LEGION vs SHOWOFFBALL Answered!

Sorry I,m late on this topic but after I read it I had to put in a new thread and my view. I was pretty plan to see that most people who answered wanted to not say anything bad about Legion or Showcase. But after reading over all threads, everbody wants to go the Showcase way because there are more scouts there to show off in front of. Thats wrong, and so is showcasing for a complete season. Sure have showcases set up to go along with playing a real baseball season but don't replace it. I was talking to a dad about his son playing in a showcase last fall. He told how good his son did pitching and that they were winning the game--- but then it was time to showoff the next pitcher and the game went the other teams way. Why should a kid steal second (and look bad if he's out )if the only reason to play is to showoff. I hear all the time how this team or that team can't win a championship because they have great players and can't play as a team. What is the reason to play a game if it dosen't matter who wins. Also if your kid is not playing because he love baseball and just playing to be seen by scouts your sending the wrong message to him.

Right now the "thing " to do is Showcase.
I think in a few years people will drop it for playing ball. Legion or AAU.
If your good enough they will find you playing ball somewhere or maybe you are really just not that good.

Have fun Playing ball.

 

Baseballdirect, I'm sure some of the showcase supporters will take issue with some of your comments,,,,, but (as a legion supporter) let me just ask you about one in particular. You say "right now the thing to do is showcase"??? Where in the he** did you gather that conclusion???

Sorry pal, but thats NOT what I'm hearing from the folks I talk with, and I haven't seen much of that from the answers that I've read on any message board either. Most folks seem to agree that "right now" there is "a proper TIME" to play showcase, but you can still play legion too. And a lot of it depends on THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT your legion team either does or doesn't have. If you live in a community with no legion team or very little support, then yes, absolutely play as much showcase ball as you can. In spite of what you think, showcases are very good for players. But if your local legion team does have good community support and there's a good reputation, and YOU (as a player) are good enough,,, then the scouts will find you at legion games too--- so I would personally go that route because of the memories you will have playing with your buds every night in sometimes tense rivalries with local communities. Legion's just a lot of fun.

There's simply too many showcases out there already from early summer to late fall, that kids shouldn't have to choose one or the other. Do them both. Play legion in the summer, and while your playing on your legion team you may participate in the important summer showcases that legion rules allow, and then showcase in the fall if you wish...

Players can do both...

 

Play ball

Reread I said "Sure have showcases set up to go along with playing a real baseball season but don't replace it."

"go along with playing a real baseball season "

Have fun Playing ball.

 

I totally agree that legion ball is an unforgetable experience. But now that so many teams are diluted and have no interest by the community what else should a player do. For instance in Charlotte there are so many legion teams and none that are really exceptional, why would college coaches go to a game to see one player when they can go to a game and see a whole team of the same caliber players. I feel that players should have the option to play legion in the summer and fall ball but Legion supporters cannot blame the lack of talent pool on showcase teams. As far as trying to win. Our showcase teams play to win as well as showing off our players. We want what is best for all of our players and that is how any organization should be. If you are in the baseball business you should be in it for the kids.

 

We now have 14 kids playing beyond HS from our high school team. Most have played legion as well as high school and summer/fall tournament ball. Not a single one was recruited from their legion experience. So if you were a HS baseball player, and wanted to play at a level beyond HS, where would you spend your time. Legion baseball in our area is some very good competition, just not where you want to spend your time if you want to be seen or recruited. Just the facts about baseball in our area. And another thing, our legion team only plays a 16-18 game schedule, Our HS summer team plays 40+. Where would you want to play?

 

I posted this last year when this came up: In my discussion with several college recruiters and a couple of pro scouts, all said the same thing, they don't scout legion games - unless a team has a player that they have seen previously and are really, really interested in him. Not because there aren't good players on legion teams but because it is not cost effective to spend a whole evening traveling and watching two teams play with a few good players when they can travel and watch a weekend tournament and see many good players playing on many teams. Even watch that special player for multiple games. The reason, at least for the colleges, their recruiting budgets have been cut back and the window to watch players has been shortened. Simply economics.

 

I hear all you guys talking about it being more economical for scouts to attend a showcase instead of driving 2 hours to watch 1-2 kids play a legion game, and I agree with you. But guess what,,,,,,, I'll stand by my statement, IF YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH, the scouts will come watch you play legion ball too. And sometimes they don't have to be coming to watch you,,,,,, they may be coming to watch your pitcher or someone else, but scouts "DO" attend legion games, regardless of the fact that it may be more ECONOMICAL to attend a showcase instead.

Btw Mudcat, you say your legion team only plays 16-18 games and thats it. Well this only proves my point that legion ball is still more popular in certain areas of the state. For example, here in Kannapolis our legion team has played some 40 games from late-May till late-July the past 2 summers. We've had numerous kids go on to play college ball, and at least 2 who have been invited to play in the Cape Cod league, one of whom will be drafted this June in the MLB draft. This year's team will have numerous players who are either signed to play collegiately already or they're only HS juniors but have a college baseball future. One of our kids is really battling this showcase/legion decision because he's being pulled in different directions by adults. Personally I will support this specific kid whichever direction he chooses, but given what I've told you, I believe legion baseball in Kannapolis "DOES WORK" as far as getting kids noticed by college scouts and its also a very fun memorable experience for the players. Those scouts may have attended our games to watch Zach Ward or Lucas Dalton or Jonathan Goodman or Brett Bartles or Blake Ketner or Garrett Sherrill or WHOEVER,,,, but because those scouts came, we've had numerous kids go onto play college baseball.

Again, it depends on WHERE you live and whats available in your area. I still say kids can do both if people would get off their a$$es about it...

 

I just want to comment on the part where you mentioned that there are so many legion teams in the Charlotte area, with none being exceptional. I'll counter that to say that even though there are many "OK" teams in the Charlotte area. The Pineville 337 legion team is, from my perspective, one of the best legion teams in the state. From what I have heard the potential roster for them this year is un-godly. With many returning players the possibility for a championship season is all too real. Aside from the Pineville boys teams like Gastonia and the Gaston Braves have never had a dull team. This legion season is shaping up to be a good one, and these boys will still have a chance to play "showcase ball" throughout the season. Let's see how it all plays out...

 

Righthander47,,,, I agree completely with you. Pineville has had one of the state's top 4-5 legion teams the past 2 years and I expect they will be strong again this year. The only reason Pineville didn't go to the legion state tournament last year was because they lost to eventual state runnerup Caldwell County in the Area 4 finals.

 

tj21 if legion is working in your area that is great. It just hasn't worked in the mountains. The 4 programs here that have sent the most players to the college ranks, TC Roberson, West Henderson, Tuscola, and Franklin have done so by creating strong summer programs despite weak legion programs in the area.

We did try to solve that a few years back by combining 2 of these programs to form not only a Sr Legion team but also a Jr legion team. There is not a Jr Legion team in out area at all. We were shot down by the legion brass in NC due to jealous local legion officials in our area.

I have enjoyed watching some of the legion games, as it is good competition. Just not where you are gonna get recruited here in the mountains. It is just too political in our area to ever succeed. And what did our local legion board do this year? Hire one of the local high school coaches to coach. It needs to be someone neutral with no ties to bring it together where multiple schools are involved.