1st ANNUAL VIRGINIA VS. MARYLAND BATTLE OF THE BEST 40 (for rising Seniors and Juniors)

Ok, $25 for the tryout and then how much to be on the 40 man roster? When will the list of college coaches and scouts be available?

The cost of the 40 man roster is $100 to cover uniform, lunch and field use.  College coaches and scouts will be available mid July.

 

Coach--when scheduling the early July tryout for Richmond and Va. Beach, please be sure to avoid conflicting with the WWBA events and the Commonwealth Games.  Otherwise, you're not going to see many of the top players at all.

So basically it's the Battle of the Best 40.......that try out and pay, not necessarily the actual best 40.

The BEST players are traveling with showcase teams all summer.   This should have been invite only, kinda like PG does for their elite events.    I agree, will be the best that can show up and pay.   Won't see the true BEST 40.

I agree.  All of the actual best will be with their showcase teams.  If you really want the best 40 from each state to play this August, someone really should have started this much earlier.  Especially since this is apparently the first year for this event.  Should have reached out to the elite showcase organizations and high schools to see who should be invited.  A try out can still be done, just by invitation only.

Any info on Maryland try outs?  Thanks!

According to the first post, the game is on August 11th.

 

I may be mistaken, but isn't the summer travel season pretty much over by then?  If so, why all of the hostile comments suggesting that the best in Virginia are going to be so busy?

 

I have checked two different travel organization's websites, both of which truly happen to have some of the best play for them, and the last tournament I saw was for the week of July 27th.  

 

Correction, I have seen another tournament ending August 3rd.  (Still well short of the 11th)

It has more to do with the tryout dates being in the heart of Showcase season and a 1 week lead time. If you really want the "Best" 40 I just don't believe you are going to get them with an open tryout.  The "Best 40" in MD and VA are most likely playing for their teams on the tryout date.

GOHeels, clearly you don't have a son that plays for an elite showcase team.  

Listen, August is typically used as a rest month for those that play non stop Feb-early Aug.   Not saying some won't participate, but tryouts during showcase season is hard to get a lot to.   Most will be traveling to GA for WWBA Nationals, and different colleges every weekend.  Dynamic showcase in July.  Just a lot of ball and a "tryout" just seems like a waste of time with such a late notification.   Not worth the injury risk.    If a kid gets hurt trying out, what does he tell his HS summer coach or showcase coach??   "My bad, was trying out for elite 40 event"??

No thanks.  It needs to be planned more in advance and promoted properly.   Not in a community chat group.

No, I don't have a son that plays travel ball, but he's a monster off the tee!

I don't disagree that more advance notice would be nice.  Also sending out some feelers to travel coaches or high school coaches for recommendations would seem to be a good idea.  I also agree with most of your general messages in that the majority of the Top 40 do, in fact, play travel ball.

 

All I'm saying is that everyone seems to be blasting a coach who's trying to rally some interest and support for a first time event, in the name of "my kid plays travel ball, so we don't have no time for such nonsense!"

 

I think that mindset, in general, is a little shortsighted...that's all.  Otherwise, thank you for educating me on the rigors of travel baseball!

By no means was I downplaying this event.   It's just late in the game.   I'm sure it will be successful and draw very talented young men.   I like...LOVE the concept.   It will get better year after year. 

And I'm not trying to educate anyone, simply stating facts.  Why do so many people take offense to factual, honest posts on here?   Nothing I said was untrue.

PM

Actually, does it always have to be the same kids getting seen over and over again?  I mean, if folks don't know who the top players are by now I am sure at least one author on this sight will be all too glad to inform you!  I would guess that many small to mid-level coaches would love to see the next levels of players since those are the ones they will be able to recruit more so than just the same elite players dominating every single event out there that they have no consistent chance of signing.  I could be wrong here, but I doubt many schools have a reasonable chancel of recruiting most of the elite talents so why would those schools even bother to attend such an event? Perhaps this type of an event could benefit the mid to small level schools and those players who have the ability to play at those levels and I am not sure I see much wrong with such a concept.  As far as an "all-star" type game with the top players from each state playing, it seems that is not likely at this point but, nonetheless, the event could still prove to be an enormous success no?

Everyone has good thoughts on this. Here are the facts. It's a little late in the game to put together 80 top 2015 & 2016's for a tryout in the next couple of weeks and a game in less than 8 weeks. Based on the number of players that play at the top level, they simply will not go to a tryout and the players that do tryout will not be the "Best 40".

I think it's a great concept. I also think that it should not be started in this venue and at this point it should be looked at for a project for August 2015 not August 2014.

With some good planning this could be a good event for many years.

Thanks for saying what I already said.  

Virginia Coach -

 

Best of luck to you.  I hope its a great success.  If its beneficial to the kids & scouts then word will spread and more kids will come next time.

 

You'll find (or maybe already have) that on this website people do not seem to like "new" or "different" events.

 

PerfectGame and many, many others run really good events during August.  I don't hear anyone complaining about those events.  Good luck to you.  

 

Rich

www.PlayInSchool.com/bus_tour

I'm sure many travel team guys would love to be considered.  That's why I'm hoping the tryout is scheduled at a time that's conducive to players getting there.

 

The cost is negligible.  All that griping, I don't agree with any of that.

 

There've been Border Battles before, involving VA/NC/SC teams.  I don't see why we wouldn't welcome a VA/MD scrap.  Should be fun.

What Coach Gjormand is doing here is great for the baseball community, and it is appreciated.

 

Look: the name of the event is part of the packaging, and I don't take it literally. Call it what it is: a group of players from VA and MD who have qualified to play in front of college recruiters.

 

Could it be improved? Sure. I would've recommended that the tryouts be repositioned as combines, where college recruiters would be attending to view the players going through a pro style workout. And then a Top Combine Participants list was created, and those players are subsequently invited to play in a game.

 

But this is Pudge's first foray for this event. And if he manages it the same way he manages his baseball program at Madison, it will be successful (if not now then next year).

Actually, his son DID play for a showcase team.

 

Pudge, please let the EvoShield Canes know how we can help.

There was misunderstanding with my post and GOHeels.  We have ironed that out already.   Too many posts on here are taken the wrong way.....and on the flip side of that, some are written poorly.    I'm guilty of both.   

I will say AGAIN, I think this is a fantastic idea and will be more successful each year.