My son is an upcoming freshman. How do these events help him? Are they worth it and what can we expect from it? It's right in our backyard and we're seriously considering attending. Any feedback would be appreciated.
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Tapple, your son may not get much college exposure from attending at such a young age, but the rating he receives will be beneficial in many ways.
If it's a high rating, Perfect Game will get the word out and continue to follow him throughout high school. If it's a lower rating, one of two things could happen:
* If you're wearing rose-colored glasses, the rating will help you lower your sights and be brought down to earth and get an objective idea of what level college program your son can play at
* If your son thinks that the Perfect Game rating is "off" and too low, it may spur him on to work hard and get better and prove that the "naysayers" were wrong in their assessment
The nice things about this event being in your "backyard" is that you won't have to pay for travel or hotel costs. Hope this helps.
If it's a high rating, Perfect Game will get the word out and continue to follow him throughout high school. If it's a lower rating, one of two things could happen:
* If you're wearing rose-colored glasses, the rating will help you lower your sights and be brought down to earth and get an objective idea of what level college program your son can play at
* If your son thinks that the Perfect Game rating is "off" and too low, it may spur him on to work hard and get better and prove that the "naysayers" were wrong in their assessment
The nice things about this event being in your "backyard" is that you won't have to pay for travel or hotel costs. Hope this helps.
Best of luck to your son if he attends. I asked our DBAT coach about the event, and he suggested starting next season (Sophmore) not much would happen this summer (Freshman) other than getting a rating - if that is what you are looking for then go for it and hope it turns out what you expect. I understand they are very professionally ran.
In my opinion, these Perfect Game events are a complete waste of time and money. My son participated in one a while back and received nothing in terms of recruiting from the event. I do not believe that these events fully show what an athlete can do. It just seemed to be a "money-maker". The event ran about $600, while the videos they take of the athletes ran another $600. I was just not impressed with the event.
Plano, Is your son being "recruited" at other events? If so, what type of events...
Yes, he is actually signed now, but where we found the most success was going to camps and showcases at the schools he was interested in. This gave him a better opportunity to showcase himself to the coaches while also being able to talk to them and get to know them too. This actually allowed him to get in front of the schools he was interested in, instead of just being given a rating...
I agree that camps and showcases probably give better and more targeted college exposure. My own son was recruited out of a college camp and received interest at another college's camp as well.
However, a Perfect Game rating -- which is usually on the mark -- can give an objective idea of which colleges to target. For example, if a player is wanting to play Division 1 ball and he receives a 6.5 rating, he probably would be better off showcasing his skills to D2's and D3's and Juco's. When my son attended a PG showcase, he did not receive a 9 or 10 rating (an elite rating - the highest you can get). Too bad we didn't have his rating when we coughed up $600 for him to attend the UT camp.
For those who do receive 9 and 10 ratings, many are invited to PG's National Showcase in Minneapolis, which features literally hundreds of college coaches and scouts. I can think of very few events that will offer such a concentrated amount of exposure. Those who are invited are privileged indeed.
However, a Perfect Game rating -- which is usually on the mark -- can give an objective idea of which colleges to target. For example, if a player is wanting to play Division 1 ball and he receives a 6.5 rating, he probably would be better off showcasing his skills to D2's and D3's and Juco's. When my son attended a PG showcase, he did not receive a 9 or 10 rating (an elite rating - the highest you can get). Too bad we didn't have his rating when we coughed up $600 for him to attend the UT camp.
For those who do receive 9 and 10 ratings, many are invited to PG's National Showcase in Minneapolis, which features literally hundreds of college coaches and scouts. I can think of very few events that will offer such a concentrated amount of exposure. Those who are invited are privileged indeed.
Ken,
Here I've been thinking you were a supporter all this time. It's all about credibility and honesty. No one has to attend our events, not even you. However it has worked out well for many. That said, we can’t help everyone.
I really don’t care who attends our events, we will always end up seeing most of the top players, but I do know we have way too much class to start cutting down or making jokes about other organizations on a message board. This really leaves me with an EMPTY feeling. But you’re welcome to say what you feel, I guess.
There’s nothing stopping you from charging half as much and doing the same thing. But the “same” thing will require more than 50 full time employees and a very large bankroll, just for starters.
Strk3,
You are talking out of the wrong end! Just what is your agenda? Let’s get everything out in the open. I love honesty! Everyone can easily figure out who I am. Who are you? I’m trying to figure out why anyone in Texas or Oklahoma would have any reason to dislike us.
Here I've been thinking you were a supporter all this time. It's all about credibility and honesty. No one has to attend our events, not even you. However it has worked out well for many. That said, we can’t help everyone.
I really don’t care who attends our events, we will always end up seeing most of the top players, but I do know we have way too much class to start cutting down or making jokes about other organizations on a message board. This really leaves me with an EMPTY feeling. But you’re welcome to say what you feel, I guess.
There’s nothing stopping you from charging half as much and doing the same thing. But the “same” thing will require more than 50 full time employees and a very large bankroll, just for starters.
Strk3,
You are talking out of the wrong end! Just what is your agenda? Let’s get everything out in the open. I love honesty! Everyone can easily figure out who I am. Who are you? I’m trying to figure out why anyone in Texas or Oklahoma would have any reason to dislike us.
Ken,
I only logged on because I got an email from someone saying that people were slamming us here. Not everyone sees it as humor. People sometimes believe what they read. Besides, it did rain today and forecast is for more tomorrow.
I only logged on because I got an email from someone saying that people were slamming us here. Not everyone sees it as humor. People sometimes believe what they read. Besides, it did rain today and forecast is for more tomorrow.
KG, maybe you should change your name to something more fitting, KGhit, or something like that.
I wasn't trying to slam PG, I'm just being honest about our experience at the event we attended. I wasn't impressed.
PGStaff, check your messages.
TAPPLE,
Welcome to the fray that is the TEXAS forum.
Not that Jerry Ford or PG needs a parent from WEST Texas (nope, don't live in NORTH Texas or DFW) to defend him or the SERVICE that PG provides, I would be remiss if I did not mention a gesture extended to my son, by Mr. Ford. On his own time, at absolutely ZERO expense to me, Mr. Ford provided some key insight and guidance to me about GED10.
It is what it is.... a service. Like everything else, it's not for everyone. Use it or not, your choice. GED10 will be at the McKinney event.
GED10DaD
Welcome to the fray that is the TEXAS forum.
Not that Jerry Ford or PG needs a parent from WEST Texas (nope, don't live in NORTH Texas or DFW) to defend him or the SERVICE that PG provides, I would be remiss if I did not mention a gesture extended to my son, by Mr. Ford. On his own time, at absolutely ZERO expense to me, Mr. Ford provided some key insight and guidance to me about GED10.
It is what it is.... a service. Like everything else, it's not for everyone. Use it or not, your choice. GED10 will be at the McKinney event.
quote:Hope PG doesn't start rating coaches anytime soon
We actually do rate coaches, it's just not publicized. You would rate very highly.
quote:The event ran about $600, while the videos they take of the athletes ran another $600
planobaseballguy,
That is very misleading and simply not true. We film each and every player and there is no cost to the player for that. In fact, we actually pay for that to be done at nearly every showcase event we do. This is for scouting purposes, we have thousands of player videos.
If someone wants to purchase a video production from Skillshow, there is an additional cost. I don't even know how much that additional video costs because it is not our business.
There is no question that any event can be a waste of time and money for some. For many others it can be the most important thing they have ever done in baseball, ie. Carl Crawford (BTW, He is from Houston). It is all about the results. Thorough research is required to see past results. Do not listen or believe fancy marketing pieces. Check with the college coaches. Check the lists of past participants and see what the results were. Ask those who have no reason to favor anything or anyone. Figure out what and possibly why people say what they do. Do not expect miracles. But if a player truly stands out at any PG event... Everyone in scouting and recruiting is going to know about it.
Unfortunately some have not seen the humor in my posts.
Reading back, I could see that if you didn't know me one might read them differently than intended.
Mr. Ford, you know I and our program have always supported PG and team events.
So much so, I'm using a week vacation to fly out your way today.
I apoligize if anyone has taken my posts for anything more than simple humor.
Mr. Ford, please make a point to come see me so I can shake your hand and tell you thanks for all you do.
I will be the fat bald guy with circus hat.
Reading back, I could see that if you didn't know me one might read them differently than intended.
Mr. Ford, you know I and our program have always supported PG and team events.
So much so, I'm using a week vacation to fly out your way today.
I apoligize if anyone has taken my posts for anything more than simple humor.
Mr. Ford, please make a point to come see me so I can shake your hand and tell you thanks for all you do.
I will be the fat bald guy with circus hat.
My $.02 for whatever it's worth...
My older son went through the National Underclassmen Showcase in Ft. Myers FL a few years ago. 500 kids evaluated over a 3 day period. The Showcase was extraordinarily well done, particularly considering the large number of kids -- very organized, a good number of scouts, and what I would consider to be a very fair rating (like Infield08, my son was not rated a 9 or 10 either). There were things about this and other Showcases that didn't make sense to me (e.g. IF arm strength gets headlines over pop times and so there were kids essentially winding up when throwing across the IF to increase throw speed; and the kids only got 10 batting practice swings to demonstrate their hitting); however, again, I think they got the evaluation right for my son and others I know that were there. I do find it strange that many kids consistently increase their scores the more times they go to a Showcase when there hasn't been inordinate pace of growth in their abilities -- at least as far as I can tell but what do I know. While I'm sure many knowledgeable baseball people can provide just as good an assessment as the PG staff, my guess is that PG has broader credibility and contacts than any single individual for the normal kid, particularly those that aren't necessarily tied in with a high profile summer organization.
My recommendation to anyone that asks is as follows: if your son has a particular attribute that will clearly differentiate himself from the other kids (e.g. power hitter, foot speed, or arm strength), then I think PG is money well spent (many will argue that if your son has one of those attributes they'll not need PG and in some cases that may be true but I'm not sure that's the majority). However, if your son doesn't clearly stand out in any one dimension then I'm not sure I'd spend the money vis-a-vis getting an assessment from a local expert. The only caveat is that my son went to 1 PG event with around 500 kids and I might have a different impression after a Showcase with 100 kids.
My older son went through the National Underclassmen Showcase in Ft. Myers FL a few years ago. 500 kids evaluated over a 3 day period. The Showcase was extraordinarily well done, particularly considering the large number of kids -- very organized, a good number of scouts, and what I would consider to be a very fair rating (like Infield08, my son was not rated a 9 or 10 either). There were things about this and other Showcases that didn't make sense to me (e.g. IF arm strength gets headlines over pop times and so there were kids essentially winding up when throwing across the IF to increase throw speed; and the kids only got 10 batting practice swings to demonstrate their hitting); however, again, I think they got the evaluation right for my son and others I know that were there. I do find it strange that many kids consistently increase their scores the more times they go to a Showcase when there hasn't been inordinate pace of growth in their abilities -- at least as far as I can tell but what do I know. While I'm sure many knowledgeable baseball people can provide just as good an assessment as the PG staff, my guess is that PG has broader credibility and contacts than any single individual for the normal kid, particularly those that aren't necessarily tied in with a high profile summer organization.
My recommendation to anyone that asks is as follows: if your son has a particular attribute that will clearly differentiate himself from the other kids (e.g. power hitter, foot speed, or arm strength), then I think PG is money well spent (many will argue that if your son has one of those attributes they'll not need PG and in some cases that may be true but I'm not sure that's the majority). However, if your son doesn't clearly stand out in any one dimension then I'm not sure I'd spend the money vis-a-vis getting an assessment from a local expert. The only caveat is that my son went to 1 PG event with around 500 kids and I might have a different impression after a Showcase with 100 kids.
Ken,
Actually I showed some of our other guys your post and they laughed. It's just that not everyone understands and some use it to pile on.
I always look forward to seeing you. IMO... The DBat program has always been a class group of people. I remember well 2005, the hurricane and 26 inches of rain in two weeks. Those situations tell a lot about people. Unfortunately, that year has labeled the Atlanta event as being like that every year. We are here running tournaments for 5 weeks. In 5 weeks it is going to rain at times, almost anywhere in the country. We are in a rain delay right now. The first rainfall since we have been here was yesterday. Every pool game and playoff game has been played. We did have to cancel a couple consolation games yesterday.
The forecast for next week looks pretty good. I hope you guys have some fun here this year. BTW, there has been a huge improvement in the umpiring over the past couple years. (Knock on Wood)
Best of luck
Actually I showed some of our other guys your post and they laughed. It's just that not everyone understands and some use it to pile on.
I always look forward to seeing you. IMO... The DBat program has always been a class group of people. I remember well 2005, the hurricane and 26 inches of rain in two weeks. Those situations tell a lot about people. Unfortunately, that year has labeled the Atlanta event as being like that every year. We are here running tournaments for 5 weeks. In 5 weeks it is going to rain at times, almost anywhere in the country. We are in a rain delay right now. The first rainfall since we have been here was yesterday. Every pool game and playoff game has been played. We did have to cancel a couple consolation games yesterday.
The forecast for next week looks pretty good. I hope you guys have some fun here this year. BTW, there has been a huge improvement in the umpiring over the past couple years. (Knock on Wood)
Best of luck
Matter of fact... the Dallas Yankees are in Ft. Myers, FL., playing in the PG BCS as we speak...they are trying their luck with being the number 2 seed instead of the number 1 seed. HA! Last I heard they have been awaiting to finish their game against the Cyclones. They have been in a rain delay since early this morning. Yankees were on a roll...up 1-0 with men on first and third after the first inning. Should be a good game!
GOOOOOO Yankees!!!
Bring it home for TEXAS D-YANKS!
Gill is on the mound for the Yankees
Yankees have been facing the Cyclones ace.
Hopefully, more news to come...
GOOOOOO Yankees!!!
Bring it home for TEXAS D-YANKS!
Gill is on the mound for the Yankees
Yankees have been facing the Cyclones ace.
Hopefully, more news to come...