Showball trip report (Boston 2023)

Showball trip report

While it’s still fresh in my mind, here’s a report from Showball Boston, in case anyone out there is wondering what actually happens at Showball these days. For many of you this will be review, but there may have been some changes regarding the number of plate appearances. My son was registered with his primary position as a catcher and his secondary position as outfield.

• Dates: July 12-13, 2023
• Cost: $1,095
• Schools present: 70+
• Players present: approximately 280
• Teams formed: 20 teams of about 14
• Day 1 measurements:
  • 60-yard dash
  • Pop time
  • Throw down velocity
  • Exit velocity
• Day 1 live batting practice before the mass of coaches:
  • 14 swings total (7 swings in each of two rounds)
    • Price per swing: $78
  • Two batters hitting simultaneously separated by a screen
  • Batters alternate sides so one round is on the third base side and the other round is on the first base side
  • Due to construction taking place at Tufts, parent viewing was limited to two areas on each side of the outfield. No bleachers.
• Day 1 player coach meet and greet:
  • Duration: about 25 minutes
  • Location: coaches spread out in left field
  • Lines of players waiting to talk to certain coaches
  • Other coaches had no visitors or lines
  • My kid managed to converse with five schools during this period, which I thought was pretty good all things considered
• Day 1 parent meeting up-sell attempts:
  • Weighted jerseys
  • Evaluatons of your player
  • Videos of your player
  • Recruiting profile of your player
• Day 2 live games between teams:
  • Total games: 2
  • Innings per game: 7
  • Batters per inning: 3 (regardless of outcome)
  • Starting count: 1-1
  • Result of first BB or HBP: batter stays at plate and count resets to 1-1
  • Total defensive innings played by my kid over two games: 8 (he split time with the other catcher on his team and played one inning in the outfield)
  • Total plate appearances for my kid: 5 (he was blessed with a low jersey number; most players on his team only had four)
  • Coaches actually present to watch each game: 20-25 at each of the two fields (not sure where the others were)
  • Fields used: one each at Tufts and MIT
  • Time between games: less than five minutes, there is almost zero on field warm up as the next two teams take the field
  • Duration of each game: 60-70 minutes
  • Our first game started at 7:00 am
  • Player were supposed to arrive no later than 6:10 am for our game
  • I observed very little interaction between coaches and players in the dugout
  • Balls and strikes called by coach standing behind pitcher
  • Most coaches observed games from a screened area behind the plate with a few sitting near the dugouts
  • Annoucement of player names during walkup? Yes at Tufts, No at MIT

I hope some of you find this helpful and/or interesting.