Sorry if the post is a little long. One of the kids I've been sponsoring for years (paying for school, buying clothes, cellphones, giving money to the mother for food...) is 16 now and supposedly a very talented baseball player, he throws the ball at just over 80 miles an hour (I don't know nothing about baseball). Recently there's been these "managers" coming around and offering to buy him whatever he needs but they want the mother to sign some sort of a contract with them and give them the kid's birth certificate. The mother has refused she told them the kid doesn't need anything there is already somebody who's helping him out. I also told her not to sign anything, but they are very poor and the mother is practically illiterate and could easily be tricked into signing something. My question is, what would be the validity of the contract if she signed something (I suppose the kid can't sign anything since he's still a minor) and what would be the best way to protect the kid from these sharks? Someone told me I should make a contract with them as the kid's manager so all the other contacts after that would be void, but I don't really wanna do that, I hope he gets signed to a professional team but as I said I don't know a first thing about baseball. Thanks.
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Manager contracts (baseball players)
From your description they sound more like agents than managers. If so, that means they will be expecting a payday. Lots of questions to be asked. Will the cost of his training be deducted from any future earnings? Who covers living expenses while he's playing? Who pays for his medical care when he gets injured? Can he continue his education while playing? If they're willing to buy him anything, how about a tutor so he doesn't end up like his semi-literate mother if he doesn't make it? It might be worth a few dollars to speak with a reputable contract attorney if you think they're legit. If this kid really has the goods, he will be brought along slowly and carefully. You don't want him getting locked down by some unscrupulous bloodsuckers.
An 80 mph fastball from a 16 year old is pretty good, but it's more about average speed than a one off pitch. Don't be overly impressed by speed. Plenty of guys no one will ever hear of can throw 90+, so it's control and endurance that matter. Aside from that, a good coach doesn't want a 16 year old burning out his developing arm. Is there such a thing as an athletic scholarship in D.R.?
No matter what happens, I wish you and him the best possible result in sports and in life.
An 80 mph fastball from a 16 year old is pretty good, but it's more about average speed than a one off pitch. Don't be overly impressed by speed. Plenty of guys no one will ever hear of can throw 90+, so it's control and endurance that matter. Aside from that, a good coach doesn't want a 16 year old burning out his developing arm. Is there such a thing as an athletic scholarship in D.R.?
No matter what happens, I wish you and him the best possible result in sports and in life.
He says he throws 80+ mph and he's a lefty, and that kids his age who throw 85+ get signed to some sort of a development deal if I understood correctly. I'd rather he put his education first but as pretty much every boy from a barrio he dreams of playing in MLB. He does have a trainer and also goes to gym. He told me all his teammates are taking some "vitamins" (needle in the buttocks) but I told him not to do that. He said if he doesn't he's gonna fall behind everyone else. Sounds like steroids to me, but he says it's not steroids. From what I understand these "managers" buy poor kids baseball equipment (shoes, gloves, bats, pants...) and in return they want some sort of a contract if the kid gets signed they get a % of the contract. That's my understanding. I told him if he gets a serious offer from a team we gotta go talk to a lawyer who specializes in these types of contracts. I'm just afraid his mom will fall for some sweet talk and sign something and I'm wondering would that contract actually mean anything and hold any legal weight?
I beg to differ: They are neither managers nor agents; they're simply buscones (talent finders, searchers) -- men who roam the land in search of talented kids, while dangling offers of a few thousand dollars if they sing on the dotted lines.
Some of these buscones actually work for other scouts who, in turn, work or report to agencies. And the agencies will work with official scouts, while advancing cash to the kid and his family, in exchange for a percentage of future earnings in MLB.
The kid and his immediate family usually think "BIG SUV"... NOW: un yipetón... pa' fronteá. Tú supi'te.
Some of these buscones actually work for other scouts who, in turn, work or report to agencies. And the agencies will work with official scouts, while advancing cash to the kid and his family, in exchange for a percentage of future earnings in MLB.
The kid and his immediate family usually think "BIG SUV"... NOW: un yipetón... pa' fronteá. Tú supi'te.
I knew one of these type guys a couple of years back as he was my caddy. His "dream" was as big as what the dream of the kids is.He was as illiterate as the mother OP mentions in his post. He was manager of one of the many little league teams in nd around Juan Dolio. He was basically "honest", bible carrying guy, all that, but in the end never paid for a loan I gave him and we split. Shame on me but an easy lesson that cost me $500.There are tons of these guys...Sign nothing! is all I can say. ALL fathers, coaches, etc. ,THINK their guy is the next big star. BTW, very similar to "real estate agents "that are promoting a house that they know NOTHING about. Have no license. No experience. NOTHING. Only a dream based on... this is how it's done in the DR. Put scotch tape on the leaking pipe. Improvise. No thought process. Dream. Worry about details mañana.
My friend's twelve year old son is apparently pretty good for his age and his coach told his mother that he wanted them to sign a contract and also have "vitamin" injections. I asked my baseball coach friend in the US about this and he said "No way. Just let him enjoy playing for now".
Vitamin injections is steroids and the reason they give the kids these shots is because they dont test for steroids at a young age .with these injections the kids will have superman strength its very sick they have no concern for the kids health all they are thinking about is signing the kids to his first contract and making money on him the trainers get 30 percent of his first signing .no testing until the kids is about to signs his first contract.... savages its big business here . and so sad
keep in mind these kids are 10 to 15 yrs old
Think there was a bill introduced in the Dominican Congress last year to protect young ballplayers at the MLB training camps. Don't know if it written to include protection against abuse by agents or anybody else.
Regards,
PJT
Regards,
PJT
The MLB has cleaned up these types of issues with contract signing. Do not sign anything. Best to go to a reputable baseball academy in the DR. There are a few run by former MLB players that are sincere in helping these kids. The MLB does have scouts in the DR that assist with signing kids. If he is good/has the talent, they will place him in one of their academies in DR. Been there done that with our son.
The kid told me someone wanted to take him to an academy in SD but the guy who's his "trainer" (this guy trains all the kids there and charges 500 pesos a month each kid) told him the kids at the academy estan pasando hambre and as soon as you enter the academy you gotta sign a contract with the academy if you get signed to an MLB team the academy gets 10% of that contract. ???
The MLB runs their own Academies. They house, feed and provide schooling (mostly English classes). There is no payment at all. If he is good enough the team will sign him and place him in their academy. There are other baseball academies where yes you would pay for training but the ones, I am familiar with do not have you sign a contract giving the academy 10% if you sign. What I would do is find some MLB scouts in DR and have someone come look at him pitch. It is not hard to find a scout.
A big no on the injections. When they start telling you this then you know you are in the wrong place.
Great advice by KeepComing. Don't sign shit and don't inject shit. That's no shit squared.
Seriously, every MLB team has legit academies here. I'm sure if he wanted to he could get a tryout by being persistent. If he's that good, bring him down to Boca Chica and I'll take him to the Cardinals' camp. But no signies and no injecties.
Seriously, every MLB team has legit academies here. I'm sure if he wanted to he could get a tryout by being persistent. If he's that good, bring him down to Boca Chica and I'll take him to the Cardinals' camp. But no signies and no injecties.
I told him not to inject anything but he's saying if he doesn't he'll fall behind all the other players and he'll never get signed, he'll go from being one of the best to one of the worst. I mean I see the play here, this "trainer" gets the "vitamins" and they go for almost 10.000 for the whole treatment (few shots), so the trainer is marketing it to the kids and obviously making money off of it.
I would love to see that trainer with a broken leg or 2.
If he won't listen to reason, he'll surely listen to these facts. Steroid use leads to shrunken testes and poor erections. Tell that to the budding Romeos and they'll want nothing to do with it. You have to know your audience!
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/09/heal...s-testicular-damage-study-wellness/index.html
In the real MLB academies, the boys are taken care of. The ones I have worked in, no one was hungry
The "trainer" is badmouthing every other baseball place in the country so the kids stay with him and keep paying him, and in case an offer to sign one of the kids comes in he can try and demand a piece.