This showcase was a rip-off... almost no scouts...poorly run...felt like i tossed $400 out the window... web site is misleading
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Typo...."Best of New England"
BG has been around a while (>14 yrs).
Lots of prospects (>7000), lots of scholarships,
lots of drafted players (>600), and lot's of showcases (> dozen this year)
I've not had the need to seek Gus's services, (cause I directed the Bear Classic, Fall Showcase, (and probably one of the earliest.....and at zero costs to the player) yet I am sure if you contacted Gus directly,
he would be sensitive to your individual case.
email impactprospects@comcast.net or tele 508-376-1250
Good Luck.
Lots of prospects (>7000), lots of scholarships,
lots of drafted players (>600), and lot's of showcases (> dozen this year)
I've not had the need to seek Gus's services, (cause I directed the Bear Classic, Fall Showcase, (and probably one of the earliest.....and at zero costs to the player) yet I am sure if you contacted Gus directly,
he would be sensitive to your individual case.
email impactprospects@comcast.net or tele 508-376-1250
Good Luck.
My son recently did the Blue-Grey Showcase at Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach, SC
The Stats page for this showcase list 22 College Scouts that were at this event & 5 from MLB Scouting and Teams. I would love to know where they were hiding, I couldn't count more then 10 all weekend (and with 10 I'm being generous) Unless some of the moms were doing double duty. I'm sure I might have missed a few scouts, but I can't imagine I missed that many.
It figured too my son had an awesome weekend and I felt like no one was there to see it.
He finished the 2 games over the weekend:
5 - 7 .714 BA
1- Home Run (he hit it right handed, all other hits were left handed)
1- Triple
3- Singles
3- RBI
4- Runs Scored
1- Stolen Base
I felt like I paid $1,200 (travel and Showcase fee) for 2 pick up games.
I know BG has been around for awhile and has helped a lot of kids. I am not trashing them. This is just how I felt after this event. The event was run well, my only complaint was the lack of Scouts (or should i say visible ones)
The Stats page for this showcase list 22 College Scouts that were at this event & 5 from MLB Scouting and Teams. I would love to know where they were hiding, I couldn't count more then 10 all weekend (and with 10 I'm being generous) Unless some of the moms were doing double duty. I'm sure I might have missed a few scouts, but I can't imagine I missed that many.
It figured too my son had an awesome weekend and I felt like no one was there to see it.
He finished the 2 games over the weekend:
5 - 7 .714 BA
1- Home Run (he hit it right handed, all other hits were left handed)
1- Triple
3- Singles
3- RBI
4- Runs Scored
1- Stolen Base
I felt like I paid $1,200 (travel and Showcase fee) for 2 pick up games.
I know BG has been around for awhile and has helped a lot of kids. I am not trashing them. This is just how I felt after this event. The event was run well, my only complaint was the lack of Scouts (or should i say visible ones)
Where did all the money go? 120 kids at $400/each is $48,000 for two days! This week's event in Lowell was a waste of time and money. We arrived at 12:30 monday and he didn't get on the field until 2:30...the guy hitting showcase couldn't hit the ball hard enough to get it to the outfielders ... it looked like bad Little League... Batting was postponed until the next day. then the game was shortened because as they told the boys: "we don't want to spend the money to turn on the lights". so on the first day, each boy got 5 ground balls and two ABs. On Tuesday, we arrived at 2:00 and didn't get on the field until 4:15. Batting practice was a joke. the old guy throwing could get it to the plate from 20'.
Each "team" had 20 players and they batted through the line up. it was at least 90 minutes between ABs and for the entire event each boy got 4 plate appearances. And because the teams had too many players, boys had to sit out half the innings!
there was no effort to keep anyone involved in anything when they weren't playing...They didn't have access to the batting cages...no ground balls hit during BP, nothing. One coach announced on day two that he was leaving early to catch an airplane.
ONLY two guys in the stands looked like they might be scouts...parents were so upset that on the second day (after the two "real" guys left), the organizers had two other employees sitting in the stands pretending to gun the pitchers. I was sitting behind one that didn't even hit the button on the gun - he just held it up ever other pitch.
so bottom line: Poorly run; too many players; no scouts. Lots of angry parents.
Each "team" had 20 players and they batted through the line up. it was at least 90 minutes between ABs and for the entire event each boy got 4 plate appearances. And because the teams had too many players, boys had to sit out half the innings!
there was no effort to keep anyone involved in anything when they weren't playing...They didn't have access to the batting cages...no ground balls hit during BP, nothing. One coach announced on day two that he was leaving early to catch an airplane.
ONLY two guys in the stands looked like they might be scouts...parents were so upset that on the second day (after the two "real" guys left), the organizers had two other employees sitting in the stands pretending to gun the pitchers. I was sitting behind one that didn't even hit the button on the gun - he just held it up ever other pitch.
so bottom line: Poorly run; too many players; no scouts. Lots of angry parents.
There wasn't a lot of happy parents at the Coastal Carolina Showcase either.
those are great photographs.
not to come off rude or anything but instead of wasting money on a showcase you are not 100% sure about there's one showcase that is obviously above the rest. You can guarantee a high number of scouts at every event and get added onto a nationally renouned database.
1200$ is the price you spent on BG? That's definitely around the price range you'd spend on the number one showcase in the US.
1200$ is the price you spent on BG? That's definitely around the price range you'd spend on the number one showcase in the US.
*Correction. $400 I don't know where I got the "$1200" from.
I took my son to a Blue Gray showcase in TN back in 08. It was a joke. "Extensive batting practice" turned into 2 turns in the batters box with maybe 5 to 10 pitches each ( I do not recall exactly). Ran the 60, took very little infield or outfield. Might have been half a dozen scouts at most and maybe 1 with a radar gun.
The biggest thing they were doing was trying to sign you up to their service and they would send make the video off of video that "you" send them and then send them to "their" college contacts for you. Fees ranged from $400 dollars or so to $1000 or better depending on the level of service you wanted. This was on top of the showcase fee which was $400 or $500.
They may be good somewhere else but this one was ****. The balls they used were cheap, I could squeeze them they were so cheap. I lost a weekend of my life and some money I can not get back. An utter and complete waste of both my time and money.
We managed a scholarship at a small somewhat local college without them. I would advise anyone to go somewhere else if they want to spend money on a showcase.
The biggest thing they were doing was trying to sign you up to their service and they would send make the video off of video that "you" send them and then send them to "their" college contacts for you. Fees ranged from $400 dollars or so to $1000 or better depending on the level of service you wanted. This was on top of the showcase fee which was $400 or $500.
They may be good somewhere else but this one was ****. The balls they used were cheap, I could squeeze them they were so cheap. I lost a weekend of my life and some money I can not get back. An utter and complete waste of both my time and money.
We managed a scholarship at a small somewhat local college without them. I would advise anyone to go somewhere else if they want to spend money on a showcase.
For those who have not felt they got fair value for the time/moeny spent....can I ask what happened when you contacted these folks to discuss it with them?
Not saying you are not correct in what your statemetns, but coming to this (or any other site) and trashing folks is easy.
These people have been doing these showcases for a long time. People who simply are existing to take other people's money usually don't last very long. I would take Bear's advice and get in touch with the operators. Try giving them a call.
Not saying you are not correct in what your statemetns, but coming to this (or any other site) and trashing folks is easy.
These people have been doing these showcases for a long time. People who simply are existing to take other people's money usually don't last very long. I would take Bear's advice and get in touch with the operators. Try giving them a call.
I almost did but thought what good would it do? The only thing that would have done, is possibly make my and my sons name not good if I ticked them off and they spread it around and I was more concerned with him having a chance to play college ball than telling some shyster off. That being said I will not give them a good recommendation to anyone. This is the one and only time I have posted anything about this to anyone.
My advice is to avoid them because it was not as it was portrayed. No where on this earth does extensive batting practice mean 10-20 swings. I did not get what I paid for and that is the bottom line.
My advice is to avoid them because it was not as it was portrayed. No where on this earth does extensive batting practice mean 10-20 swings. I did not get what I paid for and that is the bottom line.
I have heard this from many people about the Blue/Grey Classic. I would call the Director and express your opinions. Maybe things will change for the better.
