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Lessons Learned In Collegiate Summer Wooden Bat League

hokieonehokieone5,000+ posts
Our team the Strasburg Express, www.strasburgexpress.com, has finished its first season,and I've completed my first year as General Manager. I thought some lessons I've learned might be of interest:

1. Host families are precious gems. (We had a pleasant season and have more wanting to host than we'll have players next summer, a good problem.)

2. Some college coaches will be brutally honest about the players they want to send. Love those guys. Some will blow smoke. Forget them. The former outnumber the latter.

3. Every good team needs a catcher with a cannon for an arm, a shortstop that can cover a lot of ground, and good starting pitching.

4. You really never have enough pitching. We had 15 on a 28 man roster...and needed every one of them.

5. Parents are....parents, at every level. Most are just a joy, supporting their sons and appreciating the summer ball experience. A very rare few never learned their lesson in Little League-be seen and not heard. In year one we fortunately had the good guys.

6. It's a blast to meet new "baseball people". There really is something to those that follow this game, that make most just delightful human beings.

7. Players don't really understand the cost of the game. On two of our exit evaluations, players said we needed to buy new lights. (If they get drafted, I'll e-mail them for the $150,000.)

8. 90% of summer collegiate baseball is a lot of work, but also a ton of fun, if your spouse is on board. (If not, you'll be divorced by August). 10% is "What the heck is coming next?"

9. 12 bat boys=too many. But they were all cute....and the only parent "complaint" was from a mom-her 9 year old is now walking around spitting all the time...

10. If you can't offer a decent explanation as to why little boys can hear "language", but little girls can't, you will have bat boys and bat girls. I couldn't and I did. (The mom told me she wouldn't hear anything in the dugout she hadn't already heard in travel softball.)

11. Composite wooden bats are budget savers, and they work just fine. Our top hitter, who led the Valley League in hitting with a phenomenal .420 average, used a wooden composite.

12. In summer ball, players need to play. Period. PT is the name of the game. Not every game, but lots of PT. We did a good job of this with one exception, but we realized that one too late. The player left and I apologized to him and his dad. They were very gracious. It feels lousy to feel that you let a kid down. Lesson learned. But it still feels lousy.


13. Don't forget these guys aren't used to playing 6 nights a week-they need nights off, even if they don't agree.

14. You can lose 10 pounds in 2 months by eating 2 hot dogs and drinking a large sweet tea every evening...if you're also at the ballpark from 4:00 to 11:00. I did and I was.

15. An understanding supportive wife is just a blessing from God. My wife tolerated..well, actually, enjoyed the whole season and made it to 43 of 44 games in 2 months. That doesn't count the months of work spent getting ready for the season. If your spouse isn't behind you, go ahead and budget for a divorce lawyer.


I'm sure there are more but this is too long already.


H-1
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J HJ H5,000+ posts
quote:
14. You can lose 10 pounds in 2 months by eating 2 hot dogs and drinking a large sweet tea every evening...if you're also at the ballpark from 4:00 to 11:00. I did and I was.



Those sweet teas were really big at the park in Strasburg!


On a serious note, I don't think many people realize the types of things that people like hokieone do for young players and people of their own community. As a college player that has enjoyed two years of summer collegiate baseball experience, I can attest to the fact that summer collegiate teams mean much more to those involved than just simply throwing a bunch of ballplayers together and fielding a team. The relationships that are formed both on and off the field last longer than one would ever expect. I have made friends in both the places I played in that I continue to talk to today and will continue to talk to in the future. I still very much keep in touch with my host family from both place, as they meant so much in my life allowing me to come into their home and join their family for the relatively short amount of time I was in town. But most of all, the single most amazing thing I've seen in relation to summer collegiate baseball, is the amount of support that the team receives from the town they are in. It truly seems as though each and every individual in the area is excited about the team's existence and involvement, and truly feels like we become part of the population for the summer.

Both the teams I played for in the two summers were expansion teams, and both teams had their pros and cons. Being that I was on the Strasburg Express roster for only a brief period of time before I departed due to injury, I will attest to everything hokieone said to the best of my abilities. Was the Strasburg Express perfect? No, of course not, I'm sure hokieone will readily admit that. No one is perfect, not everything can be run amazingly everyday. But the pros certainly outweigh the cons in most situations. Organizations like the Strasburg Express provide a haven for college players looking to continue their playing careers and earn valuable experience outside of their respective schools. People like hokieone do a great service to the game of baseball because he enables the game to be extended further than the community that already exists. His envisioning and hard work allows for several dozen college baseball players to come together in a foreign town, cooperating with foreign faces, living with foreign people, all playing a common game. It really is a fabulous experience and I'm sure hokieone will readily admit, something that is very prideful to accomplish and to sit back and appreciate.

So speaking from a college baseball player's perspective, thank you to all those who choose to invest their time and effort in making organizations like this become a reality. A special thanks to hokieone, of course, for allowing me to briefly experience life in the Valley and to allow me to be a part of something as special as the inaugural season of the Strasburg Express.
Last edited by J H
igballigball500+ posts
Very good post and an interesting topic. Some thoughts as a parent who's son is finishing up his first year playing summer ball 800 miles away from home:

1. Host families- Agree 100 % about host families. My son's were outstanding and couldn't have asked for a better situation. They are the glue that holds things together.

2. Community Support- Was amazed how involved, kind and considerate the local community is. How could people care so much about an amateur baseball team?

3. Parents. (Sigh). Summer baseball is not spring baseball where its win, baby win and everyone knows that going into the season. You also choose the school so it is what it is on that front. Summer baseball, as HokieOne correctly summed up, is about PT. Since little league was referenced, we can also agree its not that because in little league no matter what happens your son goes home at night and the family is not making the time/ opportunity cost commitment of sending him away for the summer. Summer baseball is a family commitment, not just a player commitment.

At the same time coaches, communities and organizations like to win so essentially a successful summer imo boils down to (hopefully) an effective trade off between PT and Winning. Some coaches are good at this this and understand the big picture about summer ball and some seem to think every game is the 7th game of the world series.

What I think would be a good idea is to have some sort of concensus of Summer PT expectations per league. If you send your son away for the summer how many AB's can a position player generally expect? If a pitcher, how many innings can he generally expect to get?

I know a pitcher's family who sent their son to the Northwoods and I think he threw maybe 9 innings all summer. A complete waste of valuable time. Of course each league is different. The Cape is famous for produce or your gone. If thats the deal and you are aware of it going into it well that's OK.

On the other hand if the coach makes a statement at the beginning of the season about PT expectations and never has any intention of adhering to it, well that needs to be addressed too (cue the parent).

4. Overall a unique and wonderful Norman Rockwell type experience that is hard to duplicate but remember baseball, like life, is a box of chocolates.
Last edited by igball
hokieonehokieone5,000+ posts
Another truism about summer ball: league titles, playoffs, etc., are for the community and the fans. General Managers love playoff games because that means another night's gate to help pay the bills, but as for the players, 99.9% would just as soon play their last regular season game and go home.

It always fun to read the quotes in the paper as all these guys know what to say:"Thrilled to be in the playoffs", "Looking forward to a few more games", etc., but in reality they are all ready to go home for a little bit at the end of the summer. Our league has 44 regular season games and is in the playoffs and will be done in a few days, but some play upwards of 70 games and go well into August.

It is a truly a lot of fun,but many of our host families are in withdrawal-it's like losing a son going off to college all over again.

Fenway: The recruiting for 2012 is already underway. My Director of Player Personnel (and son) just e-mailed me his coach/pro scout contact spreadsheet, and the first draft of his "targets" spreadsheet.
cheapseatscheapseats1,000+ posts
As a parent of a player in the West Coast League, I couldn't be happier with the summer ball experience that my son is having. The team's coaches, owners, fans, sound guys, radio guys, host family, etc. have all been great!

I do wish the league wrapped up a little earlier (regular season play ends on August 10th followed by playoffs); after a 4 day drive back home, son will only be home for a couple of days before returning to school.

Kudos to the West Coast League and the Kitsap BlueJackets!
Last edited by cheapseats
floridafanfloridafan5,000+ posts
This was our sons’ last year of collegiate summer baseball. It has been 3 of the most enjoyable and competitive baseball that my son has had the opportunity to experience. In the Coastal Plains League and in Fayetteville in particular, the community support and fan base is beyond anything ever experienced by our son. The community really embraces the team, filling the stands with anywhere from 2000-4000 fans most nights, and providing significant coverage in the Fayetteville Observer.
Coach Handelsman does a tremendous job building the complete Minor League experience with live singers for the National Anthem each night or a Brass Ensemble. Multiple evenings had skydiving teams drop in with the game ball from nearby Fort Bragg. Many games have an amazing fireworks display after the game ends. And the antics and mini contests between each half inning are completely enjoyable and keep the pace of the complete experience always moving.
My son was Blessed to have a wonderful Christian couple with a young boy as his host family for the past three years. They have become an extended family of sorts for him and will become lifelong friends.
Our expectations for our son’s summer baseball experience were blown away by the program and team in Fayetteville and in the Coastal Plains League. My son enjoyed all the playing time he could handle and very competitive games.
The summer season, much more so than any other experience, is a real grind, especially toward the end of the season, and many players are ready to wind down and rest before the summer is completely over.
This year Fayetteville is in the Post Season, so our season extends a few more days. Our guy has had a few days off and is ready for his final post season run with the Fayetteville Swampdogs and collegiate Summer Baseball. Enjoy the ride!

Thank you hokieone for your efforts to create an awesome opportunity for players in the Valley League!
Last edited by floridafan
Bulldog 19Bulldog 195,000+ posts
quote:
This year Fayetteville is in the Post Season, so our season extends a few more days. Our guy has had a few days off and is ready for his final post season run with the Fayetteville Swampdogs and collegiate Summer Baseball. Enjoy the ride!


floridafan, I wish I would have known! Guy from my hometown was the radio broadcaster with the Swampdogs in 2010. He and I interned in the Frontier League (Indy pro ball) in 2009 and now he is the radio broadcaster with the Gateway Grizzlies of the Frontier League..
S SwampboyHSBBWeb Administrator
Hokieone,
Great thread. Very informative. Thanks for starting it.

Couple questions:
How does conditioning work into the summer schedule? Do the players get passes to a local gym? Do they do workouts designed by their college conditioning coach or by your staff? When do they find time?

How does recruiting work? Is it mostly "arranged marriages" worked out between you and college coaches or do players have a role?

On your target list, do you aim for locally known players, players recommended by college coaches with whom you've built relationships, best players you think you can land after the Cape skims the top layer, some combination of all of these, or something else?
TCWPrepsTCWPreps1,000+ posts
Good Work by the good people in Strasburg! Had no doubt that you guys would do it the right way.

quote:
Originally posted by hokieone:
Another truism about summer ball: league titles, playoffs, etc., are for the community and the fans. General Managers love playoff games because that means another night's gate to help pay the bills, but as for the players, 99.9% would just as soon play their last regular season game and go home.

It always fun to read the quotes in the paper as all these guys know what to say:"Thrilled to be in the playoffs", "Looking forward to a few more games", etc., but in reality they are all ready to go home for a little bit at the end of the summer. Our league has 44 regular season games and is in the playoffs and will be done in a few days, but some play upwards of 70 games and go well into August.


Wonder if cutting the season back a week would help? Wonder what day of the week is the least attended overall for the VBL? Wonder what it would be like if the VBL played 5 games a week?



Look for the Express competing for the regular season title next summer. IMHO, you guys were so close this year for a 1st year team.

Com'on it's time for someone to hit the lotto or something so the town can get new lights for the field, chk that, if the lotto is hit, go ahead and build a new stadium in God's country that is called Strasburg! Smile
Last edited by TCWPreps
hokieonehokieone5,000+ posts
Swampboy:

Here goes:

Conditioning: Can't answer for all but we bought 2 month memberships for our players at a 24/7 workout facility, "Anytime Fitness". Players seem to mostly work out in the mid to late morning, although some go and lift/run after games. Most do a full workout every day, and then play each night. Most have their own college designed workout, as modified by the player. I was blown away by how hard some of these guys work out.

Recruiting: all of the above. We are now in year 2, but we first contact the coaches that sent us players last summer, especially the ones that turned out to be dead on in describing talent levels. There are a few coaches that we will pretty much take whoever they want to send as they've proven trustworthy. College coaches frequently call us looking for spots, and we talk to pro scouts to get recommendations. College coaches pretty much arrange it, in consultation with their players, but some are far more proactive than others. We've gotten info from players themselves, dads, referrals from other summer teams-pretty much any way you can imagine...but coach recommendation is the surest method. Our recruiting is done by our director of player personnel and head coach. I get to dabble just a tad, but they are the gurus...and it's their role.

We look for talent, like everyone else. As mentioned at the beginning of this thread, we learned some things are invaluable: for example, a real good defensive catcher, or a highly defensively skilled shortstop doesn't have to hit as well to find a spot. As GM, I like guys that live within 2-3 hours of here-since getting the bills paid is in my lap, I love it when friends and family can come to the park, see their kids play, and spend a few bucks while they're at it. Players enjoy family visits a lot and the real families interacting with host families is really neat-I saw lots of friendships born this summer. We like local talent-nothing better than a local kid that can stay at home and play. If a local college player isn't yet up to the league's level of play, it can be touchy so that's where the head coach has to have a heart to heart up front conversation about playing time, expectations, etc., and then the player can decide to either play with us, or perhaps play Legion ball to get more on field time.


TCW: Most teams cut the budgets real close, so less games is less revenue. A couple make money but it's usually a break-even thing-people don't do this in this league for the money. It's a pure love the game-love the kids-love the community thing. The Beer leagues are where the money is...charging $4 for a $1 beer makes a lot of dough for places like the Coastal Plains League, but the VBL is all nonprofit teams, no alcohol allowed.

Attendance for all teams is best Friday through Sunday. Our one year experience is that weekend games attract on average 30-40% more people. Getting up early to go to work the next day is the biggest drawback to week night fans-we hope to eventually get to start our games at 6:30 to help that a little.
Last edited by hokieone
RobVRobV100+ posts
Great thread hokieone.

My son played in the Valley league (against hokieones team Wink ). It's a quality league and the talent level is very good. The wife and I were there to visit our son over July 4th weekend and I was blown away by the amount of support the community gives these teams. They treat these young men like rock stars and take them in as there own.

We attended games every night, and even though my son wasn't playing (he pitched the night before we got there...) we still had a great time watching and learning "how things worked" there. We had many people we never met come up to say hello and say "you must be _______ parents...he's a great kid!". So that was nice to hear too.

Sons host family were the most wonderful people that you could meet. They really liked him and I was touched by how much they cared about him and how he does not only on the baseball field, but in every day life. Just great people. We were so appreciative and it was comforting to know that he was in good hands. He even put on about 5 pounds of muscle while he was there!

Son was able to work out at a gym as much as he needed, and got plenty of work in games. The team also did some "community service" work with young kids around town...another great thing.

I highly recommend the Valley league.

Last summer he played in the West Coast Tri-State League. We were shocked by the costs to play there (at least on the team he played on). Not only was it an expensive team fee, but he had to cover all his fuel costs (the players had to drive their own cars and travel was extensive with almost 7 hour road trips for some games). They paid for their own meals while on the road too.

The host family he stayed with was incredible - so no complaints there, but all the other costs were basically ridiculous. Ended up being a very expensive summer for us (but that's where he was assigned so... live and learn).
GJ Go Jacks!10+ posts
I agree with Floridafan's comments regarding the summer experience in the Cosastal Plain League and specifically Fayetteville. This was son's third summer league season and first with the Swampdogs and according to him it has easily been his best experience. Skip Handelsman and his crew do a great job connecting his team and players to the community and I think the players get a good feel for what it may be like playing minor league ball. Son enjoyed being recognized as a Swampdog ballplayer around town.

The Coastal Plain League season is a long one, 56 games, and the players do wish for a little more down time than they are able to get. But if most of them feel the same as my son, they would not trade the experience. He sprained his ankle a couple of days ago and will most likely not be ready to catch any of the upcoming playoff games. Even though his mother and girlfriend are putting significant pressure on him to wrap it up and come home, he says he is going to stay with his teammates and finish the season out, playing or not. I think that is a good indicator of what he thinks of his experience with Fayettteville this summer.
GJ Go Jacks!10+ posts
I did want to mention one other thing that I left out of my previous post. According to my son Floridafans son is an absolute hitting machine. We were able to get out there a couple of weeks ago to watch several games and he is right. While we were there Eric broke the league record for career hits and I think in the 5 games we watched he probably got at least 12 hits. Floridafan, it was a please watching your son swing the bat.
TCWPrepsTCWPreps1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by hokieone:
TCW: Most teams cut the budgets real close, so less games is less revenue. A couple make money but it's usually a break-even thing-people don't do this in this league for the money. It's a pure love the game-love the kids-love the community thing. The Beer leagues are where the money is...charging $4 for a $1 beer makes a lot of dough for places like the Coastal Plains League, but the VBL is all nonprofit teams, no alcohol allowed.

Attendance for all teams is best Friday through Sunday. Our one year experience is that weekend games attract on average 30-40% more people. Getting up early to go to work the next day is the biggest drawback to week night fans-we hope to eventually get to start our games at 6:30 to help that a little.


I thought the 7pm starts was a good idea to whomever came up with that. There were a couple of game in Winchester where it was almost still daylight before the game was over.
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
Good post Hokie, congrats on your first summer.

The boys of summer are tired, most have played since February and all summer and need a break.

Maybe some have played over a 100 games. However, for those sons who want to know first hand what it is like in professional ball, it's just a taste.
G gotwood4sale10,000+ posts
.

    "Many lessons learned,all in all a good time was had by all."

That, my friend, is a huge accomplishment considering the mess we're in!


    "Wow I really have not been on here for a while."

Ain't that the truth. Good to see you back...I saved one for ya'...



Say hello to Sky Chief for me. The two of you shouldn't be strangers to this site. We miss you guys.




.
Last edited by gotwood4sale
igballigball500+ posts
Following up on earlier point about players ready to go home, son's team just won semi finals tonight winning two very close games. Son pitched well and had victory until reliever gave up lead with two HR in ninth. Team came back and won it in their last ab's.

When I called son to congratulate him he said he feels like the episode of South Park where fans and parents are cheering for team but the kids on the field are trying to throw the game because they've had enough. Pretty funny I thought.
Few more games and days to go I guess.
Last edited by igball
BumBum1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by igball:
When I called son to congratulate him he said he feels like the episode of South Park where fans and parents are cheering for team but the kids on the field are trying to throw the game because they've had enough.


Is this a joke? Because I know one kid that would pitch in November in sleet and wind with bloody fingers to keep going. I hope you're kidding.
igballigball500+ posts
The attempt of the comment was to humorously highlight the accuracy of Hokieone's observation:
quote:


It always fun to read the quotes in the paper as all these guys know what to say:"Thrilled to be in the playoffs", "Looking forward to a few more games", etc., but in reality they are all ready to go home for a little bit at the end of the summer.


FWIW, son pitched team into finals and played middle infield for first two games of finals and came back on three days rest to pitch final game. Would have won that game but for 6 errors and 5 unearned runs. That's baseball.

Also fwiw, this site seems to be populated lately by a few who have assumed the role of thought police. I might suggest encouraging varying opinoins and observations even if you dont understand them.

I wish all players the very best but hope no one gets hurt patting themselves on the back.
Last edited by igball
C CaBB1,000+ posts
Igball- totally understand your comment. For players that were starters all during the college season and played all 52-56 games while studying, traveling,and working out they are getting tired as August rolls around and they have played over 50 more games. The Northwoods league has close to 70 games!

They do get tired and rightfully so. They'll get a little rest before fall ball starts @ college.

It really depends what position you play, how many games you played in college, and then how many games you played in summer ball.

And yet most of them really do love it and are passionate about it but they are allowed to admit tiredness.
J HJ H5,000+ posts
CaBB- There's a big difference between being tired and playing the game to lose. I'm sure during the 162 games of the MLB season the players get tired as well. But I would think they always play to win.

I played an entire college season and then another 60 games in the Coastal Plain League after my sophomore year. I've heard players say "I need a day off," but I've never heard anyone say "I want to lose so I can go home." The competitive drive of an elite athlete at that level should be in the forefront for them. Tired is fine, throwing a game is not.
Last edited by J H
J HJ H5,000+ posts
igball- From your last comment, it does seem as though your son put in great effort to try to help the team win, and that comment was made out of humor and jest. Being tired and looking forward to relaxing for a bit is completely natural...everyone in summer ball does it. But I haven't heard of anyone purposely losing.
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