More to come about the John Lamb recovery from "Tommy John Surgery"

Top Royals Pitching Prospect John Lamb To Have Tommy John Surgery - Baseball Nation

Laguna Hills, CA - I know... old news for the Kansas City Royals fans looking toward the future of the club. I have been dealing with my own medical issues surrounding my spinal injury and disability but more will come soon regarding John Lamb and his recovery from surgery on June 3, 2011 with Dr. Lewis Yocum. 

Thank you for all the mail, emails, texts, tweets and phone messages with well wishes for my son during this challenge of his professional baseball career. It touches the hearts of family and friends to know that my son has plenty of fans pulling for a speedy recovery.

Counting down the minutes

Laguna Hills, CA - My son John Lamb will start today for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, against the Corpus Christi Hooks, Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, at 7:05PM CT from Whataburger Field in Texas. This marks the third start of the 2011 season for my son in the Texas League. Some of those close to John, like the household, are counting down the minutes for the first pitch.

Today I will take a break from my Development Baseball instruction and scouting responsibility with the Florida Marlins to be a nervous Dad of a professional baseball prospect. Nervous only in the sense that my son is better than the early season statistics expose with the Naturals. The number of walks and hits allowed during his first two starts have some concerned with his overall health, but John insists he feels great and ready to take the ball every 5 days to try and help his team win.

Last outing had a lopsided number of walks for the 3.2 innings of work and an untypical low percentage of strikes thrown during the game. Baseball is a continuous effort of adjustments to succeed and much more evident through the professional levels. John Lamb (0-0, 4.05) is fully aware of the necessity to make adjustments during games and between starts. While his first two appearances have been less than dominating, we are eager to see what today will bring for this young professional baseball player.

Our recent subscription to MiLB was initiated over the televised game schedule and the fact that John Lamb will be on the mound for the Naturals (7-4) against the Hooks (3-8) in the coastal town of Corpus Christi, TX. Seeing him play has always been a challenge during his career and getting the opportunity to watch the game today has merely added to this Dad’s excitement for this Texas League game. Now we simply stare at the clock and continue to count down the minutes leading up to the broadcast.

Just another professional baseball start

Laguna Hills, CA - The Lamb family and friends that have a connection to John Lamb and his professional baseball career typically know when the lefty gets the ball. This is really just another professional baseball start for John while he continues to develop but the only difference is the fact that today he will have the pitch count which gives him the opportunity to pitch into the fifth inning.



The radio broadcast during his first game, last Friday, addressed the slight strain John suffered during Spring training. The strain obviously set him back a few days and limited the number of pitches for this early portion of the season. John managed to throw only 3 innings during his first outing of the year of which ended up being the first win for the Naturals in the opening series of the Double-A season. A relatively uneventful start for the 20 year-old left-handed pitcher for his 2011 season but today could bring another type of jaunt in professional baseball.



Today the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (5-1), Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, will have their first game on the road versus the San Antonio Missions, Texas League affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Game time is set for 8:05 pm ET in San Antonio, TX. With less than an hour before first pitch this dad of a professional baseball prospect will simply pace around the house in a queasy anticipation for the results.



Despite the nervous moments leading up to my son’s pitching performances we plan to turn on the radio broadcast and listen to every pitch during the sashay. John Lamb has not missed a professional baseball start since the 2009 season assignment at the Rookie level with the Burlington Royals in the Appalachian League. John will embark on his 44th start in professional baseball with his fellow teammates on the Naturals roster. Just another start for the young baseball prospect trying to live out his childhood dreams while his dad’s stomach is doing somersaults.

Time to start the 2011 baseball season

Laguna Hills, CA - The Lamb family has been patiently waiting for the next professional baseball season for sometime now. My direct attachment started as has many others by simply being a fan of the game when I was very young. My adherence has grown over the years as a player, coach, scout and now a Dad of a professional baseball prospect. The affection to the game of baseball comes from within and is merely exemplified thru the personal experiences our family has been blessed with. Today our family will get the opportunity to assume the position since it is time to start the 2011 season for John Lamb and his fellow teammates on the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

Opening Night for the Naturals ended with the defending Texas League Champions taking their first lost of the season. The game had ceremonies to celebrate the 2010 Championship for the returning players and fans of the Springdale, AR affiliate of the Royals. The game ended as a pitching duel between the Naturals and visiting San Antonio Missions, Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Naturals fell short by a final of 3-2 with Christopher Dwyer talking his first loss as the opening day starter.

Following the Naturals Opening Day game we received a rather unusual call from John Lamb about baseball, cars, apartment and general stuff. Not uncommon in content but duration only. It’s not every time we get more than just a few minutes based on time zones and work schedules. Professional baseball has some strange work hours, both on and off the field, for all involved in the game. Late night calls during the season are common place within the Lamb household with my continued scouting position with the Florida Marlins and coaching with the Orange County Giants. Last night’s call was satisfying while discussing baseball with my son and I’m happy to hear that he feels good and he’s ready for his first start of another season in professional baseball. He has a tremendous awareness about his abilities and typically stays within his strengths to get outs for his team.



Last night was what has been a normal occurrence for many years the night before my son’s games as a pitcher. Not the case during his amateur days of playing baseball as a position player also. Surely due in part by the frequency of games John Lamb played during his youth because he really does love the game. I firmly hold on to the hope that I’m no different than any other dad that suffers from a little anxiety when their kids play. The fact I continue to experience some additional insomnia the night before his professional baseball starts simply confirms my personal passion for the game.



My anxiety over my son’s career will continue until the day he stops playing or I stop breathing. Playing in Major League Baseball is not an easy task and staying in the big leagues is even tougher. Every game has an important role in the development of a professional baseball pitcher or position player based on the player’s preparation, work and ability to execute. Careers can end in an instant as history has shown, so there lies the basis for the added stress by this professional baseball prospect dad.



Today marks another special day for the Lamb family out on the West coast as my son takes the ball to start game 2 of the season’s first series against the San Antonio Missions in a Texas League game. The Naturals schedule indicates a 8:00PM E.T. first pitch from the beautiful Arvest Ballpark. Game can be heard on the web at ESPN 92.1 The Ticket for anyone unable to pass thru the ballpark gate. My wife Colleen, my mother Judith and a couple of Yorkshire Terriers will be listening with heartfelt attention. In reality I’m sure the dogs have no clue about the radio stuff or John playing baseball. That wasn’t the case when he was young and dressing up in his various baseball uniforms before leaving the house to play. The computer will be connected to external speakers to officially anoint the 2011 professional baseball season for John Lamb and his fellow farm-hands with the Royals organization. The Lamb’s are very close to notching up another professional baseball start by our dearest John Lamb living out his dream.

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.

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.

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.

Lamb and Blue Rocks solid to start second half of season!

A solid start to the second half of the Advanced Class A level season for the Wilmington Blue Rocks, Kansas City Royals affiliation, came off the arm of John Lamb. You can’t do much better than the 2-0 win over the Salem Red Sox in front of the home crowd on Zack Greinke bobble-head night.

John Lamb pitched his longest outing of the season by going six and two-thirds and starting the combined shut-out effort with the Blue Rocks bull-pen. Lamb matched a season high mark of 9 strike-outs during tonight‘s contest, with 2 walks and 4 hits. He did receive some solid help with a defensive effort on an 8-4-2 play at the plate which saw Salvador Perez hold onto the ball following a collision at the plate early in the game. Just enough hitting during this Carolina League pitching duel gave the Blue Rocks the win, which included a big-fly from Eric Hosmer.



Got some encouraging news from the stands, via text messages, that Lamb was 90-94 on the radar guns and commanding all 3 pitches in his pocket during his 15th start of his first full season assignment in professional baseball. The news came from one of the Royals best retired pitchers, Bret Saberhagen, so I am comfortable sharing the back-stop updates on the velocity of my son’s pitches.



The household took a big sigh of relief as Lamb begins the uncharted territory of his minor league career. This is his first full-season since signing with the Kansas City Royals following the 2008 draft selection and we couldn’t be more proud of his 19 year-old efforts.



So now we get to sit back and relax for the next four days until his next start on the hill.



GO BLUE ROCKS!


- - - James Lamb


Baseball Prospect Guide

A little Father's Day reflection...

As a professional baseball fan, scout and father of a prospect, yesterday was more than just a Father’s Day celebration to me. My son, John, started my day off with a phone call from Wilmington, DE. It is always great to hear his voice as he continues his journey in professional baseball. He sounded a little eager to relax following Sunday’s afternoon game with a 3 day mid-season break from the first full-season of his career. Sure, I wish he had received some love from the Carolina League coaches that determined the All-Star roster, but he has plenty more years for that type of acknowledgement for his performance on the field.

Recently, I have returned to the dugout in the Southern California area with a local Connie Mack team. Our game yesterday, brought some emotions while watching some of the Dads get hugs from their boys following the order by the head coach. Bobby Gould, a long time friend, through professional baseball, has always been a true pleasure to share a dugout with through some of his special antics he is known for.



Reflecting on the drive home, I remembered that I have not had my son, or daughter for that matter, around me on Father’s Day for the last five years. John was busy playing baseball in Ohio with the Midland Redskins organization, on their Mickey Mantle team the Braves, for two years, starting in 2006 and obviously on the road in pro ball the last three years. My daughter, Cayla, is another long story, but not for this site. I am very proud of both of my kids for their accomplishments.



Not sure when John Lamb will be on the bump again, but you can be rest assured we will be listening on the radio with tremendous pride and excitement as he starts the second half of the 2010 season. Our left coast side of the family wishes the Blue Rocks well during the break and a successful second half of the season in the Carolina League.



GO ROCKS!
 
 

- - - James Lamb
Baseball Prospect Guide, Inc.
Founder and CEO  
Baseball Prospect Guide