Palmetto Proving Grounds

Most of the time these kids forego college the pro teams agree to pay for their education later on.

It's not hard to tell who grew up wearing new clothes all the time, went out to eat dinner a couple of times a week with the parents, took vacations every year etc.... It's the person that doesn't think $700,000 is Life Changing money. Things that you take for granted because you have money to buy them are luxury items to a lot of people, both kids and adults. Going to football games, eating in a restaurant, cell phone service, cable tv, air conditioning, a computer. curtains over the windows. Yea, you're realizing that not everybody had luxury items like heat in the winter time.
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I said earlier that if you don't think a quarter of a million dollars is a lot of money, then you've done well, and I still mean it, but if you haven't had to lay in the bed wondering how you were gonna keep the lights on this month, then you can't understand why a kid signs a deal that allows him the privilege of paying for his dad to get his teeth fixed, or mom to get central heat installed in the house.
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Congratulations to the two young men who have the privilege of following their dreams. May you be successful beyond your wildest imagined dreams.

With $700,000 dollars you could pay for more 50% of the current teams education. Including your own. Take the money if it doesn't work Attend an Ivy league school if it's about the education.

Not like it's the first time we've seen this ridiculous reaction, but, man, some of the posts in this thread are beyond idiotic. I mean, really? First of all, damn near every single one of you would've taken this kind of money when you were 18 if it meant accepting a job offer for your DREAM job. Do you know what most kids fresh out of school are going through?! You can't possibly be this insulated to the current state of affairs in this country. A ton of kids are putting in the work to earn a college degree and still doing crap work, much less walking right into the ultra competitive priority entry level position to their dream career, but you're whining about them missing out on some college classes in the immediate future?! Holy sh*t!

More than anything, for these tremendous baseball players, what's the downside? It's not like you can only be admitted to a college when you're 18. If it doesn't work out, you come back in five years and go to college. These guys can either pay a significant chunk of their cost of attendance out of their own pocket to go to USC and have to balance the academics with baseball, or they can head to the pros now and work on the education piece later if that's their desire. The ivory towers you guys live in sure must be incredible! Just a dumbfounding chain of responses in here.

I dont fault these kids for making that decision that is alot of money to an 18 year old. I would love to see them in garnet and black next year but if i was in the same situation and got drafted in the second round i would go also.

This is the most atrocious thread I've seen in a while. Not life changing money? Really? Give me a break. It's easy to sit in ivory towers and say what you would do as a 25-50 year old man who's best days are behind them. Not everyone has a home and car and 2.5 kids and a happy home. These kids are given the opportunity of a lifetime. Paid to play!!! College is there and may be the proper decision for some, but not all. It has to be taken as a case by case basis.

It should not be, 'stupid kid, 600k to pass up THE USC, THE natl champs.' Ask Jordan Lyles if it was a good decision. Lyles would've been a junior last year and a senior this year. He was in the big leagues last year and is pitching for the Astros now. Case by case.

Did you know that in almost everyone of these contracts these kids sign, that the teams will pay for four years of school, post playing days?

It's a good thing John mentioned those JC players Tanner had lined up :)

Gulp. Must have had head in sand.

Davy

This is going to sound mean and negative (not meant to be), but this thread is exactly why it blows my mind that we don't teach some sort of personal finance or finance to kids before they graduate high school. I was lucky enough to have it offered to me as an elective my senior year and it was the most relevant and beneficial class I took in high school.

This has zero to do with life-changing money, going to college, etc, etc. It as everything to do with personal risk tolerance, time value of money, and choices. The 'correct' answer is not the same for every kid.

If it's me I take it in a heartbeat, along with the contract money i'll get for at least a few years. If I don't make it then I go back to college, and if i'm smart as many have said, then the team that drafted me is going to pay for my college.

Meanwhile - by taking the money out of high school, I essentially entered the work force 4 years earlier, and did it taking a job earning only what the highest level MBAs might get after 4 years of college, several years working, and 2 years getting the MBA. I also have a chance to make a career out of that choice if I make the majors, or just do very well in the minors for a little while.

Best of all - I just got a big wad of money at age 18 that starts working for me immediately. When I retire those savings will be worth a good bit more than even if had gone to college and still been drafted later. And of course then there is the huge risk that i'd still be drafted as high or higher after college. My guess is that percentage for the kids going in the first few rounds is pretty low (that they get drafted same or higher later). There's that risk piece again coupled with time value of money. And finally - i've got to think about where my game is going to develop the most - would that be in college or in the pros - as ultimately my goal is a pro career, and if that doesn't work then I fall back on my education. I would assume that development is equal if not weighted more to the pro side (wooden bats, better pitching, coaching, etc).

To be honest - almost any kid unless they are filthy rich would be dumb not to take the money and give it a shot. JMHO though. They get money now, which works longer for them and is worth far more in the long run (assuming they are smart with it), and they can go back to college later if they don't develop. They still get their degree and enter the real world later, but do it with a heckuva lot more money in their account than if had they not gone early.

Now if the kid is going to take the money and just go buy a big house and cars and crap for him and his posse - then there's nothing you can do about that. That would be unfortunate. As many have said this kind of money (less than $1M) is life-changing money, but it's absolutely nowhere near enough to just coast for the rest of the lives - especially if they don't manage it properly.

I have 2 sons playing ball now if they were old enough to be drafted and they got drafted in the first 3 rounds and they asked my opinion i would tell them to follow their heart if that led them to signing then so be it that would be their decision it would not be forced by anyone. I have never forced my sons to play now and one is 4 and one is 2 yes the 2 year old is over 3' tall and can hit when its tossed to him. If these 3 guys had enrolled at SC and then left after one year people would still be mad after all it is their decision what they do with their lives and everyone always told me you have to make decisions for yourself and not be influenced by everyone on the outside looking in

The team that drafts him will pay for his college, also most of these kids don't come from money like you apparently do. I know it was my dream to play professional baseball. Key word dream! I would have loved to play at USC but if someone dropped 500k in my face and said we will pay you to play and you will have some of the best coaching money can buy. Well I will see ya later and come to the games or watch them on tv. I don't understand how some one can judge some without knowing who or where they came from.

JW didn't meanto quote you sorry - appreciate everything you do for the site