Area Code Invite

My son received one. He is very honored and my wife and I are so proud of him.

Sure would like to hear other people's experience with this, even if it didn't go well.

Thanks.

It's one of the best events out there.  Hopefully, great coaching from your local scouts, great facilities, great competition, great exposure, great weather...Did I mention it was great?

 

Every MLB team will have multiple members of their staff there all week.  The exposure is tremendous.

 

Many of the great names in your age group will be there, sons of ex-major leaguers and plenty of new names worth knowing.  I saw one player a few years ago go from "unknown" to first round draft pick, literally due to this tournament.

 

Have a blast and let us know how it goes.

My son got one as well.  We are very honored and have heard great things abouts this event. Looking forward to it.

Junior attended last year and it was a good experience.  While he had little chance of making team, he enjoyed seeing teammates and former foes.  If your son is a pitcher, be prepared to be intimidated while his bullpen is going on.  Imagine 50+ other pitchers waiting their turn and watching him on the mound, and 50+ coaches and radars staring straight at him from behind home plate on every pitch.  The mental toughness is tested on the very first pitch.  As a "fly on the wall" amongst the throngs, 88+ seemed to be the key number.

 

Never mind the opportunity of making the team.  From what I have heard and witnessed, over 2/3 of players come from south TX.  Most of the top players in north TX are easy to identify.  Focus more on communicating with college coaches and seeing if they will be attending.  There were a lot of college coaches at this event last year.  It is a great opportunity for Dad to get intel while Johnny is on the field.

 

Hey!  You get a cool shirt just for showing up!  Bring water... it's a long, hot day.  All the best!

 

First off, thank you all for the info. Great stuff. Biggerpapi, you sold me. StatMongrel, loved the candid opinion because I feel my son is borderline. I've always tried to not oversell and remain real. He has great things going for him being 6'-3" 200 lbs at 17, but he still looks like a big kid. He's not filled out upperbody wise yet, throwing FB 85. Guess I'm worried if it doesn't go well and/or knowing he'll most likely not hit 88, what then?

Parents and Players, please give your appreciation to the pro scouts who selected your son for the tryout. They are the "unsung" heroes.

 

As the founder of the Area Code games, I traveled to each tryout for 18 years. The pro scouts from various organizations worked together to select the players, little or no politics existed. They are not paid overtime for this extra effort.

Please give thanks!!!

 

We never charged the player for the tryout or the AC games.Many scholarships are granted because of each tryout.

 

Bob

<www.goodwillseries.org>

mj8, I just realized you're at the tryout stage.  Sorry for jumping ahead.  The tryout is a great experience in itself.  All the best local players will be there and there are still plenty of scouts and schools watching.

 

A great honor.  Make the most of it and have fun!

That is true.  The scouts that nominate the players do deserve the credit.  I would like to thank all of them.  I will never go into this thinking my son will make the team.  To much competition.  But the experience is worth the effort.  If junior goes out and wows them, and he makes it, then great, if not it is an experience to cherish.  As a HS coach, having a player nominated is exciting, especially coming from a small school.  Just to have the opportunity is great.  Now he must go perform.

Here, Here!  Our experience was the White Sox guys and they were awesome.

Please don't get focused on making the team. As long has he does his best, that is all you can ask for,  The experience he gains from this event will better prepare him for his most important summer coming up.  As a parent, I was more interested in what colleges were there, get names, and then have Junior follow up with coaches via email - you can usually find email on college baseball roster website, or athletic staff directory.

 

We connected later with a handful of coaches that attended the event.  They won't really talk to Junior at event. Do your research and see what the roster will look like when your son gets to these schools. What positions are opening up when Junior gets there?

 

In the end, last summer was a great time with Junior.  I'm glad he attended the Area Code tryout.  It as a great experience, and the tournaments and travel were life-long memories.  This summer will fly by very quickly - enjoy every minute of it :-)  

 

In the end, my Junior is going to a fantastic college and gets to play baseball.  Now that's a homerun in anyone's book!

StatMogrel,

you hit it on the head

Just to add a little tidbit to the mix.  Have your son concentrate more on speed in every aspect of the game.  Ex: Outfielders throw the first ball to 3rd as hard as possible even over the 3rd basemen's head. They are looking for velocity.  Then throw for accuracy. Also run a great 60 and show great bat speed which leads to pop.  Those are my 2 cents after attending last year's AC and various other showcases, use them wisely.

It is an amazing event.  My son went as a position player and pitcher last year as an incoming Junior hit 88 but didn't make the squad. This year he will go as a P.O.  If pitcher is your sons future I would recommend not trying to go as a position player as well the day is just to long and he will not show as well on the mound.  That said Junior's email account blew up after the event anyway.  I enjoyed just seeing all the talent.

Great post StatMongrel! AC invite can change player only for the better. Follow up with the Coaches afterward and do your research!

Well from the sound of it, the experience of trying out alone can do good to great things for a kid's future.

 

Consultant Bob, I'm honored to have you post a response. Thank you for this event that can surely change kids lives.

 

To the scout(s), we want to thank you for your work, the recognition and the opportunity ahead. Side note - What a flat out cool job you have to be able to affect kid's lives so much for the better. Watch them take flight in this great game because you recognized them and gave them a shot. Talk about a satisfying job regardless of pay. 

 

I hear you StatMongel. My kid is a PO. Many higher VO's are out there. I would not expect him to make the squad and I guess for that reason, I was a bit concerned he could get "written off". However from what others are saying, it seems like the try-out event itself can offer a chance to be recognized and lead to good things even if you aren't qualified to make the squad.

 

Again, we're so very honored to get this opportunity and look foward to it.

 

Any other opinions and/or experience stories out there are welcome. I'm sure others that have received the invite to try-out would like to hear it. Thanks everyone.

Congrats mj 8!

Area Code last year was awesome as it is the only free event where there are so many pro and college scouts watching.  Glad son is going again this year. 

Thanks for all the input from everyone.  I'm curious to hear from the pitcher's side.  Is velocity the only real measurable here?  Will they look at control, off-speed, and "stuff"?  Lots of "power" pitchers out there that have no control, or is that something scouts think they can teach?  Is it just a one bullpen session and you're done?

Speed first then stuff is what I noticed.  Lefties get a break on their speed.  It's one pen and any knowledge they have of you going in Seems to also factor in.

Although the ultimate goal of the Area Code tryout is to make team, very few will.  However, you will get free exposure to numerous pro and college scouts, which you will not get virtually anywhere else.  I did notice that velocity was most important as one of the kids selected from our team throws over 90, hitting 92 at tryout.  The other kid that hit 90 did not make it.

There are four players now in the MLB, who did not make the team in 1998.

The year of Albert and Beckett.

 

Bob

To tread lightly on your question Aleebabba, speed is the only real measure Pro Scouts look for.  Like it has been said in the past, you can't teach speed, but you can teach control. Remember the Great Mitch Williams?  What was his nickname?  That's right, "wild thang".

Awesome event.  Plan on going for college exposure not for making the team.  College exposure is unreal.  Everyone knows you probably wont make it from the north tryout...your odds go down significantly for some reason if you try out in the north.  The south tryout to make it you dont need as many plus tools in my oppinion.  For the North tryout you will need to run sub 6.8, throw 92+ across the diamond and have major power if you want to make it.  Pitchers will need to touch 91+ to make it, and really need to be over 92 if they are a righty.....90-91 if they are a lefty.  I've beent to both tryouts the last 3-4 years.

 

4 out of 23 players made the area code team from the North tryout last year, and its about that same amount every year and fluctuates some years as up to about 1/4 to 1/3 of all players selcted from the north team, and its never 1/2.  1 of those 4 players selected form last year plays summer ball in Houston.  The team is pretty much already selected prior to the event minus a few open spots.  Most of the crosscheckers/scouts involved live in Houston due to close proximity to I-10 (UT,A&M,LSU,UH,Rice,Tulane etc.) so they follow those kids more at this age, thats my theory anyways.

 

Dont fret if you dont make it, there were 5-6 kids drafted in the top 5 rounds last year who werent selected from the north tryout.  There will be approximately 5 more from the north tryouts this year who will be drafted in top 5 rounds who wont didnt get picked come june.

 

Overall top event in the summer time. 

 

Last years team.

Tres Barrera	C	Sharyland (Mission, Texas)	2013
Cole Bedford	C	Deer Park (Deer Park, Texas)	2014
Cavan Biggio	INF	St. Thomas (Houston, Texas)	2013
Ryan Burnett	LHP	The Woodlands (The Woodlands, Texas)	2013
Nicholas Buckner	OF	Northshore (Houston, Texas)	2013
Kacy Clemens	RHP	Memorial (Houston, Texas)	2013
Andrew Dunlap	C	Westbury Christian (Houston, Texas)	2013
Eric Garza	INF	MacArthur (San Antonio, Texas)	2013
Brandon Gilson	LHP	Prosper (Prosper, Texas)	2013
Michael Kopech	RHP	Mt. Pleasant (Mt. Pleasant, Texas)	2014
Garrett Luna	INF	Magnolia (Magnolia, Texas)	2013
Jon Malmin	LHP	Troy (Troy, Texas)	2013
Stone Garrett	OF	George Ranch (Richmond, Texas)	2014
Casey Meisner	RHP	Cy-Woods (Cypress, Texas)	2013
Sheldon Neuse	RHP/INF	Fossil Ridge (Fort Worth, Texas)	2013
Casey Shane	RHP	Centennial (Burleson, Texas)	2013
Darryn Sheppard	OF	Dulles (Sugar Land, Texas)	2013
Corey Simpson	1B/C	Sweeny (Sweeny, Texas)	2013
Kohl Stewart	RHP	St. Pius (Houston, Texas)	2013
Dominic Taccolini	RHP	Kempner (Sugar Land, Texas)	2013
Ryne Birk	INF	Seven Lakes (Katy, Texas)	2013
Cody Thomas	OF	Colleyville Heritage (Colleyville, Texas)	2013
Garrett Williams	LHP	Calvary Baptist (Shreveport, La.)	2013

 

 

HSBaseballCoach;

Texas and Louisiana has a great surplus of talent for the AC tryouts. Over 60 college coaches attended the tryouts each year. For this reason, I attended all tryouts for 17 years to evaluate the players who may have been "overlooked" by the professional scouts.

 

I tried to "out scout" the scouts and 42 MLB players are result of my listening and observing.

 

Bob

<www.goodwillseries.org>

Love to see garrett Williams still going strong. He was the amazing lhp from the Lubbock team that played in the little league World Series back in 2007.

I am curious, what "listening" was most helpful?

Aleebaba;

 

During the tryouts I talked with the pro scouts and college coaches to learn which players they liked. After the tryouts when the Rangers GM provide me his final roster, I checked my notes on the players who did not make the team and placed on our 900 team.

 

This would resulted for a very strong team as I selected from 8 tryouts West to East USA.

 

From the best players in the AC games, we selected our American National Team to play the Japan, Korea and Australia National teams in our Goodwill Series events.

 

Bob

Goodwill Series [1983-2013]

Should parents go to this with the full expectation of interacting with the coaches and scouts to determine any possible interest or is it a "don't call us we will call you" type of approach?

Neither. You observe and do not compare your son with another player.

"Listen and observe". Try to learn how to scout. Walk in the shoes of a pro scout or college coach.

 

Bob

Without sounding completely clueless, how does a player get invited to the tryouts?  I see the roster is mostly seniors with a few juniors.  Is it HS coach nomination, tournament scouting, something else altogether?

CanyonsMom;

a pro scout refers you to the Rangers scouts. You can complete a profile on the web page.

Bob

Stupid question here.  Is there a protocol for what to or not to wear - i.e. high school/summer team top/hat, or does any of that matter?

It is not what he wears, it is how he respects the uniform and the game.

 

Bob

       
       



Coach Williams,
Will you be at the north tryout this year?

Unfortunately, I now prepare our teams for travel to Australia in December.

We are hosting teams from Australia and New Zealand in June and July.

 

Bob

WOW just found this thread and after reading it I feel my son may be over his head a bit or just a year or so too young. Last night we got the invite. Not really sure which Scout recommended him but it may have been Lee from the Reds. Anyway he is a 2015 LHP who tops out at only 85. Great command and ball movement on all his pitches. Pitches very well vs. Top talent. Got a win vs. Blue Jays Scout team in Jupiter at PG which I think may have spawned this. All that said it sounds like 90+ is the key. We are excited about the opportunity, I am very proud that he got invited, we will make the absolute very best of the day and just have fun and enjoy.

So now that it's over in the North, what do you think? 

We just got home from Allentown PA. Reality is he not going to make the team as a 2015 grad BUT it was Great experience, great exposure (over 100 colleges and every MLB team) and he will have a huge leg up in the coming years AND  its was FREE! Certainly a MUST do for anyone invited. Coming off a summer where his last game pitched for HS was 4/3 due to injury and only  started throwing a couple weeks ago he did very well. His Velo is still down a bit, he hit 85 but stayed mostly around 82. His change and curve ball were working really really good so hopefully that will get him some attention as a lefty. Hardest righty was at 93, hardest lefty was at 87. Most kids were a couple years older as he is 16 yo so comparably I think he was respectable. Big 10 coach jestered " I am a big fan of your son" as we walked by. Reds scout gave him the follow card.

Anybody do well Area Code? I know some kids have raised eval significantly just off 60 time