H.S. Baseball Scene in 2010 ....

By the way, Coach 44, does the Red Sox organization "fund" your scout team? Do they cover all of the player's travel expenses? How long is the season? Where do the players live and if they live at home, how do they get from their homes to practices/games, etc.? Just curious about this concept.

 

Coach 44 quote:

"Draft 'n Follow:" A player drafted after his senior year in high school, who agrees with the club that drafted him that he'll play at the junior college level. Since junior college play doesn't negate the player's draft status like attendance at a 4-year program, the pro club gets a chance to watch him some more during his first junior college year and sign him anytime before the next draft.

Also note: While a "college clause" has to be negotiated into a pro contract, it's usually an easy "give up" on the pro club's part.

Why? Because, statistically, it's very rarely used by the player after he leaves professional baseball; so, spread over many players, its actual cost per player is tiny.

 

Coach and Prepster, thanks for the replies to my questions.

 

I'm glad my little thread has prompted such quality responses.

About the format (Scout Teams) as the wave of the future. You can figure this out two ways.

#1. Build a business model, projecting the needs and financial benefits to the MLB clubs and come up with a sound business plan. This involves tedious calculations and a lot of up front effort.

#2. Talk to a Scout and see what they are planning down the road.

I chose the later method for my original post.

 

I agree with most of what has been said here with one exception. Gaston posted that a player, if released after two years, is done with baseball and a player that goes to college will have two years left and still may have a chance. What I am trying to say is this, if a player is released, he isn't getting the job done. So, even if he still has two years remaining in college and he won't be good enough to be drafted. Also, the memories of playing those two years of pro ball will be much superior to those of playing in college. I also agree with the JUCO route, as the player has all the options of a high school player but at a much higher level. Juco baseball is a top level of baseball and players get tons of exposure. no player should turn their back on juco, and a lot of players, and parents, think juco is a step backwards. I have seen the players at that level, and anyone that has will tell you there are a lot of talented players playing juco. My final advice, the player should do what is right for him.

 

44 magnum,
huh? I have no anger at professional baseball. back that up in some form. I do however have a problem with people trying to get 3000 bucks out of a parent to enlist thier child into a program that will get them noticed. you advice is downright scary. An 18 year old doing what make him "happiest" is rarely the best decision. You need to study the odds a littel more.

here is my take on college and pro ball. It is really quite simple, if you are good enough to make it to the big leagues, you will breeze thru college ball. There is this attitude that "it is my only chance" when a kid gets drafted in high school, and that is faulty logic. If you get drafted in high school and go to college and fail, you would of failed 10x worse in the minors, trust me. The logic that you might go to college, and not do as well, and never get drafted again, is downright comical. I am just talking from experience here. When I played in the Pirates system, it was full of high schoolers that signed for around $100,000. After tax that is about $65,000, after a new Tahoo it is $35,000. So you are gonna give up 3-4 years of college (education and vast social expererience) for $35,000 and a new car?? Go pro out of hight school only if the contract makes you financially stable for 20 years or your life. Of those guys I mention, none of them to my knowledge made it to the bigs.

The above reference from coach 44 that you should consider it if your bonus is worth more than college tuition is baseless. so if a 4 year schollie to UNCC is worth $24,000 and you get a pro offer out of high school for $30,000, you go pro? no way! you had better hope you beat the huge odds and make it to the Bigs, because most likely you are gonna get cut in 3-4 years, and have no college education to get a job with, and whatever is left of your post tax 30k. had you gone to college, you would of got an education and social experience, and if you were good enough to play pro ball to begin with, you breeze thru ncaa ball, and sign a pro contract with college under your belt.

Kevin Millwood is a great example of this. He was drafted in the 12th round by the Braves and signed with UNCC, but went pro. He beat the big odds and made it so it worked, but had he gone to college, he would of upped his value because he would of dominated for 3 years and probably been a 1st rounder and signed for 1 million instead.

 

I've been reading the $3000 posts for a long time and decided to respond.

There are many truths to what metro is saying...I might have said it a little more respectfully, but he's from Providence and I'm from South Meck...what more can I say

I'm from the school where $150 is too much to play Baseball, but I also understand times have changed. If I tried to hire a personal coach to work with my son in pitching or hitting, enroll him at several baseball camps each year and pay for him to utilize a baseball facility like On Deck all year, I would probably be paying much more than the cost of playing for an On Deck team that not only utilizes these services but gains a personal relationship with those coaches that lasts a lifetime.(whew....that was a long sentence)

As in everything, it's a personal choice that one always measures costs vs rewards. I happen to believe in their program and what they try to do for the kids. Mike Shildt has proven to me for many years that he and his coaches are there for the right reasons....to take an interest and to improve the quality of play in our children.

...and Metro, you have to understand that I have big problems understanding why many colleges cost 10-45,000 per year to attend, when my 4 year total at a State University was under $10,000....of course, some of those universities may have been called colleges then ....but everything is relative.

 

shildt is a friend of mine for over 15 years, since he ran Grand Slam usa on South blvd. and attended unca. I have no problem with his program. I got my sour taste of this new club approach with the megastars. I helped one year and did not like the way it was ran, so that is my bias. I felt like the money was more important than what was taking place on the field with the kids, and there were scare tactics being used, that it was the only way to get noticed, and I disagreed with it. Shildt is the best hitting coach around. period.

 

I am in agreement with Coach on this one. I will also state my opinion on this matter again. I know of a player that had signed with the 49er baseball program. He was drafted by Detroit in the 12th round I think it was. Charlotte tried to use the same things as Metro is using to get him to come to school, while Detroit wanted to give him decent money and send him out to the minors, while also agreeing to pay his college tuition if things didn't turn out for the best. Charlotte then sent him a fax with all the pitchers Detroit had drafted and asked him if he wanted to go to an organization with that many pitchers drafted and did he think he would get a shot. Now, if we go by Metro's logic, he would go to school and just now be entering pro ball. Instead, he went pro and is now ready to enter the big leagues. Also, you say Kevin Millwood as an example. How is that a good example of your point? He signed and went pro. Now he's in he big leagues and making tons of money. If he hadn't signed, he would have been three to fours years behind where he is now because he went to Charlotte. I am a firm believer in if you believe you are good enough to make it to the big leagues, and you are willing to do what it takes, and are drafted, you should have enough confidence that you will make it to the "show" and not have to worry about a signing bonus. Not to say you shouldn't want a good signing bonus, but some of these are becoming unreal. To look at past picks that have signed for these outrageous amounts is ridiculous. Some of them are making more money than 10 year veterans and they haven't played a game in pro ball yet. Josh Hamilton is a good example. And it because of people like you, Metro, that these kids believe they are worth that amount of money, "to make them stable for the next 20 years." Lastly, these are my opinions only. I respect all of your opinions and am glad we can all discuss these issues. Metro, I do agree with one point of yours. Kids shouldn't be paying $1200 dollars and those amounts to play summer ball. I agree the coach should make some money for their time, but not enough to make a living, like some of them do. I would think a program like Coach44's where they pay room expenses and a small fee would be accurate, but some of the Charlotte teams charge the players entirely too much. But if they want to pay it who am I to stop it?

 

I used Millwood as an example because he is an example of how huge the odds are. I don't think you guys comprehend what you face when you are in the minors. Ray Durham is another. He is a year older than me, but I agree with him signing out of high school because he was a high pick and got $$$, and was not going to college. That is 2 players the last 13 years in the entire Charlotte area to make it. I am saying there is a very clear line of when to sign. If you have grades and are NOT a high pick..dont sign. Now, if you do not plan on going to college regardless, then sign of course. Ask Chris Jones or Rick Halbrunner if they have regrets. I can absolutely gaurantee you that there are more failures than success stories when it comes to kids who signed out of high school. And don't act like UNCC was playing bad cop faxing that kid what the Tigers do to pitchers, the pros play as dirty or more so when trying to sign kids. I know I won't convince you, but one more time let me explain it as someone who has been thru the entire system. when I was in high school, had I been drafted, I would of signed (stupidly), luckily that did not happen and I went to college and then pro. Once I got in the minors, I saw 100+ guys in one organization that signed after high school and never made it. Maybe one did, Chad Hermansen, but he got $1 million and should of signed. Once I got to pro ball, I realized the mistake these kids had made (because they had ZERO chance) and I was glad I was not tempted as a high schooler to sign. Every college player who has played in the pros will tell you that going out of high school is a fatal error, unless you get big bucks. Your odds are ridiculous, and you probably won't even make it to A ball. And this education money the pros give you is a joke. who is going to go back to college and be a 24 year old freshman?? the kid who gets cut from pro ball, that signed out of high school, is doomed in the real world. hell its hard enough to find a job with a college degree. Instead, go to college, meet girls, drink beer, get an education, play ball, tour the country, and if you were good enough to play in the minors, college ball will be a snap, and you will get drafted again. The mindset that your high school draft is your "one shot" is hogwash. I hope you guys aren't advising anyone on this, because it is scary what you can be doing to their lives. Didn't "up and in" get drafted? Congrats to him for going to school.