Pre-Area Code Team Tryout

Bob,

Is the tryout process for AC going to be different in California this coming year? Should the 05's and 06's get going on this now, or will they still have a shot next summer?

My son was an 04 AC player, but people are always asking me what the process is, and it seems to be changing a little bit...just wondering so I can answer the questions properly.

Bob.....

Hope you know that is Veterans day weekend and there are several tournaments going on!!!!

To Southern California players;

November 8 is a pre-tryout open to the 2005 and 2006 high school grads. The "hitting clinic" is optional. Payers will receive 3 hours of hitting instruction [9-noon]from the Brewers scouts. The running, throwing and fielding tools will be evaluated at 1 PM. All players need to complete the player profile on our web site. Invitations will be mailed.

Selected players may be invited from this tryout-clinic to the June 22-23 "Invitational Only" Western Regional "Scouting Combine" at Blair Field in Long Beach.

The June 22-23 "Combine" will include players from Hawaii, Nevada and California. The June tryout will be limited to 160 players [80 each day].

All players will be selected for the tryout by the Brewers scouts and from the two Brewers teams traveling to Australia in December.

The Brewers will select 50 players for their two teams from the June tryout.

We have a 3rd team [Indians] who will also select players from this tryout.

Bob Williams

Those tryout dates would conflict with the normal USA Baseball JO tournament dates. There will be a great amount of quality players attending that event that would probably be candidates for AC's. Are there any alternate dates?

Calbb;
There will always be a conflict with players entering tournaments. Competition is good, however we cannot change our schedule, since I attend the tryouts and from the June 15 to June 30, we will plan 10 tryouts from the West Coast to the East Coast.

Our tryout window is narrow. We are dealing with the post draft, the College World Series, the high school summer session and the travel teams.

At each tryout will be over 130 college coaches and pro scouts will evaluate each player.

BOB WILLIAMS

Bob,
Will you be having anything coming up this year(2003) on the east coast? South Carolina, North Carolina or GA area?

6.8 sixty;
We complete our pre-tryout on Sunday, October 12 at Georgia Tech. Twenty-five players.

We selected four players for the Australia trip in December and three players for additional tryout next June.

Bob Williams

RCW, my son is an o6 pitcher. does the tryout on Nov. 8 allow for pitchers only?

KKURVE:
Pitchers may arrive at 1 PM for their tryout.
9 am to noon is the "hitting clinic"
Milwaukee Brewers scouts will be the instructors.
We will also meet with our Southern California players who are traveling with our International Brewers teams to Australia in December for the Australia Goodwill Series.

Please complete a player profile on our web site. We need to register all tryout players.


Bob Williams

What about San Francisco Bay Area players?

Calikidsdad:

We completed our Northern California pre-tryout in Sacramento, September 21. Three players were selected for the June 22-23 tryouts.

There will be no additional tryouts in Northern California for the Brewers Area Code team.

Players maybe selected for the June tryout in Long Beach by the Brewers Northern California scout. We will invite 160 candidates from the Nevada, Hawaii and California to the June tryout. Two teams will be formed.

Have you completed a player profile?

Bob Williams

RCW, do you have the summer dates and locations set for summer 04? You and I had a long conversation over the phone some time back and I would certainly like to start planning for one of these events if possible. 05 catcher was invited this summer but couldn't attend due to tournament.

Mobunts;
We are now finalizing the Midwest Chicago White Area Code team tryouts. Probably three tryouts in early July.

Bob Williams

Thank you Mr. Williams, I'm looking forward to the upcoming summer hope it all works out for everyone.

RCW

Anything planned for Phoenix this fall/winter?

C6

Celtics 6:

We will not plan any tryouts in Phoenix this fall or next year.

Our committee of professional scouts will players to be invited to the "Brewers Scouting Combine" June 21-23 in Long Beach.

Bob Williams

RCW
My son received an invitation last summer but couldn't attend. Will the process start all over again or will he get the oppurtunity for the tryout based on last years scouting report?

Mobunts:

The Chicago White Sox scouts will select players for the Midwest Area Code Team tryouts.

The scouts will create their own procedure for selection. If a players has the tools, he will be selected.

In 2004, we will form 6 teams for participation in the games August 4-9. The White Sox will select their 25 players from the Midwest and Canada.

Tryouts will begin December 17 with our 60 players traveling to Australia for the Goodwill Series with the Australian State Teams.

Bob Williams

How did the tryouts go? We were going to stop by and watch for a bit but my 12yo opted for the Civil War Reenactment being staged in town.

Bob, are you saying there will only be 6 teams total in the 2004 AC games? Why are you going down from this year?

Mr Justbball:

Yes, 6 teams and 12 days of tryouts in the month of June. Over 800 players will be evaluated for tools. If we notice an interest in "pro prospects" players, I will add a team (Indians)

We also will have two weeks of tryouts next month in Australia for 50 American players.
Our 4 teams are coached by pro scouts.

Bob Williams

We sent in the reg and didn't rx an invitation. he's an 06 rhp, you probably have plenty of those. So I guess we try again next year.

kkurve;

Please send a new player profile and if you have an opportunity to join our "hitting clinic" on Saturday November 22 at the College of the Canyons 8:30 am to 1 PM.

The fee is $95.00 and each player will receive a maple bat or a "Ted Williams" hitting video.

Several Dodgers scouts, who will coach our teams in Australia will assist in this clinic and pre-Area Code Team tryout.

Bob Williams

RCW I filled out a profile last year would it still be on file or do I have to do a new profile,05

BMX;

Please complete a new profile.

We are tentatively planning the Expos "Scouting Combine" June 17-19 at the U of Virginia.

Bob Williams

Do you know schedule for Texas

Ryaussy;

The Texas Rangers schedule is on our web site.

Bob Williams

Bob,
Was a makeup for the rainout in Woodland Hills ever scheduled?

____________________
There is a fine line between clever and stupid - Nigel Tufnel

There was a makeup for the hitting clinic November 22nd at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita. Our son attended and enjoyed it.

RCW

I see you had mentioned tentatively scheduling tryouts at AVA for the Expo team. Just so you'll know Va. is sort of strange that is the last week of school for the Northern Va. schools Fairfax/Prince William Counties. The 17 and 18th are the last days of school.

Hope this makes a difference

Sorry my message didn't read clearly. The ast days of school for Northern Va. (large number of schools in Va.) is June 17 and 18. This would be hard on kids wanting to go to UVA for your Expo Area Code tryouts.

RCW. Is the scouting combine tryouts for Expos Team Still planned for June at U of Virginia And when will the invites be sent out. Thank you Bmx.

BMX05;

The Expos clinc/tryout at the U of Virginia will be June 19.

The objective of the clinic/tryout is provide an opportunity for the 2005 and 2006 high school grads to receive instruction "how to improve, to survive and to adjust" in the game of baseball.

Instructors will be pro scouts, college track coach and former ML players.

The Invitational Expos Tryout is scheduled for the 20th June. The Expos scouts will select players for the June 20 "Invitational" tryout.

Players from the clinic tryout maybe selected by the Expos scouts to return June 20.

Our recent journey's to Australia and Japan provided the need for the educational approach to the Area Code tryouts.

Nike will provide numbered uniform jersey's to each player in the clincs/tryouts.

Bob Williams

RCW Its in the mail, Thank you Bmx. GO PATRIOTS!!!!!!!

RCW how many players wiil be invited to the clinic and selected for Expos tryout. GO PATRIOTS!!!!! 7 Days till Houston

BMX;

We will invited 80 playewrs to the "6th Tool" Clinics; June 12 at Sacramento State, June 19 at the University of Virginia and June 21 at Blair Field in Long Beach.

The Montreal Expos and Milwaukee Brewers pro scouts will instruct at the "6th Tool" clinic
and will evaluate the athletic talents of each player for a possible invitation to the next day "Invitational" tryout. The tool box of each player will be the qualifier. We do not present a evaluation or rate a player, but we can discuss "how to work harder" to the individual player.

We will teach "creativity" at the clinic.
A track coach will teach "running" the 60 yard.
Nike will be involved with their product.

Bob Williams

Bob
Will there be college scouts attending the Clinic on June 19 and the Invitational Tryout on June 20 at the University of Virginia?

Panther fan:

We will invite the college coach to the June 19 clinic. The clinic will be conducted a relax environment, no pressure on the player to "perform", only to learn and listen.

We will teach "creativity" to the players and discuss with the parents their role in the future of the young player.

This will be our 55th clinic program. Since 1983, Goodwill Series Inc., Texas Rangers Baseball Academy and Area Code Baseball has conducted clinic in America, Japan, China and Australia. We have always employed the service of former major league players, pro scouts, track coach.

Bob Williams

RCW Whats the difference between being invited to 6th tool clinic ,invitational tryout and the team scouting combine thx bmx

Hi Bob....

What do you mean by teaching them "creativity"?

BMX 05;

The clinic is a teaching program with the Expos Scouts as instructors. The "scouting combine" and Area Code tryout is our definition of the procedure, which we have used for 19 years to identify the best players in America with baseball tools.

The pro scouts have always selected the players for the tryouts [scouting combine] and for the final roster for the games in Long Beach.

The clinic is a one day event in a relaxed atmosphere where players maybe identified that were previously not noticed. Every year players have been selected for the Area Code games, who were previously unknown. Albert Pujulos was one of the players.

Bob Williams

OH Baseball 24;

Thank you for the question. "Creativity in baseball performance". From our most recent Goodwill Series in Australia, our players ages 16-18 played 12 games in 14 days.
Our pro scouts who coached the teams and Mr. Delmon Young were consistent in their opinion.

"Very few players today are able to make the necessary adjustments in the batter's box, "on the mound" or "on defense" to be successful".

There are several reasons for this current situation. In preparation for the "6th Tool" clinics June 12 at Sac State, June 19 at the U of Virginia and June 21 Long Beach, we will send each candidate a list of questions.

During the clinic the pro scouts from the Brewers and Expos will continue to teach creativity, visualization and imagination in a relax environment. Nike is a sponsor of this
teaching program.

Our objective is for the player to return home determined to "work harder"and to enjoy this game to be successful.

We will teach "self education". Since we started the Area Code Games in 1987, many "showcases" have emerged and have changed the
atitude of the parents, coaches and players.

When we play the National Teams of Japan, Australia and Korea, we realize "how unprepared" our American players have become in the past 5 years.

Certainly a one day clinic will not provide 100% preparation, but we can establish a "mind set" to "CREATIVITY" in the performance of a player in a competitive game.

Bob Williams

Bob...AMEN! The books you recommended for my son" Mind Gym" by Gary Mack & David Casstevens and "The Mental Game" by Dorfman and Kuehl have made a great difference in his mental approach on the mound. The long flight gave him plenty of time to read and then the application. He learned a tremendous amount about the mental side of the game from his Australia experience.

I know he is working hard to put it to good use and begin to put more emphasis on "fun" rather than "pressure" this Junior year.

Just by people asking you what "creativity" means speaks for itself. The best, visualize and then create from confidence. HS coaches put to much emphasis on winning. Most of the pressure today is coach imposed. Let the players play. Coaches need to support.

"If you can imagine it you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it". William Arthur Ward

"Baseball is Life"

quote:

---

There are several reasons for this current situation.

---

I would love to hear your reasons.

Thank you

the Florida Bombers
"I love the HSBBW"

Big Hit 15:

Thank you for your request. Each year, Area Code Baseball and the professional scouts evaluate over 850 high school players ages 15-17. In addition, our International travel teams [250 players] to Japan, China and Australia provide experience to answer your request.
The majority of the young players today are not learning the "inside" game.

The words "creativity", visualization" and "imagination" are not a part of the youth coaching or the parents teaching. Recently, I present a question to a quality tool pitcher.

Runner on 3b, less than 2 outs. What type of pitch would you throw to the hitter? Would you "shake off" your catcher or your coach, if you did not have confidence in the selected pitch?

Youth coaches can learn from professional scouts, college coaches and former professional players the "inside" game. Self teaching is the best method to retain the knowledge presented.

We are not teaching pre-game preparation for the pitchers, defense and hitters. We are not
sitting in the dugout with the player and examing his previous AB.

The passion for the game and the "search for excellence" has been forgotten.

The pressure for the exclusive D-1 scholarship may take away from the player obtaining the "enjoyment" of playing the game for competitive reasons and development of his athletic skills.

What is the "role of the hitter", the "role of the hitter" What do you think?

Bob Williams

I am surprised how many kids have no concept of the inside game. For pitchers my son likes the hA Dorfmann book, the Mental ABC's of pitching. I continually am surprised how many hitters do not know their roles in different situations.

Thanks

the Florida Bombers
"I love the HSBBW"

Bob...thank you for the answer to my question. Evan received his invitation to the clinic June 21st in Long Beach and he is planning on attending.

Nancy

Big Hit;

Please read the Keith Hernandez book "Pure Baseball". It is an inning by inning description of 2 ML games through the eyes of Keith Hernandez. The book named "Nine Sides of the Diamond" by David Falkner, describes the art of defense.

Also "raresportsfilms" HAS A INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO by Ted Williams which is the best that I have ever seen. I have 30 copies for our Area Code players.
We will have a college track coach at each of our 6 Tool Clinics. I have 4 recommendations for youth coaches.

1. The "high tee" drill
2. Pepper for pitchers and position players.
3. Mandatory reading and a weekly quiz of a baseball or social-psychology book
4. Practice defense, defense and defense.

The role of a hitter is to "see the ball"

Bob Williams

Bob,
Do you know of any place in Germany or close by that have any tryouts for the Area Codes. Living in Germany does have its drawbacks but if you or anyone else knows of any thing like this I sure would appreciate it. My son is 16 (Junior in HS) and will turn 17 in April.
Thanks,
torrisjjr

Bob,
Do you know of any place in Germany or close by that have any tryouts for the Area Codes. Living in Germany does have its drawbacks but if you or anyone else knows of any thing like this I sure would appreciate it. My son is 16 (Junior in HS) and will turn 17 in April.
Thanks,
torrisjjr

torrisjjr;

There is a Seattle Mariners scout [Mario] who lives in Italy and operates professional tryouts in Europe. This is a possiblity. Please complete the player profile on our web site and I will forward to Mario.

Bob Williams

RCW,
Where is the player profile found....seems I'm having trouble finding it.
Thanks,
torrisjjr

Torisjjr;

In our web site, you can locate the player profile.

Please read the reports from Australia in 2002 and 2003. Several of our travelers have provided the reports and photographs of the players.

Bob

Bob,
I still can not find the player profile. I am on this web site and see no link to player profile.....Where do I click to get there?
Thanks,
torrisjjr

torrisjjr;

the Player Profile form is located on the 1st page. Click and complete.

Bob

torrisjjr, Try this link.

http://www.areacodebaseball.org/page3d.htm

On the profile it asks for a major league scout that you know. What if you don't know a scout?

bbscout,
Thanks. I was looking for the profile on this hsbaseballweb site instead of the areacode site.

Calbb and Big Hit:

Is it possible for you to e-mail my address <rwilliams@areacodebaseball.org>

We can discuss a new program involving Nike and the "6 Tool Clinics" and your travel teams.

Our Nike 6 Tool clinics for this summer will be June 12 at Sacramento State, California; June 19 at the U of Virginia and June 21 at Blair Field, Long Beach, California.

This is also a pre tryout for the Area Code Teams and our International Travel Teams to China and Australia.

Bob Williams