Ask Doug: School or Pros?
Baseball Factory
Febuary 25, 2009
By Doug Glanville
Doug Glanville is working with the Baseball Factory and Team One Baseball as a Special Consultant. He will be writing articles and looking for your questions and feedback. If you have a question for Doug, please email him at askdoug@baseballfactory.com
Q: Doug, my son has been getting a lot of interest from pro scouts since last summer. We’ve heard that he may be drafted as high as the first few rounds. I never know what or who to believe, but the interest definitely seems to be there. He’s committed to an ACC school and has a full ride for baseball. If he does end up getting drafted, what would you suggest we consider in determining which is the best option? School or the pros? Will the teams pay for him to go back to school, if baseball doesn’t work out? Also, at what point should we look into an agent or advisor? I don’t want to jeopardize any ncaa eligibility for my son, but I also want to make sure we have as much support as possible, if he really is going to get drafted pretty high.
A: Congratulations, you have a good problem. School or the pros is a difficult choice. One that varies from student-athlete to student-athlete. It is good you are looking into this process early enough before the draft to get some good information.
Recently, I answered a question for a parent who also had good choices. One choice involved his son attending West Point, the other was a top college program.
It comes down to your son and the family. Do you think he knows enough about life and the next step to be clear on his decision and understand the benefits and disadvantage of each choice? I would have him sit down and make a list or at least talk through what he likes about each case. Get the brain going!
I was an academic and I loved school so I knew I wanted to go to college no matter what the scouts told me. I believe the experience made me a better baseball player by knowing how to study the game, but more importantly, it helped me know how to handle the life around the pro game. Life on the road in the minor leagues was a little easier because I had already been on my own, I had socialized and networked in college which helped deal with the off the field life and I was better set up for life after baseball. But this was what was important to me, I can’t speak for your son.
Odds are, if you son is a top pick, he is probably going to be a top pick in three years. I understand that there is fear of getting hurt or something changing and that is legitimate, but you could still get hurt in the minors like a Brien Taylor or other high school phenoms…then he probably will go back to school anyway. I signed after my junior year and then went back in the fall to finish. I graduated a semester later than my original class. It can be done.
As for the agent, yes, you have to be careful because they will come out of the woodworks. Take your time in choosing. Make sure you are comfortable. I interviewed them like I was hiring at IBM. In general, you are allowed an advisor to help understand the rules and the system, but you are not supposed to take on full representation (contract, endorsements etc.) especially not under a binding agreement. If you want to know more, it is good to call the Major League Baseball Players Association in New York or call an agent who is respectable to find out the rules. If they are decent enough to take the time to talk to you about the rules, you may want to put them on the short list!
Doug Republished from The Baseball Factory
