Midlodad and Coach May’s sons spotted in Florida.

Sorry, I didn't mean to post this on this forum. I don't know how to change it so... What the hey!

Outstanding!!!

Thanks PG. Man I sure wish I could be there but it is nice to hear the good news. Thanks!!!

Very cool, fun to hear this news. (PG, I can move the thread for you if you tell me where you want it, but it seems fine here!)

quote:

Originally posted by PGStaff:
We had the opportunity to see both Midlodad and Coach May’s sons today at the Underclass World Championship. They are both 2008 grads.

Never heard of 'em.

Who?

PGstaff - You've got hsbballwebber BZap playing down there this weekend, as well. Believe he went 2-3, including a 2 bagger, in the 1st game played by the Team CT Americans. Brad's a short stop for son's fall and HS teams here in NH. Son had to opt out of the trip due to a family situation, but we're up here routing for Zap and the TCB teams.

Also, got to see "itsinthegame's" son Kyle play. One game he got a big hit to tie the game, then scored the lead run. Unfortunately his team ended up losing that game. Some good notes from our scouts about his range and ability in the outfield, too. He's turning into a real good player.

I'll keep looking.

Thanks for the kind words PG. It was yet another great tournament.

The talent we faced was pretty much the usual - Awesome.

The pitchers we faced from - Deep South (Both of them) - Team Connecticut Americans (both of them) and East Cobb (only one of them - LOL) - were all very impressive.

Lost 1-0 this a.m. - to the East Cobb Braves.

The Miller kid was hard core. Just blew us away.

(The monkey did ruin his no-hitter though)

I didn't get to see some of the folks that I had hoped but I did have the opportunity to watch Jeff May play in parts of 2 games. I told him to say hi to Coach May from some coach from NY.
I just missed the Trombly game, got to say hi to Coach T and had a cold one with FloridaBaseballguy. Great weekend and another great show by your people Jerry.

Coach Merc thanks for saying hello! I hate I could not make it they are in the final four this morning. I also hate it because I wanted to meet all those that could attend.

Itsinthgame,

I wish I would have known you were with the O's, I would have tried to introduce myself.

By the way your "monkey" spoiled my "Jerseyson's" perfect game!

Small world

I played agianst jeff may in my teams (jacksonville stars) first game. I think he drove in the only run with a single to left. I also heard about the guy from trombly throwing pretty hard.

I was going to pitch in the round of 32 assuming that we made the playoffs, but we ended up not playing well and i only pitched in the consolation game agianst miami powerhouse. I threw 4 innings 1 hit 1 unearned run.

good tourny I thought, very nice fields and great organization, and allot of fun even though our team didnt do well.

teenpitcher15,
Only one team will come home happy. Just getting the experience to play in something like this is awesome. I wish you the best the rest of the fall and good luck in the spring.

PG, as you know we blew through our pool then blew a lead in our first playoff game for an early exit. But I'll disagree with Coach May in that we came home very happy, and seeing your glowing words here is just icing on the cake.

It was great to meet you in person and I greatly appreciated your making so much time to talk. You must've had a lot on your plate so it meant a lot that you took that time.

I also want to thank Steve Trombly for making this a very enjoyable weekend. We actually linked up with Steve through his notices on this site, and I must say our entire experience with Steve was first rate. I am especially appreciative that he gave Midlo Son so much playing time when he wasn't on the mound, something we've been after. Happily the boy took advantage of his AB's so I think Steve probably didn't regret it!

Coach Merc, you must've just missed us. After our loss I was on the phone to the airline, and discovered that we could go on home if I could get to the airport in about 90 minutes, so we had to hustle!

Before we left home, there was a thread going on this site about how much we spend on this travel baseball stuff. I don't even want to add up what I spent this past weekend. I will tell you it was worth every penny. And I don't mean in terms of dollar return on investment. This weekend was a positive experience my son and I will remember a very long time.

And BTW, speaking of rankings, the Trombly team put two sophomores on the mound who look to me like they belong on the 2009 list pretty high up. Brooks Pounders, big RHP, mid/upper 80's and outstanding change-up. Kevin Chambers, good sized LHP, 83-84, command of at least 3 pitches, mowed down 9 batters in a row in a 3-inning stint (6 K's) and pretty hot with the bat as well. Neither of these 16's flinched against the older competition. I dare say most who saw them probably assumed they were also 17u's and pretty good ones at that.

Floridafan’s son was one of the leading hitters in the tournament. I didn’t get to see Couch Merc’s son (always at another field) but I’m sure our scouts will turn in a report on him. If jerseydad’s son is who I think he is, many thought he was the best pitcher at the tournament this weekend. Of course, we knew he was one of the best before seeing him this weekend.

You know… There were over 1,000 players we saw this week. It’s amazing how many of the better players have parents who post here. There are a lot of future early draft picks and highest level college prospects who have parents who post on this site.

Daniel Marrs and Quinton Miller are both among the top prospects in the 08 class. I bet there were a few other HSBBWeb posters who had sons who played in the tournament. I can’t remember them all, but there was a ton of talent in Ft Myers this past weekend.

The kid that KmomNH mentioned and several others that played for Team Connecticut were very talented

The East Cobb Braves won the championship beating Team Adidas in the final game. It was a great tournament with a ton of talent.

Jerseydad,

I should have worn a HSBBWEB sign. LOL

Your son pitched one of the most impressive games I have ever seen in a youth baseball tournament. Completely in control and completely dominant - from the first pitch to the last.

Major congrats to you and your very talented son.

And Coach Merc - my apologies for not being able to hook up with you - we were never at the same field and we had alot of team parents on this trip - I just couldnt break away. Hopefully next time we can get together. Best regards.

Itsinthegame- Thanks for the kind words, I will pass your good wishes along to my son.

PGStaff- If you are thinking that "jerseyson" is in fact Quinton,(and I am hoping that you are ) then you got it right. If not congratulations to whom ever you might have been referring to.

Many thanks to the Perfect Game staff for hosting an incredible tournament. If you are lucky enough to play in one of these events you will soon realize that you are in youth baseball heaven.

quote:

PGStaff- If you are thinking that "jerseyson" is in fact Quinton,(and I am hoping that you are ) then you got it right.

jerseydad, I missed that game but our scouts agree completely with "it's". One of the very best performances we've seen all year. And as a group, I’m not sure ANYONE sees more games or players each year. I WAS thinking Quinton was "jerseyson", congratulations. It's very enjoyable to see the sons of HSBBW posters do well. I often wonder, how many people know just how much talent is represented on this site.

By the way, I’m sure there were several other HSBBWers in Ft Myers this weekend. Can’t think of them all, but Chris Lubanski (1st round pick) younger brother played for All Star Baseball Academy. His dad Wally posts here occasionally. A couple more Rasmus brothers played for PG Gold. Two of their older brothers played in the tournament when younger. Colby (1st round 2005), Cory (1st round 2006). Ryan Sweeney’s (Chicago White Sox) younger brother Kellen played for PG Iowa. There were at least 8 sons of Major League Scouts playing in Ft Myers. Kyle Davies (Atlanta Braves) younger brother, Colton Willems (1st round 2006) younger brother, the list goes on and on. Wish I had time to list everybody with interesting or HSBBW connections.

Now we get ready for the biggest scouting event in all of baseball. I hope many of these outstanding underclassmen are also in Jupiter in a couple weeks. If you think this one was good, you aint seen nothin yet. The level of play doesn't get any better and it's really unusual to see 700 to 900 Major League Scouts,Agents and College Coaches at one facility. I must admit… this stuff is a blast…. Sometimes!

I have to admit, I miss those pre college days.

I remember sitting next to a gentleman, college coach, he asked which was my player. When I told him, he said, that's who I came to see!

I have a picture taken way back whenever, from that day.

About 50+ college coaches and scouts with gun on the son. I had never seen anything like it, I can just imagine how it is now.

I also look back and see a skinny scrawny kid, who thought he was a stud that day!

Congratulations to everyone and enjoy every game!

It's great to hear about all the HSBBW boys! What I find so interesting is the fact that a couple of these boys sound as if they'll have some big choices to make in a couple of years! MidloDad has never let on his son has so much talent.... nor has JerseyDad who I've talked with in chats. Both just carry on as if their kids are like any other HS baseball kid! That humility will serve their boys well down the road!!!

Thanks PG! You know folks if not for these outstanding events that PG puts on our kids would not have these opportunities. MidloDad you are right regardless if you win or loose it is still a great experience. I have heard great things about your son and JerseyDads son from people at the tournement. And of course I already know that gamers son is a stud. My son was very upset they lost in the final four. He wanted that ring bad!!! But he will be better for the experience and he will learn from it. He will be back at Jupiter with the older boys. Another chance to chase that ring thanks to PG!!!!!

I said it before, but truly, what fun to hear about this spectacular event, and all of the "Websters' Sons" who participated.

All of you parents of future prospects, I have to remind you of a VERY IMPORTANT RULE:

IT'S NOT BRAGGING!

Or maybe the rule is, BRAGGING IS ALLOWED ... AND ENCOURAGED!

Seriously, don't deprive the rest of us of joining in the fun and getting a peek at these special baseball events, because you are afraid it might sound like bragging. Share your story, tell us about the game or a few highlights, for the benefit of those who are having baseball withdrawal (ahem, like anyone whose beloved MLB team got swept in the first round of the playoffs) ... but also for parents of younger players coming up to share in the excitement and learn about the level of competition that is out there.

We're all very proud of these young men!!!

Julie,

It's actually kind of interesting how many parents of some of the best prospects in the country post on your site. Many of them are the most reserved and never talk about their sons. To me, both ways is all right!

One thing I learned about bragging a long time ago. I could brag about myself until the cows come home and very few people will be impressed. But all it takes is for one person who has no motive to brag about me and the whole world pays attention.

Jerry,

So true, and I do also appreciate that many parents of the best players speak so modestly, and we almost have to drag out of them, who their son is.

As you noted, either way is good - I just get such a big grin on my face when I read about these boys, and do want parents to know that it's "okay to brag" or at least to share good news with all of us.
(Still grinning from these reports...)

quote:

But all it takes is for one person who has no motive to brag about me and the whole world pays attention.

Some ramblings....

This idea (quoted by PG above) works outside of sports as well imho. You have Terrell Owens types on one end of the spectrum (me, me, me) and you have the likes of Derek Jeter on the other (we, we, we). Guys who quietly go about their business but seem to produce when it matters most. When I was a kid, Robin Yount was one of my favorite players by the way he went about his business and played the game. My favorite players let their game do all the talking for themselves and little else.

I never knew Midlo Dad's son was a top-ranked prospect until I heard it from PG. I think that speaks well of both the father and the son.

quote:

Originally posted by ClevelandDad:
I never knew Midlo Dad's son was a top-ranked prospect until I heard it from PG. I think that speaks well of both the father and the son.

Me either CD. I'm sure the son is just as humble as the dad.

Actually I get accused of overdoing the bragging all the time! I am indeed a proud papa. But I've tried to restrain my impulses on this site at least. Glad to know I was doing all right at that, at least until now.

When I first started coming here last winter, the first PG 2008's rankings weren't out yet. When they came out last spring, I was astonished. Yes, I am proud of my son, but we spend so much time focusing on those areas where improvement is needed that it never occurred to us he'd be rated so highly. I figured, "Well, it's early, we hit the circuit earlier than most, and as they learn of other players who are out there, some will jump ahead of him and he'll fall off a bit." So to read Jerry's note at the start of this thread just has my head spinning.

The one thing we do realize is that to a great extent, these rankings are based on potential or "projectability" or whatever you want to call it. If you were rating players on their current performance, there are kids we know ranked further down the list who perform at or above his level all the time right now. What we take the rankings to mean is that he's recognized as being a good kid to take a shot on; he has a gifted arm and "the right body type." But that doesn't mean he'll make it to the bigs. There's a lot of work to do from here to there. Also we know that luck, good or bad, will have a big say in the outcome.

One thing about baseball, or about life for that matter, is that anytime you think you've got it made, you're probably close to getting your head handed to you on a platter. Big heads have probably ruined more prospects' futures than big injuries.

The one thing that helps in an odd way is that our hometown paper simply doesn't cover HS baseball and so, no one outside of our circle of friends and family really even knows we're going through this. My son got home yesterday and had to study for a test, clean up his room, prepare for the PSAT next week, and then get ahead of the curve on his studies because tonight he's heading out to bag groceries at his part-time job. Just another teenager.

He may even miss Jupiter because it's his HS's homecoming weekend and he wants to go to Friday's football game and Saturday's dance with his girlfriend. Yup, just another teenager.

But yes, I am very proud of this kid. He's a top student, he holds down a part-time job, and then he makes time to do his conditioning, weight training and regular practice on ALL his baseball skills, not just pitching. (And the hitting skills showed up this past weekend, we're happy to say!) I've been amazed at the maturity he's shown in dealing with the high praise, the difficult setbacks, and the stress of it all. He knows he's being handed an opportunity and he seems to understand what it will take to really capitalize on it. His work ethic is truly unusual for a high schooler. I wish I'd had that much on the ball when I was his age!

I'll also say, one thing that is a lot of fun about these rankings is how many of the top players in the nation we've gotten to know already. Nos. 4, 20, 47, 110, 111, 160 and 170 were all his teammates the past two years. Also # 9 among the 2009's. (You could say we were loaded!) We've met still more through USA Baseball. And now we're seeing the top dogs in bunches at these WWBA events and other tourneys. I know that someday I'll be watching MLB on TV and boring everyone around me with tales of how "we knew him when".

To that end, I agree with whoever said above that we ought to wear HSBBW signs or tee shirts at these events so that we can find each other and meet in person. Or meet for dinner one night. Next time we're heading to one of these, maybe I'll post a note to see what we can do about that!

I'm not sure midlodad is overly modest.

I just think he is very intelligent and understands the game. Oh yea... he also has a great attitude and doesn't suffer from jealousy.

A quick story that might speak volumes to some.

Midlodad's son played on a team that actually had a player ranked even higher. Past experience has shown me that this can cause some competitive jealousy many times.

In Ft Myers I asked midlodad about this other player and how he's doing. His response... "He's doing great, if there are 2 better prospects in the country I haven't seen them." He went on to say... "The best thing is, he is just as good a kid as he is a player."

I'm sure CD, MM, Bezer and many others who may have been through the mill, will understand class when they see it.

I'm used to hearing... My son is the top player and the kid you rank higher isn't even one of our better players and he is selfish and he doesn't work hard and he doesn't have heart and he makes too many mistakes and... you get the picture!

Truth is... those that are the best, have no problem complimenting their peers. Take it FWIW!

quote:

One thing about baseball, or about life for that matter, is that anytime you think you've got it made, you're probably close to getting your head handed to you on a platter. Big heads have probably ruined more prospects' futures than big injuries.

That is the perspective that will truly help your son be successful IMO!!!

I've always told my kids MidloDad, "don't tell people who or what you are, but show them" and that means on a field as well as off. There's much more power in actions than words. I think you're raising your son with the right attitude! Best wishes to him and we'll all be following!

Midlodad that was a great post. It is refreshing to see that kind of attitude no wonder your son has the attitude that he has.

The top player PG refers to is Tim Melville. He remains the best young pitcher I have ever seen. He had a bit of a scare last spring when he was diagnosed with a possible labrum tear, but it turned out to be just tendonitis, and he has fully recovered. Tim is probably the quietest top athlete I have ever met. I know that, on some level at least, he knows how good he is. But he never shows it. We enjoyed having him as a teammate and I have reason to hope it wasn't for the last time.

I also believe that my son benefited from being on Tim's team. Scouts who came to our games in hopes of seeing Tim sometimes saw my son, or others, instead. Far from having jealousy towards Tim, we are grateful to have been given the opportunity to get this advantage. And I should also thank Richmond Braves Coach Jeff Roberts for giving us that opportunity.

PG does have a few other players ranked above Tim. I've never seen them, but they must be REALLY good, is all I can say.

BTW, #170 in the 2008 rankings is a long time friend and teammate of ours. His father and I coached our sons' travel ball team together for many years, and our sons are now high school teammates. (And yes, we are looking forward to 2 pretty darned good high school seasons in 2007 and 2008!) If you lined up all the folks who know both our boys, and asked them who they'd pick first and who second if they were choosing up teams, at least half would choose # 170 ahead of my boy. So I have to think that when we get to drawing lines between these young men, we are really splitting hairs sometimes. There isn't much of a drop off, if indeed there is any drop off at all, between #10 and #170, I'll tell you that.

I also sometimes wonder how many others are out there who simply haven't had the advantages we have had in getting seen and getting ranked. But I imagine within the next 20 months PG will have found them all!

quote:

Originally posted by lafmom:
It's great to hear about all the HSBBW boys! What I find so interesting is the fact that a couple of these boys sound as if they'll have some big choices to make in a couple of years! MidloDad has never let on his son has so much talent.... nor has JerseyDad who I've talked with in chats. Both just carry on as if their kids are like any other HS baseball kid! That humility will serve their boys well down the road!!!

It’s interesting that Lafmom speaks of humility, like Mildo Dad’s comment, I don’t think too many people would ever accuse me of being overly modest when it comes to my children. However, when you have a web family like HSWBB that knows so much more than I…. it’s easy to be humble.

I stumbled into a HSWBB chat last week with 2 dad’s that have boys playing in the pro’s, 3 or 4 parents who’s boys play in top D1 programs and few others like me that are just trying to find our way. This “all star” group was really part of the who’s who of HSWBB. Aside from hearing their stories, the best part was that they were genuinely interested in helping answering our questions. One mom even went as far (in a private message afterwards) offered to send an email to a coach of one of my son’s dream schools. Never at any time were any of these parents “big timing” about there sons accomplishments.

Thanks to everyone for their encouraging words over the last couple of days. I have to tell you that when I got home from Ft. Myer and saw “It’s” and “PGStaff’s” comments about jerseyson, it was one of the proudest moments a parent can ever have. Then add in a few PM’s that I received from some of you, it just blew me away.

I normally don’t tell jerseyson much about what people say about him. Aside from trying to keep him grounded, I also don’t think that is what really motivates him. He seems to live more for the competition of the game than for the recognition. But getting a pat on the back from “It’s” and Mr. Ford, well it was just too special to not tell him. The smile on his face was priceless.

Lafmom- There will always be someone better than you, every player will have their up’s and down’s. We still have to keep on them to get their homework done. So yes, my guy is no different that anyone else’s, he is just a regular HS baseball player. (who had a very good day )

quote:

So yes, my guy is no different that anyone else’s, he is just a regular HS baseball player. (who had a very good day )

JerseyDad,

It seems like every time we see your son he's having a great day. Must just be a coincidence. huh?

For me - The thing that stands out most about these PG tournaments - aside from the talent that is there - is HOW these kids play.

I dont know how many games I saw this past weekend - but in every single one of them the kids played real hard - with class and dignity - and with intensity.

No whining - no histrionics - they just played hard and well and represented their organizations like the winners they all are.

quote:

There will always be someone better than you

Jerseydad - There's a lot of folks better than me in a lot of things!!!! Seriously, understanding that fact is exactly what I was referring to..... for all of us in all parts of our lives. Nice post dad!

I just stumbled across this thread. Our experience at the Underclass Championship was OUTSTANDING! The tournament was run very well and our players, coaches, and parents had a great time. We brought 10 players with us from California and added 5 more from other states to join us there. Our main goal for this tournament was to get some guys seen and to see how they compare to other players around the country. Mission Accomplished!

Next year we will definately be going to Jupitor. There are some players from our program who will be going this year with other teams, but next year we will be going and look forward to that experience. In addition we will be going to either the 17U or 18U (maybe both?) WWBA Championships in Atlanta this summer.

It was great meeting some new people out there in Ft Myers and seeing some other familiar faces too.

Here is a quick recap of our trip that i posted in another thread. Sorry for the duplicate post, but I thought it would be appropriate here.

-------------------------

Overall it was a very successful trip for us. We finished 3-1 and outscored our opponents 33-8.

We dominated our Pool and went into the playoffs as the #2 seed out of 52 teams.

Our pitchers did an outstanding job. They combined to pitch 25 Innings and only allowed 8 runs on 13 hits and they struck out 37.

Daniel Marrs is the #10 ranked player in the country for the '08 class. He showed why as he dominated on the mound and did a great job at the plate too. On the mound he hit 93 MPH and pitched 6 innings and allowed 1 run on 2 hits while striking out 9. At the plate he went 4 for 7 (.571 AVG) w/ a 3B, 2 2B's, and 5 RBI.

Brooks Pounders is the #2 ranked player in CA in the '08 class (behind Temecula Valley teamate Tony Calhoun). The 6'4/210 lbs sophmore showed that he also is a 2 way threat. At the plate he went 3 for 10 (.300 AVG) w/ 3 RBI, 3 BB's, and scored 5 runs. On the mound he hit 88 mph and pitched 5 Innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits. Pounders struck out 9 and walked 2.

Gray Carden-RHP/OF ('08 Leesburg) threw a NO HITTER. Carden lives in Georgia, but came out to California this past summer to play for our program. He did a very well and we were excited to have him join us in Florida. He pitched 5 innings and gave up 0 runs on 0 hits to go along with 6 K's.

Kevin Chambers-LHP/OF ('09 Capo Valley) also showed that he is one of the best players in the country for the '09 class. He pitched 3 perfect innings in our opening game. He allowed no runs/hits/walk/baserunners to go along with 6 K's. At the plate Chambers went 3 for 6 (.500) w/ 3 RBI, 2 BB's and a HBP.

Ronnie Shaeffer-C ('08 Pacifica) did a great job for us behind the plate. Offensively he went 5 for 12 (.417 AVG) and had at least 1 hit in every game. Shaeffer also had a 2B, 6 RBI, and scored 3 runs.

Derek Waldron-OF ('08 Canyon) also had a good tournament. This was his 1st wood bat event and he went 4 for 10 (.400 AVG) w/ a 2B, HBP, 3 RBI and scored 4 runs.