Southern boys vs northen boys

This is a no brainer ..... just to name a few spots in southern region Florida, Texas and Southern California are consistently loaded with talent. All you have to do is look at the number of MLB scouts assigned to cover those areas.

The reasons are large population centers with year round great weather and bingo you get lots of great baseball players

More in the south and west. Still many from the rest of the country. The best could come from anywhere. These kind of topics sometimes get out of control for some reason.

Talent is talent. It doesn't matter where you live.
Many boys here in the Midwest get pulled towards other sports due to the short baseball season. We still have talent, we just don't have the opportunity to develop that talent year round. They're still good athletes and might have been strong baseball players, they just don't have the chance to play or the exposure of the southern and western states.
You gotta love baseball to be on the field here in Kansas in about 8 weeks. Our varsity team actually has team parkas like the football teams wear. Believe me, we'll need them during March and even April. Maybe the players that survive baseball in Kansas end up tougher?

75% of the best players are in Florida, Texas, California and Arizona.

Weather is the primary reason.

Lots of kids up North give up the game because they nearly freeze to death in the late March through mid-May "season".

For every stud you have in a Northern state, you have 15 in the South and West.

Are we talking talent on the field or in the class room? Weather can definitely be a factor for both...

I used to think this was a baseball thing until I talked to a DI football coach who told me the same thing holds true in Football. More good players in Texas, Florida and California. Anyone know if that is true?

The rosters of MOST northern D1 football teams are loaded with Florida players.

Rutgers has about 20+.

Even the top programs like Michigan and ND recruit hard in Florida.

quote:

Originally posted by PGStaff:
I used to think this was a baseball thing until I talked to a DI football coach who told me the same thing holds true in Football. More good players in Texas, Florida and California. Anyone know if that is true?

All I have to say about that is



and maybe this:



And then there is this:

I believe it does, Coach Merc .

When we moved here, I was duly appalled by the schools. A friend in Boston told me it was a Northern plot...if the South got educated, they might rise up again!

Fine weather and athletics seem to go together; academics and (shall we say) changeable weather do. (With the obvious exception noted in That Wonderful Speech in 'The Third Man').

I know that Florida produces a ton of talent in football. Rutgers (state university of NJ) is on a campaign of buying monster, colorful billboards near Florida high schools advertising Rutgers football, so that when they recruit the kids know of Rutgers from the signs.

Rsctt83:

quote:

...with year round great weather and bingo you get lots of great baseball players

Being up here in the cold, chilly Chicago area I'll concede to you that Florida, Texas, and Southern California have the better year-round great weather....but when it comes to bingo, all bets are off...we've got a lock on the game...possibly South Florida could give us a run...but my money is still on us!

B-12....BINGO!

I believe talent exists everywhere. However, in warm weather states there are more opportunities to play more often to improve your game, in any sport.

There are many players here that leave the state to play in northern schools. Part of the reason being for education. A player that can't get into one of our larger D1 baseball or football schools, will head north for a chance to play and receive a better education than in some of the smaller D1 schools here in FL. For most of our kids, it's about playing in college, not after.

Those states listed are loaded with talent in baseball & football and also produce plenty of great basketball talent as well.

gotwood, we do have great bingo up here but Il & Chicago in particular takes a backseat to nobody when it comes to producing d1 and pro basketball talent - maybe not in overall numbers due to population discrepancy but certainly in quality studs.

gotwood --- isn't "B-12 Bingo!" What the commissioner's office said to Palmero????

denisr400:

The obvious conclusion to this is that we have to develop more D1 Bingo programs up this way...


Re: The home-grown basketball talent...still waiting to see the local coaches keep the lion's share of it around here.

Orlando:

quote:

...isn't "B-12 Bingo!" What the commissioner's office said to Palmero????

I thought the Commisioner's response was "O-my"...we're in a tough spot now!

I've read many good comments here. Remember to be fair, in florida almost 17 million pop., in texas around 19 million and california nearly 34 millon. Talent yes, opportunity yes, and definitely great coaches and trainers have gravitated to these places because of the weather and the opportunities. There are good players from all over, I just see more of them here in florida. As for academics, I've been in florida for 18 years, lived in the northeast for 30, the public schools are no better anywhere in the country. There are good and poor in all areas, there does seem to be more quality private institutions up north. The areas are more established. Here and in many growing areas, the growth itself strains the system as the need for educators and money is always on the increase. Until you've lived in an area thats growing this fast, you have no idea. A couple of examples are in 1988 when I got here, the population was 9.5 million, now approaching 17 millon. Local L.L where I coached had 400 kids, now over 1200. There were 11 high schools around Orlando and in my county there were 2, now there are 30+ around Orlando and 5 in my county. Travel teams are way too many to mention. This is all relevant to the talent in the area. A lot of mediocre players are gone by age 13 as the competition is so strong.

Coachric

For all who want to claim "cold weather",... take a gander at all of the Texas parents wrapped in blankets, sleeping bags, hunting clothes and many other odd get-ups while attending scrimmages and games in Feb, Mar and even April!! Of course there is usually no need to shovel snow off of the bleachers, but often you can hear somebody cussing Oklahoma for forgetting to close the door, thus letting all the cold air into Texas!

Of course, there are also just a LOT of good athletes in the South!

OPP

Sorry...gotta stick up for the Big10 football programs who's rosters are loaded with northern players. Top football programs of PSU (1 player from Fl, 0 from Texas), Ohio State (4 players from FL, 3 from TX) and Michigan (2 players from Fl, 1 from TX). I give the obvious nod to the south when it comes to baseball, but not football. Big10 football is one of the top football conferences in the country. Football is HUGE in our area at the high school level...(not saying it compares to Texas high school football...I don't know if ANYONE can compare there! )...but PA and Ohio have loads of football talent. Cold weather doesn't matter in football and I believe the playing field between north and south is more level when it comes to football...baseball is a completely different story however.

OnePlayersPop:

quote:

For all who want to claim "cold weather",... take a gander at all of the Texas parents wrapped in blankets, sleeping bags, hunting clothes and many other odd get-ups while attending scrimmages and games in Feb, Mar and even April!!

OPP

Those wouldn't be woolen blankets, sleeping bags, and hunting clothes ordered from mail-order catalogues...would they?

With 60 million people living in those 3 states they darn sure better produce talent.

TPM. The spring, summer and fall seasons in Chicagoland HS,s has closed the gap with regard to playing time. These players in HS have no trouble playing 100 games per year, give or take a few. On top of that the indoor facilities are both numerous and are loaded with big time instructors. The "3 season" approach is still only 4-5 years old and gaining momemtum. Give this trend about 5 years and the gap in major metropolitan area's will be closed!

Don't get me wrong, playing baseball on a soggy cold field in March is absurd but by the 1st-15th of April conditions are about normal. The Chicago/Illinois players that want to attend D1 programs in the south are growing in number...and many of these players are having good success in the top D1 conferences.

BD,

Clearly - total number of quality players - South and West.

Keep in mind that "The South" has a population of about 110 million people - and "The West" has a population of about 70 million. Total of about 180 million.

"The Northeast" has about 57 million and the Midwest has about 68 million. Total of about 125 million.

So - right off the start - the South and West have a population that is about 44% larger than the Northeast and the Midwest.

Up this way the Catholic Church controls Bingo--


As for south vs north players-- for me the sole difference is game experience--the warm weather kids get more game experience but on the other hand the northern players are "fresher" due to not playing 365 days a year

quote:

Originally posted by OnePlayer'sPop:
For all who want to claim "cold weather",... take a gander at all of the Texas parents wrapped in blankets, sleeping bags, hunting clothes and many other odd get-ups while attending scrimmages and games in Feb, Mar and even April!! Of course there is usually no need to shovel snow off of the bleachers, but often you can hear somebody cussing Oklahoma for forgetting to close the door, thus letting all the cold air into Texas!

Of course, there are also just a LOT of good athletes in the South!

OPP

OPP - In Ohio, you're lucky to find a field that's not located 3 inches under snow in February much less think about a scrimmage. And as far as the "bundled parents" go, you probably think 55 and partly cloudy is frigid.

55 and partly cloudy IS frigid.

signed,

Florida Wooss

This time of year is tough on northern kids if they want to go to camps and showcases. Most have been shut down and/or in weight programs since November and timing and feel get rusty. But in the spring, summer and fall when all things are equal in terms of weather, kids in the North do all right for themselves. I do acknowledge that there are more high level guys from the south and west. Numbers prove that.

55 is balmy!

Hey, I didn't buy into 55 and partly cloudy and I think thats only at night anyway.

Coachric

55 and partly cloudy up here is prime baseball weather

Generally speaking and for the obvious reasons already stated, population and weather, it certainly is a no-brainer where to look for the greatest number of top players.

However if you are strictly looking for the top individuals, as PG has noted, they could be from anywhere.

When I went to school, I was a northern player who headed to a Florida program. My observation back then was that my northern teammates were hungrier than many of the locals. In addition we were much more raw and therefore often saw the biggest improvement in our game.

I’m biased but I’ll take a high level northern player and put him under the sun and watch him blossom.

One problem I see in my area is that some of the best potential baseball talent is being squandered playing summer basketball. In addition the pitching is so bad that it does not lend itself well for developing high level hitters.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
55 and partly cloudy up here is prime baseball weather

Perfect for the HS playoffs, right?

Beezer

you got it

you know it wont happen on HS opening day

I am originally from Illinois, although a military brat that travelled the world. I went to College at NIU in Dekalb, where it was -38 degrees BELOW zero one morning that I had to walk to class (In early Feburary)

Last February, my son was playing in a scrimmage at Flower Mound HS, and I froze my behind off. I had a blanket under me and on top of me with a winter coat and a stocking cap. I drank hot chocolate like it was going out of style.

When I got back in my truck, the temperature read 49 degrees

I have officially turned into a wuss.

49 DEGREES??? Are you crazy. You let your children out to play in that?

I wonder what the weather's like in the Dominican Republic today? ...or Kyushu?

Just a thought...

It's certainly true that great talent can come from many regions of the country...besides just the Pacific Northwest of course!

The kids up north are better at bowling; definitely better at bowling.

(I was a 'northern' kid, btw)

49 degrees is t-shirt weather in northern new york. i've played in hs ball in northern states and legion in virginia. there seems to be a better overall knowledge of the game in the southern states. it comes from being able to play baseball 8 or 9 months out of the year. granted we do have players that go d1, but they are far and few between.to all the parents out there, if you ever get teh chance to send your son to another state to play baseball do it. it was one of the best experiences i've ever had. it definitely helped me to prepare for life away from home after college.

Prepster

Definately warmer in DR but you can still play on Kyushu.