14u commits

We've all been there and seen it.   Some kids act like kids, and some kids act like adults at 14 years old.   

More importantly, I'd like to know what their future (verbally committed) college coaches were thinking when they turned on PG TV (or were in the stands) and saw their recruit acting like a jack*ss.  Not a good look for the program.

JMO.

My son's school had a RHP who committed when he was 14. When it got to senior year, they tweeted that they had "mutually agreed the school was no longer a good fit." I've always suspected a scenario like what you describe.

I’d always thought 8^th grade recruits ridiculous – especially since my son, a late bloomer went the Juco route. However, this thread had me thinking about the Houston Banditos 11U/12U teams of 2006/2007. My son was a year younger, but these teams were legend when my son was in 10U/11U. Here’s the 12U’s USSSA’s page: 12U Banditos Black

Of the 14 players on the roster, 8 made pro ball with 3 logging MLB time. 13 of the 14 players played college and/or pro ball. The central Texas 12U team pulled players from as far away as California, (there may have been private jets involved) but still that’s some amazing youth recruiting.

@JucoDad posted:

I’d always thought 8^th grade recruits ridiculous – especially since my son, a late bloomer went the Juco route. However, this thread had me thinking about the Houston Banditos 11U/12U teams of 2006/2007. My son was a year younger, but these teams were legend when my son was in 10U/11U. Here’s the 12U’s USSSA’s page: 12U Banditos Black

Of the 14 players on the roster, 8 made pro ball with 3 logging MLB time. 13 of the 14 players played college and/or pro ball. The central Texas 12U team pulled players from as far away as California, (there may have been private jets involved) but still that’s some amazing youth recruiting.

Oh, yes.  They were legendary.  Oldest son played against the Banditos a few times.  I've also heard the private jet story, and wondered if that was fact or fiction.

@JucoDad posted:

I’d always thought 8^th grade recruits ridiculous – especially since my son, a late bloomer went the Juco route. However, this thread had me thinking about the Houston Banditos 11U/12U teams of 2006/2007. My son was a year younger, but these teams were legend when my son was in 10U/11U. Here’s the 12U’s USSSA’s page: 12U Banditos Black

Of the 14 players on the roster, 8 made pro ball with 3 logging MLB time. 13 of the 14 players played college and/or pro ball. The central Texas 12U team pulled players from as far away as California, (there may have been private jets involved) but still that’s some amazing youth recruiting.

That is awesome.  68-1 overall record.  Crazy.  And it looks like the vast majority of the games were shutouts.  

@TexasLefty posted:

That is awesome.  68-1 overall record.  Crazy.  And it looks like the vast majority of the games were shutouts.  

Any team going 68-1 should be playing up a level. Winning a lot of lopsided games doesn’t help players develop.

After 14u I decided our team only had three other legitimate competitions in most tournaments. We smoked two if not all three of our pool competition.

I moved the team up to 16u when the kids were fifteen. It was the equivalent of high school ball without the 17u studs. It prepared a bunch of freshmen to make varsity the following year.

We did play in a 17u tournament that fall. We faced a future ACC commit. He no hit us for five innings. I can still picture one of our hitters walking back to the dugout mumbling, “That was some nasty sh*t!”

100% agree that a team winning that much should be playing up.  They aren’t developing enough at all if they are winning that much

From my Kid’s age/class there was a team like that.  There is exactly one of those players in D1 now, and he’s at a mid major

There is an urban legend story in Texas about the Banditos. The theory is that the organization was formed as a way to launder money for the Bandidos motorcycle gang, which used to be based out of a small town just north of Galveston. When a gunfight broke out in a Twin Peaks parking lot in Waco (about 10 years ago) that involved members of the Bandidos it was rumored that it was a travel ball turf war. It seems incredulous but so many seemingly unbelievable things have turned out to be true that I guess it’s possible.

@adbono posted:

There is an urban legend story in Texas about the Banditos. The theory is that the organization was formed as a way to launder money for the Bandidos motorcycle gang, which used to be based out of a small town just north of Galveston. When a gunfight broke out in a Twin Peaks parking lot in Waco (about 10 years ago) that involved members of the Bandidos it was rumored that it was a travel ball turf war. It seems incredulous but so many seemingly unbelievable things have turned out to be true that I guess it’s possible.

Our youth baseball journey has had the Banditos organization on the periphery all the way through HS. I'm fairly certain that they're not affiliated with the motorcycle gang or the Twin Peaks Waco thing. I know there are stories surrounding the Deleon brothers (I have some of my own), but all I'll say is they treated my son well whenever our paths crossed.

The manager/parent of 12U team referenced is a very well know oil and gas senior executive and board member. It's highly likely his jet was used for player transport, but he wasn't the only parent on the team that owned a private jet. It's also rumored the manager/parent was/is the major investor in the Banditos organization.

I always liked when the kid's team played against the Banditos, it was good baseball with a bit of an edge.