Last Minute Tips

This is good information, but honestly asking:

is that stuff really necessary?  If a kid is good enough to get drafted, does he really need to market himself to scouts?  Especially once the scouts already know about him?

I don't understand the point. Are we trying to move up higher in the draft order?  I'm not a scout, but if I was I'd want to see how hard the player works and prepares, not how well they market themselves.

Perhaps I've completely misunderstood this

3and2Fastball posted:

This is good information, but honestly asking:

is that stuff really necessary?  If a kid is good enough to get drafted, does he really need to market himself to scouts?  Especially once the scouts already know about him?

I don't understand the point. Are we trying to move up higher in the draft order?  I'm not a scout, but if I was I'd want to see how hard the player works and prepares, not how well they market themselves.

Perhaps I've completely misunderstood this

This is the time of year when the process goes beyond written reports from the area scout towards the regional and national scouting directors, as well as the VP of Player Development and in some cases the GM.

Now why is this important? Because a week before the draft, everyone gets together to put together their draft boards, and the placement of a player on that draft often relies upon the ability of the area scout to argue the case for that player. Q: do you as a player or a parent of a player or an adviser to a player want everything to come down to an area scout's rhetorical skills? Of course not: you want everyone to be on the same page regarding the player's skill set.

And you want everyone to know that everyone else has been observing the player...from levels beyond the area scout.

So are you marketing the player? No. You're just ensuring that everyone from all levels has been observing the player, and that everyone knows that the other guys have been observing the player.  

Thanks for the reply.  Interesting stuff.  It is a business.   Finding ways to leverage advantages makes sense.

all good points, same advice we've received from advisor.

now if the season would just start already!  damn this pa preseason anyway!

3 and 2,

A couple of specific reasons scouts appreciate what JoeMktg preaches is that area scouts will bring in their crosscheckers, special asst's, & scouting directors to see a kid.  If they know that the player will be taking BP on the field vs. the cage, they'll want to make sure they're there to see it.  If weather has washed the game out, they want to know before they haul their boss in a car 1+ hrs only to find the team isn't playing.  It's not so much about marketing your son as it is about helping the scouts do their job, and to Joe's point, allowing as many eyes to observe in person what they'll be making a call on come June.

BP is extremely important as it may be the only pitches as well known prospect will see.  Many scouts will watch a 1 for 1 night with two BB and a HBP.  Scouts will video BP and will also observe the player shagging balls in the field, taking in and out, etc., as it may be the only real action they get to witness.  Most area scouts are coming to multiple games, so this isn't as important for them as it is for the guys above them that they bring that may only get one or two chances in a season to see a kid firsthand.

Joe nails it.  It's really about "help me help you" with the area scouts. They're trying to do their job and put as many of "their" prospects in front of their bosses so informed decisions can be made.  The more you can do to help them, the more it will help you.

Came across a cross-checker in AZ last week who thanked me for keeping him and his area guy updated back in 2013. I still call it marketing; I only had 1 client.

Totally agree and very much agree with the point of watching on field BP is very important because as stated the game at bats may not be there.  We had a kid drafted by the Yankees about 4 years ago and nobody pitched to him.  It was very frustrating for our kid but to every scout that came to watch.  We played our conference rival and their coach stated he was not going to let our guy beat him.  Well in the first inning our guy batted 3rd and he was intentionally walked.  In the first inning we scored 10 runs and our stud got up twice in the first and walked intentionally both times.  You would think that since the game was over they would pitch to him in the rest of his at bats - nope he was walked intentionally 5 times total before it ended in the 5th.  We had about 12 scouts there and every single one of them was pissed because they didn't get to see him hit live.  Luckily we took pregame BP on the field and they saw it but it's not the same as live hitting.

And that isn't good coaching from the other coach.  That's just being a d*ck to be a d*ck.

Game tied and men are on and you walk him, that is strategy.  But this opposing coach made it personal even when the score made the intentional walk a non-factor.

Don't we teach our kids that when they get beat and beat fairly to accept it?  Hit a smoking line shot and the guy pulls one out his rump and makes the catch, we tell our kids to tip your cap at a great effort and go back to work right?   

But coaches are supposed to lead by example.  My brother in law is a HS head coach.  I know for a fact if it was 0-0 to start a game and no one on, he is going to challenge that batter.  A: That is his style and B: He believes in his kids to get the job done.

Kevin A posted:

And that isn't good coaching from the other coach.  That's just being a d*ck to be a d*ck.

Game tied and men are on and you walk him, that is strategy.  But this opposing coach made it personal even when the score made the intentional walk a non-factor.

Don't we teach our kids that when they get beat and beat fairly to accept it?  Hit a smoking line shot and the guy pulls one out his rump and makes the catch, we tell our kids to tip your cap at a great effort and go back to work right?   

But coaches are supposed to lead by example.  My brother in law is a HS head coach.  I know for a fact if it was 0-0 to start a game and no one on, he is going to challenge that batter.  A: That is his style and B: He believes in his kids to get the job done.

Just realized you had posted this from over a month ago.  To add a little more to that story - we ended up winning like 14 - 0 because we took it easy on them after the first inning but irregardless of the situation they intentionally walked our guy.  It was frustrating for everyone.  Next day in the paper the opposing coach said his strategy had worked because our guy didn't beat them.  While that is true the other 8 guys in the lineup kicked his a$$.  He only lasted one year as head coach.

Totally agree about challenging kids like that.  That's why we play the game.  Yeah game is on the line and strategically it helps us to win then yeah it's fine to walk him but to just take the bat out of his hands was too far.

coach2709 posted:

Kevin A posted:

And that isn't good coaching from the other coach.  That's just being a d*ck to be a d*ck.

Game tied and men are on and you walk him, that is strategy.  But this opposing coach made it personal even when the score made the intentional walk a non-factor.

Don't we teach our kids that when they get beat and beat fairly to accept it?  Hit a smoking line shot and the guy pulls one out his rump and makes the catch, we tell our kids to tip your cap at a great effort and go back to work right?   

But coaches are supposed to lead by example.  My brother in law is a HS head coach.  I know for a fact if it was 0-0 to start a game and no one on, he is going to challenge that batter.  A: That is his style and B: He believes in his kids to get the job done.

Just realized you had posted this from over a month ago.  To add a little more to that story - we ended up winning like 14 - 0 because we took it easy on them after the first inning but irregardless of the situation they intentionally walked our guy.  It was frustrating for everyone.  Next day in the paper the opposing coach said his strategy had worked because our guy didn't beat them.  While that is true the other 8 guys in the lineup kicked his a$$.  He only lasted one year as head coach.

Totally agree about challenging kids like that.  That's why we play the game.  Yeah game is on the line and strategically it helps us to win then yeah it's fine to walk him but to just take the bat out of his hands was too far.

If OUR head coach would have made a quote like that ( I am no professional, but that was about a stupid comment as you can make IMO), our Varsity parents would have ran him out of town!!!!  My 2020 was called up near the end to have another warm up catcher so I got to spend about 5 games with the varsity parents and they are BRUTAL.  Some coaches will have their share of parents who think he is an idiot whether or not its true.  But a press comment like that simply confirms their suspicions.  LOL

Can't even tell you how many times I have gone to a game to see a player never get pitched to.

95% or more of the players scouts follow closely, the players that require crosschecker or Scouting Director attention,  are well known before their final HS season.  There are spring HS games from coast to coast that draw the "Big Heat" Scouting Directors and even GMs.  They don't end up there by accident or by any real marketing, they are there because the player has already been identified as an early round prospect. 

A general rule of thumb... Potential top 5 round pick will be crosschecked. Potential first couple rounds will bring in Scouting Directors and even front office at times.  Others are mostly seen by area scouts. This can vary slightly from one club to the next.  Every so often someone pops up as an early round prospect, but almost every case those that are scouted the heaviest have already been identified at least by the previous year of their final HS season. Mostly players and pitchers that have shown they can compete at a very high level.   Then that final HS season, the follow list is used to separate the best prospects for the June draft.  If and when a new name pops up that shows excellent draft potential the word travels fast.

Those that end up going early really don't have to do anything other than show up at their games and perform.  However it is a good policy to let scouts know when, where and what is taking place.  Area scouts are important and will turn in reports to the Scouting Directors.  Some area scouts carry more weight that others, but for the most part, The Scouting Director will make the final decision on the clubs first few picks at least, based on a combination of what he hears from the cross checkers, his area supervisor and mostly based on what he has seen with his own eyes.  In later rounds the Area Supervisors play a much bigger role in the draft.  Don't ever think they aren't important because they are the ones that have to know the most about you, both on and off the field. It is vitally important what they think (positive or negative) about a player.  They very much want to sign future Big Leaguers.

I say market yourself until you drop.  If you are a high schooler in that second tier, then your decision on whether to go pro could very well depend on whether you go in the 6th or the 10th round.  As for an individual team, perhaps they really want one guy with the makeup a kid has.  It could be as simple as that team picking another kid because they had more exposure to the kid.  If you cannot sneak in early (some scout saying - "Yea - we saw lots of this guy and his tools are documented - we didn't get to see the other kid nearly as much this spring"), then you may miss out altogether as the bonus gets whittled down and teams start thinking there could be signability issues.

What JOEMKTG outlined is pretty simple to execute and if you are in the draft discussion, you are going to be doing most it already.  Why not bring some organization to the process and maybe increase your opportunities.

Marketing will not make a 10th rounder a 6th rounder.   That is all based on signability, talent and makeup.  Now if marketing is making sure scouts have your schedule that would be a plus.  Guess I don't know of any other marketing that would make any difference when it comes to the draft. 

Also, it is the 11th round where you see some top HS prospects drafted because of the CBA.  Check the 6 through 10th round bonuses vs. the 11th round.  But once again I see communication being important, maybe some call that marketing.   I don't know any scouts that respond to marketing.  Then again I guess it would depend on how marketing is defined when it comes to the draft.  I don't consider what Joe stated in the OP as marketing, it is simply communication with those already interested.  Those are the people who actually want information and the player should make sure they all get it.

Just for reference here is last year bonus for round 10 followed by round 11