Prep Baseball Report

Good stuff PBR. It goes right next to my “Uncle John’s Ultimate Bathroom Reader”.

Can’t wait!

“I never said half the things I said.” ~ Yogi Berra

smokey, too much information...

I know this has been asked many times, but where can this issue be purchased? Any local news stands?

illinirock,

You can subscribe at the following website…

http://www.prepbaseballreport.com/

Rec'd mine today and another good issue, Sean. Just one minor note; Cumbie going to Clemson as it was written up as him going to play football at SEC powerhouse Clemson & Clemson is in the ACC.

Rock - you can purchase it at Strikes in Broadview.

Tell me how many pitchers in your top gun list are 7-0 with a .24 ERA? or better yet how many can't get out of the 5th inning? another great edition well done....

Sweaty,

To whom would you be referring?

you can only "assume" to whom i'm referring. Rosy, I can't even read it anymore...If I never even knew about, i'd be better off...cause all it does is get people frustrated. It started out being kind of cool and then it got political like everything else in this world. It should stop being put out, it is not very objective anymore. I know its only one mans opinion but, there are alot of people out there who agree with me who don't have the coyones to reply like me. I don't even care anymore, it's a joke...I'll never read it again and i'm sure there are alot of others in my camp.

SD

What's going on? Yikes!!

Tell me how many pitchers in your top gun list are 7-0 with a .24 ERA? or better yet how many can't get out of the 5th inning? another great edition well done....READ into it as you may but your off, way off base PBR...maybe just maybe there is another kid out there who you may have missed or maybe you just like his dad and didn't want to include him and his dad is crying like a pony league daddy. no offense pony league dad's....never been one so I wouldn't know

This has nothing to do with my son's teammate who is a good pitcher and a better person. So there you go using my "assume" who you may. Why did you put that out there? You are so far off base. I have done nothing but pump my son's "teammate" up in the last few weeks and told him how important he is to this team. So, I'm going to go negative on him,I don't think so and Corky if you read this, you know what we've talked about in the last few weeks... What PBR is doing is NOT reading what I posted back in re of what itsrosy asked. Let the kids and there teams decide who is number 1 and not PBR. On any given day anyone team can beat anyone. And unfortuately I was never involved in pony league. I guess we missed out on alot huh PBR? And please don't see me at the fields, I might express myself even more. Now I know why I don't write on here. It always gets taken out of somebodys mixed up context. And to think your a writer. Read what was said. this is a joke.......Oh well back to the penalty box for me. I should've kept myself off. But no I had to put my 2 cents in. And then you had to twist it all up. Good Night rosy, I miss ya man...

I guess I "assumed" incorrectly. The pitching record did match up, though. Anyway, I deleted the previous post.

Your strong opinions are an admirable quality. Would you like to be a columnist for the Prep Baseball Report next season?

I'll stand in the right-field corner of the LT games, OK?

All the best.

Sweaty is right but, if players and fans treated the bi-monthly PBR as a reference everyone would be better off.

Do I care who is #1-#10? Yes, but only for about 5 minutes and I start looking for new players that have just been added, or underclassmen. It is a nice piece to have around when you don't know about PlayerA from downstate or TeamB from the Northern Suburbs.

I think the rankings are top-heavy with pitching and are more like rankings of a player's projectability than their actual ability.

Having said that, I would still like to take a peek at the latest issue.

thank you for deleting that, i do appreciate it. and i'm sorry for being so dang opinionated. thats all i can say....tootles to all and good luck to everyone....

PBR is just one mans opinion from what I see.We could ask 10 people to give us their top 25 players and they would all be different.You have to look at what teams they face.Some teams are in a better conferences than others.We all have an opinion so lets agree to dissagree.Their would be nothing to talk about if we all agree.The kids know who is the best they play the game.

PBR IS GREAT,WHEN YOUR KID IS NOT MENTIONED, DON'T BLAME SD,BLAME HIS COACH,YOU DONT THINK HE GOES TO EVERY STINKING GAME DO YOU,HE HAS TO RELY ON OTHER COACH'S.I THINK PBR IS THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO HS BASEBALL.

nl fan...

Agree with you 100%, too.

Haven't seen the magazine yet, but it doesn't matter.

I, too, am grateful that it is available.

How can anyone complain about hs kids getting free publicity from someone who loves the hs game?

Gees.

LT22catcherdad:

quote:

Originally posted by LT22catcherdad:
The kids know who is the best they play the game.

Ain't that the absolute truth! Thanks for posting that gem!

Don't think too many people will be in sweaty's corner on this one. I really don't know how he can say that the magazine is political and should stop being put out.

They have stories on 26 different pitchers from all over. If you think SD has some agenda listing all these kids you are mistaken. I enjoyed reading about them and wish them all success in there baseball playing days.

It appears that sweaty thinks another pitcher from LT (besides the two that were featured)should have been included. I would probably agree but you could also make the same case for pitchers such as Altbach, Diedrich, Bookford and Kloss to name a few. I apologize to any others I left out as I follow high school baseball but don't see near the games that SD does. You also don't get too much coverage in the Sun Times and Tribune.

I think the PBR is very good for high school baseball and know it goes out to alot of college coaches. SD does a good job of trying to feature players from all over the state and Chicagoland area. Sweaty - if you subscribe to the PBR just cancel your subscription. You are way off base in your criticism of the PBR.

Thanks for the nice words. Just one thing I'd like to mention:

Some people have written that the publication is "one man's opinion." Really, you give me way too much credit. I frequently correspond with HS coaches, talk with scouts and college coaches all the time, pick the brains of local high school reporters who cover specific areas closely and who are nice enough to share statistics and info with me. My opinion obviously is the final say, but really, I collect other people's opinions from people who give honest opinions.

Honestly, I wish I was omniscient - it would make my job infinitely easier. I miss players; I make mistakes, unfortunately. Rankings are rankings. They are subjective. Whether a player is No. 12 or No. 15, No. 42 or 55, it is obviously very debatable. Usually, however, they are in the ballpark.

If I miss someone's son or star player, please email me. I welcome any and all information and usually apply it. I did not rank pitchers in the new edition, just highlighted some top performers. That's all.

Thanks for your support.
Sean Duncan

PBR thats great that you get talk to all those people but you need to talk to the kids sometimes.They hit off those great pitchers.The pitchers know who is hard to get out.I ask my son all the time about different players,And his opinion is somewhat different than what mine is.He knows more about pitchers than I do.He catches them and he hits off them.they may not always be right but I would trust their opinion.They play with alot of different players on their travel teams over the years.bottom line it's your book you write what you think is right.I don't have a problem with it.Someone had to do it,and we thank you.We needed something to get sweaty over the edge.Just my opinion!!!

PBR Thanks for the book

quote:

Originally posted by sweaty:
It should stop being put out, it is not very objective anymore. I know its only one mans opinion but, there are alot of people out there who agree with me who don't have the coyones to reply like me.

Cajones. :-) It's a magazine, and you're right - one man's (or staff's!) opinion. But I happen to like it, even though I don't always AGREE with it. Same as any newspaper article on the sport or even postings here, for that matter. MY kid's name's never come up in it (and HE loves the magazine regardless), I think there are overlooked players and some kids are getting more press than their credentials merit. BUT, for those kids who are getting notice through it, it's a great thing. The rest of us just have to find other roads, but to think PBR should stop publication? That's silly. JMO, of course!

OK I screwed up. Let it go already. Sean is a good man and good for the game. My bad. I was of course with my comment,SORRY to all who have had to read my quips. and I know I can't spell....I am SORRY nothing has to be written to put me over the edge...it's way too late for that.

Men,

Everything that needs to be said on this topic has now been said. It is time to move onto something of greater interest and importance.

Our boy's teams are finishing up conference games with an eye on the playoffs. How about a thread talking about which teams are hot, which one's need to get hot. JMO.

sweaty,

I LOVE YOU MAN….

I yam what I yam! ~ Popeye

Who has a better product for providing exposure for players PBR and its magazine and showcases or PG and its showcases and tournaments? I know PBR is geared toward Illinois kids but if a college coach really relied upon PBRs and PGs rankings and projections for recruitment purposes whose product do they rely upon more PBR or PG? I'm sure many of you have gone through the exposure process with your sons what do you prefer which product is better?

I think you're comparing apples to oranges. PBR is an Illinois publication with a focus soley on players in our state. Their association with showcase events is also exclusively for Illinois and Chicago area players. PG is national in scope. Their high profile showcases and WWBA tournaments are almost exclusively in Florida, Georgia and California. PG does not publish a magazine and probably does not have information on some of the players that PBR highlights.

I would think that Illinois and other Midwest college coaches and players have benefitted by the emergence of PBR. For players who think they may want to play college ball outside of our area and wonder how ACC, SEC and other conferences can find out about them, PG national events, and events sponsored by other respected organizations would be the way I'd go.

They are both great.
PG is national in scope and can't be beat.
PBR is great for Illinois HS baseball.

and....contrary to some naysayers they are both used by the top conferences.

its...Excellent summary.

Am I the only one who questions the objectivity of PBR? When you call yourself "The Truth", but you're financially related to MVP/Full Package/Top Tier, can you really be objective? Or would your opinion naturally be swayed to favor players who support your business ventures? I'm only talking about No Suburban Chicago, because that's the only hs baseball that I'm familar with in the state, but I know when the lists are published, there are often players that appear on the top 50 or top 100 or whatever who go to schools in our conference who we've never even heard of or who hardly plays. And then there are other kids who are not on the list who are all-conference, all-area, all-county... how do they get overlooked? I've even questioned local newspapers about why they quote from the PBR lists... they're just giving PBR (and Full Package, Top Tier, MVP) free publicity.

Just my opinion... as the saying goes "Follow the money".

Well said!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been in the peanut gallery around here for a while, just soaking it up. This issue does bother me so I thought I'd jump into the fray. I'll probably be sorry I did but here goes.

I've seen the magazine a couple of times and the fact that kids are getting attention is so great. However.....

My son plays on a Travel Team other than Top Tier and we have played them and I know who a lot of those kids are....all good ballplayers. A few of them are very good ballplayers, I mean real prospects. The rest of them are no better than any number of kids on my son's team or many others, yet virtually all of them are ranked on the PBR lists. Many players on my son's team or others are at least as good but are nowhere to be found.

So yes, it is a great magazine but Mythreesons is right....the relationship between Top Tier and the PBR is too close to be objective. Credit is given to kids other than Top Tier, but if you are part of their team you are far more likely to be mentioned.

Definitley a conflict of interest....or maybe it's all part of the Package.

Sean makes hundreds of phone calls during the winter and listens to coaches, so if someone isn't on that list then maybe the coach isn't returning phone calls. We have had many kids on the list and NOT one of them has anything to do with MVP or full package athletics.

It'sAllGood, welcome aboard.
Don't let it get you all caught up in it too. Your son plays on a travel team and lives in a town with a decent HS program. If he is good and works hard on continued improvement he'll be fine (AND get the recognition he deserves).
That said, PBR IS doing a service to the areas players. JMO

PBR is good because it brings attention to Illinois HS baseball. Anything that brings more attention is a good thing. But don't think if your son isn't mentioned in PBR or by PG, that he won't be noticed. My nephew wasn't on the radar of either. He attended a few pro scout's open tryouts and was invited to tryout for an East Coast Pro Showcase team. He was lucky enough to go to that showcase last summer, had a good week, and signed with an SEC school in November. It wasn't until after his signing that he was recognized by PBR and PG. Also, not a single Illinois college recruited him, but that turned out OK.

Haven't seen the magazine and I don't know the editor/publisher, writers or contributors.

Sounds like a bunch of "sour grapes" from some of you.

There was only ONE perfect person and look what happened to Him.

There is a TON of information on this website where kids can go and be seen. Some cost money. Some don't.

Some coaches in high school work to see that the kids improve and get to play at the next level. Some just have jobs.

-----

I was a "hamburger" as a player in high school eons ago (St. Rita, '62), although we won the Catholic League Championship in 1960 and finished second to Mt. Carmel in 1961 and again in 1962. Went to a smallish college (St. Procopius in Lisle then changed to Benedictine then to Illinois Benedictine and now Benedictine University). There were no significant travel programs back then. Not a ton of showcases. Certainly nothing like Perfect Game and some of the others now.

Baseball was important to me. Video games weren't even around. We all have choices to make: Beer, parties and forest preserves on Friday and Saturday nights or rest your body and play baseball with a few friends each day or night during the summer to get better. I chose the latter and got drafted and played in the Braves minor league system for a couple of years. Son, Paul, was an All Stater at OPRF; went to Mississippi State; and, was an 8th round draft choice of the New York Mets in 1993.

Stop complaining. How many empty baseball fields do you see in Chicagoland every single day during the summer? That says it all.

If you are a player and haven't been recognized, do something to get youself recognized. Virtually everyone can improve their 60 times by .1 or .2. (Get some chalk and mark off the distance on a quiet street near your house and RUN) Virtually everyone can improve their home to first time, too. Do the same thing.

Can buy a dozen baseballs for $2-$3 bucks each. The cost of a dozen balls is the same as the cost of 3 x 24 packs of beer. Use the balls for long toss. Play the game yourself. Run to pick up the balls. Like ladders in basketball as you stretch out your arm. You have a choice to make. Make it in a way that it helps you with your baseball skills if baseball is important to you.

Smoking and drinking and weed...the bane of all (sorry, likely 98%)of all high school athletes.

Do you guys ever wonder why cigarettes and liquor are taxed so highly? One of the major reasons is because they cause so much damage to your bodies and the State and medical providers need the money to pay for medical care for you when you get older.

bravo !!
I hope the kids read that one.