Northwoods League Updates?

keewartson played for the Lacrosse Loggers in the summer of 2016.   He was recently mentioned here:

https://northwoodsleague.com/l...Akb18ldivbZppuDLB-60

To put it blunt, and this will go probably for most summer teams, if you play well you will love it.  If you don't, you will be miserable.

Since son came from a mid-major, so he loved playing with a whole team that could play baseball at a whole different level.  His team did well, but they were all rather tired of baseball at the end and just wanted to come home for a few days before they needed to be back in school.  

The schedule did string a few days together and they stayed at hotels, but there were a few long nights on the bus.  His team was sponsored by the local Dairy Queen so after morning workouts, and sometimes between drills, they would go to DQ for smoothies (all food was free to the team that year).  Different restaurants sponsored meals each night for the team and the visiting team.  Sometimes when son's team was the visitor, they got pizza, but at home they were guaranteed a good meal.  

Team fee was about the cost of a camp for a week.  Had to provide own transportation at the beginning and end of the season.  I gave him some meal/spending money probably equal to what he would have gotten in college.

I don't think anyone could hold down a part time job with practices plus travel, and only a few days off.

Son's host family was doing it for the first (and only) time.  Not the best experience, but they managed.  Another family adopted son and his room/team mate so they had a good adult presence there.

I just counted 15 players from his roster that were drafted (over several years).  There could have been more.  The teams are very fluid with players coming and going all season due to many different reasons (injury, summer school, pitch count, homesickness, etc).  Son had a high school friend play on another NW team and was miserable and came home early.  He was not batting well.

23 players from the Northwoods League played in the MLB Arizonal Fall Leauge this past fall.  

Be sure your son has a passport.

Make sure to go this summer as part of your vacation!

Had a few of son's friends who played last year. I can only answer a few questions;

- league is thriving , for the most part

- travel distances are greater than ever, due to new franchises.

- working part time is near impossible. 

- schedule is a grind. Many players, especially pitchers, only play part seasons, and even position players  opt out of parts of the season due to it's length, frequency of games, and the nagging injuries than can ensue.

- the friends' attitude towards the League tended to be linked to how well they did personally. All get tired of the grind, though. Some complain that the league is a cash grab for the owners.

- League tends to weed out those who are "soft".

- There is probably some good coaching going on, but I was surprised at recognizing one coaching name, who I think has no business coaching high end prospects. In other words, go there for the playing time, not for technique instruction.

Don't mean to be too negative, here. There are a lot of very good players in the league, and good baseball being played. Just don't go into it expecting a summer with a lot of free time and fun. I think it's a great preview of what lower level minor league baseball is like for those who want to go the pro route. 

keewart posted:

...Had to provide own transportation at the beginning and end of the season.  ...

 

...

Keewart, just to be sure... you just mean getting there and back home (or school), not actually traveling to games, right?

cabbagedad posted:

keewart posted:

...Had to provide own transportation at the beginning and end of the season.  ...

 

...

Keewart, just to be sure... you just mean getting there and back home (or school), not actually traveling to games, right?

Yes.  Own transport there and back.  I think his Cape contract said he would be reimbursed $x if he played/stayed the entire season, but he got drafted instead.  We made an adventure out of the travel:  older son was going to drive with him the 17 hour without stops trip and fly home.  However, his college team wound up playing in the regionals so instead, I drove with him as far a Chicago, spent the night and played/toured around that day, then the next day he drove the car on to Wisconsin and I flew  home.  His gf wound up driving with him back home at the end of the season.

Schedule is a grind, for sure.

Some of the teams draw really well (Madison for instance) others not as much (Green Bay).  

Son played as a rising soph. The player  learns (by combining the college season with the Northwoods season) whether they love - really love - grinding. But, the kids are treated as rock stars. Lots of social life, lots of traveling (and when you arrive after an epic bus trip its show and go), son even played a softball game against inmates at a federal prison, host families are always a mixed bag  - but his was awesome. For parents, all games are broadcast. Also (and regardless of league), try to craft a summer vacation to watch a week of games. I watched my son really grow (and have lots of leave-it -in-Vegas fun) in his summers as he taught the club's camps and clinics, took care of his baseball, etc. Many leagues have these attributes but the shear length of the season really distinguished it.

Son is playing there for the first time this year -- so hoping it will be a great experience.  Played in WCL between sophomore and junior years and Great Lakes between Freshman and Sophomore years.   This could be the last summer team he plays on.  

He had two teams offer him spots but picked the Thunder Bay Team.  He's gonna have some long bus rides, for sure.

MAM, if he likes to fish he might be able to get time in doing that up there.

Found a few somewhat recent informative articles I though might be useful for this thread...

https://tht.fangraphs.com/the-...-something-to-offer/

https://www.minnpost.com/twin-...ll-league-upper-mid/

Cabbage Dad:

Thank you for the articles. Dick Radatz Sr, Bob Gibson, Ron Perranoski, Dick Howser all played in the South Dakota Basin League. In one year, 1956 over 40 players played in the Basin League and later played in the MLB. Each team added 2 former pro players to their rosters.

College Coaches value the Summer League. The opportunity to experience Pro Baseball now is worth the time. Our baseball team at MSU played in the College WS because of this opportunity. In my 1st year in the Basin League at Chamberlain.

"I had no idea what I would experience. It was a game and opportunity to improve.

I traveled from Jackson, Michigan on the train to Chamberlain. My summer job was "painting" a railroad" bridge over the Missouri river.

Bob

"founder" of the Area Code games and Goodwill Series Int'l

Our son pitched at Lakeshore for parts of 3 summers was there last summer and lucked out on host family. Good competition especially once Regionals and Supers are over. Schedule is a grind it gives a taste of minor leagues I believe it was 72 games in 74 days.  Part time job would be impossible . My son credits that grind in preparing him for adapting for life as a minor leaguer. 

Found this website to be very interesting

https://www.summerbaseballregi...com/2019_ten_leagues

CollegebaseballInsights posted:

Found this website to be very interesting

https://www.summerbaseballregi...com/2019_ten_leagues

What is interesting with this one is data quality.  They are using the level of the team of the player almost exclusively as the point system and not the actual player.  It is quite common in many of these leagues to see proven college talent from D3, NAIA and even Juco's, while many of the players from the better D1's are guys who couldn't earn PT with their respective schools, but get more leeway in earning a spot on the summer team because they bring the D1 label (yes, I am fully aware that the spots come about through dialog between the summer org and the college coach but those summer orgs are more willing to accept a kid with D1 cache).  Furthermore, a player from a weak D1 is awarded more points than a player from a powerhouse program at other levels.  Then, there is regionality... where is the concentration of weaker D1's?  One could certainly argue in the NE and upper Midwest.  So, the leagues that pull largely from regional players and are located in those regions will grade higher just because they have those region's D1 guys, even if the D1's are, on average, weaker programs.  

It works for the Cape because they get the better D1 players.  But beyond that, I would take this one with a grain of salt.

All this said, I think it is quite difficult to determine which of the "next tier" summer leagues are more competitive.  I think the other site that ranks the teams and leagues probably does it more accurately.

I know you don't need to play the full season.  Son will be playing there this summer and he will be there for 3 weeks.  He's a pitcher and I don't know if this applies to position players too.  

For pitchers, the time played normally depends on their innings during regular season.  My son is pitcher and DH so he is a full contract but his innings will be determined at the end of the season according to how many he throws.  He will stay and hit even if he doesn't throw.

cabbagedad posted:

... What do the players typically do the first half of those days?  ...  Do all players, including P's, travel to all games or are some given rest/off days?  ... Any locations particularly more difficult with travel or living conditions or ??  What are some of the in-game fan interaction activities that are popular?  Do all or most provide access to gyms, etc.?  Do any teams offer technology tools to help player development/improvement?  ...

 

Thanks All.  Good feedback.  I am forwarding some of my OP above as topics that still haven't been delved into yet with any detail.

The only two I'm familiar with is yes to all players travel , and gym membership was made available. 

Is this an invite only or do you have to know somebody or both maybe?

My son, PO, is playing in Waterloo, which is 2 1/2 hours from our house and about a 1 1/2 from where he lives in Iowa City. Iowa placed him there after the Cape shut down.

It's hard to tell what is different due to covid and what they would do anyway, but team offered to let him commute from home only on days he pitches. They are playing pods and mostly go for one game, then home, but last weekend spent three or four days on the road.

Waterloo is getting between 500 and 1000 fans per game in a stadium that seats 5,000. They seem to have a good balance between making it fun for fans and keeping people safe.  Fans seem very enthusiastic. It's cool to see a bunch of people who have never met my kid cheering for him. Also like that they seem to have good video when we can't travel to the games. And so far, just one case of COVID among his pod so they somehow are convincing players to be careful.

Players get gym membership and free golf, which son decided to try to learn this summer. He seems pleased, but a--went into it expecting it to be less cushy than D1 baseball and b--isn't one to complaint much.

So it's referral based?

@edcoach posted:

So it's referral based?

I think the short answer to this is yes.  I think it's safe to say that very few players get placed in Northwoods, Cape or one of the other top summer college leagues without some level of coordination between a player's college coach and the organization.  I'm sure there are a few exceptions.  Not sure how, exactly, things played out this crazy year.

Also, with these top leagues, most require a year of college ball and don't take many (if any) players straight out of HS.  

My son played in the summer of 2018. He had a great experience with a great host family.  Was a grind for sure.  I think there were 4 kids on that team that got drafted.  I am not sure about where it ranks but it will give a player the most realistic experience of what to expect in the MILB.

@JABMK posted:

My son played in the summer of 2018. He had a great experience with a great host family.  Was a grind for sure.  I think there were 4 kids on that team that got drafted.  I am not sure about where it ranks but it will give a player the most realistic experience of what to expect in the MILB.

I just looked.... on son's 2016 team, 11 were drafted, one is playing independent ball, and one was picked up as a free agent.  There is talent for sure, and this year must be loaded.

There is a place on the Northwoods league home page where you can sign up your player.  A team will contact you if there's any interest but its usually a referral.  Son is playing there right now.  He's a pitcher and most of the hitters he faces are from D1 teams.  Pitchers on the other hand come from all levels.  This is just his experience from the Kenosha pod.  I would assume its the same elsewhere in the league, but not for sure.  If there's interest, you might want to sign him up.  I know my sons team is losing over half their pitchers before the season ends because of school starting up.  Maybe you can latch on as a late season signing.  Good Luck!

Resurrecting this thread to see if anyone has any post-Covid knowledge or thoughts on the Northwoods league, or any of the individual teams within the league?  

Also, thoughts on participating in these leagues post high-school / pre-college?  We have knowledge of a couple of local guys who played after HS and ended up getting drafted and signing.  It’s harder to find examples of guys who played after HS, and hopefully then found a spot on the college starting roster.

IKETBD Where are u located? What position does he play?

Almost everyone I know was already recruited by a college team and was placed by the coach even before showing up on campus.

There are a wide variety of teams. Some in small towns and some in bigger places. Pretty good baseball played in the league. Advantages include: all games are streamed, super metrics to view, and lots of scouts/coaches watching.

The host family/town/ and position u play have a lot to do with the experience.

My understanding is that the Northwoods league is just below the Cape in level of play. I actually didn't know any incoming college freshmen played in it, unlike some other collegiate leagues.

If your son can, it's also the league with probably the longest summer season. Think you get 2 days off.

@IKETBD posted:

Resurrecting this thread to see if anyone has any post-Covid knowledge or thoughts on the Northwoods league, or any of the individual teams within the league?  

Also, thoughts on participating in these leagues post high-school / pre-college?  We have knowledge of a couple of local guys who played after HS and ended up getting drafted and signing.  It’s harder to find examples of guys who played after HS, and hopefully then found a spot on the college starting roster.

My son played in the Northwoods League this summer.  He is already assigned there again for next summer.  It is a LONG and grinding summer, but all games are live streamed with commentary, great atmosphere, and lots of scout exposure.  He was already assigned there and found out around early September shortly after he got back to campus. There is one team in the NWL that plays a lesser schedule and doesn't have a "home" field that did have a couple of incoming college freshmen on the team, but I don't think they got as much playing time.  @used2lurk had a son that played on it and could give you more information.  Feel free to message me if you want more information. 

@baseballmom01 posted:

My son played in the Northwoods League this summer.  He is already assigned there again for next summer.  It is a LONG and grinding summer, but all games are live streamed with commentary, great atmosphere, and lots of scout exposure.  He was already assigned there and found out around early September shortly after he got back to campus. There is one team in the NWL that plays a lesser schedule and doesn't have a "home" field that did have a couple of incoming college freshmen on the team, but I don't think they got as much playing time.  @used2lurk had a son that played on it and could give you more information.  Feel free to message me if you want more information.

My kid was a HS grad that played this summer for the Minnesota Mudpuppies. They are the team that was based in Thunder Bay, ON and moved to the Twin Cities and played only an away schedule. It was an ok experience for him but kind of disappointing in a couple ways for me. Zero practices and only away games allowed him to be home for regular lifting (and part of a normal kid summer) but probably missed out on the development opportunities and more at bats that would be associated with being on a regular NWL team.

His team played at Duluth, St Cloud, Willmar, Mankato, & Rochester MN, Eau Claire & Lacrosse WI, Waterloo IA, and Bismarck ND. It was a good experience and did not hit for a high average but never felt overmatched at the plate despite facing bunches of 90+ arms. @IKETBD I do not recall seeing any other post HS kids when we played. Only my son (who is now at Bradley) and another kid who is playing at the U of MN. I know of 2 other recent grads from the cities who played summer league ball. One in the Appalachian League and the other in Prospect League.

My son played for St Cloud, in 2021 after freshman year. It was a grind. Bus rides until 4am and games every night except 5 (over the entire summer). He was placed with a family who lived 30 minutes away on 40 acres. He was very isolated. That said, I think it gave him a glimpse of what the minors would look like. Competition was good and his team was good. Won the division. I loved that all games were streamed. The ballpark was cute and games were well attended with a fun atmosphere. I went to watch him 3X over the summer. One game in August was in the 50s. That’s a shock for a Texan.

baseballHS;

Question: did your son's skills improve? Did the experience help his 2nd year in College? Where did he play in 2022.

Bob

@Consultant posted:

baseballHS;

Question: did your son's skills improve? Did the experience help his 2nd year in College? Where did he play in 2022.

Bob

Had a great summer pitching wise. Got back to himself. I think he was player of the game every time he started. When he got back to school, they changed his arm motion. Last summer he had surgery on his UCL. He had a contract with the Boerne Braves in the cape but obviously couldn’t go.

baseballHS;

How is his arm today? Did he pitch in the Fall?

Bob

Working back now. Hoping for release in January.

My son pitched for two years for Waterloo in 2020 and 21. Obviously, 20 was very special because NWL I think was the only summer collegiate league that played that COVID year. That year, he was allowed to live at home in Iowa City and just come in when he pitched. The second year, he had a host family and did more travel.

A few plusses — he started and they put him in a rotation, which he never had while relieving for his college team. It really gave him a chance to settle into a routine and we could see tremendous improvement from the beginning of the season to the end.

Waterloo was a great place to watch a game and the fans were very passionate about their team. They got to know the players and it was fun to hear the support they offered.

During the summer of 21, he only travelled when he was slated to pitch on an away trip. When he didn't pitch, they had him do color commentary with the radio guys which was a great experience with him. On the third or fourth time he did it I commented to son that they must have thought he did a good job because they were having him do it so often, and he replied that no, they had a new player on the team and needed my son to let the kid wear his pants for the game so they had him in the radio booth instead of the dugout.

The one drawback for my son was he has always been a team player and decided to stay pitching longer and more than he should have as the season wound up. When he got back to campus he was exhausted. It really put him behind for fall.