SHOWCASE EVENTS

Braves, Did Tony tell you what happened in Tenneessee about the father and son umpire crew when we played up there?

 

No..I don't believe so

 

Can't remember the name of the tournament but it was in Tennessee. The umpire crew was a father/son duo and the son made a bad call and Jason got in his face and his daddy came out there and threw Jason out of the game. We were winning pretty easily and I was pitching and we brought someone into relief and so I decided to go for a run. Well Jason was standing down the left field line and so I ran down there and stopped and started talking to him. We stood down there for 3 innings just talking and Tony came down there and brought us food and drinks for us to have. The funny part was AAU had a rule if a player got thrown out fo the game so did the coach and so everyone driving by saw us standing down there probably thinking I got thrown out of the game and so did my coach. I remember Tony coming down there bringing us some snacks and drinks and she said if we need anything to let her know and she would take care of it for us and when people do that kind of stuff that really sticks with you for a long time.

BTW, I hope she is doing good and I look forward to seeing the Worrell family at the wedding.

 

I do recall that

You better believe we will be there. I have to make sure that Maggie doesn't come to her senses and backs out

 

Yea I'm hoping she doesn't either. I mean I couldn't blame her if she did lol.


Braves, hard to believe in less than 7 weeks your son from another mother will be married.

 

I know. it seems like yesterday I was changing your diapers.

Seriously, it couldn't happen to a better couple--just don't encourage my junior.

 

HAHA, I think TJ will marry a fishing pole before he marries a woman.

 

CBS has some excellent comments here on showcase and Legion. How hard would it be for Legion to schedule multiple games at one site to make it easier for the scouts. How about some legion days? I realize you lose some home games but for many of these games not many people are attending anyway.

 

I don't disagree with CBS. Actually that is how Showcase began. Pitchers throwing a few innings and position players alternating games. But players and families didn't like that concept and coaches weren't thrilled with it either.

What's happened is the evolution of showcase baseball. Instead of gatheriong up players to make a team to go to East Cobb or Jupiter; the organizations took the lead of On Deck and have summer and fall teams. Their priority is not to just showcase their players, but to enter tournaments to compete to win games.

It's kinda funny. People used to blast showcase baseball for not being a team game, but to highlight certain players in a somewhat selfish way. Now the teams are playing baseball to compete as a team while giving their players an opportunity to display their skills...and people are questioning why?

Showcase baseball and Travel Ball have merged---some people like it, some people don't.

Here is something most people don't know. The teams in NC are competing against teams like the Mavericks from upper state SC. Take an organization like the Dirtbag's where they may have a total of 55 players with all their teams. The Mavericks have 175 players in their organization...and those 175 players are invited talented players. It's still amazes me how our teams in NC compete so well against the National teams at the National tournaments. We not only compete, we win some of them. I believe it's because are teams playing like a team, not a showcase display.

 

I think team ball depends on what kind of team your own. High profile teams like On Deck, SC Panthers, Dirtbags, Carolina Cubs have players that are all talented and know they are the best so the need to compete each other is there, but not to the point to hold a grudge against one another. They know the ultimate goal is to win these big tournaments and if someone is hitting/pitching better than you, then they have learned to accept it and when their time comes to go out and produce on the field, you go out there and give it all you got. These high profile programs have made this year around and you get to know these guys as your best friends so you push each other to make you better, but you know everyone on the team has your back no matter what on the field. These teams have a common goal and every player and parent understands that. The players or families that can't accept that quickly move on because the coaches don't have time to deal with these type of people and also they know they can always find a player to replace the one's that quit.

The reason I think legion is not as popular because players are looking for more than go to a game, get some innings and then go home. There are more and more players out there trying to find college teams and the demand for college teams is low compared to the number of players available. The need to play more and more is important because the more you play the better you SHOULD get. Players realize that unless you have some HS superstar on your team, scouts are more likely to go watch a team like the ones I listed above because there are more talented players on those teams then on a legion team. I know some legion teams have good players don't get me wrong, but a match-up like ON Deck/SC Panthers has 18 talented players on the field every inning, and that is the appeal for travel teams vs Legion.