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I need opinions to from players, coaches, parents, scouts, TRhit-college showcase runners, anyone

What exactly do you think it takes to get to the Major League level of baseball competition? Hard work? God-given ability to hit and crush a ball oevr 400 feet, or to throw a ball 90 MPH with control and a huge curving curveball, the right training? Money to be able to receibe the right training (elite expensive traveling teams, or fitness company memberships, practice or whatever. What does it take. I mean if you think about it, as a centrefielder, you just have to run fast, throw hard and/or accurately, hit well and field well. Running fast means striding far, and striding fast, which I have, both of. I can throw pretty hard, everyone on my college team says so. Accuracy I do need work on, but still I throw hard. Hitting just means making contact with the ball. Hitting ground balls and running them out, or hitting fly balls, deep fly balls (home runs). Fielding could be my worst, my foot work, I can always field a ball smoothly, but coming up and throwing is hard for me. It just needs a little practice, that's all. My footwork isn't habitual. As for God-given I've always been able to run, and work hard, but I've never had the money to play for those expensive scouted tournament teams. So I have speed, hard work mental habits, good arm, willing to learn, and everything a business employer is looking for ( like the ability to learn) ,so why haven't I been signed to a team or offered a contract? What am I mising? What doees is really take to reach the Major Leagues, or even the Minor Leagues?

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a BIG difference"
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Guys

They do not come to you --you have to go to them at the nearest location

Here is the Pirates hot line which carries their tryout info---412-325-4671

Underground

Attend a tryout as recommended
Get all your skills up to snuff

What does it take to get to the 'bigs" ---first things first-- you need to get drafted or signed as a free agent and begin to work your way up the ladder

Have you ever had your talents evaluated?--that is step number one!!!

TRhit
If you have been seen by a scout then contact him and request permission to use his name as a reference.

A word of advice to all-- don't just submit a scouts name just because he was listed as being at the event--- he may have been having coffee etc when you were on the field--- contact any scout you wish to use as a reference.

TRhit
OK OK, I didn't really mean to sound so self-centred. I already know about going to tryouts etc. I've been some to more than a few.
I meant in general. What does it take to reach the Pros in baseball, or in sport? Hard work, committment, determination? I mean of all peopole like me who go to tryouts, why do only a very small few get signed, and all the people who do sign in the world, why do only a few make it to the majors?

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a BIG difference"
UNDERGROUND

MLB tryouts in general are open to the baseball public--if you think you can play you can try out

In truth if there are two "ballplayers" at any such event that is a lot

There are +/- 750 players in the "bigs"--as you can see the odds are against any one player when it comes to making it.

It is a long hard road and it takes a load of talent plus a touch of good luck to make it happen, like being in the right place at the right time.

TRhit
I'm well aware of that, I have a hard enough time hitting a 80MPH 4-seamer, I probably couldn't even foul tick a 90MPH 2-seamer. Ted Williams says its the single most difficult thing to do in sports. I can't even hit a golf ball, even though it doesn't move. But how do they do it in the Majors all the time? I know I have the physical ability, the reflexes, quick hands, I'm athletic, love love to play ball. But there's a reason why I still haven't been signed to a team yet, and I'm trying very hard to find out why. It could just be lack of focus or could be a ton of things that I might not see myself. I'm saying that it sounds so easy, swing a bat, hit a ball, simple! But why isn't it as simple as it sounds? Same with basketball, bounce a ball, and throw it through a hoop, but bouncing with control and getting the ball thru the hoop is extremely difficult. So how do you overcome that difficulty?

..............I know I may sound like I'm worried about my career, but I'm not. Well just a little. Baseball is really the only thing I'm good at. It's my passion, almost the only thing I think about, it's what I daydream about. I've loved baseball more than any person in my life, except maybe my GrandmaSmile I have the athletic ability, the drive and determination, but something's just missing. And I'm trying to find that. And I love getting advice from the wise like you on how to improve my game, it's just gonna help me get better.

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a BIG difference"
"I think you answered your own question in paragraph one above." I probably did. I've probably known the whole time.

I have been to few camps in recent years. But the scouts there never say anythting. Just a "thank you" or "good job" once I leave the batting cage. A couple years ago at the Bureaus tryout, I asked the scout in charge how I did, so he grabbed my card and I remember his exact words so well. "you ran well, you hit well, you threw well. You have a nice overhand throw, with lots of carry. And you have a nice short beautiful swing. What you need work on is you fielding footwork, and you should be getting bigger and stronger since you're still growing." Well I have the 3 tools an centerfielder needs. And I'm just finished growing at 5'10" and very slowly gaining weight. Maybe I just need to wait a little.

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a BIG difference"
A couple years ago I played on an elite wood bat 18u team in Ontario, lots of good players. It was a fun spring and fall. That summer I played for a local 18u traveling team, just normal high school competition. Last summer I played for a local 18over team with a variety of teams to compete against, my team was the only wood-bat team. A few of our guys played with me on the elite 18u team before. And just this past fall, I played for a college team in Toronto. A little harder, and more fun. It's a wood bat league, and there are more pitchers who throw over 85. Some guys can crush the ball, we have a variety of players, black,white, filipino, it's great. Lots of fun. My season was decent. The guys from Toronto grew up playing AAA Toronto ball, one guy from Team Ontario, one from Missouri, and another from Japan. A couple guys asked me to play for their AAA Toronto team in the summer, so I plan on staying here the summer.

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a BIG difference"

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