Showcase Ball - Pros and Cons????

I don't think I will ever live that down...toughest job I have ever done. A matter of fact, I still pluck a few feathers off me every now and then

 

ask questions and talk to other players/ parents

My son plays for the SBA Canes and couldnt be happier. He works very hard and loves the coaching Jeff Shore, Jake Robbins, Rafael Mendez, JD Vidale to name a few.

another great group is Charlotte Stealth and Mike Gardiner.

I would encourage all to do their homework. There are lots of choices, some big, some small, some passionate, some a business, ask lots of questions. What are you sons goals? have fun? play in a college anywhere? play at a D1 school? focus on studies and play showcase ball because he loves the game?

It can get extremely expensive...trips to Jupiter, east cobb, you can easily spend $8000 for summer/fall when you add up program fees and travel costs......

 

That $8,000. figure is no joke. I know 1 parent who spent that much two summers in a row.

 

Tough not to worry

I like LowandSlow's contrast & comparison of Legion and Showcase. Ah....now we get into some interesting worthwhile discussion topics.

Let’s take Sumter SC, so as to not ruffle any NC feathers. I can name 5 MLB draft picks from Sumter’s P-15 legion program off the top of my head. So you can say: tradition (check), several D1/MLB pitchers and outfielders (check), quality coaching (check), terrific ballpark, and supportive fans (check and check).

However, what if you are geographically constrained and local legion program has none of these. No tradition, no coaching development, no great field, no fans to speak of, no competition....and you are financially constrained; your pockets aren’t too deep. But your son loves the game, shows some promise.

That’s where I find my son in Charlotte. Looking at a legion with no tradition, a HS that’s never been a top program, and Showcase (with all the politics and scores to settle)…. pondering his future. So, I think "agaluknow" has a legitimate group of questions summarized as.... "How do you decide?" And “where do you spend your doe-ray-me?”

It's a tough question for sure.
• Which showcases develop? And can assess talent?
• Which showcases have higher costs?
• Which showcases have close ties with scouts or schools?
• Which have HS coaches saying “play here or else?” (some showcase & legion coaches use pressure tactics)
• Which are approachable about concerns? (i.e., over-promise or pigeon-hole players)
• Which showcases go to WWB? (some don’t)

All I can say is…. it worries me.

Here's an eye-opener. And a silver lining. For those of you looking at HS, Legion, and Showcase as the final ship leaving the harbor. Parents might be thinking…. "Better get on board now or it's over." Let me suggest that it's NOT OVER when they graduate HS and play their last legion or Showcase event. I spoke recently with a D1 JUCO pitching coach. His #1 pitcher was throwing mid-80s when he reported as a freshman. A local kid. Played legion. Now he's throwing mid-90's as a college sophomore and has a scholarship from an SEC university. The team has 3 other pitchers committing to similar D1 schools. Does anybody care to guess how many High School innings the #1 pitcher pitched logged? About 13. Showcase...zero. But he kept working, kept improving, kept taking care of his body and arm. Landed in the right program. It also helps he had a good frame to go with his work ethic.

So, what’s the message? Think long term.
(It’s hard to keep from worrying though. Pretty dang hard.)

 

Post15fan

Reading your post about a JUCO freshman throwing mid 80's and 1 year later mid-90's? Its known that with the right workout and strength program a pitcher can increase their velocity 2-4 mph, but 10. That is hard to believe. If that is the case the person responsible for working with this kid can make alot of money and history as well!!

 

True....but it does happen. In most cases, the kid obtained a tremendous growth spurt--going from 5'11" 160 lbs to 6'3" 215 lbs. My son was a beanpole in HS (maybe weighed 165-70 in HS)...his soph year he was 235. Of course, being 6'6" didn't hurt. I won't mention names, but there are a few kids off the top of my head that increased their velocity 8-10 mph in a year or two, but I agree: Most will find a 2-4 mph difference and that's a marked improvement.

I've also seen the other side where a kid actually lost velocity (or chose to) in college, but in most cases he became a better pitcher. Robert Woodard fits in that category. Robert was upper 80's and touching 90 in HS. In college, he cruised at 82-84--that was by choice.

 

Since we are speaking in terms of Charlotte, then I have a pretty good feel for the organizations in Charlotte. But before I do, I'd like to mention that for development, there are other places to go that are not part of the showcase scene: Grand Slam for instance. Many great instructors at any position that needs development. And AGUYYOUKNOW is one of the best in our area. HQ4 is another unheralded goldmine. Great instructors, a decent facility and really looks for the player wanting and needing development. "Applejacks" from TBR is one of the best pitching instructors in our area. A former ML pitcher that knows how to relate to kids.

Let's see if I can answer a few of these questions:

• Which showcases develop? On Deck and CBC And can assess talent? All of them can, but can be restrained with their judgement for obvious reasons. Also, SBA are the new kids on the block with a lot of potential. If you put the organizations on a scale, You would have to say that SBA is "hot" and "rising." They have a bright future.

• Which showcases have higher costs? That's tough to say because some include a year long program for development, while others do not.
• Which showcases have close ties with scouts or schools? I assume you mean showcase "team". It's the same ol' same ol'---SCP, OD, CBC
• Which have HS coaches saying “play here or else?” (some showcase & legion coaches use pressure tactics) None in Charlotte. In fact some teams are restricted because of HS coach affiliation. One thing about Charlotte: We have great HS coaches and they don't worry about that kind of thing. If someone tells you different, they are full of bull and listen to too much rumors and gossip.
• Which are approachable about concerns? (i.e., over-promise or pigeon-hole players) All of them are very good. They all have different personalities, but they all share one commonality. They want their players to achieve success (go on to play college baseball.)
• Which showcases go to WWB? (some don’t)The one's I just mentioned.

 

To clarify

CBC and on deck merged a year ago so the are now the same

 

It happens

Velo isn't everything. There's more risk. Over throwing can remove ball movement. But also "slow" does not mean accurate. Try to ride a bicycle with "no hands" really slow, then try it really medium or fast. Which is easier to controls. Ah hah! Slow does not equal control.

Back to Velo. Like Braves says..." it happens." Usually it's not just one factor that unlocks the velo. They may improve functional strength, dynamic balance, they may improve athleticism, flexibility, arm-action fluidity, or they may become more mechanically efficient, better synchronized, or they may develop a better finish that says to their body "it's OK to let it go".

My friend with Chet's Juice says it usually takes 18 - 24 months. His oldest is a LHP and went from 82 to 92+. Several other of his clients have. There is no EASY BUTTON. His kid worked without side by side with Trevor Bauer in Texas and I can tell you, as a dad, he was very proud of his son's maturity and work ethic.

I encourage you to read Andro's posts here on TBR. Good stuff going on at Lander. And if you think it's teenagers growing. You need to check out posts about 5'7" KC Royals reliever Tim Collins. He was 5'5", 135 lbs, low 80's with a good "hook", and a 18" vertical. Now he's not much taller, has a 38" vertical, weighs in at 170, throws mid90's. To your point, yes, it took more than 1 year. Here's one post, but you can google him.

http://www.cresseyperformance.com/2011/09/tim-collins-ties-royals-rookie-reliever-appearance-record/

All that said, i'm still finding my way with my son. He's hardly ever been the fastest thrower on a team. But he's a work in progress. Good Lord willing he'll stay healthy and keep improving.

 

True, but don't they still have the On Deck showcase teams and the CBC teams, although it's headed under OD/CBC? It gets a bit confusing