Some were from areas I would consider "weak" historically...but others were from SoCal, Northern Calif. and Arizona.
JBB, Your original Post was about the Desert Classic.
That's a good fall tournament, Each year seem's to be differant.
Just whomever decide's to sign up. EH
That's a good fall tournament, Each year seem's to be differant.
Just whomever decide's to sign up. EH
quote:Originally posted by theEH:
TR,quote:I think the general overall consensus is that the overall talent pool the last two years has not been as strong as previously.( we are talking '06 and '07 classes )
Not Being involved as heavily in baseball in the year's past,
And not having seen the talent from year's ago, I have to take your word for it TR.
Could you are someone else explain what they don't see in the classes of 06/07.
Is it hitting ability?
Pitching?
Defense?
Overall size of the player's?
Speed?
The number of Talented player's?
If there wasn't any talent in the 06 class, Why did the MLB still draft the same number of draftee's as year's past??
I hear that the June 07 draft may be very heavy with HS prospects.....
WOW, I'm away for a few days and this thread has gone wild.
Yes, I do sometimes think there are too many "travel" teams. We see plenty of good teams at tournaments, but lately we've been seeing more and more that we wonder why they entered, or were admitted into some of the larger tournaments. On the other hand, kinda tough to exclude kids who want to try, I have to admire the desire when it is there.
Written from Ennis, Montana where it was a balmy -1 this morning! BRRRR......
PS As usual, Fungo nailed it with his comments. Well said.
Yes, I do sometimes think there are too many "travel" teams. We see plenty of good teams at tournaments, but lately we've been seeing more and more that we wonder why they entered, or were admitted into some of the larger tournaments. On the other hand, kinda tough to exclude kids who want to try, I have to admire the desire when it is there.
Written from Ennis, Montana where it was a balmy -1 this morning! BRRRR......
PS As usual, Fungo nailed it with his comments. Well said.
Hello;
In the 1987 our travel team, the Chicago Cubs Area Code team was a combination of games and teaching by pro scouts. This team of 16-18 years from Northern California yielded 12 Major League players. Parents were invited to travel at their "risk".
We used wood bats against teams with aluminum
bat. There was no cost to the players or parents.
Today, if I desired to formed a travel team, we would travel from town to town barnstorming playing all teams, any age.
Sleep in the bus, in tents and play baseball and learn. "Baseball should be fun".
Karolyn Rose {Pete's first wife] and I planned this type of journey in 1985. She in her Rolls and my Budget rental van. A combined Ohio and Northern California team.
Learning and playing the game!
Bob Williams
In the 1987 our travel team, the Chicago Cubs Area Code team was a combination of games and teaching by pro scouts. This team of 16-18 years from Northern California yielded 12 Major League players. Parents were invited to travel at their "risk".
We used wood bats against teams with aluminum
bat. There was no cost to the players or parents.
Today, if I desired to formed a travel team, we would travel from town to town barnstorming playing all teams, any age.
Sleep in the bus, in tents and play baseball and learn. "Baseball should be fun".
Karolyn Rose {Pete's first wife] and I planned this type of journey in 1985. She in her Rolls and my Budget rental van. A combined Ohio and Northern California team.
Learning and playing the game!
Bob Williams
Bob, That's what i'm talking about.
Play the Game.
Play all comer's.
Play the game with respect.
The rest will take care of it self.
Learning the game, by playing the game. What a concept.EH
Play the Game.
Play all comer's.
Play the game with respect.
The rest will take care of it self.
Learning the game, by playing the game. What a concept.EH
quote:What about the geographical differences? Maybe some of the lesser teams were from areas that just aren't as good or deep as the Cali boys? Look at the Elite 24 scores. Those were supposedly the top teams so you'd think the scores would be closer. But instead, there were quite a few 12-2, 10-2, 13-1, 15-1 scores. Shoot there was even a 17-4, 19-3, 16-7 and 20-11 score.
Beezer,
My son played both at the Elite 24 and at last week's and last year's Las Vegas tournament. IMO, the depth of the field at Las Vegas simply doesn't compare to the Elite 24. Perhaps 4 or 5 teams at Orlando were over their heads. (Some of the lopside scores you mention are due to the weak teams, but mostly those scores are the result of conserving pitching, or games that just got out of control.)
At Las Vegas, 10 of the teams would beat any of the other 20 teams 90+% of the time.
The other difference in the tournaments is the umpiring: at Orlando the blues were uniformly good; at Las Vegas (for the last two years) the umpires have spanned very good to shockingly bad.
One other consideration-- the Las Vegas tournament comes when many teams have an unsettled roster, and aren't playing to the level they would during the summer.
Teams are attracted to the Las Vegas tournament primarily because of the venue. It's easier to sell parents on the idea of going to Vegas. I own a home in Vegas, and I can tell you the weather is great, the ballparks immaculate, and it's just great fun.
..but if you want a bit higher level of competition, consider the Junior Fall Classic in Peoria.
..but if you want a bit higher level of competition, consider the Junior Fall Classic in Peoria.
quote:In the 1987 our travel team, the Chicago Cubs Area Code team was a combination of games and teaching by pro scouts. This team of 16-18 years from Northern California yielded 12 Major League players. Parents were invited to travel at their "risk".
Bob,
The success you and the '87 team had is the kind of thing that led to the explosion of the travel team phenomena. Let’s say there are 10 travel teams currently in existence in N. Calif trying to emulate what you did in ’87 and that is impossible to do. This is what has happened to travel ball. It is much different today than it was twenty years ago. I think parents visualize great things developing from their investments in their son and his travel team. If memories are the only thing they are looking for then there is no problem but these same parents ignore the fact that college scholarships and draft slots remain the same no matter how many travel teams and showcases there are. With the large number of travel teams that exist today I think 12 MLB players on one team would be unheard of. I would venture to say it's almost impossible to find 12 MLB players coming from one state within two years of each other (your team encompassed two years with the 16 to 18 year old players) and now days each state has DOZENS of travel teams. If you could assemble that 1987 team again (today) I would think you would be the first to critique the lack of depth in the talent of your opponents. In '87 there were too few teams and you were probably able to pick and choose players at will????
Fungo
quote:Originally posted by 3FingeredGlove:
Perhaps 4 or 5 teams at Orlando were over their heads.
Which reinforces my point; even among the best teams, there's disparity at this age.
quote:Originally posted by 3FingeredGlove:
mostly those scores are the result of conserving pitching, or games that just got out of control.)
I figured as much. And that happens at any level of play.
quote:Originally posted by 3FingeredGlove:
One other consideration-- the Las Vegas tournament comes when many teams have an unsettled roster, and aren't playing to the level they would during the summer.
This was exactly one of my comments to JBB.
Fungo;
In 1987, our first year of the Area code games, the pro scouts and I worked together for the end result - "drafting high school players".
Our schedule prior to the Area Code games in 1987 [1st year] provided the scouts the opportunity to observed this group playing together for 40 games. The players were; John Wetteland [Santa Rosa];James Mouton [Concord]; Jim Converse, Todd Malone Andy Fox, Bo Dobson, Fernando Vina [Sacramento];Steve Whitaker [Merced]; Chris *****ett [Modesto]; Todd Priddy & Troy Tallman [Napa] and John Gross [Fresno]. The majority of the players travel as our American team to Japan in 1988.
Today, it would be difficult, however I would add players from Latin America, Australia, China to this Goodwill Series team.
Barnstorming San Francisco to Cooperstown and Washington DC would be "fun"and the players will learn the game. Very little cost to the players.
Our coach is a 6 year pro baseball infielder.
Bob Williams
In 1987, our first year of the Area code games, the pro scouts and I worked together for the end result - "drafting high school players".
Our schedule prior to the Area Code games in 1987 [1st year] provided the scouts the opportunity to observed this group playing together for 40 games. The players were; John Wetteland [Santa Rosa];James Mouton [Concord]; Jim Converse, Todd Malone Andy Fox, Bo Dobson, Fernando Vina [Sacramento];Steve Whitaker [Merced]; Chris *****ett [Modesto]; Todd Priddy & Troy Tallman [Napa] and John Gross [Fresno]. The majority of the players travel as our American team to Japan in 1988.
Today, it would be difficult, however I would add players from Latin America, Australia, China to this Goodwill Series team.
Barnstorming San Francisco to Cooperstown and Washington DC would be "fun"and the players will learn the game. Very little cost to the players.
Our coach is a 6 year pro baseball infielder.
Bob Williams