I've been a reader and bystander on hsbaseballweb for some time but now I've joined and have some questions. My son will play Varsity (hopefully) in the spring and will play 16U travel ball. He is pretty good and I've been told by some people that if he keeps on track he should be able to make a good college team. I'd like to help him get some more exposure but don't always have the dollars and time to send him to some of the top showcases.

I am familiar with some of the major showcases such as Perfectgame, Blue/Gray, etc. Locally, there are other people that put on showcases and I'm not sure if they're any good. It seems that every other weekend someone is putting on a 'showcase'.

Some showcase directors have a good reputation - at least among some local high school coaches. Others no one seems to know about - or maybe they are more well known in a different part of town. My question is: What should I look for in a good showcase for my son?

I would assume that whoever is putting on a showcase would do more than just promise to put information up on a webpage and send information to colleges and major league ballclubs. Wouldn't they a) Have collge representatives, at least from local and regional colleges and b) Maybe a few local mlb scouts there, and c) possibly provide some type of written feedback.

Thanks,

Spartanab,
A very good question. Some think a showcase is nothing more than a vehicle to exposure your son to college coaches and pro scouts. They do provide exposure but showcases should be used for more than just that. As a parent YOU need to be able to effectively evaluate your son. Trust me that can be VERY difficult! You need the opinion of informed baseball people to help you make that evaluation. Not unlike selling a home a car (or any product) you become his marketing manager as he goes from hs to college. You need to know what you have in order to effectively market your wares --- in this case your son. Everyone has their house appraised before selling it --- they should do the same with their son. Once you have a good evaluation you can use that evaluation to assist him in making the right decisions on colleges, summer teams, pro vs. college, or even future showcases. The first thing I would look for in a showcase is “reputation”. If the showcase promoter has a good reputation one can assume he is honest. Secondly you should choose a showcase that provides exposure to college coaches that you “predetermine” your son can attend. Small local showcases normally draw local colleges. Next you should look at the geographical location of the showcase. If your son plans to attend college in the Southeast I wouldn’t send him to a showcase in the Northwest. If you are operating on a budget you want to get the most for your dollars spent. Just because a showcase cost more doesn’t necessarily mean it is a good buy for your son. Lastly I would attempt to determine the caliber of the other players that are attending the showcase. Some will argue this but if your son’s talent “fits” at a showcase I think his benefits would be greater. Combine all this together and you can make the best decisions. I might add that while all showcases provide some benefits, many parents spend lots of money for unnecessary and redundant “benefits”. I took my son to two small showcases with plans of attending some larger more expensive showcases and it became evident by the early interest he was getting, his goals would be met without additional showcases. We didn’t attend the “big” showcases. Doing more would have been waste of money in my opinion. I’m different than lots of parents. I looked at showcasing as a business event ----- not an ego trip.
Fungo

Spartanab, you have received some great advice from one of he best people on the board.

Great advice Fungo!

First of all your son has not played varsity ball yet, so there is no reason to be showcasing him anyways right now. As for travel ball, if you got a check book you can play travel ball these days. I would advise sending him to some pro tryout camp first before hitting any showcaxes and get a reality check how good your kid really is. As for showcases there are a many in GA run by colleges. Young Harris College, Middle GA, South Georgia College. Piedmont College, Berry College, GA Tech and others all run HS Showcases.

others running HS showcases in Georgia
Team One
Southeastern Baseball Showcase
Georgia Dugout Club
North Atlanta Extraganza
Perfect Game


As for scouting report on players . I have seen players told exactly what they need to show to at a showcases. Fall way short and the dads are like so do i get invited to this event. CLUELESS.


As for showcases duties. Their goal is to increases exposure to the colleges and MLB scouts for the players. If the players cant play , there is not much anyone can do for player.

As for FUNGO:
Josh got most of his exposure at East Coast Pro Showcase(Rockies) and WWBA World Championship. IT is amazing what happens when you play in front of 400 colleges and MLB scouts, esp if you do well.

Thanks for the feedback.

Additional informtion: My son has played competitive travel ball previously so he has been evaluated against others in his class and performs well. He played Varsity at the end of last season (Called up from JV) and did well defensively and offensively)There are definitely some things he needs to work on.

I am also interested in the skillbuilding component of the showcases and also want to let him see ho much other talent is out there so he can see that he'll need to cotinue to work hard to meet his goals.

Frank - In your opinion are all of the showcases you mention on the up and up and give good exposure. My son is interested in attending school in the Southeast, possibly an ACC team. Some of the showcases you mention are ones that he is considering.

Andy, He did attend East Coast Pro but didn't attend WWBA. Besides, East Coast Pro should not be considered in the showcase mix because of the selection process. East Coast Pro used to be called a "combine". Not sure why it is now called a showcase or what the difference between a combine and a showcase is --- maybe someone with more knowledge could help out here. I will disagree and say the vast majority of my son's exposure came from playing three years for a very good summer team, the 18u Dulin's Dodgers, and by playing against very good teams the likes of East Cobb, Bama Bombers, and Bill Hood etc.

quote:

I am also interested in the skillbuilding component of the showcases

Showcases do not build skills --- they display them.

FUNGO,
Sorry but there is never the amount colleges and MLB scouts(400 plus) at any travel team game as there is at East Coast Pro Showcase. The most I have ever seen at one game 90 college and MLBS at East Cobb and down in WWBA. Plus one big problem at both east cobb and WWBA world champhionship with the exception of the stadium, there is not enough seating for colleges and MLB scouts behind home plate.

And sorry but East Coast Pro Showcase got him on the map.

Can even tell you he ran a 7.4 60 YD. threw 1.91-1.92 and showed warning track power with good batspeed there.

Prince Fielder hit a bunch of balls over the scoreboard in BP.

MLB players
Prince Fielder
Brian Mc Cann
Brandon Moss
to name a few

quote:

Originally posted by spartanab:
Thanks for the feedback.

Additional informtion: My son has played competitive travel ball previously so he has been evaluated against others in his class and performs well. He played Varsity at the end of last season (Called up from JV) and did well defensively and offensively)There are definitely some things he needs to work on.

I am also interested in the skillbuilding component of the showcases and also want to let him see ho much other talent is out there so he can see that he'll need to cotinue to work hard to meet his goals.

Frank - In your opinion are all of the showcases you mention on the up and up and give good exposure. My son is interested in attending school in the Southeast, possibly an ACC team. Some of the showcases you mention are ones that he is considering.

You can also just go to a few high profile showcases and watch what the talent level is.....

Andy, I KNOW East Cost pro is an excellent venue for exposure (probably the best) but I purposely excluded it for the reasons I mentioned earlier. But East Coast Pro is not what put my son on the map. I don't know how else to say it but I happen to be the resident expert it comes to my son's exposure and I know the path he traveled during the recruiting ride.
Fungo

quote:

Originally posted by Fungo:
Andy, I KNOW East Cost pro is an excellent venue for exposure (probably the best)

Fungo, not to change the subject, but since both you and Frank seem to have experience with the East Coast Pro event, I was wondering if either of you also had any experience with the Area Code event. If so, which do you feel would be the most beneficial to a player if he were given the choice of playing in both events? And, if the option were given to play in both events, would you recommend doing so or is playing in both a waist of time and money (travel, hotel, etc.)?

The biggest difference in East Coast Pro and Area Code is East Cost Pro is on the East coast and Area Code on the West coast. East Cost Pro is unique in that there are no try outs, no web site and no “organization” so to speak. Scouts from different MLB teams select the best players in their area (can be multiple states in the eastern US) and create a team that competes against other MLB teams that has done the same. Area Code Games does much the same except there is an organization and they do have Area Code “camps” which are fee based instructions camps open to any high school player. In most cases players wanting to play in the Area Code Games are required to tryout in their region of the US prior to being selected to the games. The games and the tryouts are free but the camps are not. Don't get them confused. One can make a connection between the camps and the games but should not in my opinion. Bob Williams, the founder of Area Code is a frequent poster on the HSBBW so I’m sure Bob can correct my mistakes and answer any questions. Living in the eastern section of the country my son declined the invite to the regional tryouts for Area Code. In his case the regional tryouts were waived with an invite to go directly to the Area Code games. This was also declined only because of the distance and we felt it would be redundant exposure and exposure leaning toward the west coast schools of which he would not attend. Of course professional scouts are in large numbers are at both events. Both events are top drawer and are great exposure and free (just expenses). However if a player is depending on ECP and AC for exposure they could run into a problem if they aren't selected.
Fungo

East Coast Pro Showcase and Area Code Games have the same format, both teams from different areas coached by MLB scouts. Some players get automatic invites and others go through tryouts. And yes some east coast pro showcase teams run tryout camps. It a good way to prevent, so and so got invited because he related to some coach or MLB scout which happens and cant play.

ECPS goes from Illinios to the east coast. Area Code Games draws from the whole country, but alot of players just attend one or the other, because pretty much the same colleges go to both.

Both draw about 400 colleges and MLB scouts.

I think that mentioning these two events, East Coast and Area Codes, in a showcase discussion can be very misleading to those looking for a "normal" showcase. It is like saying the PG Jupiter event is a "normal" tournament which it is not


These events are the "creme de la creme" of their ilk

Sorry TRhit, you're probably right.

Fungo and Frank, thanks for the replies.

Thanks for all of the input. Fungo, some showcases at least say they are instructional, but I agree that even if that is the case it is not the main focus.

I called one tournament director who said his staff consisted entirely of major league scouts, and said that other pro scouts and college programs would be at the showcas. That is what go me wondering about this question. When I asked him for what colleges or pro organizations were represented he never did give a straight answer and talked about how he was going to send the information to hundreds of programs across the country.

That is one showcase I plan to steer clear of.

quote:

When I asked him for what colleges or pro organizations were represented he never did give a straight answer and talked about how he was going to send the information to hundreds of programs across the country.

Isn't that pretty much the standard response regardless of what program it is?

Everytime I've heard people ask that question, I have yet to hear a straight answer or a definite list from the organizer. Maybe I've just been in the wrong place at the wrong time though.

Some showcases will post or publish this information - or at least tell you who was represented and their camp last year. These are mostly showases put on by 'instutitions' - colleges as well as the most well known showcases.

Other showcases seem to use questionable practies - BUT are there year after year (at least for 3 of r4 years, anyway) and they have very good websites publishing what happened to people who attended their camps - seeming to take credit for it. I'm sure some credit might be due. But I agree, I wish they would be straight up about who they expect to be present.

I would just send your kid to a HS Showcase and find out how good he really is.

As for how good any HS Showcase is? What percentage of the players that attend their HS Showcase go on to play college or pro baseball?

Some may not want to see this, but we are actually in the process of doing an article that provides information on the results of the top Showcase type events. I'm fairly certain that the recruiting and scouting world would say the top three showcase type events (not including tournaments) are Area Code, East Coast Pro and Perfect Game National.

Please understand, we had nothing to do with how talented the players are and it is very possible that the players drafted would have been without ever attending any of the three showcases. It simply shows which of the top events the players did attend! Nothing more... Nothing less!

Here are the results from the 2007 draft.

High School Players Drafted from the three top showcases.

First Round Picks
Area Code – 14
East Coast Pro – 12
Perfect Game National – 17

Second Round Picks
Area Code – 8
East Coast Pro – 7
Perfect Game National – 12

Third Round Picks
Area Codes – 3
East Coast Pro – 4
Perfect Game National – 9

Fourth Round Picks
Area Code – 2
East Coast Pro – 3
Perfect Game National – 8

Fifth Round Picks
Area Code – 2
East Coast Pro – 3
Perfect Game National – 3

Sixth Round Picks
Area Code – 0
East Coast Pro – 3
Perfect Game National – 2

Total for top six rounds
Area Code – 29
East Coast Pro – 32
Perfect Game National – 51

BTW, It's been pretty much the same way for the past seven years. It's just that all people don't know it. The MLB Scouting Departments and top colleges do know it, though.

Sorry, if this sounds a bit braggedocious. It's just posted because we work very hard each and every year to find the most talented players in the country.

Everyone, will be able to see the statistics on this and much more when we release the article. The best part is we don't have to stray from the truth!