Individual Stats

This is not to offend anyone, I was wondering if someone from each team could post the stat leader in offense and pitching. I have a theory on Legion vs Showcase and with this data I want use the info to justify my thoughts. I would like to also know what college the athlete is going to attend. With this info, I will follow these kids in the coming years to see which path seems to be the yellow brick road. I will let you know up front that I am a Legion fan. I will share this info readily. I know of some really good young ball players that this info could benefit. This is not something to promote an individual player and you may include the number 2 guy on each team also. I am not a number cruncher by any means, just very interested in keeping the talent local so the community can watch there own kids play close to home. This really means alot to me because my son traveled last year and my dad never watched him play. Dad passed away in November. There is void in my heart for traveling Showcase did not get my son in college. His highschool play and these great competitve 9 inning legion games played the major role. Anyway, the info I request , needs to be just on the regular complete season. Not playoffs etc.. Because the basis is going to be on a season format, not on a weekend series. Thanks!

 

I have stats for all our teams online, but they include the playoffs. If you want to compare the two situations, remember that the level of competition in the postseason is better and should depress the stats on a team level. I could look at all that as I have scorebooks from 1989-present. That, however, is a lot of work.

 

I know Zach Briggs of Lexington is batting .500 with 15 HR's. Pretty impressive. I'll have the Rowan and S. Rowan stats later today and will post them.

 

I'll have Area IV stats soon

 

One fault you're going to have with this is many players have done both. Legion in the summer, showcase in the fall. If you could track something that would be a major eye opener, check out how many players in our state received D1 offers prior to 2003. You will find most years the number will be in single digits. Now it's not unheard of to read about a single HS team that has 9 players signed to college scholarships.

If you ask most players that were able to play on competitive legion teams, they each will tell you they preferred the route of AL during the summer and showcase in the fall. Unfortunately, with the economic climate and the passing away of vital Legion members, more Legion teams are folding and many players miss out on the chance to play that level of baseball.

 

Bambam,,, the one problem I see you having in comparing batting averages of legion players to batting averages of showcase players,,, besides the obvious (facing different pitchers),,, is that good legion coaches will from time-to-time ask legion hitters to "do their job" and hit to the right side simply to advance a runner. A routine groundout to 2B is not a sacrifice, but if it moves a runner from 2nd to 3rd, he did his job. Not sure how many times you will see a player doing this when he only gets 3-4 AB's in a showcase game???

But Braves, serious question here, before we give showcase or whoever the credit for an increase in local players now playing baseball in college,,,,, keep in mind as the world has changed so much since you and I played,,,,, the world has also changed a lot in the past 6-8 years with the internet explosion.

And TBR deserves as much credit here as anyone, because you and I both know specific individuals that TBR has helped get college schollys. In today's world, one can come home from a ballgame in your town at 11pm, get on the internet and within minutes find out how all your favorite players and teams across the state did, who made the key plays, everything.

Obviously there are other great message boards also, but I'm just saying the internet in general I think has played a major role in bettering communication than anything whether it be about getting more info about players to college coaches or whatever. Just my 2 cents.

 

I believe you and agree. However, the point I always make when people try to invoke an AL vs Showcase topic is this. Let's assume that the talent level at both levels are even. If you had 10 AL teams playing in one tournament vs one showcase game featuring 2 teams. Where do you think the college recruiters are going? They are going to wherever they get the most bang for their buck.

There is a need and room for both....and the best part? It gives more opportunities for players to play the game.

 

Aw heck we agree on there's room for both and both are great,,,, and honestly the whole showcase vs. legion comparisons get old to me also and sometimes just show people's ignorance about one or the other.

No I'm just wondering "just how much" the internet and the increasing number of message boards has helped college coaches in their "search" for players, and I gotta believe it HAS maybe much much more than any of us will ever know. No matter where a certain kid is playing, showcase, legion, palomino, aau, wherever,,, with the increase of the internet, I gotta wonder just how much that has helped possibly "numerous" kids get chances to play college ball. Whereas in the past, we agree, the coaches had to "GO OUT" and see for themselves everything they wanted to know about a kid. Nowadays, while a coach is still going to go out and see for himself certain things, that same coach now has so many tools right here at his fingertips that he can google a kids' name, and find out just about every game that kid has played. Heck if you search enough on the internet, you can find out comments that other coaches have made about the kid, stats, awards,,, almost whatever you need to know.

You give an example,,, here's mine: At the beginning of the last high school baseball season, East Rowan wasn't even mentioned in the Charlotte Observer's Sweet 16. Now as great a job as Cliff Mehrtens did on covering the local teams, he had a boatload of teams in the region to cover, and the point is he flat missed East Rowan. Now I'm pretty sure Cliff never made it out to watch ERowan play in person, but after much discussion between he and posters, and after following ERowan on the internet,,, he ended up with East's coach Brian Hightower as All-Piedmont COY, and 2 East players (Roland and Jarrett) were on the All-Piedmont team. Btw, East finished 3rd in the final Sweet 16 among all the teams that were covered and they finished 2nd in the state 3A, so obviously everything Cliff was being told about East, turned out to be true too.

I know folks have discussed the whole showcase/legion thing to death, but I just wonder how much the internet itself has actually helped college coaches, whereas kids in the past didn't have that.

 

tj21 your hit the nail on the head with the follow:

PHP:

 Bambam,,, the one problem I see you having in comparing batting averages of legion players to batting averages of showcase players,,, besides the obvious (facing different pitchers),,, is that good legion coaches will from time-to-time ask legion hitters to "do their job" and hit to the right side simply to advance a runner. A routine groundout to 2B is not a sacrifice, but if it moves a runner from 2nd to 3rd, he did his job. Not sure how many times you will see a player doing this when he only gets 3-4 AB's in a showcase game???

That is why I want to see what these kids do in college. I want to see what a stud pitcher can do with good batters for 7 to 8 innings. A good hitter adjusting to the stud pitcher and players doing what it takes to win, not make themselves look good. Showcase does put ballplayers in front of scouts. This is for a weekend, not a season. This is why I request stats. Even though stats (that I request) are meaningless anymore to the college recruiting process.

Legion is complete ballplayer stats not abreviated in any way. I don't want showcsae numbers. I know who the showcase ball players are. I will compare the legion leaders to the showcase guys and what they do in college. I will base it off of D1 schools mainly but I wiil follow any player I get numbers on. Fellows, this includes those that choose big schools and ride the pine over playing while waiting for their turn. I am looking for those that preform and all this goes into the data. The proof will be in the results 2,3,4 years down the road. Some will make an impact next year.

I want everyone to know that I wish not to start a arguement or stir any pot. I am not going to be able to validate every point. I just want some numbers to prove a theory to myself. Then after gathering this info, if someone request my thoughts based off the facts that I gather, I will respond objectively.

Lastly so everyone knows, My son is Zack Briggs and he is going to Appalchian next year. This is not for him. This is for me to share with you all while I wait for the next game. He will be leaving in August and I will be needing something to occupy my time.

 

Sir, your son can flat out play. Don't know what position he'll play at the next level but good luck to him.