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 Dear Tom:
I have to tell you that I am not a baseball fan. I don't play it or follow it; however, when my son was 2 years old he wanted a tee and began hitting plastic baseballs in the yard. still 2 years old one day I picked up some balls and threw one near him. He swung the bat and hit it. I thought that was funny so I threw another one and he hit that too. I was fascinated and he could pretty much hit any pitched ball from about 10 feet. At three he was hitting the soft little league baseballs that I pitched to him about 20 yards in the air with a metal bat. He is now 4 years old, he's averaged size but he has a mean swing I watch the pro ball players and his mechanics of his swing look beautiful like the pro ball players. I stand about 20 feet away, pitch him [I'm a horrible pitcher] and he adjusts as always and knocks the ball about 30 yards in the air. He does not know how to catch the ball yet- he only hits. We play about 30 minutes on the weekends. I don't know much about baseball. Does my son have unusual talent - should I get a teacher to teach him properly- is 4 years old too young- if so what is a good age for lessons?
Thanks so much.
CT
Answer CT,
off hand i would say that no your son does not have an unusual talent. personally, i think that's great that your son has the hand-eye coordination at such a young age to do that.
i wouldn't say no to lessons but the most important thing is to keep it fun for him. don't make him or force him to start doing anything he doesn't want to do. he'll wind up hating it. that being said, i don't think there's anything wrong with lessons. good luck.
