Reply to "Top 10 events for scouting by college coaches"

PGStaff posted:

So should all those great baseball players be kept a secret from everyone other than those that need to know?  How about those that want to know?  What about those that would like to watch the best HS players?  What is wrong with promoting the game of baseball at the amateur level?  Why do they televise other baseball games, those that need to know the players already know them.  It's baseball played by many of the most talented HS players and future first round picks. Why would anyone want to watch that?  Why do 300 MLB scouts attend the game every year if they already know.everything about these kids that they need to know.

I will answer your questions from my perspective, PG Staff. Please understand that this is my opinion only and that I'm not being critical of PG per se, just supporting my claim that while there are many great events for HS baseball players to be seen at, the top PG invitation only and/or televise events are not something that have an impact on 99.99% of the kids who are seeking to play at the collegiate level. There is no doubt PG events draw a crowd, but that crowd has narrow focus.

1. So should all those great baseball players be kept a secret from everyone other than those that need to know? Great baseball players at those events that are invitation only and/or televised are not a secret from anyone who needs to know. Like you have said on here MANY times, if PG finds a player that you think is great, you spread the word. If someone else finds them first, you hear about them and get eyes on them somehow to evaluate them. I would argue that few, if any, players who are of that caliber aren't on the radar of someone at the D1 or MLB level already. Those players are the worst kept secret, if they are kept a secret. Can't tell you how many times we have seen Hunter Green, Kumar Rocker in the media, on your PG website. Those kids don't need more exposure. They get plenty. I see tweets from PG once in a while promoting a kid who isn't committed. That is helpful, but if you look at the "effort" made to promote a kid who needs the promotion compared to one that doesn't, it's a haves and have-nots comparison.

2. "How about those who want to know?" Well, I have no direct response to that because I don't know who audience that might be in your mind. Other kids? Parents? Coaches at collegiate and pro levels? Not sure what this has to do with anything. Those who want to know will find out.

3. What about those that would like to watch the best HS players? I can only speak for myself, but watching some of these events are only interesting if you know a kid in them. We have known several who have played in some of your top events and the All American Classic, and have attended the All American Classic on occasions from 2010 until now when we knew people in it. Yes, there are some great baseball players in those events. I will say this, and please don't take it the wrong way, but the event is a little over the top and a lot of the antics on the field with the players during the event are dare I say braggadocios. That is just my opinion, but I think that particular event for me, as a spectator, gets a little over the top. Been to the event many times, it draws a large crowd of coaches and scouts, more radar guns behind home plate than at a motorcycle cop convention. But the fan base isn't there from a pure spectator view. Again, witnessed this event personally MANY times, it draws maybe 1000-2000 true "spectators" who aren't coaches or scouts.

4. What is wrong with promoting the game of baseball at the amateur level? Nothing, and I think the game is doing great. But you are a business, not an amateur baseball entity like USA Baseball. Would you ever consider televising an event, in the name of amateur baseball promotion, and not having the words "Perfect Game" or the branding of PG in the broadcast at all? I doubt it, because television and radio, and to a large degree the Internet, are vehicles made for advertising. I'm not trying to argue with you, I just would hope you could call it what it is, ""promoting amateur baseball" is a marketing vehicle for your brand. You are going to reply saying "I like how people think they know why we conduct our business the way they do" but we didn't fall off the turnip truck. 

5. Why do they televise other baseball games, those that need to know the players already know them. ?

Professional baseball at any level is televised because live sports broadcasting is the most lucrative programming for television and radio, and again I will throw in web-based broadcasting, hands down. Companies pay a premium rate to advertise during live sporting events for a reason, because people like to watch these events live, not recorded. The broadcasters have a product (sporting event, in this case a baseball game) in which advertisers pay them $$$ to promote their products to a captive audience. Your events, as great as they may be, likely don't generate the premium advertising dollars that a professional sport does because the audience is not as wide. So, from my perspective, the driving factor for PG or an organization like PG to pursue television broadcast of their events is not for the exposure of the players, heck that doesn't even factor into my variables except that PG is HOPING to gain from these amateur players participating in the event to draw more of an audience. Instead the motivation is really branding and promotion of the brand. Again, my opinion, but you have mentioned on here many times how much $$$ PG spends (or even loses) to host these events. Why would any business spend money promoting a game/players at any level from tournaments to the "pay to play" showcases to the invitation only events, especially televised events? Branding and securing their place in the market. Your company has done a great job of that, you should be proud - really.

6. It's baseball played by many of the most talented HS players and future first round picks. Why would anyone want to watch that?  Why do 300 MLB scouts attend the game every year if they already know everything about these kids that they need to know. Again, not picking a fight with you, but I contend that those who want/need to know about players have their resources (including PG) to find the information they need. Why do 300 scouts attend the game every year? Because their job is on the line to find talent and it is assembled conveniently for them. I am sure that PG is single-handedly responsible for reducing the travel budgets for every college and professional baseball team in the US, without exception. In fact, you probably could charge them for admission to your events and they would pay...because they are still saving $$$ based on your events aggregating talent in one location. Do you charge coaches/scouts admission at PG events? I know I pay to see my kid play...but again, I defer to my answer in #3 above, the level of interest in high profile high school events has a niche audience consisting of college coaches, professional baseball scouts/organizations...and organizations like Perfect Game. I will do you a favor, I will have a friend who is attending the next All American Classic at Petco (I will be out of town) take some picture of the crowd and we can see the level of interest. But I can break down the demographics for you based on my own attendance at several of these events:

- 20% college coaches and/or professional baseball affiliated scouts

- 20% families of the players who are rostered for the event

- 30% local travel baseball teams aged 9U-14U

- 10% parents who drove the above mentioned 30%

- 10% people who got some tickets and will go see baseball at Petco regardless who is playing

- 10% PG employees

Again, PG Staff, I am not trying to rip Perfect Game. It's a great organization that has become the main event for pretty much every high school player who aspires to play at the next level. Your events draw the best talent. But as far as promoting deserving kids, I will again say Hunter Green and that caliber player don't need your help in their senior year of HS. The players PG could benefit the most are those kids who PG has seen, given PG game grades or ranked nationally and who are not committed. Those are the kids PG can have the biggest impact on and how PG can "win more fans" from those of us who are sometimes a little critical of your perspective of how/why PG does what it does.

Here is one thing I think PG could do to help those kind of players:

- Feature uncommitted prospects who have a minimum level of "7" or "8" when they are Juniors and Seniors These are the kids that need help to get to the next level. Hunter Green didn't need your help or promotion his senior year...these kids do. You have said your whole reason for starting PG was to help kids get to the next level...don't lose focus on who needs that help.

by your definition.