I'm not at all surprised. Money has really altered youth baseball into many things other than just a game of baseball. Camps, showcases, travel teams, select teams, affiliations, tournaments, bats, gloves, gimmicks, gadgets, private lessons, lists, rankings, scouting services, and recruiting services all have someone thinking of more ways to make more money and a host of parents willing and actually wanting to spend more money to elevate their son's game to a higher level. It's a hoot!
As I type this post I'm setting in a hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. Youth baseball’s change is much like the change that has happened at Estes Park over the years. At one time a gem of nature with pristine streams and lakes nestled in a valley of summer snow capped peaks. Money has eroded the simplistic beauty of nature into traffic jams, condos, go cart tracks and shops full of souvenirs of Estes Park ---- made in China of course (better profit margins).
Fungo