I gave up the major leagues for weed

[Infinitesimal]

yeah, like i said pitching is what impresses me so being able to hit a high 90's fastball is likewise pretty impressive... and the batter play a part in the chess match as well... depending on the count the pitcher must guess the odds of the batter swinging.

but i also think its a little bit of adaptation mixed with luck, i mean if you are training to look at those fastballs day in and day out a bit of relativity sets in and that 90 mile an hour heater begins to look pretty slow after a while especially when you see some high 90's... plus i think that hitting 95 plus boils down to some lucky timing and guessing to where the pitch will be located...

and still a 1/3 hitting percentage is considered good, i don't know of any other thing in life where 33% isn't failure

I understand it takes some talent... Ive participated in and excelled at sports my whole life and I believe it mostly takes effort and training and a lot of extenuating circumstances to even have the possibility to have a chance at that kind of level.

 

[huligun]

Hitting a major league pitch is nearly impossible. The very best in the business only get a hit about about 1 our of 4 times. You have to have incredible reflexes coupled with power and luck.

I do have regrets about how I lived, but there is no telling how far I would have gone. Many many men fail in the major leagues. I will never know because I never gave it a proper chance. They wanted me to attend counseling and submit to regular testing. It seemed like being in jail to me and I was just too proud to go along with the program. I can't even really watch the sport any more. I have no idea what is going on with football.

 

[Infinitesimal]

mechanics, mechanics , mechanics, effort, training, mechanics, and natural talent

 

[Skinny Leaf]

I had a friend that was drafted by the Cleveland Indians as a pitcher in the early '80s. Made it to AAA, but couldn't stay away from the drugs and booze. Led to him getting booted from the league. Never could get back in. I saw him about 3 years ago and he looked like he just crawled out from under a bridge.

My brother was a starting shortstop for a college team. He pissed it away by not going to class and partying the night away. He chased that dream for decades. Finally got his chance by getting his pro card to play golf. By the time he did that life had already surrounded him. He gave it up because he couldn't devote the time it took to play at the pro level.

And I have my own story that is similar also.

It already sounds like you regret your decision. If you truly loved playing ball this will eat at you for the rest of your life. You are still young. You could try and go back and get a walk on with a minor league team. You should really rethink this decision.

 

[Applesauce]

Full of shit and he knows it. For plenty of reasons, I know.

 

[guest 77721]

Now you could have traded weed for the juice.

Look at the chin on this guy... Can you say Ahnold!!!

 

[RudeDog]

You made the right choice. Can't see the point in these 'athletes' fucking up their bodies for the entertainment of billionaire sporting team owners. For what? A pile of wood and ink?

This applies to football in the UK as well and I love my football.

 

[Sour Deez]

you have 0.380 sec to hit a 96mph fastball.

In that time you have to..
determine the type of pitch
determine if it's a strike or a ball
determine the speed of the pitched ball
finish the stride and get their foot down
get the bat to the ball

Then the very next pitch may be a 70mph curve ball, fucking all your timing up.

And on top of that, have you guys ever caught a 90mph fastball, the movement is insane, those things dont go straight.

I would quit smoking in a heartbeat if i had that chance to go pro, fuck yea i would.

 

[Babbabud]

"always wonder if I would be better then Bonds "..... funniest quote ive seen in a long time .... I think you would be lucky to be a Bonds supporter ... or to be able to carry it for that matter.

 

[dagnabit]

LMAO
"i traded millions for weed"

Extremely short sighted at best.

 

[huligun]

In regard to Bonds, I would have never taken steroids, at least I don't think I would. I cannot imagine injecting drugs.

And it is not like I traded weed for millions. I traded my integrity for the chance to try out for a job where some people make millions.

There are lots of people like me that made these kinds of choices. I am still me and I am happy.

 

[TLoft13]

Someone asked me about my past ball career today and it got me thinking. I wonder today if I would give up being me for a chance for fortune and fame being acting like someone else, It is kind of like selling your ass.

[YOUTUBEIF]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E2hYDIFDIU[/YOUTUBEIF]

 

[Iraganji]

I don't feel you gave up the major leagues for weed. I believe it was because your heart wasn't in it 100%.
Being good enough to succeed professionally at something isn't good enough reason alone to do so.
I think it takes a wise and strong person to follow their heart.

Peace

 

[Babbabud]

Wondering if you would have been better then Bonds, even without steroids, is delusional dude. Sorry ....

 

[Snoopster]

Well, if coach woulda put me in fourth quarter, we’d have been state champions. No doubt. No doubt in my mind. You better believe things had been different. I’d have gone pro in a heartbeat. I’d be making millions of dollars and living in a big ol’ mansion somewhere, soaking it up in a hot tub with my soul mate.

 

[huligun]

I guess you have to be really careful when you talk about some sports figures... It is like attacking someone's religion.

I hope nobody takes it personal when I say at the time I was trying out Darryl Strawberry wrecked it for a lot of us.

 

[Snoopster]

You wrecked it for you, Uncle Rico.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

And it is not like I traded weed for millions. I traded my integrity for the chance to try out for a job where some people make millions.
.

you could say that about most jobs (making millions)

car sales/computing/teaching etc etc etc. in most professions the best of the best earn big bucks, it doesnt mean your one of them

when i was 18 i didnt get a job as a car salesman for bmw

do i sit around telling people i may have missed out on being a millionairre...... no

 

[huligun]

I am doing okay now, and I am happy. I do what I like and there is no drug testing. I get paid a percentage of what I broker and it could be substantial if I make the right deal. Who knows woulda coulda shoulda. You take the path you are on and there is no changing history. I will say this, I have pretty much always done things my own way. That is the difference between a winner and a loser in my book.

 

[Cappy]

Ricky Williams, 'nuff said.

from wiki

It was announced on May 14, 2004 that he tested positive for marijuana in December 2003 and faced a $650,000 fine and a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. He previously tested positive for marijuana shortly after he joined the Dolphins, along with former punter Andrew Tomasjewski. Shortly before training camp was to begin in July 2004, Williams publicly disclosed his intent to retire from professional football.

Rumored to have failed a third drug test before announcing his retirement, Williams made his retirement official on August 2, 2004. Williams was ineligible to play for the 2004 season, and studied Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of holistic medicine, at the California College of Ayurveda that autumn in Grass Valley, California. The Dolphins finished the year with a 4-12 record.

Williams maintains that he does not regret the retirement decision. He thinks that it was the "most positive thing" he has ever done in his life, allowing him time to find himself