If the kid is ready, the kid is ready. These teams/leagues have tons of money that they can always guarantee a kid’s education if the athletic thing doesn’t work out.

I’m 100% always in favor of the kid skipping school or whatever and going for it. You can always go back to school later.

i think they just didn’t see it coming, but then again, maybe they did.

I’m sure they had visions of multiple state titles dancing in their heads.

This is a long, tired discussion featuring several different schools of thought from very well represented sides.

Even as a professional in the sport’s industry, I find it extremely irresponsible to take the athletes POV in this topic. This is most true when discussing professional baseball.

The attrition rate in professional sport for athletes is extremely high. I don’t feel like it would be a stretch that to say that 90% of all athletes who go pro in baseball don’t get a cup of coffee in the show. Continuing to subtract the 1st-5th round prospects who earn a signing bonus to set them for life, this still leaves at least 80-85% who don’t sniff the show.

My question is why look at the 15-20% cases (which may be a generous number) when considering the value of promoting education. We should be considering the vast majority who don’t make the show and what kind of money they are earning as a professional. In addition, where are they left afterwords?

Even if we should not strictly prohibit these student athletes from having the option to turn professional, I think it is our responsibility to promote the value of education and to very clearly articulate the risks associated with turning professional without one.

At times the issue may be a lost cause as some athletes may be less interested. Some may have successful professional careers and not have needed the education. The majority however will need the education and may pick up some life skills along the way (such has how to budget your earnings).

I really doubt it would help his comfort level to send him to another country that speaks a different language and stranding him there. I’m pretty sure that is what the latin guys like the least so I guess you want him to share their pain?

either put him in rookie or send him to extended — that said, he should be WAY more ready from just about every standpoint than a 17 y/o latin kid for rookie ball…right?

Last I heard he was being represented by some young hot-shot agent named Mo C. Larett…

How strongly is the "Graduating Class" clause worded?

I thought this would be a really easy question to answer, but the truth is, the answer lies within the PBA, and I can’t find that bitch anywhere. I’ve just found the summary version on MLB’s website, which is good for nothing.

Anyone else have it? I’m dying of curiosity now.

and it actually has at some levels…

see IMG Academies

lefty pitcher, threw 3/4 and slung the ball up there — was throwing mid 80s at 12 and when he was 11 throwing low 80s he hit a kids helmet (old hemlet) just i the right place and broke it

that said, the best athlete i have ever seen (age wise) is a kid named brock duke…at age 13 was 6’1’’, sat in the upper 80s and had been clocked breaking 90, wicked 12-6 curve, really good change and covered more distance than andrus does now…also beat cuba for one of the jr national teams a while back…but he had TJ a few years later and was never really the same after that (committed to Utah for baseball — thats where hes from, Spanish Fork, UT)