PBR Pre-Season Edition

quote:

Originally posted by RRF8:
Plain and Simple. The man didn't do his homework. He has walk-ons in the top 50 and D1 prospects aren't even mentioned. PT Barnum was right.

What are you specifically referring to?

Can we not do this again?????? Every time the magazine comes out a new thread like this starts, whining and complaining about one of the only high school baseball publications in the Midwest. It gets incredibly old and overshadows the fact that many teams are supposed to begin their games next week if the weather cooperates.

I'm just tired of reading about this, it's like a broken record of the same tired, whiny song.

Coach IU, you have the option not to read this thread and RRF has the option to write what he feels. You can and should simply pass this one up. Lets be fair.

Plain and simple...The man does more "homework" than anyone in the media in Illinois in regards to high school baseball. If you don't like what he writes, then don't read it. Feel free to name a better source for high school baseball in Illinois. Furthermore, young men choose schools for many different reasons. I know of a partcular walk-on who had the opportunity to play on scholarship at a number of D-I schools but chose a different D-I school that had better academics without a scholarship. He was fortunate that his parents could afford to pay for his schooling so he didn't need scholarship money.

TN, I hear you and you're right but go back and look at this forum every time the magazine comes out. You can not tell me it doesn't get old. This thread will go on for over a week and the same tireless comments will be recycled over and over again. It just gets so old to see.

You're absolutely right about having the choice to read a thread or not. However, my point is that this thread will dominate this board and we lose focus on the fact that our seasons are approaching.

Coach, I agree with you. RRF has a valid point and so do the guys who say Sean works his butt off - it is near impossible to do it correctly, if there is such a thing.

It is a great thing for the kids who are mentioned and a bad thing for the kids who are not that should be. Catch 22.

I am sure PBR is trying hard and I am sure the kids not mentioned are trying hard. My point is if someone has a valid point they should not be (jumped on) and it is okay to disagree. Learned that in marriage class, LOL.

This maybe redundant to some of you, however i am glad to see the post started. I was looking through the teams and the best of the rest. I dont know how a team like Conant did not get a mention? Dont they have one of the best pitchers around? As far as where teams finish, a team can ride a top flight pitcher pretty far. Example is Elk Grove and Naperville C. a couple of years ago.

Maybe another way to judge a team is by which team will have real major league scouts in attendence looking for upper level draft picks.

Now i am sure the folks a pbr do a fine job. Could the listings be more a function of kids that attended a showcase or lesson up there rather than beating the bushes? I know there is a lot of talent on alot of teams that did not get discussed. i did notice that many of the teams and top players on the these teams were wearing pbr hats and shirts. Maybe they could do an issue profiling the conferences and the teams, similar to the piece the herald does only larger in scope.

I do like to read and see of the talent in the area but i take it with a grain of salt. Is it scouting or touting?

tralpaz, not only does Conant have that pitcher but their number 2 will open many eyes and he has never been mentioned. One last comment, some of these list also can hurt some of the boys mentioned. What I mean by that is if they can't live up to some of the comments about them it could hurt more than being missed. JMO

2b. if the number 2 is the same kid, he can rake too. Just like many kids not covered.

It has been a couple of years since my son was in high school but I still subscribe to the PBR. I find it informative and if I go to a high school game in my area it gives me info on players to watch - along with watching the game. High school baseball isn't very well reported by the Trib and to a lesser extent the Sun Times and I think the magazine does a great service to IL high school baseball.

You may not agree with Duncan's rankings but to fault the effort is plain stupid. He writes for the Sun Times and probably covers more high school baseball than anyone around.

For the players who don't play on travel teams or weren't featured on their high school teams last season its hard to get listed by PBR unless their coaches or confernce coaches mention them in the surveys that are sent out.

Instead of complaining - just list the players (by name) you think are worth mentioning. I get tired of people inferring that the magazine is just a shill for their showcases. There are plenty of players listed who don't attend showcases or play for TT.

Same old thread. Same arguments, same positives, same negatives.

For the people that are relatively new to joining this forum, would someone please give us list of topics that we are not allowed to discuss anymore since it has been covered in past years.
Thanks for making us feel welcome.

The problem with this site is that whenever some raise a point that may not be along party lines, then they either 1. have some axe to grind 2. are complaining 3. stupid 4. not happy at home 5. a cubs fan.

I'm outta here.

quote:

Originally posted by RRF8:
Plain and Simple. The man didn't do his homework. He has walk-ons in the top 50 and D1 prospects aren't even mentioned. PT Barnum was right.

Men, you could take it to the bank that this thread would rear it's ugly head, per usual, when this issue hits people's mailboxes.

RRF8, in whose opinion are your statements to be attributed? Are you the source for telling us who are walk-ons and who are the D1 prospects that have been snubbed? Don't you know by now that probably 1/3 of the class thinks that they're D1 prospects? Approximately how many HS games did you see last year, from So. Illinois up to the state line? How many head coaches have you contacted to gain information about their top players? You know what, I do agree with you on one point; PT Barnum was right!

You know what I miss. It's the OPRF vs LT banter. Real baseball talk about teams and players. Not sniping about some subjective rankings.

.

quote:

Originally posted by RRF8:
...please give us list of topics that we are not allowed to discuss anymore since it has been covered in past years.

I'm not being a smart a$$ here RRF8...it's just that you've made this request and by golly I feel obligated to help out!

Here's the complete list...

Legionnaire's Disease.
Term life insurance.
YUGO© as primary means of transportation.
Solar flares and their relevancy to MLB season attendance figures.
The Heartbreak of Psoriasis.
Durkee's© Marshmallow fluff.
Pipefitters.
Giving up the Panama Canal.
Scoop size used to supply raisins for Kellogg's© Raisin Bran cereal.

Oh! Almost forgot..."Change your battery, change your clock!"


I hope that helps RRF8.


.

Itsrosy, I would sumbit you are snipping about someone else snipping!, and have done exactly what our asking him not to do. Again lets be fair, the man is entitled to his opinion and so are you, but you didnt offer one - you attacked his baseball knowledge.

You recently wrote rankings are just a subjective tool - so you should know anything subjective is debatable and produces opinions, let him have his.

THNN11, You're probably right. I let myself get drawn into this pool of drivel, out of boredom, when I should know better. However, I didn't attack his baseball knowledge. I merely wanted to know how he determined who were "walk-ons" and who are the unfortunate "D1 players" that Sean didn't rank.

On this topic, my sniping days are over.

I don't contact coaches or travel up and down the state, but I do know my conference pretty well. What I see is a strange coincidence that the kids in my conference that attended a PBR showcase were ranked and the kids whose families cannot afford to attend a showcase were not. I know of a particular player who everyone in the county would consider a top quality player that isn't mentioned. His dad works 7 days a week trying to make ends meet to support his family. Then, he gets to go to school and hear how lesser players are ranked and he is not. The people that reeally need the scholarships don't get the opportunity to take advantage of the publicity. Nobody is saying that the good folks at PBR don't work hard or aren't nice, however if the goal is truly to get it right, then they should make their showcases affordable to everyone.

quote:

Originally posted by RRF8:
I don't contact coaches or travel up and down the state, but I do know my conference pretty well. What I see is a strange coincidence that the kids in my conference that attended a PBR showcase were ranked and the kids whose families cannot afford to attend a showcase were not. I know of a particular player who everyone in the county would consider a top quality player that isn't mentioned. His dad works 7 days a week trying to make ends meet to support his family. Then, he gets to go to school and hear how lesser players are ranked and he is not. The people that reeally need the scholarships don't get the opportunity to take advantage of the publicity. Nobody is saying that the good folks at PBR don't work hard or aren't nice, however if the goal is truly to get it right, then they should make their showcases affordable to everyone.

does this kid who cannot afford showcases play on travel team? Would that kid like to go to a showcase? Please PM me with the kids name and address---- My Camps for Kids fund which I raise money for year round helps kids out on events such as this

As the marriage counselor says, it is okay to disagree - It all gets worked out on the field anyway not in a book or board. Cant wait for first game but will probably be snowed out!.

Thanks for the fantastic offer Woodly. I might not see the family for a while but when I do I will mention that to them and get back to you.

Thanks again.

Woodly

That is great that you organize such a thing. Very nice of you.

I am very involved in high school baseball, but I dont read this publication--oh my goodness!!!!!!!! I still am relatively well versed in the sport, see plenty of games and have a good sense of teams and abilities.

He could have a house league 10 year old team as #1 for all I care.

Dont like his rankings--dont read it. But I tell you what, if he has peopel who dont like and dont respect him reading his publication, then he is indeed a marketing genius.

Inaccurate rankings occur for more than one reason. I'd say the HS Coach who works hard for his kids and does whatever he can to get them noticed (in this case ranked)will have more kids on such lists than the coach who never sends back info after it is requested.

Sometimes a kid is just more fortuante than another that way......not much anyone doing any rankings can do if the one guy who should be promoting him won't fill out a form or make a phone call for him.

JMHO

It appears PBR is trying to be fair in rating players. However, some high school baseball players I've seen do have do have an edge due to a father as coach(summer or high school) or a father with a connection to the coach.

I lied, i'm back. This is addicting, only safer. I'm hearing that the extent of PBR's research is based on coaches questioniers and player attendence at a camp. So if kids HS coach for whatever reason does not respond then PBR may never find out about him? Are there any glaring or obvious omissions from the individual rankings? E.g., is the pitcher from Conant ranked? Scouting or Touting?

I think as a whole people under estimate how hard the HS coaches are working for the kids. Quite possibly , and I am no rocket scientist here, the guys not sending in their info have already made the necessary contacts for their players in their program with the College??????? Sorry if this offends any HS coaches because I am not one, (only pretend to be one in the Summer) but its just a plain fact, some work harder than others. No different in any aspect of life. But to stereotype the Hs coach and put out the perception that we need something else or they arent doing their job if they arent sending in info is unfair... I dont know , guess its how you look at it.

I know who Conant kid is...... A real biggy?? He isnt sleeping, and he will be real good this Spring..

Bring it on boys..lol..

Spark, you do okay in the summer!..

Up there I really believe your HS coaches work different than other places in the state and I think one reason is the summer league you guys have. We do not have that and I personally am glad we dont but I really think it requires more work from your coaches and they respond.

I do know MLB teams send out questioners and ask for feedback and down here, this year I know that only 2 HS in our area returned the questioner for one particular MLB team. It is a shame they couldnt take 5 minutes out and just jot down a few things.

how come only 2 teams from the final 8 of the hs summer league tournament our in the pbr's top ten?

maybe because high school summer baseball season is irrelevant.

Igball, it's all a matter of perspective, summer is extremely relevant to us.

Irrelevant may not be the right word to use. I don't think that success in the summer indicates a team will do great things next spring.

HS Summer baseball is relevant in many programs. Summer Ball, along with camps for kids and camps for incoming Freshman can be quite important financially to a program.

Just curious since we don't subscribe to PBR. Does anyone know if Schaumburg was ranked and if so, where do we stand? Thanks.

IMHO,

Schaumburg should be a Top Ten team and along with Conant are by far the class of the MSL West. No one else will even be close.

PBR has Schaumburg 14th. You can read the top 50 on their website without a Subscription.

PBR tOP 50

Fball, how do you figure schaumburg?

2bagger...

I figure Schaumburg because they have just about everyone back form last year's team which was very good. They have a number of very good players. They also have a coach who knows how to win games.

I like Conant because if Wright has his act together they will win every game he pitches, and in the MSL that is half your games. My guess is you will be looking at a complete game every time out considering how thye have used him in the past, and that helps the rest of your staff.

I figure Fremd to be pretty good, Palatine will be interesting with a very good coach and a lot of new players and maybe an interesting new style of play. Barrington (even though I love their roster with more than a handfull of players who could or should play in college) rarely seems to do as wll as you think they will. On paper, (player for player) they can play with anyone. Hoffman will be able to beat a team on a given day, but I don't think they can stay with Schaumburg or Conant.

Everyone who has an opinion has a bias. The integrity part is " can you be objective " at the same time you voice YOUR opinion while telling the listener or viewer what your possible bias is. That is why all this hide behind your screename stuff has done more damage than it helps. Most of us who have coached for 25 or 30 years at the high school and college level respect each other big time. But add the cloak and dagger annonimity and we get attacks rather than useful dialogue. Too bad because the PBR report is pretty good work.