Baseball, at its core, has always been about passion, hard work, and love for the game. However, my personal experience with my son’s journey through travel baseball highlights how the sport is slowly losing its essence, becoming more about business, favoritism, and less about rewarding dedication.
A Passion for the Game
My son was one of the top 10 players in his league at the end of a season. He wasn’t just content with that; he worked relentlessly during the off-season. He spent countless hours perfecting his batting, fielding, and conditioning, all because he genuinely loved the game and wanted to improve. His drive wasn’t motivated by outside pressures—it was pure passion, the kind of love for baseball that every parent dreams of seeing in their child.
When Hard Work Isn’t Enough
But as the new season approached, my son, despite his commitment and improvement, was passed over when it came time to select players to represent the top in his league. The reason? “They ran out of room.” Hearing this was both disheartening and frustrating. How could someone who worked so hard, putting in more effort than most, simply be left behind? It was a bitter reminder that, in the world of travel baseball, merit isn’t always the driving factor. Politics, favoritism, and connections often outweigh performance.
Proving Himself
That season, my son went on to rank in the top 4 in the league with one of the highest OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) at an impressive 1.890. He made the All-Star team and was one of the top 3 performing players during the All-Star travel results. His performance proved that he belonged among the best, but the favoritism he experienced earlier in the season took away from what should have been a rewarding journey.
A Systemic Problem
This kind of situation isn’t unique to my son—it’s becoming a pattern in travel baseball. When favoritism comes into play, it undermines the hard work and passion that kids put into the game. Travel baseball, which was once a place for kids to develop their skills and showcase their love for the sport, is now more about appeasing business interests and personal relationships. Talented kids, like my son, who are dedicated and truly love the game, often find themselves overlooked because they don’t have the right connections or because the business side of the sport gets in the way.
Eroding the Spirit of the Game
This shift toward favoritism and financial gain is stripping away the very soul of baseball. It’s discouraging to see players who put in the time and effort being overshadowed by those whose families can pay their way or have the right relationships with coaches or league organizers. And in doing so, the love of the game—the very reason kids start playing—is at risk of being lost. When kids like my son, who work so hard and achieve great success, aren’t recognized early on because of arbitrary reasons, it sends the message that hard work and passion are not enough. That is a dangerous message for any young athlete to internalize.
A Call for Fairness
In the end, travel baseball should be about developing a love for the game, encouraging hard work, and giving every child a fair chance to succeed. My son’s experience, while ultimately successful, is a reminder that the current system is flawed. Favoritism and the commercialization of the sport are pushing us away from the joy and purity that baseball once represented. We need to return to a place where merit is valued over money, where passion is celebrated, and where every child has an equal opportunity to shine.
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