quote:"I don't think Kevin realized how good he was until probably last year," Lee Angelle said. "After we got beat out in the state tournament, he got asked to try out for the Area Code Games."
Angelle wasn't picked to the final squads that play each summer in a weeklong series of showcase games in California, but his tryouts at the University of Texas and Houston's Minute Maid Park put him on the radar screens for all the pro and college teams.
The last tryout included a talk on the ins and outs of scouting by the scouts.
"That kind of opened my eyes," Lee Angelle said. "Me and Kevin both were busy trying to learn the ins and outs of college scholarships, and not the pro draft and all that other stuff.
"I didn't have any idea that was coming. That's when all this stuff started getting in our head. 'Gosh, he's good enough to go to the pros.'
"I knew he was good, but I didn't realize he had that potential."
Guys, Scouts have to have guys with Tools. Tools play in the big leagues. But it's not just about the Tools. There are alot of things. Instincts for the game, game awareness, poise, Character of the person, Makeup of the person. and YES, their skills and how they play the game. BUT YOU HAVE GOT TO HAVE TOOLS.
The most important season for a high school player is his High School season. NOT his select team season. Maybe if the Select teams would CUT DOWN to say ONLY a 100 games instead of 150. Maybe the kids could get to some of the showcase events. You know there are more HS kids having Tommy John and Labrum surgery than ever before. What really needs to be happening is kids need to practice more, AND NOT in an expensive INDOOR FACILITY. Kids just play games they never THROW A BALL AGAINST THE WALL FOR AN HOUR or PLAY PEPPER. They never practice so their Tools never get better.
The point of the mater is that the Area Code workout allows a scout to SEE ALL the players at one location without having to DRIVE all over Texas. The scout can make comparrisons of players.They can talk to the player. They can look him in the eye and see who has self esteem and who doesn't. They can meet a parent or answer a question.
The scout is the players best friend. He is the salesman for that player with his org. The Agent makes money on the player. The scout gets NOTHING when he signs a player.
The area code is an ALL STAR WEEK of the best high school players in the country. Just like little league and any other league that picks ALL-STARS. It does have WORTH. SLECT BALL is played so SOMEONE can make money. WHAT SELECT BALL SHOULD BE IS AN AVENUE FOR ADULTS TO HELP HIGH SCHOOL KIDS WITH A PASSION FOR BASEBALL GET EVERY OPPROTUNITY TO PLAY IN COLLEGE AT SOME LEVEL AND HELP THEIR PARENTS WITH SOME OF THE COST FOR COLLEGE. Not put a hundred thousnad dollars in the hands of the guy running the select team.