Legion ball...What Legion ball?

Great Post TJ

 

Two things I think we can all agree on is if your are good enough, they will find you. And as in all situations in life, the cream eventually rises to the top.

It appears that both Legion and Showcase offer good opportunities to kids. Tools makes a good point that kids need to do what they feel best to be seen.

BTW, if there is any question as to the growth of Showcase ball in the area, please refer up to the thread on the various Showcase teams in the area.

 

Observations after reading this subject

1) Most if not all of the listed stars played showcase so Legion can't claim them as examples
2) Whoever said Legion ball is as high a quality as showcase has never been to a WWBA event. The difference is beyond huge.
3) MVaugn with the post of the year concerning scouts and locations. Never really thought about it but that is what has driven the whole legion exodus.
4) $300 bats? Best rec teams my kid ever played were the ones that the OTHER kids had the $300 bats
5) Is there an insinuation that showcase teamates don't become close friends? Absolutely not true. These kids spend a bunch of time together just hanging out in hotels and malls and pools. Probably more so than a legion team.

 

Long Live Legion Ball. The best summer game ever other than MLB.

 

Cannot forget the role of the NCAA in this as well

Efficiency in recruiting is partly a function of the limitations the NCAA places on college coaches. As well, budgets play a role too: for schools on recruiting and organizations on scouting. This is particularly acute for the smaller D-II and D-III programs.

Legion and showcase both have a place and serve different functions, but ultimately both get kids on the ballfield and that is what's important.

 

After going back and reading the posts I don't think anyone has said Legion is superior quality to travel ball. I also don't see where anyone has said travel ball is superior to Legion. I don't think you can make a general statement like that. While I have watched more showcase ball than legion, I would think there are some very strong showcase teams like the dirtbags and the east cobb teams and I would bet there are some very strong legion teams also. I also bet there are some weak teams in both.

yes, 300.00 dollar bats are common in catagories. On my younger son's team every kid except one swings a Easton Stealth at 279.00-299.00 or the Louisville Slugger Comp bat which is 349.00-379.00 although last years model just dropped to 299.00. The teams we play swing the same bats. Take a drive by Jamestown Park or any of the local fields being rented by USSSA and AAU and you will see the same. So do many of the kids on our HS teams. I can name the bat every JV kid swings as well as a few of the varsity players.

I don't see where anyone said that kids that play showcase don't become friends. Both my boys have made friends through travel ball. With the time spent in hotels and traveling you can't help but form some lasting friendships. I'll be in one of those hotels this weekend with one of my sons. Don't imply or read something that isn't there.

 

are more kidsplaying college and pro baseball now than 20 years ago?

 

Okay children, get back in line...

Been away a couple of days and it seems that ya'll have enjoyed the discussion this thread started, but, let's get back to the point. Legion is gone or going away in many areas. That's a fact. Now if we lived in Shelby or Garner or one of the other areas that have a strong, long established Legion program I would, most likely, never think that was true... it's called "not seeing the forest because of the trees". This is not a put down of the folks there, it's just how it is. The sad result of this is kids not having a place to play ball and the Legion system has contributed to this.
Two summers ago Post 6 hosted a Legion Tournament during the season. Two of the teams in the tournament were the Shelby team and the team from Garner. These teams had met for the State championship the previous year, with Garner winning the trophy. I looked forward to an entertaining as well as a high quality game when these two were to play. Entertaining? Yes! High Quality? No! Prior to the first pitch being thrown in the game members of the two coaching staffs decided to show everyone present at the "Bosh" at UNC their gentlemanly talents by rolling around in the dirt fighting. The police had to be summoned to convince the adults to act like adults. Why was there bad blood between the two? It was due to defeat by a rule verses a defeat by a game played. Most of ya'll know what happened. Garner won the championship game and Sheby won the post season protest.
I'm sure the protest seemed to be the proper thing to do for the team that did it but to many folks that didn't have an association or allegence to either of the teams, it seemed rather spitefull and childish. Then to see the behavior of the adults at the tournament it just confirmed those thoughts.
For those of you that have a good legion program, enjoy it. Hopefully it will be there for a long time. You will have to get more and more used to traveling farther and farther for your games. In the past a team could play 3 to 5 games a week and never travel more than an hour or so from home. With fewer teams now, that's not possible.
As far as exposure goes, I defer to Coach 27's comments above. He nailed it. If my son's name was Madison Bumgarner I might not see it as clearly, but my son's name is Grier Harrington and he signed his National Letter of Intent this past Monday to a D-I school that most likely would have never seen him play if he hadn't been with the "Dirtbags" this past year and that is a fact!

 

If your good enough they will find you?

Thats one thing we will not agree on. Who will find you? If your good enough for who? How good is good enough? How will they find you? If you want to take the chance that someone will just show up and decide that your good enough and they will find you then go right ahead. I can tell you there have been a ton of HS baseball players that have taken that exact road and ended up finding out it just isnt true. If your a bonafide stud then your ok. You might not have a ton of options outside your immediate area but your probaly going to be okay. But what about the kid that is a sure fire D-2 or D-3 level player. Maybe he is lower level D-1 talent. How are they going to just find him?

Its about increasing your options at the next level. Its about getting seen by the right people that your talent level allows you to play at. The more options a young man has the better decision he can make. But hey if you want to take the road "If your good enough they will find you" then be prepared to deal with the fact that they might not find you and you might not be good enough to play for the ones that do find you. Good Luck

 

In the sage words of our own Prepster, "If you don't mind who it is that finds you".

This is all tj's fault. He starts this Showcase vs Legion ball every year

I've grown to love Legion ball (with all its warts) and wished every player had a chance to play for the Kannapolis, Garner, Shelby, Cherryville, Caldwell teams. It is an experience like no other in amateur baseball. I, too, have a huuuuge problem with the protest rules. In my opinion, this must change or it will continue to hurt the credibility of Legion ball.

I am also a proponent of ELITE showcase teams...one's that you must be invited. Anything else is watered down.

I am also of mind that baseball has become way too expensive....but haven't all sports?

But back to showcase baseball. No matter how one feels about showcasing, the fact remains that Showcase baseball is the no. 1 reason that the 17+ colleges in NC are flooded with NC players.....6 years ago, this wasn't the case.

I feel for the graduating seniors that do not have a legion team to play for. That's a crying shame.