For many this time of year in baseball is much tougher than normal

Laguna Hills, CA - Tomorrow will mark the day that Major League Baseball clubs can increase their rosters to 40 men rather than the usual 25. Some professional baseball players will get their first taste of the big league life. However, for many more this time of year in baseball is much tougher than normal life around the game. Lack of promotion, injury, trades or releases are common place during the end of a long minor league and major league season. Hard decisions are made around the game everyday but they are simply magnified at the close of another summer marked by the Labor Day holiday weekend and they are all driven by perceived value.

The new crop of signed players from the most recent MLB First-Year Player Draft will always be one of the greatest pressures in the game for players. Fresh investments and projection of the new players with limited roster spaces available throughout the pro baseball system only make it tougher on more than others. Players that continue to improve and make the necessary adjustments to maintain value have a much greater chance of staying in the game. Those that don’t increase their value are likely to be mere statistic of merely having only played professional baseball and not making it a career.

Any hick-up from injury can cause some fans, players, families and friends to discuss the hypothetical situations. Our family has become entangled with the injury bug since my son, John Lamb, went down earlier this season which required a ’Tommy John’ surgery back in June. Not his first run with injury but his first since signing out of high school following the Kansas City Royals 5th round selection of the 2008 draft. It serves nobody any value to fret over what-if it didn’t happen. A dreaming discussion serves no purpose around a true baseball household. I have been associated with the game long enough to realize the swift changes to the perception of value and  both he and I continue to be grateful for our opportunity to be around the game we love. I have confidence he will play again through the same principles that started his professional career and the displays of his ability to compete, improve and make adjustments to maintain value.

Trades and releases will always be part of the professional game and all the more reason for players to take their opportunity as serious as possible during their time of wearing a uniform. Value drives the majority of these decisions throughout a long season. Both types of these moves come without warning and can be very difficult to understand and digest for those entangled. It’s not always the end of a career around the game. Actually, many stories can be told of positive experiences from the players that simply continue to work hard at perceived value with the new organization.

There is nothing easy about playing professional baseball or being associated with a player involved in this extremely competitive environment. No need to worry about the things controlled by others perceived value. Many will leave the game with a bad taste in their mouth based on decisions by others, rather than working their way to another perception of higher value elsewhere. While this year’s full-season schedule in minor league baseball draws closer to an end for most of the players and their families, some are already looking forward to a playoff series in their respective leagues. A few might be heading into their off-season not knowing if their done playing the game for the current organization. One thing is for certain, 450 players will be getting a chance of their life to play in the show. Only time will tell if their perceived value will keep them there to make a career of playing professional baseball in the Major Leagues.

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.

Wife finds a nice article about John Lamb

My wife Colleen, found a nice short list for pitchers during the 2010 season that was written by a well respected Major League Baseball employee, Jonathan Mayo. I only have one thing to say about the following article…wow!

Article was posted July 22, 2010 by Jonathan Mayo on his B:3 Big, Bald and Beautiful MLBlogs site.

We're on a roll here now and I wanted to keep the momentum going. Over the last two days, I provided 10 potential candidates for Player of the Year in the Minor Leagues. Now it's time to move on to pitchers.

Once again, here's the disclaimer: Pitcher of the Year does not necessarily mean prospect of the year. I'm looking at performance, not status. With that in mind, here are three nominees for your consideration. As always, please interact and give suggestions in comments.

Joe Gardner, RHP, Indians: Not a bad first season for the 2009 third-round selection. The right-hander has held hitters at two levels to a .188 BAA, fourth lowest in MiLB. At the same time, he's been a ground ball machine, topping MiLB with a 3.50 GO/AO ratio. He's struck out 113 in 104 innings and has a 1.07 WHIP to go along with a 2.77 ERA.

John Lamb, LHP, Royals: Other arms in this system may get the attention (Crow, Montgomery), but that should change now. The 2008 fifth-round pick just turned 20 this month and has already jumped a level, from Class A to Class A Advanced ball. And he's pitched better up a level. Overall, he leads Minor League Baseball with a 1.38 ERA and hitters have hit just .197 against him (good for seventh lowest in MiLB). His 0.98 WHIP is eighth lowest. He's seventh overall with 128 K's, doing that while walking just 32 in 110 2/3 IP.

Michael Pineda, RHP, Mariners: Just 21 years old, he's already in Triple-A. Combined, he's gone 11-1 with a 2.72 ERA in 18 starts. Over 106 IP, he's struck out 109 while walking just 26. The right-hander has held opposing hitters to a .219 batting average against (just .196 in his five Triple-A starts thus far).

Photo credit - Keith Lovett

 

With yesterday’s Wilmington Blue Rocks game being postponed due to heavy rains the Blue Rocks will try to play a double-header today in Kinston versus the Indians, Advanced Class A team on the Cleveland Indians.



Next start for John Lamb is set for Monday when the Blue Rocks return home to Frawley Stadium in Wilmington, DE.

Lamb featured in Baseball America...

We all have routines we seem to follow and one way to open your eyes quicker than that 3rd cup of coffee is to see your son's picture on the front page of the Baseball America website. John Lamb has received a little attention from his recent string of scoreless innings in the Advanced Class A level Carolina League playing for the Wilmington Blue Rocks. As of adding this post, the article can be found on the "quick links" portion of the Baseball America site or by using the link below the picture of John.

Baseball America - Prospect Hot Sheet

This year has provided his family and friends plenty of opportunity to smile during Lamb's first full season of professional baseball competition. Sure, he played last year in his first professional season after the 2008 auto accident injury that prevented him from playing his senior season in high school, but it was a short Rookie level year. We have smiled ever since his phone call home earlier this year which indicated the Kansas City Royals were allowing him to "break spring training camp" and similar smiles continue today with his name sitting on top of the ERA leader board throughout Minor League Baseball.



Getting brutally honest though, it really doesn’t matter where he is on the statistic boards or what uniform he is wearing today because my smiles are generated from knowing that my son is living his childhood dream of playing professional baseball, thanks to the Royals selection in the 2008 MLB draft.




Next Wilmington Blue Rocks start for Lamb is set for this Wednesday in Myrtle Beach against the Pelicans at 7:05 ET. Go catch the radio broadcast on the Blue Rocks website.



GO BLUE ROCKS!

Future's Game thoughts...

Southern California - Okay…we had some mixed emotions in the household on Sunday about John Lamb and his absence in the “Future’s Game” at Anaheim, CA. Yesterday, before a game that I was coaching in the San Diego area I was approached by a number of associates in the game. A college coach I know, a couple of scouts and a parent of a player recently signed by the Chicago White Sox organization that was taken in the 2010 Major League Baseball draft, all of whom had some kind words about John Lamb and his current performance in his professional career. Sure, they fired up some emotions with the recognition of following my son’s professional baseball career but none more than an overwhelming sense of pride.




All of them asked the question about the organizations decision to not allow John to participate in yesterday’s “Futures Game.,” at Angels Stadium. My answers were very short and to the point that I had no idea why he was not given the honor to play based on his current statistics, but those decisions were not mine and I’m not comfortable trying to speculate or second guess the choices of the Royals.

Sure it would have been nice to see my son pitch in an honorary game, less than 30 minutes from the house, but organizational decisions always have a purpose. I am simply the father of a Royals prospect that continues to feel blessed with my son’s opportunity to embark on living his dream. Watching him have success during the process and get the media recognition during the process can always put a smile on my face.



Not a day goes by that I don’t have tremendous gratitude for the Kansas City Royals taking John Lamb off the board in the 5th round of the 2008 MLB draft. I fully believe in my son, his talent, his work habits and his burning desire to play in the big leagues.



I would like to congratulate Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer for their nominations and performances during yesterday’s game that displayed the future of professional baseball. There is a lot of talent in the game throughout the minor league baseball system right now and the Royals are one of many that have done a fantastic job, scouting, signing and developing players.
 
 
 
Personally, as a baseball fan, I am looking forward to the display of big league power during tonight’s “Home Run Derby” contest, but slightly disappointed that I will be forced to watch the All-Star game on tape, due to a ridiculous schedule set by the summer league I coach within. Obviously, the director/organizer is not a baseball fan of they would never have committed to such a brainless decision.