It even happens in DI football and basketball, where everyone gets a full ride, so of course it happens in DI baseball where you're lucky to get one-third of a scholarship.
In JUCO we're seeing teams take 70-80 and then booting 60% of them after fall break.
ClevelandDad,
Those were some good points you brought up.
Buster Posey is a very popular topic these days, and for good reason. Rememeber "Shep"? He was Buster's biggest fan. He knew Buster back when he was in junior HS. Too bad Shep was so unpredictable as he does really know baseball.
Anyway, I think kids and parents need to understand more about Buster Posey before they start thinking their son is the next Buster Posey.
Florida State is most responsible for the Buster everyone knows. They took an all american shortstop/pitcher and turned him into a catcher.
However, Buster was a FOUR Tool prospect right from the beginning. He just didn't run well enough to be a first round SS and he didn't have the ideal size to be a first round RHP. But he had FOUR average to plus tools and championship caliber makeup. In any given year there are only a couple HS kids with 4 tools. Often there are not any legitimate projectable 5 tool kids.
In other words... Buster was extremely talented and Florida State took that talent and turned it into a first round pick and possible/probable MVP.
Those were some good points you brought up.
Buster Posey is a very popular topic these days, and for good reason. Rememeber "Shep"? He was Buster's biggest fan. He knew Buster back when he was in junior HS. Too bad Shep was so unpredictable as he does really know baseball.
Anyway, I think kids and parents need to understand more about Buster Posey before they start thinking their son is the next Buster Posey.
Florida State is most responsible for the Buster everyone knows. They took an all american shortstop/pitcher and turned him into a catcher.
However, Buster was a FOUR Tool prospect right from the beginning. He just didn't run well enough to be a first round SS and he didn't have the ideal size to be a first round RHP. But he had FOUR average to plus tools and championship caliber makeup. In any given year there are only a couple HS kids with 4 tools. Often there are not any legitimate projectable 5 tool kids.
In other words... Buster was extremely talented and Florida State took that talent and turned it into a first round pick and possible/probable MVP.
PG - those are good points as well.
Here is another story with a hsbbweb connection. We had a member here named Bee> whose son was a fine catcher for Georgia Tech and drafted in the later rounds his junior year.
By all accounts, it appeared he would be the starting catcher the following year - his senior year. Then, Georgia Tech signed an All-American type freshmen catcher/pitcher from the State of South Carolina. The only time the senior catcher got to catch unfortunately was when they brought the freshmen phenom into close a game or when they DH'ed the kid to give his arm a rest. Certainly, not the way they envisioned the young man's collegiate career ending up.
Sometimes, you can have all the planning in the world, have the stars line up, and things still go awry.
Oh btw, the name of that catcher was... Matt Wieters...
Here is another story with a hsbbweb connection. We had a member here named Bee> whose son was a fine catcher for Georgia Tech and drafted in the later rounds his junior year.
By all accounts, it appeared he would be the starting catcher the following year - his senior year. Then, Georgia Tech signed an All-American type freshmen catcher/pitcher from the State of South Carolina. The only time the senior catcher got to catch unfortunately was when they brought the freshmen phenom into close a game or when they DH'ed the kid to give his arm a rest. Certainly, not the way they envisioned the young man's collegiate career ending up.
Sometimes, you can have all the planning in the world, have the stars line up, and things still go awry.
Oh btw, the name of that catcher was... Matt Wieters...
I think (my opinion) that Bee>'s son possibly was expected to be drafted higher and sign. I don't think they were 100% sure that Weiters would show up which would have given Andy the job as starting catcher without sharing the duties.
This is a good example of what happens, they (GTech) didn't over recruit for the position, but rather they knew that they had a player that may or may not show up and may or may not have been ready until late in his freshman season.
This scenerio is not anything that one has control over. It happens.
This is a good example of what happens, they (GTech) didn't over recruit for the position, but rather they knew that they had a player that may or may not show up and may or may not have been ready until late in his freshman season.
This scenerio is not anything that one has control over. It happens.
Yes we knew both Andy and Matt very well. Andy was an athletic catcher and a very talented player from Ohio. Matt was from South Carolina and had Big Leagues written all over him.
Interesting that Matt really wasn't that well known in the scouting community. That is why he went undrafted out of high school. Some people very close to him told me he would have definitely signeds if he went in the first round. His ability was definitely first round. Several clubs tried to sign him as a FA immediately after the WWBA Tournament in Georgia but no one offered 1st round money.
Roy Clark was the scouting director for the Atlanta Braves at the time. That was the first time he had ever heard of him or seen him. He was the best catcher there, the best hitter there and the best pitcher there and his Diamond Devils team won the championship. Wieters was the MVP.
Roy asked me who Wieters reminded me of and I said Joe Mauer with more power. A few guys around laughed about that at the time. A couple years later others started using the Mauer comp. I asked Roy if he wanted to sign him as a catcher or a pitcher. He said "I'll take him either way"!
They didn't offer him enough to get him away from GA Tech.
Interesting that Matt really wasn't that well known in the scouting community. That is why he went undrafted out of high school. Some people very close to him told me he would have definitely signeds if he went in the first round. His ability was definitely first round. Several clubs tried to sign him as a FA immediately after the WWBA Tournament in Georgia but no one offered 1st round money.
Roy Clark was the scouting director for the Atlanta Braves at the time. That was the first time he had ever heard of him or seen him. He was the best catcher there, the best hitter there and the best pitcher there and his Diamond Devils team won the championship. Wieters was the MVP.
Roy asked me who Wieters reminded me of and I said Joe Mauer with more power. A few guys around laughed about that at the time. A couple years later others started using the Mauer comp. I asked Roy if he wanted to sign him as a catcher or a pitcher. He said "I'll take him either way"!
They didn't offer him enough to get him away from GA Tech.