OT: Your Baseball Playing Days

[chris6net]

I grew up in the same town as Craig Biggio(I was 1 year older) and remember him being a great player even in elementary school. He was a catcher back then but he was always the best player from day one. In his senior year in HS he won the award for best football player in Suffolk County. Most of the really good players are good in all sports.

[Wite3]

I played little league ball through middle school. My distinction was two all-star teams and led the league in hbp twice...I liked to crowd the plate a bit. As a freshman in high school, I played one year of baseball. I quit after getting hit by a pitch from Rod Beck who was two years ahead of me. He was insane even in high school. I moved on to basketball after that and played basketball in high school, college, and the hollywood entertainment league until I was 32.

My father on the other hand played high school ball and college ball and then took off for 20 years. At age 41 he decided to try out for a 30 and over fast pitch league. He did not make it. The next year he hired an ex-major leaguer to coach him. At age 43 he tried out again and was drafted by a team. He played fast pitch baseball in that 30 and over league here in Southern California until he was 63 years old. He played third base and pitched. He played against ex-major and minor league players (he loves to brag he got two hits off of Oil Can Boyd in a game) and college players. Proud of him!

Joshua

[kkkkandp]

Although I was a better football player, I was a decent baseball player, too, and played all the way through freshman year of college.

In eighth grade my town (Palisades Park, NJ) team was in the Babe Ruth state tournament. We were playing in the semifinals against Ocean Township in Freehold at Nescafe Field. We were down 6 - 2 in the top of the fourth when I hit a towering fly ball to left center with two men on and almost immediately out of the box I broke into my home run trot. Unfortunately, my "homer" bounced off the 330 foot sign on the chain link fence and I had all I could do to hustle my ass to second base for a double. Needless to say the coach was not pleased, but I scored when the guy behind me singled. We still lost 8 - 7 and we were eliminated the next day.

In freshman year of college, the varsity had just come back from their Spring trip down south. We were scrimmaging them and a bunch of the guys were chewing tobacco. Never having chewed before, I figured I'd give it a try. An inning later I was at my first base position when a very good lefty hitter ripped a screaming one-hopper that clipped the edge of the infield grass and took a wicked hop headed for right between my eyes. When I jerked my head to avoid the ball I wound up swallowing the chaw. My teammates said I actually did turn green. Makes for a good laugh at reunions now, but at the time hurling in foul territory was not nearly as humorous!

[buymycards]

I remember striking out a lot in little league. A good day was when I got hit by a pitch and made it to first base. Ah, the memories.

Rick

[MacDice]

My playing career ended when I was diagnosed with cancer. By the time, I was healthy enough to resume baseball activities, I felt like my window of opportunity had closed and I walked away from the game something that I regret.

WAZOO- As a college coach, yes your junior year is important but it is not the end all if you struggle a little. I would recommend that as a hitter do all of your training and as much BP as you can with wood bats not with aluminum. If you can hit with wood then you can hit with anything. A lot of young hitters have flaws in their mechanics and approach that can be covered up with an aluminum bat but as you play against higher competition those flaws come out. Players also get worried that if they don’t early sign that they won’t end up getting an offer and they stress. The truth is sometimes it is better to wait. I have seen a lot of players sign in late June and end up in real good programs. The reason is grades, some players get cut or decided to leave programs and some programs lose players to the draft thus opening up scholarship money late. You also need to be realistic with yourself, I have seen players whose parents have spent more money sending their kids to showcases only to get a scholarship that was a fraction of what they spent going to said showcases. They would have been better off spending that money on their kids education. The last thing to also remember is the D-1 can be overrated. There are a lot of D-1 programs that are horrible and would lose constantly to a D-2, NAIA or JC team. Unlike other sports, you can still get a chance of playing pro baseball even if you are not at a D-1 team but at the end of the day your education and the degree you will earn is the most important thing.

[ChiSoxCardboard]

I was a pitcher, and was the first in my age group to throw a breaking ball around 5th grade. I was unhittable. Unfortunately, that was the pinnacle of my career. I played into high school, but never varsity. Once the hitters can hit a breaking ball, you need more than a 78 mph fastball to get by!

Still, quitting baseball is one of my main regrets. I could have ridden the varsity bench, but chose not to. Oh well.

Brad

[71buc]

I was an average player who loved the game more than it loved me. There are not a lot of places for 5'5" outfielders outside of Little League However, I was lucky enough to get a workout with the Padres in the mid 80's. That only served as confirmation of my mediocrity. It was a thrill nonetheless. I only wish I had realized that there were opportunies for a life in baseball that didn't require athletic prowess. At 38 I became an associate scout for the Reds and loved it. I had one of my guys drafted in my first year. It was exciting to hear his name announced and know I had a small part in it. I scouted for about five years for the Indians, Reds, and Nationals. At one point I had an opportunity to go to the MLB scout school with the possibility of a part time paid position. However, due obligations to my family I could not afford it financially. I had a wife and four kids who liked to eat on a regular basis and enjoyed the creature comforts such shelter. I admire scouts who work long hours on the road out of love for the game. They are under paid and often disrespected by the organizations they work for. Twelve years later I wonder if I should have said what the f**k and rolled the dice.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

My fondest memory from a game was my last play in high school. I stole second. There were bigger moments but that was my favorite.

[Tom Hufford]

I played for my hometown Pulaski (VA) Phillies for a few seasons in the late 1960s-early 1970s. I enjoyed it - but knew there was really no future as a Rookie League ballpark organist. Now, the best I've been able to determine, I am the only in-the-park live organist in the 100-year history of the Appalachian League, and really doubt there will be another! I really enjoyed meeting and knowing people such as Dallas Green, Wally Moses, Elmer Valo, - it was my first experience with professional baseball.

[itjclarke]

I have many many good memories from my playing days, but most only have significance to me. I was a lefthanded pitcher and 1st baseman throughout my life (though did play everywhere/anywhere else... even the left side of the infield early in HS).

During those years, I was lucky enough to cross paths with a few future MLBers, and one memory stands out. I was 14 and pitching in "senior leagues" against 15 year old Eric Byrnes' (later of the A's and DBacks) team. Earlier in the game, he'd gotten stuck in a run down and being the man child he was, just ran over our 13 year old first baseman.. I remember it being dramtic like Albert Belle v Fernando Vina c 1996, but I'm sure it wasn't that bad. Anyway, when he was due up later in the game, my coach told me, "I don't care what else happens, you hit that m**her f**ker". I dutifully went out, threw two butt high fastballs right at him. He jumped out of the way both times.. then laced my next pitch into left field for a double. That was the first and only time I'd ever been ordered to hit someone.

Originally Posted by I Only Smoke 4 the Cards

My fondest memory from a game was my last play in high school. I stole second. There were bigger moments but that was my favorite.

I wish I ended HS career on a better note, but I simply flew out to right field.. I think I had tears in my eyes. I wanted to play college ball, but never developed into a D-1 player.. maybe in part because by my latter HS years I was focusing more time on football and just sort of hit a plateau baseball wise. I did play a few years in a hardball league after college, which was great... and still have hopes of putting the cleats again and playing in the old style (1890's) league that plays in Golden Gate Park.