You never know who may park next to you at WalMart

He is also far from homeless. He is living in his camper, not sleeping on the sidewalk. His camper might not be as flashy as some RV's but it is his choice. He could obviously afford a Prevost but he chose a VW camper as his HOME.

rgatijnet1 wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
This kind of proves a point a lot of us have tried to make and that is many homeless people are homeless by choice. Whether like this guy they just want to live in a van, or whether it's a pattern of bad choices in their life, they are homeless by choice.

He is far from someone making bad choices in his life. He knows exactly what works for him and his statistics speak for themselves. If he continues to pitch like he has and signs a mulit-million dollar contract, perhaps some other young pitchers may consider these methods.

I read the article. You did not read what I wrote. Try it again. No where did I say he made bad choices. I said he's homeless by choice. But nice try.

Wisdom, a rare commodity these days!

msmith1199 wrote:
This kind of proves a point a lot of us have tried to make and that is many homeless people are homeless by choice. Whether like this guy they just want to live in a van, or whether it's a pattern of bad choices in their life, they are homeless by choice.

To paraphrase something else that I read on one of these forums ...

He's not homeless, he is houseless.

(His home is not a house, it's his van)

MrWizard wrote:

Two Jayhawks wrote:
Good for him different strokes. I would think he would want to be a little more careful with proper nutrition than dumpster diving though.

It never said he was dumpster diving
It said he was parked there, which I'm sure keeps him alone , away from RVs in the parking lot
His helmet light is for reading
Although $10,000 was way too much for that old VW camper, even five years ago, and he should spend some money on the engine before it dies completely

I don't know how much to believe about the VW as the writer seems to stretch things a bit. Broke down van, when it starts it blows gas out in the parking lot and engine fixed with duct tape.

Two Jayhawks wrote:
Good for him different strokes. I would think he would want to be a little more careful with proper nutrition than dumpster diving though.

It never said he was dumpster diving
It said he was parked there, which I'm sure keeps him alone , away from RVs in the parking lot
His helmet light is for reading
Although $10,000 was way too much for that old VW camper, even five years ago, and he should spend some money on the engine before it dies completely

I would say he has his head thinking straight. Lots of people believe that because he had potential that he should go out and live it up. Well, that is the problem with a lot of kids now days. They have had every thing served to them in a silver platter and they go out and get in dept only to find out that what looked so promising did not pan out. So they end up claiming bankruptcy.
This guy wants to make sure he has a job before he gets into anything that he can not afford.

And what is wrong with a VW van? Lots of young folks our age used to favor them over an automobile in the 60's (Hippie generation) LOL!

He certainly is interesting. I envy him.

msmith1199 wrote:
This kind of proves a point a lot of us have tried to make and that is many homeless people are homeless by choice. Whether like this guy they just want to live in a van, or whether it's a pattern of bad choices in their life, they are homeless by choice.

If you read the whole article he explains that he likes the solitude of his lifestyle because on the pitching mound he is alone. He is quite an outdoorsman into surfing on the Carolina coast, rock climbing, and hiking in the Tennessee mountains. He is just a guy that goes by his own code of conduct. From the article:

HE HAS ALWAYS lived by his own code, no matter what anyone thinks: a three-sport star athlete in high school who spent weekends camping alone; a hippie who has never tried drugs; a major league pitcher whose first corporate relationship was with an environmental organization called 1% for the Planet. He is 21 and says he has never tasted alcohol. He has had one serious relationship, with his high school girlfriend, and it ended in part because he wanted more time to travel by himself. He was baptized in his baseball uniform. His newest surfboard is made from recycled foam. His van is equipped with a solar panel. He reads hardcover books and never a Kindle. He avoids TV and studies photography journals instead.

He is far from someone making bad choices in his life. He knows exactly what works for him and his statistics speak for themselves. If he continues to pitch like he has and signs a mulit-million dollar contract, perhaps some other young pitchers may consider these methods.

I read the entire article. He's got his head on straight and he doesn't dumpster dive. This kid could get injured in the first season and be out for life. He's had an investor make sure his money is invested and is sent $800 a month for living expenses. He values the right things. The only thing I would change is getting a bigger RV - like a Class B so that he can live in that as he wants. This is his escape from the stress and moves in with roommates during the season. My DH says we only need $3M to be able to quit our jobs and live on for life. This kid is part way there. Good for him!