pokinmik wrote:I don't remember when the fuck I grew and I'm only 32. You guys have some good pubescent height memories.
I wanted to be really good at basketball. When I was shooting up to 6'3 at 13, I thought I could wind up being 6'7 or so. It's memorable due to the crushing disappointment of maxing out so young.
That's got to be rough. A kid neighbor of my dad's friend in southern CA was probably 6'4" at age 12, built like a young Shaq and extremely athletic for his size. He came over when we visited and played 1 on 2 against me and my dad's friend's son who ended up being a decent HS player himself, and he beat us (we didn't have the best strategy in hindsight). My dad's friend was telling us that doctors were guessing he was going to be close to 7 feet, and he already had the attention of a lot of people in the region. The kid ended up growing only 1 more inch and turned out to be nothing more than an above average high school player.
I was disappointed at the time because I had dreams of getting a scholarship to play at a major D1 program. When I stayed 6'3, it became clearer I need to focus on school.
I wound up walkon D1, offered on the D2 level, and still sort of wonder if I could have made an impact if I had 3 or 4 more inches. As is, I'm still big enough to effectively post in pickup games, which is really all that might be relevant nowadays.
I've talked before about the book Play Their Hearts Out, but that's pretty much the situation (on a much higher level) there. Demetrius is the #1 ranked guy as an 8th grader, but maxed in terms of physical development. So he gradually falls back to the pack and goes from #1 to a lower level guy in ASU's recruiting class.
That early teen age, well, I'm glad I don't recruit. Guys like the kid you knew, I can imagine a college coach investing time in, only to realize he's done growing, and he's not a major prospect.
The head basketball coach at the JUCO I played baseball at was the brother of one of my HS basketball coaches. I had him as a teacher for a PE type class and always used to pick his brain about basketball. In one conversation, I asked him why this one particular player was playing at the JUCO level when in my opinion, he was easily a D1 talent and could have helped an Oregon State-, WSU-type of team off the bench. He told me something along the lines of, "For many guys, the difference between JUCO and D1 is two or three inches."
Can't teach height.
I had a similar experience. I played HS ball in Las Vegas. I won't name the guy, but there was a 6'10 guy on one of our main rivals. Big guy, looked like a player. Could not play basketball to save his life. To this day, the second least coordinated basketball player I've ever seen. I could have torched him at 6'3, and he got a D1 scholarship.
Least coordinated basketball player I've ever seen was a guy I played with in college. He had a midmajor D1 scholarship and was the slowest, least coordinated guy I've ever met. Nice guy, but he ran like both of his ankles were immobilized in walking boots. Absolutely nothing going for him...except that he was 7'1. If you'd put his athleticism and skill in a 6 foot body, he wouldn't have made a HS JV team.
prh wrote:I love hearing all these stories of huge growth spurts. I stopped growing at 5'9 as a HS freshman. I was bummed because I always thought I could have played college baseball if I'd kept growing (albeit somewhere small, not at Arizona). But nobody is big on 5'9 3rd basemen who are great leadoff hitters.
EVCat wrote:
prh wrote:I love hearing all these stories of huge growth spurts. I stopped growing at 5'9 as a HS freshman. I was bummed because I always thought I could have played college baseball if I'd kept growing (albeit somewhere small, not at Arizona). But nobody is big on 5'9 3rd basemen who are great leadoff hitters.
There was also no market for 5'8" 2B lead off hitters who hit for high average but zero power with a strong arm but just decent range.
I flirted with playing JUCO ball and delaying UA. Flirted is a nice way of saying I went to check out a girl, saw she was way too hot for me, and disappeared before we made eye contact. I had a friend on the team. I didn't totally understand how JUCO ball worked, how some of those Arizona JUCO kids were draft picks getting a little more seasoning without having to commit to 3 years at D1. Yeah...maybe I could have manned some 2B at a Vermont JUCO. Not Arizona.
Arizona has a 2nd baseman named Moises Duran (via Sunnyside HS) back in the early 2000s. When I was 11, in the city championship in Little League All Stars, I was warming up in the bullpen when he hit a walk-off grand slam to send my team home. Every year thereafter, that guy was at or near the top of leaders in HRs at Pony and then high school. He hit 15 bombs his junior season at Arizona, hit for decent average, could steal you a base, and was more than adequate in the field. Massive power. He hit a ball off one of my old teammates at New Mexico that was probably 480-500, impressive regardless of it coming off an aluminum bat. Nobody drafted him. He was at best 5'8" in spikes... Our JUCO 2nd baseman was probably the best pure hitter I ever played with at the college level. Derek Jeter Jr. Baylor was the only major D1 who offered anything to him, but he opted to play at a smaller D1 because they offered the larger scholarship. He was 5'9". If you are under 5'11, you better be FAST as hell and/or have the most unbelievable glove or be Jeff Kent.
I played Arizona JUCO ball. Some of the guys I played against at other Arizona schools: Ian Kinsler, Andre Ethier, Rich Harden (would have won a Cy Young had he not blown out his arm), Sergio Romo (SF closer), Scott Hairston (long MLB career), drawing a blank on 1 or 2 other bigger names. There are at least 10 other lesser known guys who at least had a few games MLB service time. Quite a few of us would beat the pants off some D1 schools and could beat hang with Pac 12, SEC, ACC schools most games, and beat them w the right guy on the mound. Arizona JUCO ball has been renowned for decades.
Haha I was not very fast either. I just got on base a ton and was good at taking extra bases/creating them sometimes. But I was great at taking every hot shot that came at 3rd.
prh wrote:I love hearing all these stories of huge growth spurts. I stopped growing at 5'9 as a HS freshman. I was bummed because I always thought I could have played college baseball if I'd kept growing (albeit somewhere small, not at Arizona). But nobody is big on 5'9 3rd basemen who are great leadoff hitters.
There was also no market for 5'8" 2B lead off hitters who hit for high average but zero power with a strong arm but just decent range.
I flirted with playing JUCO ball and delaying UA. Flirted is a nice way of saying I went to check out a girl, saw she was way too hot for me, and disappeared before we made eye contact. I had a friend on the team. I didn't totally understand how JUCO ball worked, how some of those Arizona JUCO kids were draft picks getting a little more seasoning without having to commit to 3 years at D1. Yeah...maybe I could have manned some 2B at a Vermont JUCO. Not Arizona.
Not much market for a 5'4" right handed first baseman either
- even if I could back up at 2nd and shortstop. I think I could been a pretty decent high school shortstop if I had a few more inches. I was golden glove in little league and led the league in batting average; tied with my best friend for home runs, didn't play in junior high and first couple of years in high school 'cause I was out on the road with the Tucson Boys Chorus and so too far behind in High School. Plus you just can't teach height. Plus I developed a lazy eye in 9th grade or so and often had trouble figuring out which of the two balls I should catch. I could hit OK, not a lot of power necessarily, but uncanny placement.
Switched sports to Volleyball and did OK there. Not a spiker, but a decent setter and digger and a damn fine server.
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Waiting at the Rose Bowl patiently for the cats to arrive
"I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more wildcat sports"
2019 BDW Survivor Pool Champion
Personally, I think Chance is a much cooler name.....also dig his last name too. Wasn't that high on him last year but am a huge fan now....love his passion and development so far.
I can't wait to see how he further develops as a Junior and Senior.
Chief is one of the more awesome nicknames I have heard someone give an player lately. Coming from Walton, it is the ultimate compliment given the fact that he played with the real Chief, Robert Parrish. When he is called that during a game, that alone makes him seem like that much more of a great player.
