State Games

If this means KNOWINGLY cutting a better, more deserving player for that position....then the answer to your question is ...YES!!! It is wrong.

 

SUCH A WASTE

I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE HARD TO PICK A TEAM - BASED ON PLAYERS SEEING 1 TIME AT BAT PER TRYOUT AND COACHES NOT STAYING FOCUSED ON THE FIELD. YEAH I WOULD SAY THE TEAMS ARE PRETTY MUCH DECIDED UPON BEFORE THESE YOUNG PEOPLE EVER HIT THE FIELD - PRETTY SAD THAT PLAYERS LOOKING TO ADVANCE FURTHER IN THEIR SPORT ARE SPENDING VALUABLE TIME AND MONEY GOING TO THESE TRYOUTS FOR NOTHING!

 

It does depend on who the coaches are... I am sure that some have an idea of who the best players in their area are, heck we all know the players in our area, but in every case that I personally have been involved in, all players were considered and talked about before the final decision was made.

BTW... it costs nothing, except travel expenses, to go to the tryouts...

I agree with Spacedawg... Coaches are welcome to get involved in the process. Many times there arent enough to even apply for positions, so coaches that have served in the past are asked to coach again.

Too many times people cry politics and use it as an excuse... Think about that too when you complain.

 

NOT COMPLAINING - JUST STATING FACTS!

 

At such a try-out there are usually about 10 absolute keepers (a kid throwing 90+, a 5-tool guy, a smasher- 10-12 homerun guy, a burner- 6.6 runner). There are many average to below average players (7.6-7.9 runners, below average arm strength, weak hitters or even guys with bad reputations). Then there is a large group of good players (6.9-7.1 runners, gap power guys, good arms, solid gloves and good attitudes).

Picking the final 10 or so players is the hard part because usually there is very little difference. Sometimes it comes down to position needs. Can a kid play multiple positions? Can they pitch in relief? Does someone on the coaching staff know the player well? Or intangibles. Calls can be made to other high school and college coaches or even scouts.

The last 2 or 3 players can actually be a toss-up among 10 players, all with similiar skills. Obliviously, picking players is not an exact science or all first round draft picks, picked by professionals, would make it to the big leagues.

 

have they even started calling kids yet

 

I know some in Region 7 who have already been notified they made the team.

 

You can not have a tryout without someone feeling like they did not get what they felt they deserved. It is impossible. You do the best you can to get the best players. Of course someone is going to get overlooked. Someone is going to have a bad day in bp or boot a couple of ground balls etc. Someone is going to have a great day and look better than he might be. Coaches call other coaches and get as much information on players as possible to help them in the evaluation process. The fact is the top tier players will be on the rosters if they try out. Do you think that Bumgardner made it? It doesnt take a baseball genius to see the truly talented and gifted players. The tough calls are on the last few picks where there are alot of kids around the same talent level in arm strength , running ability , fielding and in the round of bp. Some kids show very well in tryouts and some do not show very well. It does not mean that one kid is a better ball player than the other. But the coaches have to go on what they have actually seen and what other coaches have told them. When you start saying things like Its all politics and the coaches already have the team picked you say so without ever having been involved in the actual process from a coaches perspective. There are alot of coaches who agonize on the final decisions made and truly want to make sure they get the best 20 players. STAY POSITIVE AND YOUR KID WILL STAY POSITIVE. STAY NEGATIVE AND SO WILL YOUR KID.

 

I see the same things happen all the time. I watch games and see some coaches who have kids who can do no wrong. They will always be promoting those kids while a better ballplayer sits and gets bashed because he can do no right. What happened to the old school coaches who would get in everyones face and had no superstars on the team. I hope my commits are not out of place here. I am not trying to bash any coaches just my thoughts. I just hate to see good ballplayers not get the chance that they have worked so hard for while others do nothing and get the glory. The state games are a big deal and if a kid deserves to be there over another kid then he should be on the team. But what can you do? If you get upset it just gives you a bad name and then the kid will suffer. What is the answer?

 

LET ONE GROUP OF COACHES PICK'EM AND ANOTHER GROUP COACH'EM (DRAW THEM OUT OF HAT AFTER ROSTERS ARE FILLED) AND IT WILL GET BETTER!!!! SINCE MOST OF YOU GET ZERO$ AND YOU DO IT FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME YOU WILL ACCEPT THE TALENT?