Fall ball Team Showcases

I can tell you from our experience (didn't play for the Blues, but played against them ALOT!) that at the fall showcases at ISU/Wesleyan, Augustana, Parkside, Valpo, etc., we would only see a handful of coaches - the host team coach, for sure, and occasionally someone from a nearby juco. We were told by the team our son played with that there would be 20-25 coaches at these events - never even came close. There was an occasional coach there who came to see another player, (a couple came to see our son who knew he would be there) but they were usually looking at pitchers and rarely stayed through more than a few innings.

The way it appeared to us was that the host college was bringing the teams to the tournament to see the kids for their own purposes - it made sense that they wouldn't invite their own competition to pick from the same pool of players.

IMO, if you are interested in playing at one of the schools that the fall team is showcasing at, then this is a good way to go. If not, then camps at schools you are interested in might be the better choice.

I agree. It is the same thing I have seen.

I should add there are other benefits to playing for Norwood. I saw some less than complimentary things on another thread about Coach Pildes. I have watched him for a year. My son also played for Coach Matsie. These guys are two great baseball coaches.I think they have similarities in that they teach the game and it's nuances. They hate stupid mistakes. If you play for guys like them, you will learn the game of baseball, and you will win.
Both have been accused over these sites of scheduling teams that aren't in their class to build their records. Some people don't like their style. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. From the outside, I had some problems with Matsie. But when my kid played for him, he was great. He taught the game and made the players better. I see the same thing in Pildes.
If you are playing to get in to college and get exposure, maybe it's not the best place. If you are trying to become a better player, it is an excellent place. Last year's Norwood team had at least 5 D1 players. Kids going to Michigan State, Illinois, Hoffstra, Lehigh,etc. Only two kids were not set up to play college ball. One is going to be a senior, and he is really just hitting his stride. The other is my son who is a junior. So they are getting seen somwhere.
When I say teaching the game, I am not talking about teaching a swing or pitching mechanics. I am talking about learning where to play hitters on certain counts, when to take an inside lead or outside lead on second base, when to take chances on the bases and when to play it safe. They teach how to play the game. I am sure when Matsie had younger guys he did more with fundamentals and mechanics. When my son played for the Longshots, it was mostly strategic stuff. These two guys teach how to win and the records prove it. Again, some will say they schedule inferior competition. Maybe that is because so many teams are inferior because these guys attract top players and always have good teams.

BBD,

You hit it right on the head.

Most of these guys have no idea about Rich.

He is a very good coach.

I think that Pildes gets a bad rap because people that really have no idea what they are talking about , start spreading rumors that he is a bad coach . That couldnt be further from the truth . Yes, he is a stickler at times and will get in a players face once in a while and he is a bit quirky . But none of those things make him a bad coach. Im sure there are players that have left norwood because they didnt like Rich's style ...but heck that goes on with every team . Rich knows the game as well as anyone ...but here is the key ...he knows HOW to explain the game to the kids as well as anyone ive ever been around.