57 replies to this topic

[Icterus galbula]

Maybe theres a better place to put this, but here goes.

 

Just recently had a discussion with a friend as the season begins, and I was curious. Some of you no doubt had greater skill than I did, some more of a mind than a body for the game.

 

I was a lumbering rightfielder with a good arm and consistent gap power, but nothing more really. My footwork and glove were good enough to be an intramural 3B in college. but thats all. I wanted to be a pitcher, really wished I could do it, but my control was supremely shoddy and my fluttering forkball inconsistent at best. My HS coach was annoyed my 6’5 225 body didn’t provide more, but I was still a net positive for my team. The opposition moved back when I was at the plate, and I was an efficient baserunner because they never expected a steal,. I’m well aware of what I was and what I wasn’t. #5 hitter who did enough to help win some games, but also didn’t do enough to be scary. Love the game, understand it, but never put it all together. 

[You Play to Win the Game]

I was a solid defensive corner outfielder with a good arm, but crap at the plate. Just couldn't hit worth a lick. I was fine with hitting and even showed decent power until my first two AB's against human pitchers resulted in HBP. Absolutely loved playing, but was basically Smalls from Sandlot.

[Icterus galbula]

Did you at least have a silly hat?

[Pedro Cerrano]

Left handed. First base. I was a decent player. Nothing special but I didn't embarrass myself out there.

[Icterus galbula]

Oh, it also warrants mentioning that I had a death wish at the plate. I would turn into pitches and get nailed in the wrists or the chest.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Haha my first AB ever in baseball against a kid (not adult pitching) and I got plunked.

[RShack]

I was a C in LL... except for 1 year when the manager's son was also a C... then I played 1B plus some 3B...

[McNulty]

I was a pretty good little league player, but didn't hit puberty until I was 17, so that was the end of that.

 

I played softball a lot in my mid 20's in Florida, sometimes 6 nights a week.  I stopped for a few years and now I can't hit any longer.

 

I've been reduced to Dariel Alvarez.  Great arm, not much else.

[DJ MC]

Yes. Shitty.

[Icterus galbula]

Yes. Shitty.

 

I was extremely shitty until I grew into my body in 11th and 12th grade

[SportsGuy]

I could field and always knew what to do...where to be, etc...but couldn't hit that well.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Little League C...  more of a CF in Travel...   cut going out for JV in 9th...  rode the bench of JV County Champs in 10th.... cut going out for Varsity in 11th... rode the bench on Varsity as a Senior. Biggest issue by my Junior year was I competing vs. guys who had spent several years playing 80-100 games a Summer, where the most I had ever played was 30-40.

[BobPhelan]

Did pretty good in little league, travel ball, and a couple years of american legion fall ball. Second base and pitcher. Could hit for average, not much power at all. Good fielder, good instincts. In high school was a little intimidated at first, lost confidence and passion for playing. I was too much in my own head, couldn't let those instincts take over enough. I didn't pitch nearly as much as I would've liked in HS but never gave up an earned run for whatever thats worth. 

[Mackus]

Rec and summer travel leagues growing up, never full season travel. Made JV but not varsity. I was really scrawny in HS. Good hitter for average but very little pop, hit only one HR ever. Caught when I was real young. 2B, 3B, and OF later on.

[Mike in STL]

I could hit the ball a mile. Batted cleanup from about age 12 to 18. Solid fielder. Light on my feet for a bigger guy, stole some bases mainly because I wasnt afraid to take a sizable lead.

Never played for the high school because I got passed over in favor of guys that played on the rich kids travel leagues where the coaches knew them and their families already. I was clearly able to hang with them. Got bitter about it and didn't even tryout junior and senior year. Westminster baseball sucked the 4 years I was there anyway.

[NewMarketSean]

I played from like 7 years old on little league teams, travel teams, high school all 4 years, American Legion my senior year and my first year of college at CCC.

 

I pitched, played 3B primarily, but also played OF, SS and 1B.

 

As a pitcher I was pretty good when I was on. My junior year I had the yips and couldn't throw strikes but aside from that year I was pretty good. Decent movement on a 4-seamer, and a curve ball that could be a good out pitch. As a hitter, I was OK...hit a grand slam off of Owings Mills my junior year and the pitcher said "I can't believe a kid from Carver A&T hit a grand slam off me" LOL. I hit a couple of HR's for my American Legion team and was the best pitcher the one year I played there.

 

In college, my coach screwed me -- yeah I'm that kind of jaded guy. He wouldn't play me in the field or let me hit so I was primarily a pitcher. Yeah my fastball wasn't fast but I had great control. In practice I pitched well but my coach wanted me to throw a knuckleball so I spent a lot of time working on that and when I was put into games I was asked to throw fastballs. LOL. After that year I decided it was  time to hang up my cleats for good since it was cutting into work and at that point I just wanted to make money.

 

But I had a good run. It was an awesome time. Won a championship with my LL team when I was 11 or 12, and made it to another championship but lost in a devastating double slim fashion where all we needed to do was win one game, but lost two.

 

Oh and I beat Chris in a 99 inning game in the backyard of his mother's old house on Symington. It's my best accomplishment.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Oh and I beat Chris in a 99 inning game in the backyard of his mother's old house on Symington. It's my best accomplishment.

 

I liked this, despite this complete fallacy lol.

 

Liked when we went up to St. Tim's and kept stats for the summer... Scott was like Babe Ruth.

Or when we had the idea of 'building a park' on the field down on S. Paradise... ha!

[Mackus]

Hoping for VaTech to show up outta the blue in this thread...has he ever posted here?

[RShack]

Hoping for VaTech to show up outta the blue in this thread...has he ever posted here?

 

Sure... he showed up, said he was fed up with OH and would be posting here from now on... but then he got a good taste of what bnick and pedro did to the game threads, expressed his disgust, but saw no improvements... so he just vanished... went back to posting at OH... hasn't been here since... (good job, guys...)

[BSLChrisStoner]

Hoping for VaTech to show up outta the blue in this thread...has he ever posted here?

 

710 posts.

 

http://www.baltimore...104-vatech1994/

 

His email is in the link...  said recently he's not active anywhere.  Busy with life. Said he might check-in at some point.