AboutTom O`Leary Expertise I am am best suited to answer questions regarding minor league baseball prospects.
Experience Originally, i started doing this because i became engrossed researching prospects for a fantasy league. Back then all i really wanted to do was answer questions about baseball prospects.
Funny how time flies but twelve years later i have been asked questions regarding the negro leagues, what minor leaguers get paid, why players don't rub their injury when they get hurt, and how players can tryout for the minor leagues to name only a few. i was recently in correspondence with a father of a marine who lost several fingers while in Iraq; he was later drafted by the padres and is playing in their minor league system. additionally, i get a lot of questions from guys asking me if i think they can be successful at these tryouts or if they should tryout at all.
I do my best to answer every one's question without overstepping my bounds of knowledge. *sometimes i have to tell people that i just can't answer their question.* And sometimes i have to tell people that they just aren't good enough to be a professional ball player.*
most recently i have received two negative feedbacks from people who didn't like my response. one 30 year old guy who hadn't played since he was a teenager asked me if he really had a shot at making the tryouts. realistically, i said no. i guess he didn't appreciate my bluntness but what would you have wanted me to say?
i am not really an 'expert' in anything. i just answer people's inquires, give some conservative advise or tell them 'i don't know.' after twelve years i have realized that i do fulfill most most questioners satisfactorily which keeps me doing this.
Question I am currently deployed to Kuwait right now. I've been preparing myself for a Baseball Tryouts, AAA (Indianapolis Indians or any team around the Midwest). I am a pitcher and played some club baseball. I throw around 85-90. What is the speed in which they look for to make a AAA Team? I also have some other pitches which include a curveball, sinker, and change up. Anyway, I also need to know where some of these tryouts take place. I should be home around November time frame. I would appreciate it if you could maybe find some places that hold tryouts for the 2010 year? I would appreciate it tremendously. Oh, maybe you could also give me a few tips on what to do for preparation of going into a pitching tryout. Please, get back with me when you get a chance.
Thanks again,
Nikolai Alfimow
Answer Nikolai,
first of all, keep your head down and come home safely in one piece.
you're asking a difficult question as there so much more they look at than how hard you can throw. control, location and change of speeds are just as important.
by the time you get home you'll have missed 2009 tryouts. so when you get back, go to a large book store (Barnes & noble). in the sports section there are many books on training and getting in shape for every sport.
