Real emotional blast

Photo credit - James Lamb

Orange County, CA – It’s been quite some time since sharing any ideas or experiences around professional baseball. No excuse is probably good enough, so no reason will be offered. All emotions attached to the full season minor league games within the Kansas City Royals farm system stay relatively calm until every fifth or sixth day. Sure we pay attention to every game for the team John Lamb (2-2, 3.32) plays with but the real emotional blast only surfaces whenever he “toes the slab.” Fortunately, he continues to serve his fellow Wilmington Blue Rocks, Advanced Class A affiliate of the Royals, as a starting pitcher which gives his friends and family time to recuperate along with his arm between appearances.

Anyone that enjoys the game appreciates the wide spectrum of emotions during the slow tendencies involved with play. An eager anticipation is experienced by coaches, players and fans alike. The variety of blood pressure levels attached to every pitch, ball in play, catch or throw is uniformly shared throughout all whom love the game. A pitcher trying to throw a quality pitch with a batter in the box clearly begins the entire emotional process. This simple example of anxiety, one pitch at a time, can be magnified to unbelievable levels when your son pitches.

Photo credit - Brad Glazier

John has had four starts in the Carolina League this year. He missed an appearance due to the club directing him to skip a start for additional arm rest. This is his first full season effort since undergoing elbow surgery in June 2011 when he was playing for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, Double A affiliate in the Texas League. Any major mid-season injury can make an athlete feel like time stands still during the process of recovery. Watching one season end and another begin without participating can be a challenge on any player. The positive note during this past off-season was that the Kansas City Royals management placed John on the 40 man roster. Lefty sounded to be a little closer to expectations this past Tuesday night in Wilmington, DE as he helped with the fantastic team effort of ending a seven game slide.

The kid is set to hold ball again this Saturday in Lynchburg, VA against the Hillcats, Atlanta Braves affiliate, based on the team’s current forecast of starting rotations. Listen in on the game’s broadcast for free at BlueRocks website and get a little taste of professional minor league baseball. The Lamb’s will positively be connected for another real emotional blast of adrenaline. 

Take a deep breath

Orange County, CA - While our family continues to embrace the opportunity for John Lamb through eager eyes we must all take a deep breath and allow the time to expire for proper strength and conditioning. Another trip to Arizona is still in the immediate future to see spring training inside the Kansas City Royals complex. Meanwhile, the wide varieties of emotion during these months leading up to the regular season of baseball will simply take a back seat to the larger picture of my son’s return to the game. The steps of recovery from last year’s season ending surgery takes president right now to any mixed feeling. So be sure to look for the kid roaming around the complex and say hi. I can assure you he does not bite and is typically more than willing to sign items for baseball fans… especially kids.  I can only hope for another picture with him in Surprise, AZ to add with those from years past.

Thoughts about John Lamb on video...

The real importance of being a Dad

Laguna Hills, CA – While the entire purpose of this site is to simply share some of the experiences associated within the family of a professional baseball prospect it is much more important to note the value of parenthood with this post. Recently it was brought to attention the staggering statistics associated with children that have grown up without a Dad here in the United States. The real importance of being a Dad speaks for itself with the figures provided below. Don’t let our nation’s children fall as victims to these numbers because of adult’s unwillingness to be responsible.

Did you know that youth from fatherless homes account for the following sadness?

63 percent of youth suicides

71 percent of pregnant teenagers

90 percent of all homeless and runaway children

70 percent of juveniles in state-operated institutions

85 percent of all youth sitting in prison

85 percent of all youth who exhibit behavior disorders

80 percent of rapists motivated with displaced anger

71 percent of high school dropouts

75 percent of all adolescents in chemical abuse centers

These statistics came from the Mentoring Project Operations Manual.

It's time Dads come together to rewrite the fatherless story in our nation!

Although I’m not here to pass any judgment on anyone and the individual stories associated with their reasons. I’m also certainly not willing to stand by and let the facts continue to run out of control without writing about my concerns.

Surely by now you have come to realize the pride and love I have for my son John Lamb whom happens to be a professional baseball player with the Kansas City Royals organization. I share the very same feelings for my daughter Cayla despite the severe challenges our relationship has endured. Both Cayla and I were forced to have absence in each other’s lives for almost 16 years thanks to her Mother’s ugly demands. Luckily my son was chosen by the Royals in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and before the end of that same summer I was served papers to appear in court for child support on the balance of Cayla’s minor years. Ironic maybe but there are no regrets for my personal demands to remain on her birth records back in 1994, despite the opposite requests from her Mother. Yet another great opportunity that evolved from my son’s draft selection to play professional baseball. A perfect chance to reunite with my other child, whom I missed more than she will ever realize, came from my son’s ability to play baseball.

John at Royals Spring Training complex!

My daughter Cayla and her dog!

Children need their parents and based on the statistics noted above there just might be some undeniable value with the Dad staying involved. I can’t erase the years I lost with my daughter but I have mad myself available ever since being served legal demands of my ex-wife suddenly changing her mind. The real importance of being a Dad is much deeper than money and I envy anyone that has the opportunity to be involved with their children. I had that chance with my son, lost the chance with my daughter, but there is no excuse good enough to not be a available and love your children. 

Consider the consequences if you do not get involved...

I've censored the following, in protest of a bill that gives any corporation and the US government the power to censor the internet--a bill that could pass THIS WEEK. To see the uncensored text, and to stop internet censorship, visit: http://americancensorship.org/posts/39576/uncensor

The ████ you ████ ████████

Wishing everyone a safe and happy balance of the year

Orange County, CA -

There are many professional baseball families that truly embrace the Holidays for the opportunity to spend extra time with their beloved during the off-season. Our family is no different than thousands of others whom are spread across the world that negotiate the day-to-day obstacles of staying in touch with their fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, cousins and close friends. The Lamb's would like to wish everyone a safe and happy balance to the year!

Photo credit to Justin White

Yesterday afforded our household the chance to sit and embrace the extra time with John Lamb being home for the holidays. The only real difference from when he was a small boy is we got to open presents later in the morning rather than the crack of dawn on the West coast. A couple of additional family members joined us for the great home cooking efforts by my wife.

Our family has been blessed with our professional baseball experiences associated with my own resume as well as the evolution of John Lamb and his young career in the game. John is feeling great and continues to prepare for the Kansas City Royals blessing to begin throwing a baseball again for the 2012 season.

Enjoy the balance of the 2011 year and realize the new Major League Baseball season is drawing nearer by the day. We share the sentiments and anticipations of many Royals fans for the start of Spring training in Surprise, AZ and hope to see you around the ballpark soon!

Quiet time around the house this time of year

Laguna Hills, CA – A professional baseball season is commonly referred to as a grind due in part to the overall length of the entire schedule. From early February to October if your team is competing in the World Series is a long time to play professionally in any sport. Baseball players generally have a small window to decompress from the game if they really want to remain on a roster spot. The off-season is filled with an enormous amount of business surrounding the game but most if not all players continue to prepare their bodies and minds for the grind of another season. The few times that my son John Lamb has popped into town recently has afforded some quiet time around the house this time of year. Despite his Tommy John surgery earlier this year in June he has continued his rehabilitation at the Kansas City Royals spring training facility under the watchful eyes of staff. Therefore anytime my son comes home it is special due to the high demands of a professional baseball lifestyle.

This recent trip home for Thanksgiving was embraced for the obvious but enhanced last Wednesday for the simple reason of having lunch with both my kids. Professional baseball may keep my son away from home for plenty of good reason, but getting the limited opportunity to spend any time with my daughter is always cherished. Having both of my kids together is extra special to me, as many fathers would agree. Our lunch together was simple in idea but heartfelt none the less due to a complicated situation that evolved before my daughter’s first birthday. So I think you might understand the overall excitement with having them together now that she’s an adult with a few more liberties away from her mother. The day was eclipsed by John and I continuing our way to the Los Angeles Auto Show to dream a little about fancy cars.

My son is healing up well from his elbow surgery and set to begin a throwing program in January to prepare for the 2012 professional baseball season with the Royals. No exact time tables or details have been provided by my son to share on this platform. The family and close friends are genuinely ecstatic over his progress, as I’m sure many Royals fans that are keeping a watchful eye on the minor league system of the organization. We are eager to see him throw this coming spring in Surprise, AZ at the Kansas City complex which is shared with the Texas Rangers club.

I’m not willing to share any opinions of the evolving baseball business issues that are typical during the break from the grind of the season. The one thing which has made this fan extremely happy was the 5-year deal attached to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement between Major League Baseball and the Players Association. It’s good for baseball not to jeopardize the growing fan-base rather than experience a labor dispute similar to the National Basketball Association. Many of the details can be argued but the most important thing to me is there will be no work stoppage of America’s pastime for at least another 5 years.

So for now, the household will continue to enjoy all the extra time around John Lamb during the off-season from professional baseball. Next break of time with him is set for this coming weekend due to a scheduled autograph session at a local vendor in South Orange County. John will be at the MVP Sports Cards shop in Laguna Hills this coming Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 2pm. He will be available to sign for an hour leading up to the raffle of a 1958 Mickey Mantle card by the owners of the well- established sports card trading store. Even though his return from Arizona this weekend will be short, the family always enjoys his presence while trying to take a quiet break from the grind of professional baseball. 

Some fun in the Arizona sun

Peoria, AZ - This past weekend was filled with an enormous amount of baseball for myself and many other families around the game of baseball. It is not an unusual event within the warm weather states to have these type of showcases that bring plenty of players, families, coaches, scouts and advisers looking to make a connection for furthering their careers in the game. Some are simply hoping to find a good fit for college, while others aspire to solidify a professional baseball opportunity at the conclusion of their senior season. My recent fun in the Arizona sun has afforded my personal desire to observe the Senior Fall Classic, visit with my son and rub elbows with colleagues around the game of baseball.

The annual Senior Fall Classic at the Peoria Sports Complex included 61 teams from many great distances. This premiere event helps promote many young men to the next level of baseball competition. The majority of players will move on to try and play at various schools throughout the country based off their impressions to the coaches whom were in attendance. Nowadays players have multiple chances to make their impressions upon the college coaches. This Arizona showcase is one of the largest in the country and surely set to continue the services for the student athlete and coaches.

It is impossible for me to consider attending a baseball event in the suburbs of Phoenix without making every attempt to see my own son. Luckily I had a few chances to see John Lamb during my stay. Between his continued schedule with rehabilitation in the Kansas City Royals complex and games I attended throughout the day and evening we managed to spend some time together and catch up on some deeper conversations. The handful of times we spent together included meals, some Arizona Fall League baseball and a movie at his apartment with some spicy pizza and wings. Despite loving every moment around him and this being the first time since his surgery back in June I could not have been more proud for his actions on Sunday morning. John spent three fall scout ball seasons with the Royals during his high school years and the coaching staff had asked me if he would be willing to visit with the team during the Senior Fall Classic. I asked and even though Sunday is his only day off from professional baseball duties with the club he agreed. I know the coaching staff and players appreciated his effort and willingness to hang out in the dugout for a few innings. I was an extremely proud Dad  knowing that my son was willing to return to the roots of his own personal experiences around baseball. Giving a little time and knowledge to others simply shows me that my son has observed the action of his Dad during the past 17 years around the game.

During my time around the ballpark these past few years of scouting it is much more common for solitude conditions at games while doing my job. Baseball buffets, or showcases, do provide a common ground of gathering amidst the amateur and professional evaluation community. These conditions afford the opportunity to see friends and associates from all over country. It's always a pleasure to see guys that work in other areas around the country. One of my best friends whom currently works for the Arizona Diamondbacks managed to make some time in his busy schedule to break bread and catch up about family, careers and aspirations around the game. One of the greatest benefits around baseball has been the friendships that have forged over the years. Large events like this recent Arizona Senior Fall Classic provided a unique chance to open new doors of kinship which I can only hope will last for the balance of my life around America's Pastime.

This recent trip to Arizona for scouting, visiting with my son and friends was well worth all the efforts. I love the game of baseball and look forward to each and everyday around the ballpark. This time spent in the desert simply offered a little more fun in the sun than in years past.

Involvement with with respect to your son playing baseball

Laguna Hills, CA – There are plenty of theories that circulate in and around the game of baseball throughout all levels of participation. The ideas shared here on this platform were used during my son’s play and driven by providing every opportunity available during his development. The shear hope for his sincere enjoyment during his path of playing baseball was not left for chance, but rather constantly monitored through a parental involvement. The idea of taking a walk with your son during a baseball career was described in an earlier article. When is it time to stop the parental involvement? Should a parent meet with the high school coach about playing time? Does changing schools help a player get into the college or professional levels? How does playing club, or travel, baseball impact an amateur career? These are just a few of the ideas to be addressed about involvement with respect to your son playing baseball beyond recreational levels.

The concept of stopping a parental involvement with your son playing baseball is near and dear to my heart. The answer is quite simple but also very difficult to follow. Never stop being a parent to your kids… ever. Support and involvement can cause a cloudy area about athletics and more specifically baseball during the wrong stages of a young man’s career. Continue to support their participation with your involvement from a distance. There is no value in coaching your son from the backstop or the stands. Let the coach try to aid your son’s development as a man, a teammate and a player. Surely some coaches are better than others as with players on the field. If you can help your son’s ability to play the game by catching, throwing and hitting the baseball that is great but there are more important things to do as a parent. A very dear friend of mine that continues his professional baseball career as a scout once told me that my son did not need another coach to play he simply needed a supportive Dad from the stands and nothing else. Truly the best advice I could have received when my son entered Laguna Hills High School at the age of 13 years old. Parental involvement never ends from the citizen perspective, but clearly has limits during baseball.

When should a parent face a high school coach about playing time? Never is clearly the best answer here unless you want to start issues that will never be resolved. I always enforced the belief in my son to talk with his arm, glove, bat, legs and intellect to play the game. Work harder than everyone else at throwing, catching and hitting the baseball and any competent coach should place the best players in his line-up to win some games. If the coach does not place your son in the game have your son ask the questions about areas he needs to improve for a better chance to play after the hard work. Feel free to stand behind him during his conversation with the coach for support but let him do the talking and ask the questions. If the coach does not give him the respect to ask the questions then you might just have to step in and help buffer the situation to allow your son to talk. Respect is a two-way street between the coach and player but keep in mind the egos that are tested by all entangled in this equation. The distant approach is typically implemented during the wrong stages of their son’s amateur career. More parents seem to become obsessed during the high school, college and even the professional levels of baseball. The ideas of confrontation during the later years of playing the game can be devastating to a baseball career. Support is the key without engagement for the player to compete for the spot on the roster or line-up card. Actively participating with a coach about your son’s playing time will get him nowhere within the game real fast.

Many families change schools based on coaches, roster spots availability or reputations associated with certain programs. This is really a family choice and the merits come from a variety of positions on this concept. The same can be said about the wide diversity of opinions for signing a professional contracts out of high school versus college. Some players are ready to move on while others are not.  There are pros and cons associated with changing schools for the benefit of baseball development due mostly to education and athletic ability. Some coaches teach the game better than others, just as some players have raw tools to play the game and some need help to improve. If your son can play he should be on the field no matter where he goes to school. College and professional scouts will more than likely find him playing and if not there are plenty of simple suggestions to increase your chances of finding the right college or university to further a career. There is a plethora of advice and practical approaches to keep the uniform on until the player is ready to take the cleats off. Changing schools does not always work as intended but sometimes it will serve a true value for the player’s growth and opportunity to play baseball beyond the recreational levels.

The last area of this article will focus on the popular decisions during an amateur career to play travel, or club, baseball and the potential result of involvement. From a development standpoint, playing on a club team can greatly aid a player and baseball opportunity. The research and time needed to insure your son’s improvement should not be underestimated otherwise you are merely allowing someone to take your money without results. Simply writing a check to play in tournaments or on the weekends will not guarantee improvement if your son does not put in the necessary effort to work on his own. Keep in mind that a few talented instructors throughout the country, and world for that matter, really can help your son improve but there is no magic wand waved over their head walking in and out of the dugout. Your high school team should always have first priority to take part and be very careful trying to add travel baseball during school activities set by the coach. Within the Southern California area there is a growing tendency to play for a club organization over high school and college. Tremendous debate has been triggered over this propensity to ignore the challenges associated with playing in high school and college. There seems to be family logic involved with some of these choices but others are being held to rattling rumors of handling the rigors of college and, or, professional competition based on these growing trends. Only time will tell if this path has merit for being a successful college or professional baseball player with any true substance and value. Now if your high school does not have an off-season program and there is no interest of playing the other sports in season than by all means play baseball during the fall and winter. The paramount suggestion about travel baseball is buyers beware. I am a firm believer that the best programs are the least expensive, or even free to take part. Prime example is the reigning 2011 Connie Mack Champions the Midland Redskins in Amelia, Ohio. My opinion comes from personal experience of my son’s development while associated with the Midland program during the two summers he spent away from home learning how to compete and play without Dad making out the line-up card. Don’t forget the importance to take some time off while conditioning the body and mind for another full season of baseball in school.

There are a heap of concepts related to amateur baseball and a yet a very limited number of stories that can successfully account for playing Major League Baseball as a career. The story has not fully been written within the Lamb household during our experiences associated with the professional phase of John Lamb playing the great game of baseball. There are two things most certain as a foundation for a player’s development. Support and involvement seem to be the common denominators for many if not all the paths to the big leagues. Knowing when to back off and just be a supportive parent is critical for the player’s success on the diamond.

Some basic ideas about being a baseball parent

Laguna Hills, CA - The power of social media has served a tremendous value for connecting people from all walks of life throughout the world and bringing them together with common interests. While the power of the Internet continues to grow on a daily basis the same can be said for the multitude of sites that connect people to discuss a wide variety of topics, including the one very near and dear to my heart… baseball.

Not long ago another friendship was ignited with a Canadian lawyer that has a five year-old son and another son on the way via twitter. We have stayed in touch through emails, tweets and an engaging telephone call about baseball and our common love for the game. Jonathan Hacohen, founder of MLB Reports, asked if I would write something for his site about my parental experiences. I know my story is similar to many others, but by sharing some basic ideas about being a baseball parent, I can only hope your family receives the blessings like ours around this game. Hope you enjoy the following article and take something away to help your son fall in love with baseball.

What can a parent do?

Baseball has an infinite number of stories about the players, personnel, coaches and fans whom are associated with the game. One thing that is common among all the unique stories is having parents during the path of participating with the game. I realize the common thread is obvious, but the job of parenthood is key to success as a citizen first and athlete second. There are multiple positions affiliated with the game of baseball throughout the many steps of participation on the field. Surely there are some instances of tragedy where a child loses a parent, or maybe both, but the relative or friend that steps up to facilitate the child assume a very important role in their life. So what can a parent do to help their son play baseball? Try to take a walk with your kids in the game of baseball.

I will never claim to have all the answers but being the father of a current professional baseball player in the Kansas City Royals organization and also a scout for the Florida Marlins I do have a small clue about the game of baseball. Routinely I’m asked questions about things associated around the great game of baseball. Some ask about youth ball, some ask about the high school challenges, some ask about playing college baseball, some want advice about improving their son’s skills and many more want to know about the path of their son playing in professional baseball. What is the most important thing a parent can do for their son around the game of baseball? What should a parent do about extra instruction? When should a parent leave the dugout and let someone else control their son’s participation on the field? The examples of questions go on and on covering a huge variety of topics. There all good questions but I’m reminded by a comment my grandfather made to me when I was very young… the only stupid question is the one never asked. It’s very obvious that many parents have no clue about the game and steps to play for a long time and that is fine. Sound advice for the baseball parent can be discussed in a wide variety of ways, but for the purpose of this article I will address the key ingredients to help any parent with their challenges around the game. I have made mistakes during my walk of being a parent but hopefully some of these experiences can be beneficial during your journey. Take a walk with your kids in the game of baseball and you just might be pleasantly surprised.

Wait for your son to ask you about playing the game. Take them to games and hope they catch the bug and desire to play. It will happen sooner or later if your son wants to learn how to throw, catch or hit. Don’t rush this step of the baseball career. If you already missed this important step, or ignored the obvious, it will eventually be exposed and unlikely they will be a fan of the game. Not the end of the world by any means but I see players on a regular basis in the high school level, and even college, that illustrate major resentments. The further I dig or observe it becomes extremely obvious the player does not play for the right reasons. Way too much work is necessary for baseball success and the desire simply must be from within the individual not someone else. The best approach to baseball starts early through desires from the player not the parent. Parents cannot do the work needed for the player’s opportunity to play the game at the highest level, nor can they write a check for their son’s chance to be in the show. Don’t force the game on kids!

Allow them to be kids. Let them enjoy playing the game of baseball. This directly ties into the previous point I know but if parents don’t have a sound grip on the foundation of the game of baseball there will be some serious challenges around the dinner table. Even if the only time you use the table is during the holidays. Kids need to be kids as long as possible and cannot be expected to be perfect on the baseball field. The game of baseball is failure based during half of the game. The offensive side is the glaring example of failure associated with baseball and must be accepted during the early years of playing. Parents that expect more hits, less strike-outs, more wins or higher expectations than the statistics of an average big leaguer are setting their kids up for some serious challenges in baseball and in life. I can say that in retrospect I too was a victim of high expectations during my son’s playing youth baseball. I realize it is difficult to allow our kids to fail with dignity but if we, as parents, push too hard… our young men will likely have years of therapy in their future due to our high unrealistic expectations during their youth. The games your son plays during the ages of 5 to 17 will not impact their careers of playing for a long time, but the negative reaction to possible failure during those games could keep them from wearing a uniform quicker than necessary. If you allow them to fail with integrity, I guarantee you will see them succeed around the game. It is imperative that the kids are allowed to be kids during the early years of playing baseball. The longer they can play with fun in their hearts the higher the likelihood they will be in love with the game enough to survive the challenges ahead. Don’t forget their kids while they play!

Let them experience other sports during their youth. Don’t be in a hurry to have your son play 100+ games a year. Way too many kids are simply playing too much baseball during their youth. This approach to playing baseball is an epidemic now in some areas of the United States where the weather permits games and tournaments to be scheduled practically year round. The ideas of missing out on baseball development are driven by good marketing from a bunch of ill advised individuals and corporations. Some players in the professional level are falling victim to a growing statistic of arm problems before their careers are complete and in certain circumstances a player’s career comes to an abrupt halt due to injury. Recently, I have struggled with this situation via hindsight of my own son’s amateur baseball career. John went down earlier this year in a Double-A level game with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in the first inning against the third batter. Maybe he played too much during his youth, and maybe he didn’t, but this Dad will always wonder if the amount of youth games really contributed to the Tommy John surgery before his 21st birthday. Parents should force their boys to rest or simply play another sport to help occupy their minds away from baseball during the typical off-season periods of baseball. If you live in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas or Florida try to pretend there is snow on the ground during the winter months and you might not need to endure the agony of watching your son‘s career stop against a huge brick wall. My son played youth basketball and even flag-football in an attempt to rest from the game, but his desires to play baseball usually won the household battles especially the closer he got to graduating from high school. The hundred plus game schedules should be a goal for the parent of a baseball player not part of the process for obtaining the professional opportunity of the game. Plenty of other things can provide their much needed rest.

Keep being involved with your son playing the game of baseball. Having been a coach for many years now throughout all levels of youth baseball following my son’s desire to play the game, I am still mind blown by the number of parents that treat their son’s practice, games or training as nothing more than a form of childcare. It’s not necessary to be at every practice or game but the more the merrier, at least until they become high school players. Pushing your son’s out of the car at their practice and running errands prevent the chance of assuring he really is learning how to play the game, or more importantly, having fun. If he’s not having fun he should be doing something else to find his passion and genius in life. I played for a few real crappy coaches during my youth but my love and desire to play the game was my personal driving force to work hard and compete for a line-up spot. You’ll never know about your son’s desires if you’re busy getting your nails done or working your brains out to help your boss pay his mortgage. By watching your kids practice or play you’re giving yourself a chance to ensure their desires to participate. Popping into a practice without announcement will give you a clear perspective of their experience and it will have enormous benefit when your son finds you there taking part of their enjoyment, or lack thereof. Your son’s may lose their desires to improve if you’re not part of the experience needed for them to improve and develop during their amateur days of playing the game. I realize the huge challenges parents have to mange time in our fast paced economy and lifestyles but you really should make an effort to be actively involved with the baseball stuff. If you’re too involved your son will let you know that you need to back off. Over involvement is really very common during the wrong stages of a boy’s baseball career, but that is another article for another day. Keep staying involved during their baseball until they make the high school team, at least.

What can a parent do? Try to take a walk with your kid in the game of baseball. The experiences from walking side by side around the game will be life changing for everyone involved. Although a potential love affair with the game may create other obstacles down the road of life all of which depend on the level of involvement with baseball, one thing can be said for sure and that is a true respect for the game will be created. If a relationship is fully allowed to blossom the benefits are unlimited by the amount of jobs associated in and around the game. Parents can have a profound impact on their kids both in and out of the ballpark. Being a good human being only adds to the true value of any ballplayer at any level. Talent, hard work, a dash of luck and tremendous humility can open many doors and reciprocal affair with baseball. I’m always looking forward to yet another unparalleled baseball story ingrained by the individuality of the greatest game on earth.

Copyright by James O. Lamb. All rights reserved.
Twitter @JamesOLamb

* Please be advised that this article and any additional comments, posts or opinions from this article do not reflect the opinions of the Florida Marlins, L.P., Major League Baseball, or any other affiliations of professional baseball.