job of trying to introduce us to the process. One of the important things we took from that dinner was to be honest with the scouts. However, we (more properly stated as “the parents”) are just very private people and did not anticipate some of the questions asked in the questionnaires (some of the questions concerning our family our son wouldn't know one way or the other.) As far as keeping options open (again from a parent’s perspective), it maybe that our son has a great spring and it makes more sense for him to consider going pro rather than to college or it maybe visa versa. We just want to make sure that we keep the communication lines open and honest. Our son spoke to each and every college coach who called him and gave each one the same time and consideration. We are sure that he will do the same with the scouts as he loves the process.
Posts: 40 | Location: Texas | Registered: July 19, 2005
Thanks TxMom I like the Sunday afternoon idea. We plan to have him return the forms but as you said, not all the questions seem relevant at this time and some he just doesn't understand. I especially liked the one "are you married and how many children!" Also the one about his parents' health, I wanted him to write that his father snores too much and his mother is always cranky, but he refused.
Posts: 40 | Location: Texas | Registered: July 19, 2005
I wanted him to write that his father snores too much and his mother is always cranky, but he refused.
Pretty good ... perhaps that would at least identify which clubs and their FO personnel have a sense of humor.
Mary Ann * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 [8/21/08]
Posts: 3937 | Location: Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight ... | Registered: January 02, 2003
Workplace harassment is fairly commonplace not only by your fellow employees but those “other employees” you happen to be sharing the field with every night.
There could be a little harrassment from the retail customers that show up at the workplace as well.
Posts: 4844 | Location: Florida | Registered: December 26, 2002
No it is not. As established in earlier posts, this is a job interview process.
Two law firms specialize in criminal defense cases. You have a job interview with both firms. Are these standardized interviews? Do you expect that the interview will be conducted exactly the same way at competing firms, and that they will ask you exactly the same questions?
I don’t think that a criminal defense firm is going to ask you (nor are they allowed to ask I think in Texas) about your specific health and/or your parents' health. Hard to compare the two. It would be helpful to have a standard set of basic questions, ie. school grades, honors academic and scholastic, college plans, and baseball injuries and/or surgeries. Follow up questions could be handled on an individual basis.
Posts: 40 | Location: Texas | Registered: July 19, 2005
I'm thinking the reason that scouts ask about the health of the player and his parents is they would want to know about any problems that may occur down the road. I would want to know about any heart problems that the player may have or if there is a history of heart related problems in the family's past.
Diabetes can be a factor as well. And while a lot of these players can deal with the health problems, owners and coaches would want to know what they may have to deal with in the future.
Posts: 1130 | Location: KY USA | Registered: October 27, 2003
My Advice is to fill out everything trutfully, the only thing i would caution you against is saying any specific money amounts or round expectations for the draft. If it looks like your getting a lot of interest i would also suggest finding a good advisor. They will be able to help you through the whole process, i know i would have been lost without them. But for now, answer all the health questions truthfully, because if they think your healthy, draft you, then find out you were disclosing something, they wont give you near the money you should get. Oh, and also dont let any teams know their your favorite team, they'll try to get you cheaper.
Posts: 227 | Location: Panama City Beach,Florida | Registered: February 20, 2003
Texbbfan - Yep, some of the questions are extremely personal on pro questionnaires. Some wanted to know my weight! I don't know why the MLB job applications are not subject to the same privacy rules other employers faced. But a players physical health, past and future, is a major concern for MLB draft picks. It may not be right, but it's the way it is today. So, if your son really wants to apply for the job, he will provide them with the information they are requesting.
Posts: 1691 | Location: Northern California | Registered: December 26, 2002
Texbbfan - The dentist question is just one of the many health questions asked to assess the player's overall health practices. It's not a deal breaker, but answer them truthfully. I'm not aware of anyone contacting our dentist for verification ... nor did they weigh me when they came to the house to see if I had answered that question correctly either!
Posts: 1691 | Location: Northern California | Registered: December 26, 2002
Pretty good ... perhaps that would at least identify which clubs and their FO personnel have a sense of humor.
I don't know why the MLB job applications are not subject to the same privacy rules other employers faced. But a players physical health, past and future, is a major concern for MLB draft picks. It may not be right, but it's the way it is today. So, if your son really wants to apply for the job, he will provide them with the information they are requesting. 
