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Reply to "Showball Showcase Camps"

A former pro that worked with my son in the past said something to me years ago that has stuck with me.  “It’s not enough to be good.  At the higher levels of baseball, everyone is good.  You have to be good and you have to be lucky.”  


My kid will turn 16 the week before his junior year of high school.  He’s undersized for his primary position and while all of his metrics are good, none of those scouted are exceptional.  The one metric that doesn’t fit nicely into a box is drive.  

Yesterday was supposed to be an easy day.  A little arm care and a bullpen.  In and out and on our way.  His trainer asked if he would be willing to catch a pen for one of his college guys.  That turned into two hours of lives with a bunch of his college guys in a non air conditioned warehouse in the Florida summer heat.  Then he did his pitching work and as we were about to leave, a couple of pitchers came in to do their training.  He asked if he could stay to get some more receiving work and catch them.  I left to find air conditioning and food for us both.  When I retuned I quickly ushered him out before anyone else came in. One hour of work turned into six. This is not the exception, this is the norm for my son.  He’s working his butt off to be good.  Now I’m in search for places where my son might get lucky.

If I’m a coach and my livelihood is dependent upon production, I too would probably go for the kid that hits 105 off a tee or throws 92 off the bump, but I have to believe that somewhere there is still value in the kid that will sacrifice everything to help his team win.  We don’t need buyin from everyone.  A lot of baseball is played between 105 and 92.  

This forum offers little value to the sure fire D1 or draft pick, but it offers a ton for the kid on the bubble of playing his last game of organized baseball his senior year of high school.

My first post on this site was met with a lot of criticism after my sons freshman year.  Fast forward a year later and he was named second team all county and defensive player of the year by his high school as a sophomore.  Not a huge deal, but it’s a start.  Meanwhile, his former coach was investigated for ethics violations and the use of racial slurs from what I hear.  I would just caution against too much editorializing.  We all know how hard and what a privilege it is to be part of the 6%.

My son has been given the green light to explore options for college baseball by people that know him well and that I trust.  Now I’m just looking for opportunities where my son might get lucky.  

I know that there are zero college scouts sitting on my couch or attending Thursday morning games at PG tournaments.  If you have any ideas or experiences that may prove helpful, they would be appreciated.  

Thanks again to all that have provided insight into your son’s experiences.  I truly appreciate it.  I’ll look into them to see if they are a fit.  

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