Showcase Baseball... too many teams???

300 Scouts

The reason so many Scouts are there at the same site (at the same time) is because PG has done the leg work for them in putting a large collection of the legitimate talent in front of them in one location. If this "expansion" continues they'll have to differentiate between levels of play like USSSA and AAU do or risk losing the following of the very recruiters and scouts it was designed to attract in the first place.

Then you'll have a 17U team claiming they are World Series Champions only to discover later that they are actually just the "points" leaders of the AA Division in Eastern Idaho just like they do all the time at the 9U-12U ages. If you have enough leagues and tournaments everyone can be World Champs!

I know I'm going to get that "standard" chuckle out of D'Backs here but............this is right out of the old "No Child Left Behind" handbook. Every child should have his name on his back (and hat, glove and shoes) and every child should have the experience of being crowned World Champion.

And that Dad/Coach that was described in an earlier post as having a "bucket of balls and a checkbook" will have his son's number on his hat too! and Mom will have a shirt that has ........ #13's Mom printed on the front.

You guys are scaring the hell out of me. I was looking forward to leaving this behind! And now you're telling me that it could be here to stay?

How's that for a RANT Braves?

 

Do you guys remember?

The points system that AAU used for seeding purposes for the state tourney? It was based on how you finished in their tourneys. The more you played in the better your point score was etc etc. Then they came out with D-1 and D-2 levels of play. On and on we go. College coaches could careless who wins these games. They just want to see as many prospects as possible at one particular location. As the level of the players decreases and the amount of players increases there will be changes both by the competitive showcase teams and the college coaches themselves. Look for it because it will happen. You will see select tourneys where you will have certain teams playing and then you will see open tourneys where everyone is allowed to play. Then we will hear how kids are not getting the same fair shot as the other kids. You know its going to happen.

 

Invite Only?

Coach,
Invite Only isn't all bad. At least you won't lose the following of recruiters and scouts.

 

Im not against it

Im not against the idea. I was just saying that is what I believe will eventually happen.

 

Legion baseball is where it is at showcase is about done

 

Invite Only is Here Already

Impact already does some of its by invite and the others are close to that because they fill up with the known teams early. On Deck's Fall Tournaments probably take only teams they know and then you have invite onlys at Clemson, SC etc that are Diamond Devils tourn. It'll fall on the tourn organizers as that's the only way it could work to keep coaches and scouts interested.

 

Explain? How is showcase ball about done with?

 

It may get watered down but I see it continiuing to grow. It's a free country. I also see it here to stay for a while because it is so convenient for scouts.

I'm just Ok with invite only. I prefer qualifying to get in some events. If you show you can play on the field then you deserve a chance to play the events. Make it about performance, not pedigree.

 

I agree with this that INVITE ONLY will become more popular... Especially among the more established programs such as IMPACT, ON DECK, THE COPPERHEADS, etc.... The invited teams will most likely consist of teams that college coaches are either familiar with the coach or there are many top prospects on it...

 

I do agree that invite is the only way to go with the tournaments. You don't want a scrub team coming in there and not having near the talent to handle the top teams around the Carolinas. College coaches don't come to see a daddy team play a top team. On Deck against the Carolina Cubs or Impact versus Jim Bob's Little Sluggers, which has more appeal to a college coach? I do agree its good for kids to get out there and try to improve themselves, but they need a league for themselves and play each other and the team that wins that can get the chance to battle the top teams.