Where Do Great Baseball Players Come From?
Posted on | June 25, 2009 | 2 Comments
Great Baseball Players “CAN” Come From Any State Or Region. But… I believe that the kids from up north…where the cold winds blow many months of the year, will have to work harder and smarter than their southern and warmer-weather counterparts. It may even cost a family more money due to the long distance travel, especially as players get older, say age 14.
I know a scouting director who even passed on Derek Jeter, in part due to his being a Michigan kid! And he loved the kid, his family, his skills and his make up… Go figure! But, it happens.
Some Examples Here’s an example of potential competition that a frozen state kid faces (remember, all teams in each area have the same weather, right?) If a 12 year old travel ball player in Florida has his 1st game of the spring season January 15, that same player would start around mid- late February in Georgia… just one state away. How about that same player in New Jersey? maybe April 1…if there’s no snow on the ground from a late storm?
Now that’s tough.
Try this one…when my son’s college ballclub headed to Florida from Tennessee, they had already played 12 games and teams from their conference in Texas had played 18. Yet some teams they matched up with were playing their 1st game of the season…right there in Florida!
One coach from Illinois (who’s team hit the snot off the ball in their opening game) shook his head in amazement at how well they did hit. He told me that no practices had included live hitting on the field until that very game!
So, can you win if you are at this disadvantage? Absolutely…but we are talking about averages and odds…and it is just tougher with this disadvantage.
But you know who tends NOT to have a disadvantage? Pitchers! They can get their work in in the gym…it doesn’t seem to be a big difference-maker!
The Inaugural Under Armour All America Baseball Game was held at Wrigley Field last August. 36 rising High School seniors were chosen out of the 450,.000 HS players across the country.
1 player came from each of the following cold weather states/provinces:
Canada, New Jersey, Washington, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Utah, Maryland, N. California.
The other 27 were from below the Mason-Dixon Line… the South and the deep South!
The College World Series On the college level, there are great programs in all size schools in all parts of the country but when you get to the big schools in Division 1 (aka D1)…look at the 8 teams who competed in the College World Series (CWS) that just ended:
 |
LSU | |
 |
Arkansas | |
 |
Virginia | |
 |
Cal St. |
 |
Texas | |
 |
ASU | |
 |
UNC | |
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Southern Miss | |
Since most are state schools, most draw players from their region yet there are still blue chip players on those rosters from up North. So, it can be done but… many yankee players travel south to play at these premium baseball programs, further diluting the northern talent pool.
Is There A Lesson Here? I’d say it is more than an observation but if there is any to be learned is that all players should strive to do their best and find ways to become the best they can be. Its easy to say that you love to play the game but it is the truly honest player who searches inside himself/herself and decides how much they are willing to do… for themselves.
The Great Thing About This Game… is that you get judged everyday so there’s always the chance that it could be your career or your ticket into the college of your dreams, maybe saving your family a ton of money as well.
Its your game, its your fun… so its ultimately your decision.
Remember, everyone plays their last game… some of the best pro players I ever saw never got out of A Ball (one of the lower levels).
You have to earn the right to continue playing each season so please do it to the best of your abilities and keep learning…because this game is played from the neck-up!
And, its a blast to do anything well!
See you next time –Coach JP
BTW: We review and offer great baseball training aids for the next gen of great baseball players at www.baseballtips.com.
Tags: baseball players > indoor baseball training > travel baseball > youth baseball players
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July 8th, 2009 @ 12:25 pm
Coach JP,
No truer words have ever been spoken,Absolutely the best advice any ball player or for that matter coaches, athletes, parents in all sports should take heed to,[PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO,]practice diligently and constructively on a regular schedule what I call “My minimum, perpetual cycle learning system”which allows a person to learn faster and consistently retain more knowledge, by allowing one to be on and remain on a successful learning curve, My system is very simple, put your practice sessions on a three day time frame”MON,”"WED,”"FRi,”etc. on a day off a day on routine with only two days off at any given time during each cycle week, If a person chooses to one can work out on the off days also, I use this minimum type system for lessons and charge accordingly, which encourages more regular coach,student contact, teaching and learning time,I certainly am not for these indoor systems of charging 35to50 dollars per. half hr.once per. wk. with no price adjustment to encourage more regular perpetual retaineable learning curve time, taking one 30 minute lesson per. week is a total waste of time and money without regular assistance in between lessons, too many people attempt to be their own coach or their parents attempt to futilely do so and all they do is tinker, change this, change that and accomplish absolutely nothing except getting everything all confused more so than before.
I also firmly believe that parents,players and coaches in particular need to get their heads out of their buns and eliminate some of the games and/or tournament play and get back to some good old fashion almost forgotten practice sessions and get to work on their game and individual skills and get back to learning how to play the game of baseball how it was originally invented to be played,you simply cannot do so by playing only without practice,I mentioned this to a parent and he said,well, they all want to win,a totally asanine statement in my opinion,so called coaches are lazy and they totally lack the most important coaching aspect of all,[THE TEACHING ASPECT]before one comes even close to becoming a good coach one must first learn how to teach his/her athletes at least basically what they need to accomplish in their quest to becoming successful within their sport,again your comments hit the nose right on the nose, all who read your comments, [TAKE NOTICE AND ACT POSITIVELY TO THEM].
Enough said.
Don Ervin
kom_ervin@yahoo.com
July 15th, 2009 @ 8:58 am
Good stuff Don!
Many thanks for your even finding my blog.
Hope you will continue to preach your words of encouragement and experience.
Too much play and not the practice reinforcement that it takes on a weekly basis sure leads to some shortened career-paths either through injury or a lack of rapid improvement.
Too many talented kids think they will make it just because they are better than their team mates.
Some of the best talent I ever saw never got out of A-Ball.
Just had one of my HS kids get released from Rookie ball after 2 seasons…and he’s better than that! Now, who wants a kid who’s been cut from Rookie Ball…doesn’t say much to the other 29 pro teams though I have actually chided a Blue Jays scout into taking a look at him in Arizona this fall… and that longshot is simply “a look” & due to my personal interest and connections.
Dads just have to “get it”… this kid needs something he may or may not have gotten along the way…I’d never want to leave that to chance for my own… but I cannot help more than the isolated case so…maybe with some rants and raves from you..and i…we can find and help a few more of these kids
Who knows, maybe you’d be interested in contributing some articles for us to publish?
The pays sucks…we don’t…but the recognition is certainly there.
OUR NEWSLETTER:
http://baseballtips.com/newsletter/index.html
We publish a newsletter 1 time per week most of the year…every other week at this true off season.
We then place the best of these articles on our site for kids and coaches to see. It is free of charge and is my “gove back” to the baseball community.
After all and especially in this economy…there are lots of dads of talented ballplayers who cannot afford a pitching machine or other tool for their own right now…so why shouldn’t they get some free knowledge until times improve.
My email is coach@baseballtips.com if you’d have interest in discussing further.
Coach JP