SHOWCASE vs AMERICAN LEGION

I've played showcase ball for all four years of high school. My first team was with the Megastars and it was a good way to get introduced into the showcase format and learned a lot of good things from some great coaches. After playing agaisnt some great talent I decided to make a switch my junior year to play with the On Deck O's because of their program and the fact I wanted to play college baseball. I had a blast playing showcase ball because I went to a lot of different places and met a lot of great people.

The big thing about showcase teams is that commitment is the big issue. With legion ball it's pretty much a summer thing and thats it. The showcase teams mostly go year around and you practice a lot during the offseason from high school. Speaking for showcase only, if you find the right team that is competitive, like On Deck, Impact, Carolina Cubs to name a few then your chacnes of getting seen are pretty dang good. There are some instances where a lot of teams created are daddy ball teams and even though they have 2 or 3 players that are somewhat good; they tend to not be that competitive and you play those teams to get a easy win. With a lot fo highly competitive shwocase teams, you go to big time tournaments and play against top competition like Jupiter or East Cobb and the scouts really flock to these tournaments.

If your thinking of going the showcase route, be ready to commit to a team year around but also find a team that will play in tournament that will attract scouts. I know legion is also a good way to get seen but I have never played so someone else will have to inform you of that organization.

 

Not really, at least not for most. There are always exceptions where guys may lack talent but consistently overachieve, but talent gets noticed and sorted out.

You don't. Colleges found those guys before showcases and they've continued to find them whether they play in such events or not. Those involved with things like IMPACT tell kids and parents that marketing is important because they're selling something. If people don't buy the idea that the exposure is necessary, they won't pay and they won't get their kids involved. It's a big scam, basically. It's just a lesser form of the AAU craze in basketball where there is extraordinary exploitation and corruption.

The part where you make yourself wrong is in saying that "promoting must be done by someone." The "must" is simply not true. Showcases are good for demonstrating your skills against better talent than you face on the average Legion or high school team, but that's it. The instruction arguably is not better, and the idea that you "must" get out there and promote a kid to get him a scholarship or drafted is a straight up scam.

Give me some examples if you can. If a guy doesn't get an offer, it's usually because of doubts about his size, makeup, or talent, things that aren't going to be affected by where or who they play. I have a very hard time believing that there are any players outside of Alaska or similarly remote areas where a guy simply wasn't known about. And that's the only thing you'd need promotion for, if they didn't know you existed. If they know you're out there, then promotion is useless. Once they know about you, they're going to evaluate you based on how you look, not what some random showcase coach tells them. Tell me, do you really think that coaches offer scholarships or MLB teams draft players without seeing them play?

 

I have to agree with Collin and if your talent is good enough, you will get seen by a college coach or scout. I believe for a player ot get seen is to attend a Impact showcase and show the caoches out there that you exist. Sitting around and waiting for coaches will get you nowhere so you have to be proactive whether it's sending film to coaches or going to showcases for a lot of coaches to see you is the main thing. Andy Partin has great showcases every month it seems like and this is a great way to get your name out there and draw attention. I'm not saying go to everyone of them but try to attend 3 or so a year to keep your name out there and every time you go back show more and more improvement. I have talked to coaches at these things and thats the thing they notice is the guys who get better and better every time they see them.

 

I just like watching baseball.

I don't care what the organization is called...

 

Yeah, that I agree with. Showcases are good for showing what a guy can do against similar talent. I just strongly disagree with the idea that a player needs someone promoting him to get attention. That's plain nonsense, but it's a scam that some people use to get parents to pay for involvement. Coaches and scouts absolutely will take recommendations seriously, but what happens between the lines is always going to be what makes the decision.

 

Some places I feel are good for your son to get a lot of exposure because of the reputation certain programs have built, whether travel or legion ball. Going to a Impact event, playing travel ball or Legion will help but i'm not saying you have to because I promise there are a ton of guys who haven't done any of those 3 and still got signed to play at the next level. If you feel that your not getting any exposure, then exploring one of those options is a great way to promote your kids name and hopefully something good will come out of it.

I completely agree that if your son does the right things between the lines and stays out of trouble outside the lines, then he will get the exposure he needs to get to the next level. I imagine all of us on here has seen a person with amazing talent but waste it because of a wrong decision, sad to see but it happens.

But parents or kids looking to get exposure, if you try these showcases, events, traveling teams etc., find out as much as you can about these things. Don't go and write a $500 check and see two scouts show up. If you have a question about a certain showcase or event, just post a thread on here asking for opinions or comments. Like Collins said, some of these places(sadly to say) are scams and don't fall into those traps. Be proactive but yet be smart and spend your money and time wisely.

Once again to emphasize travel teams, showcase events and legion ball are not the answers to all your problems but they are alternative ways if your looking to gain exposure. There are a ton of people on this board that combined all together have been to a ton of events, showcases or whatever you can name involving baseball. So please if you have questions about showcase events and or certain team, feel free to ask.

 

The only point I'm trying to make is that the landscape of recruiting in North Carolina baseball is changing. Perhaps I used the wrong word choice, when I said you have to "promote" your kid. Maybe LClefty worded it better by saying that the player must be "proactive".

Whatever you want to call it, it's simply not good enough to go out there, hit .350, and make all the routine plays in the field for your high school team. The coaches won't just magically start calling you one day. You have to expose yourself whether it's at showcases, IMPACT tournaments, legion ball, or by simply having your high school coach pick up the phone and make calls to colleges for you.

The phenominal talent will be found no matter what, but the average good player in today's system must get his name out somehow.

I bet nobody can name me a player who's signed to a high D1 school recently who simply goes out there and plays for their high school team without playing legion, showcase, or anything else to get their name out there during the summer and/or fall.

 

I don't question your wisdom or your insightful contrbution. I wish all were like you.

Maybe, but that entails a lot of background work. In this case it was easier to breakout a new forum (American Legion forum)

Yes, it is a shame

The list is small, but how would you keep it on the front page. Anything that stays as a sticky for very long gets to be ignored. Really, the most polarizing is "transfers". It is not because there are some bad opinions; it is the posters that sign up for the sole purpose to attack others...sometimes members of this board. I'll mention this one example so one gets an idea of what we as moderators go through. A parent "legally" transferred his son to another school. A poster attacked this family for their decision and insinuated they did something illegal. It caused the family harm. As it turned out the reason the family moved was the coach was having an affair with the mother. They were trying to reconcile and start a new life in a different area. THIS IS WHY I despise discussing the transfer issues. Somebody always gets hurt. Message boards never handle sensitive or controversial subjects well as long as people are able to hide behind a screen name.

I couldn't agree more

 

Thanks for your reply.

As far as how to keep it on the front page...I'll have to humbly bow down to your great message board wisdom :notworthy !

 

...that's a debatable issue. But I try to be consistent in an environment that can change directions after just one post.