Identifying teen players who will go far

zomby

You describe my outfielder son but with some 40 pounds LESS on his frame

He ran a 6.6 60 in HS
Hit .568 in his senior year
Rated by some periodicals as one of the Top 20 HS outfielders in the nation
Went to New Mexico State on scholarship and for the poster in another thread the young man WAS FROM NY

By the way he came out of college at 5-10/195 with body fat of under 5%

nothing against kids from NY I am from NY. I really wanted to know if schools like UF would respond to a kid from the northeast.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
zomby

You describe my outfielder son but with some 40 pounds more on his frame

He ran a 6.6 60 in HS
Hit .568 in his senior year
Rated by some periodicals as one of the Top 20 HS outfielders in the nation
Went to New Mexico State on scholarship and for the poster in another thread the young man WAS FROM NY

By the way he came out of college at 5-10/195 with body fat of ybder 5%

I'll take a guess here and assume as a high school player, he was about 5-9 220-225. Not exactly a prototypical sized/built for an outfielder but from the numbers posted, he's obviously a good athlete with an outstanding bat and had the tools and skills to play at the next level.

When he was being evaluated, was size a factor since he's an outfielder or did his physical tools and lofty offensive statistics override his size?

I'm also assuming he grew another inch in college and thinned out by the college conditioning program and maturing physically.

Let me correct what I posted---we was 40 pounds less

Ah...Gotcha..

Being 5-9 145, did his size cause any doubts or did his athleticism and his skills override his size? Or it wasn't even an issue?

His size was never an issue---he played hoops and sokker(Goalie) as well they also wanted him on the football team as well but was not going to happen due to spine conditions

myson is6'1 185 from nj do you think this will be a problem for him to get into a good college he is a outstanding pitcher/hitter with alot of love for the game i was told he should get chances to go to good colleges he is only in 2nd year of high school now

quote:

Originally posted by robsdad:
myson is6'1 185 from nj do you think this will be a problem for him to get into a good college he is a outstanding pitcher/hitter with alot of love for the game i was told he should get chances to go to good colleges he is only in 2nd year of high school now

I don't understand, why are you worried if he is 6' 1"? Do you think he's not tall enough? Does my son have no future in baseball, not even college, because his parents aren't that tall? Should I tell him now, don't plan on ever playing ball in college cause he may not be tall enough? No one answer that, because I won't tell him that! Seriously, I'm alot naiver than I thought, because while I understand a 6'5" guy will be alot more noticable, I thought talent was what mattered more. My son is only 14 now, but we/his parents are neither very tall. Of course being tall isn't a guarantee of playing in college either, but I guess I wonder if he has the talent to play in college, will he be looked over because he isn't 6'++?

Just wanted to add that I haven't told him to plan on playing in college-it's HIS goal to play in college. I knew height could be a factor, but not to the point that it would outweigh talent. Don't mean sound negative either, I guess it's just frustration showing through. As I said, he's only 14 and a freshmen, and hopefully he will grow over 6', regardless of his parents height.

BaseballGr8

Your son could certainly grow beyond 6' tall, regardless of your and your spouses height. I am 6' tall (really 5' 11 3/4") and my son's mother is 5' 5" tall. I am the tallest in my family and none of his grandparents are over 5' 10". My son will turn 14 tomorrow and he is 5' 10 1/2" tall. Being a boy and always getting hurt he has had his fair share of x-rays all over his body the last few years and his growth plates were wide open and he is projected to be anywhere from 6' 2" - 6' 5" when he is done growing. So our lack of 6' + height isn't stopping my son from most likely surpassing 6' and more.

Where height/size comes into play is when two players are of somewhat equal talent. The bigger/stronger kid will be selected over a smaller kid 99 out of 100 times. That is my opinion on it anyways. You can't teach size....but if you have no talent then it won't matter anyways.

Thanks redsox! I understand the equal talent thing. Don't necessarily agree with it, but I understand how/why it usually works that way. Yes, you can't teach height, and it kind of $ucks for the smaller guy. What do they do with the equal talent equal height kids? Sorry, that question just came to mind! So, do you think if a kid is super talented, height won't be much of an issue, if any? No, I'm not talking about my son (he's only 14), but any super talented not super tall kid. My son is just a freshman and has a long way to go, but just takes it one step at a time, and we'll see where he winds up in the end. Either way so far I've enjoyed all of the baseball I've watched over the years, and really look forward to atleast quite a few more!

Now, just praying he's growing taller as we speak!

i really wasnt talking about his hieght.but really good point.what i was getting at was were we live . nj all the top picks in the warm states.get reconized 1 st. but from a fathers stand point i think he .has a good shot at good college good pither/hitter

quote:

I understand the equal talent thing. Don't necessarily agree with it, but I understand how/why it usually works that way.

The bigger kid will preceived to have more physical development upside and therefore bigger and stronger.

"do you think if a kid is super talented, height won't be much of an issue,"

This depends how you define talent. Some people make the mistake of thinking it's about stats. Stats are variable based on the level of competition. Talent is judged by tools and their upside potential. If the talent exists there's a place for the player to play regardless of size

quote:

Originally posted by robsdad:
i really wasnt talking about his hieght.but really good point.what i was getting at was were we live . nj all the top picks in the warm states.get reconized 1 st. but from a fathers stand point i think he .has a good shot at good college good pither/hitter

If your son becomes a very talented player you should get him involved in NJ Super 17's at Teel's (Wycoff) or Cust's (Flemington).

Talent gets recognized no matter where it's from if it gets exposure. A few years ago a kid from an island in Maine (population 200) was the fifth pick in the draft.

quote:

Originally posted by RJM:

quote:

I understand the equal talent thing. Don't necessarily agree with it, but I understand how/why it usually works that way.

The bigger kid will preceived to have more physical development upside and therefore bigger and stronger.

"do you think if a kid is super talented, height won't be much of an issue,"

This depends how you define talent. Some people make the mistake of thinking it's about stats. Stats are variable based on the level of competition. Talent is judged by tools and their upside potential. If the talent exists there's a place for the player to play regardless of size

"If the talent exists there's a place for the player to play regardless of size"

Thankyou, that is ultimately what I wanted to know. As I said before, I do understand the equal talent thing. What I don't necessarily agree with is that the bigger kid is necessarily more developed or stronger, but, the bigger kid is definitely bigger! Of course the bigger guy will, as you say, be perceived as being the stronger one, just don't nessarily think that he is. I guess it's good to be extra tall though!

Baseball ...

Here's some advice. Don't consume yourself, or allow your son to consume himself by things he can't control. You can't control what a scout perceives to be talent. What you can control is educating yourself to how talent is defined, the player developing to be the best he can be and getting in front of the appropriate scouts.

quote:

Originally posted by RJM:
Baseball ...

Here's some advice. Don't consume yourself, or allow your son to consume himself by things he can't control. You can't control what a scout perceives to be talent. What you can control is educating yourself to how talent is defined, the player developing to be the best he can be and getting in front of the appropriate scouts.

Thank You RJM!

is there anyone with any knoledge of how or who i could contact to get my son a shot to try out for teel

He has a website which should have his email and/or phone---GOOGLE

quote:

is there anyone with any knoledge of how or who i could contact to get my son a shot to try out for teel

Looks like a problem ....

The program for 2009 will also include a number of Ravens 17U Summer Teams. These teams will play in the highly competitive ACEBL wood bat league and may also compete in select showcase tournaments.


Workouts/Tryouts will be held on the following dates:

Sat 2/14/09 - Superdome (Waldwick) - 8:00AM - 10:00AM - Infield, Outfield, Catching and Pitching

Sat 2/21/09 - Teels Training Center (Wyckoff) - 7:30PM - 9:30PM - Hitting

Sun 2/22/09 - Superdome (Waldwick) - 10:00AM - 11:30AM - Infield, Outfield, Catching and Pitching (Replaces session originally scheduled for 2/24/09) (Please note that Pitchers have been added back to this session)

Mon 2/23/09 - Teels Training Center (Wyckoff) - 9:00PM - 11:00PM - Hitting

thanks for all the help looks like we missed the tryout dates.he wont be 17 till oct. still think he has a shot has good arm speed and ball control.thanks again still gona give it a shot .any other teams .in the area want to givehim a tryout let me know.again from a fathers stand point i think he is really good. he has been on travel teams since he was 10 now that his changeup is working he is alot more confident

quote:

Originally posted by robsdad:
thanks for all the help looks like we missed the tryout dates.he wont be 17 till oct. still think he has a shot has good arm speed and ball control.thanks again still gona give it a shot .any other teams .in the area want to givehim a tryout let me know.again from a fathers stand point i think he is really good. he has been on travel teams since he was 10 now that his changeup is working he is alot more confident

I know they had the tryouts already, but maybe you could still contact them in case they still have a spot left.

From their website:

If you have any questions regarding this program you can email us at TeelRavens@Yahoo.com or call us at 201-670-4047.

Website: http://www.leaguelineup.com/we...=teels&sid=818680003

quote:

any other teams in the area want to give him a tryout let me know.

Most travel teams have tryouts sometime between November and February. Many are done by mid January. However, a good pitcher can often get a tryout if the team is willing to add to it's roster.

Another team would be the All American Cyclones out of Chester. Currently on their website: "CONTACT US AT chestercyclones@aol.com TO SET UP A TRYOUT"

There's Lehigh Valley Baseball Academy if you feel Allentown isn't to far to go. A friend of my son said he didn't think the rosters are finalized. They have two teams.

The Oklahoma Sooners and OK. State Cowboys, both currently ranked in the top 20 have a combined 14 kids on their rosters under 6'ft while the other 53 are above 6ft. Of the 14, 4 are middle infielders, 3 are outfielders, 2 catchers and the rest pitch.

If 80% of their rosters are comprised of kids 6'ft or taller, I think the evidence shows that at least bigger ballplayers are being given the opportunity to play at that level. If all skill sets are the same, schools are going with the bigger kid.

Fortunately guys like Rollins and Pedroia told guys like myself, armed with the size matters data, to stick it and went out and won the league MVP award. If your small and can play, go play but just know that you are probably going to have to continually prove the naysayers wrong at every stop along the way......just like every ballplayer that has ever played.

i think size only matters for a pitcher/1st basemen.you have to look over powering on the mound. but again if you dont have the talent/and right state of mind does not matter.my son played varsity as a freshment 1st start he got rocked did not take that with him nor did he drag the team down.get it next time.was his theory whitch i think is more then half the battle.next game he pitched a complete game.if you dont believe in yourself case closed.

What level are you talking about? If you are talking high school, you are limited with what you have and plug guys in. If you are talking college/pro, there is no doubt that size and pop are a premium at the corners and on the mound.

As somebody who has run a summer/fall program for years, it is up to me to project where I see those players fit in at the next level. Trust me, they want a big kid at 3B that will drive the ball. Same for corner outfielders.

quote:

Originally posted by robsdad:
i think size only matters for a pitcher/1st basemen.you have to look over powering on the mound. but again if you dont have the talent/and right state of mind does not matter.my son played varsity as a freshment 1st start he got rocked did not take that with him nor did he drag the team down.get it next time.was his theory whitch i think is more then half the battle.next game he pitched a complete game.if you dont believe in yourself case closed.

lucky me rob is a pither/3rd basement

he plays high school varsisty he is a sophmore this is his 2nd year playing var.

quote:

Originally posted by robsdad:
lucky me rob is a pither/3rd basement

Where he plays in high school doesn't matter. If he's good enough his skills will be projected to a position he can help a team. Bob Boone spent nineteen seasons catching in MLB. He was a third baseman in college. I'll bet he was a shortstop in high school.

i will buy that