Saturday, June 9, 2012

The Draft...should I stay or should I go?

Good morning! It's been a busy few days, hence the lack of posts....but I am back to share everything that I know, which, technically, is not much.

And so, what has BPM been doing? Well, I have been teaching two online courses from my office. At first, it seems like the world's greatest job, which it is. But it has its moments in which I would rather travel to school and teach in person. There are some individuals who need the discipline of attending class each week, otherwise, they disengage. Unfortunately, these students fall behind and I am constantly sending notes begging them to do their work. I guess the 'out of sight, out of mind' mentality is pervasive. it can be very rewarding, which is why I do it and frustrating at the same time. The beauty of the online course is that I can teach it from the home office in my sweats, pj's, and slippers. I can have a cup of coffee next to me or a Merlot. Life is good....

On to the big kid.....where to start? After the major league drafted ended this week, three of the team's best players were selected including two pitchers. This is wonderful for the guys but guts the team in terms of talent. Where does that leave my son?

He continues to rehab and has been able to cock his arm back 90 degrees which he has not been able to do in the longest time. This is indeed progress. He still has not thrown nor can he for at least another month.

He sent the coaches a letter depicting his progress to let them know that he is coming back. With two starters drafted by the major leagues, he now is focused on starting rather than sitting in the bull pen. His biggest fear is that the coaches will recruit this summer and bring in untried pitchers who will start instead of him. It is his goal to break into the starting line up.

With California leaving town in a hurry, the last bedroom in the house was up for grabs. As a result, a new junior college transfer from Minnesota, who the guys do not know will be moving in. This guy could be the world's greatest person or the room mate from ___@$^&(&. Can't wait to meet this kid. 

The two of us went to happy hour yesterday for fish tacos (his favorite) after a long day of work and physical therapy. No, he did not drink since he is only 20, but we sat in the bar area chatting about life, rehab, and baseball. He felt that the third pitcher selected from the team would come back to campus and not sign since he was drafted in the 40th round. He had a mediocre summer and season, yet he was drafted because he is 6'5" and throws hard. Being drafted in the 40th round means less signing money and a lower commitment by the major league team to keep you on the roster. Once Buddy discovered that he had signed, he rationalized it by disclosing that this guy comes from a family of means who can pay for his last year of college if he does not make it to the pros. Therefore, the decision to leave school and his scholarship was a no-brainer.

Which leads us to the "decision". A number of guys are drafted at the end of their junior years and elect to stay in school like the third baseman. He had been drafted in a late round last year and decided to stay in school and work hard. He landed up shattering records and was consequently drafted earlier this year. However, he ran the risk of having a bad senior year and not being drafted at all. This is a conundrum. What do you do? If you are drafted low, you run the risk of not making the team and the signing bonus may be as low as $50,000. That may sound like a great deal of money, but once they buy a car, what is left for living expenses? I recall a story about players drafted from other countries who lived on hot dogs during the season because they did not have English speaking skills or money. Fifty thousand dollars does not buy what it use to.....

What would my son do? What do you think? There would be another draft in my house as he grabs his suitcase and runs out the door....leaving the lights on, water running, toilet overflowing, and doors open. Vaya Con Dios!

No comments:

Post a Comment