First flight of the season

Laguna Hills, CA - An earlier conversation with my son John Lamb confirmed he will be throwing for the Double A Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Saturday at Kauffman Stadium against the Triple A Omaha Storm Chasers during an exhibition game for the Kansas City Royals fans. John indicated, “I feel good and I’m looking forward to it, ” which is really a good example of a typical answer for most games during my son’s pro baseball career. Game is set to begin following the regularly scheduled Royals game 3 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim season opening series. John and many other fellow teammates will be boarding their first flights of the season and for most I’m sure their first time playing in front of a Kansas City crowd that is anxious to win again and return a championship to the city.

There has been a large media buzz about the Royals prospects and their farm system throughout the baseball community. I have seen local, regional, national and even worldly reports about the players within the Royals development system and it brings me tremendous satisfaction over the acknowledgement. However, I’m confident most, if not all, of these talented young men realize the true value of these articles, lists and opinions soaring about the world of communication. I know of one for sure that will not be satisfied by the words of the media until he is in the show helping his team win another championship ring. Saturday’s minor league assignment and game in front of the watchful eyes of an eager crowd will be exciting for players, coaches, staff, families and fans alike.



Plans to break down my son’s performance through heavy evaluation and opinion are not for this media platform, but for those of you that may have never seen my son in person throw a ballgame I would like to make a few suggestions. He works at a smooth but fast pace, so hit the concessions and bathrooms early unless your fully satisfied with the left-center field view of pitching on the monitors throughout the stadium. John’s typical strike throwing performances seen in the past can quickly expedite an already quick pace of work for the 20 year-old from the South Orange County area of Laguna Hills, CA. John said he was up first for the Naturals but offered no indication to his restricted pitch count numbers this early in a full-season schedule. John is merely one of many other prospects within the Royals system on display Saturday.



Enduring any form of long travel right now is an ongoing challenge and will need to be delayed until a little later on during this second full-season of my son‘s career. Hope to catch a glimpse of the game and John pitching on the television but not holding my breathe of finding a feed. I plan to simply listen to the radio broadcast just like I did when I was a little boy sitting in my Grandmas’ kitchen and grin during the game. While John Lamb takes another first step in his professional baseball career playing in front of the Royals fans, I may have a slightly bigger grin than when I was 6.



The Lamb family extends well wishes to all professional baseball players, coaches, staff, families and friends during the grind of another season trying to live out a dream.

Poll: How many Royals wins in 2011

Poll: How many Royals wins in 2011

Only a few

The video above was the fourth out recorded by John Lamb during a simulated game on March 24, 2011 in Surprise, AZ. The out was recorded against a future teammate Mike "Moose" Moustakas. Fairly certain that John and Mike have not played on any teams together during their Royals careers. All players in the video are deemed by many to be the Kansas City Royals top prospects in a talented farm system.

Laguna Hills, CA - The 2011 professional baseball Spring training days are dwindling down. Some teams have already left the Cactus of Grapefruit League facilities based on their schedules for their opening series. For example, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are scheduled to play at Dodgers Stadium tonight in the customary Freeway series here in Southern California. Some guys are continuing to compete for last minute roster spots on the 25 and 40 man rosters with only a few days left for the opening day of the 2011 Major League Baseball season. All teams are equal in the beginning throughout professional baseball. Just about everyone within the rookie level, class A, double A, triple A and the big leagues, whom are scratching and clawing their way up the ladder, is a bit on edge right now while they wait for their official assignments.

My son John Lamb is more than likely to be assigned to the Double A level, in the Texas League, with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals to further develop his professional baseball career. John got a taste of the big league camp this Spring as a non roster invitee for additional opportunity to learn and grow around the game. My son has made me smile throughout these early stages of his professional career path and we are looking forward to many more throughout this and coming seasons. So for now, nothing official, other than a current Naturals roster spot, can contradict my position on where John will begin the season for the Royals organization. Believe me when I say that there are plenty of things a 20 year-old could be doing other than playing at the Double A level in professional baseball and we are grateful for his opportunity and baseball development.

It was nice to get my first live action of my son playing in his third Spring training with the Royals since signing out of Laguna Hills High School following the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft. Life does not permit staying out in Arizona during his work but whenever the stars line-up to get a peek I make every effort possible to watch him throw. Travel has been a serious challenge for sometime now since my spinal injury back in 2009 and has drastically impacted my ability to see my son pitch during his professional baseball career so far.

John should be up again today following his last start in another minor league assignment, per his indication during our last visit. Despite the struggle of my painful spinal condition I managed to see him throw for the first time this year during game speed this past Thursday against and with other Royals prospects. I could not stop grinning with pride and excitement to see him work and throw against his fellow teammates. Good, bad or indifferent it was a good first for this Dad to see this year while his son continues living his dream around the game of professional baseball. Of course the recorded game where he pitched one inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a big league game gets an occasional replay on the home television for a smile, but nothing beats a live performance to fully appreciate his special experiences during his young career.

He physically looked great and said he feels good going into another full season assignment for the Kansas City Royals along side a large number of very talented prospects in the farm system. No mystery why there is a genuine buzz throughout the Royals camp with all the talent from top to bottom levels of development. With only a few days to conclude the 2011 Spring training work the Lamb family patiently waits for a call regarding work and the official announcement of John Lamb and his fourth year of assignments by the Kansas City Royals baseball club.

FREE youth baseball clinics

Limited space available for the FREE youth baseball clinics coming to the Orange County area!

Laguna Hills, CA - That's right John Lamb's Dad has finally returned to one of his great passions inside the game of baseball...teaching the fundamentals. Surely out of some necessity to have more purpose than just my part-time scouting position with the Florida Marlins. My recent work related injury and physical condition have come with tremendous limitations which are preventing my full-time return to "work" at this time. Certainly standing around watching and teaching the great game of baseball does not give me any concerns over the jeopardy involved with my disability. Due to the legal process allowing long delays in decisions I must move on with the need to financially survive and provide my genius in another field of expertise. Bye bye trucking industry and hello baseball with a full speed ahead attitude.

I have recently established a working relationship with Development Baseball to represent the South Orange County area. The organization is teaching sound fundamentals to young baseball players and has been operating since 2005. We have services available throughout multiple areas of the country. Instructors include players, coaches and scouts with many years of experience around the game of baseball.

LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE!

James Lamb, Lead Instructor:

Experience -
* 14+ years of playing amateur baseball
* 17+ years coaching and private instruction in Southern California
* 7+ years of influences from professional baseball
* 2007 Associate Scout for the Cincinnati Reds
* 2007 Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau - Scout Development Program graduate
* 2008 blessed with the experience that my son John Lamb received a 5th round selection and signed with the Kansas City Royals out of Laguna Hills High School
* 2009 Manager of the North team for the “Jesse Flores Memorial All-Star Game” sponsored by Professional Baseball Scouts of Southern California (PBSSC)
* Currently under 4th yearly contract as a Scout for the Florida Marlins

Clinic Details:

What: Basic hitting and pitching fundamentals
When: March 27 and April 3 only
Where: Location near the El Toro "Y" and will be provided following sign-up via web site
Time: 9am - 2pm
WARNING: One parent must attend the clinic with their son!
 
*SIGN-UP by text to the following # 949-697-2018


1) Parent name
2) Players name
3) Players age
4) League the player is associated with
5) A valid email address that must be verified to secure the spot in the FREE clinic

All questions or comments can be sent through our web site with James Lamb in the comments of the "contact us" section or send an email with the above noted information to secure a spot for your son.

Our web address is Development Baseball so secure your spot NOW!

Instruction begins with the most basic fundamentals and goes up to the most advanced, professional training available.

We wish you continued success both on the field and off!!!  

Time for ring

Laguna Hills, CA - The 2011 Spring training work for the Kansas City Royals took pause today to acknowledge their Double-A affiliate Northwest Arkansas Naturals. The Naturals captured the Texas League Championship last year by defeating the Midland Rockhounds, affiliate of the Oakland A’s organization, in the best of a five game series. Players and staff will celebrate during a ceremony at the Surprise complex this morning to collect their hardware for a successful professional baseball season. This special time for ring presentation should serve as proof to the Royals fan that winning ways are brewing though the farm system.

Photo credit - Dina Wathan Blevins

John Lamb continues his third Spring training assignment in the Cactus League, while having just recently been sent to the minor league portion of camp. Although we have had limited communication, I’m confident he is filled with excitement to collect another ring for his contributions on the baseball field. I share the joy from the West coast, during this celebration, as these young men take pause and continue to prepare for the next step in their professional baseball careers.



Unfortunately, my scouting schedule and ongoing health issues prevent me from being in the desert today to see my son and his fellow Naturals teammates receive their well deserved hardware. I’ll simply wait for the next ring ceremony with confidence that additional rings are in the future for the Kansas City Royals organization much sooner than most have predicted. Maybe it is parental optimism but only time will tell.

Good day of work

Laguna Hills, CA - Sorry but the need for a brief post is due in part to medication, exhaustion and bad timing by a virus attack on my computer. John Lamb took the ball for one inning of work on Wednesday as previously noted for his spring training debut in a big league game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. His performance ended a long but good day of work for the Kansas City Royals as a non roster invitee for spring training in Surprise, AZ.

Plenty of big smiles in the house watching John throw in the fifth inning and face a total of four Dodgers. Three fell victim to the strike out and one banged a double down the third-base line with one out. Lamb did not allow a run during his single inning of work.

Can't emphasis enough how weird it was to see my son on TV in the living room and hear a radio broadcast in the car. I will eventually adjust to these simple evolutions to my son's career but hope never to take for granted. We are grateful on a daily basis for the opportunity the Kansas City Royals and the Glass family has provided John Lamb.

I hope to return soon for additional updates to the site with a fully functioning computer and not just this iPhone I'm using right now.

Dropping the ball

Laguna Hills, CA - This format to discuss the experiences associated with professional baseball started with modest expectations. Although there is only one contribution source on this site, at this time, I hope this year can provide at least one more author to facilitate fresh content about the topic. No excuse is good enough for the three, maybe four, visitors to this site for dropping the ball and maintaining the blog during the last few months. I am sincerely sorry.

John Lamb has been very busy during the past couple full-moon cycles with trips to Kansas City, MO for his Paul Splittorff - Pitcher of the Year Award from the Kansas City Royals, trips home to Orange County, CA and spending the majority of his time in Surprise, AZ close to the ballpark. Lamb had quite the year in professional baseball during last season during the early stages of his development and a tremendous surge in media coverage.



If you don’t know already, you may have just woke from a coma or recently suffered a blow to the head, but the Kansas City Royals have the best farm system in Major League Baseball according to the experts. My son and plenty of other parents within the extended Royals family are riding a wonderful wave of neighborhood attention. Many of these talented young men are knocking on the door to play in the show and try to return the Kansas City Royals fans back to winning ways.



Today, John Lamb is set to work in his first spring training assignment at the Camelback facility in Glendale, AZ, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Game time is 3:05 E.T. and can be watched or listened to through various media sources if interested. I plan to watch in the privacy of my own home so I can get fully engulfed with emotion without any consequence.



My handful of viewers on the site have my word to regularly provide content about professional baseball and the ride for the family of a Top 50 MLB Prospect for the 2011 season.