There has been a lot of buzz on social media lately about The Series. I am honored to be a part of this organization and look forward to bringing this great concept to Virginia.
I challenge all Virginia players to show the rest of the country how well we can play baseball and compete. Check out theseries.com.
Yes, I have emailed Julie about advertising and supporting the HSBBWEB.
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Nice teaser 
Firewall at work is blocking the site how about a thumbnail description of what this is? Thanks!
Nice teaser
Firewall at work is blocking the site how about a thumbnail description of what this is? Thanks!
Blocked here too.
From the website theseries.com:
The Series was created to be 'The Ultimate Baseball Journey' for young athletes who are truly passionate about baseball. We believe that every player wants to know how he rates compared to his peers and how he can become a better, more complete player. When a player works hard enough to rise above the crowd, he deserves a reward that will become a lifetime memory.
The foundation of The Series comes not from our founders, but from their fathers. The love for baseball has always been passed from generation to generation and The Series is no exception. Jerry Ford of Perfect Game and Joe Barth of the Tri-State Arsenal have spent a lifetime honing their teaching and evaluating skills and they have developed countless college and professional baseball players along the way. Each has created a long-standing amateur baseball organization that is viewed as a gold standard against its peers. With a lifetime of lessons and commitment to helping build their fathers' organizations, our founders Andy Ford, Ben Ford and Bob Barth, believe that every player, regardless of his 'baseball resume' or league and team affiliation, should have the opportunity to see where they rank among their peers and to compete for a chance to play with and against the best players from all across the world.
As we developed the assessment component of The Series - The Combine - we sought the counsel of both Jerry and Joe to provide a model to test and assess player skills - to objectively rate and rank these skills and to provide guidance about how to improve. Based on these teachings, seven core skill sets for each position were chosen to form the standard we will use to evaluate each player. We then assembled a group of top-rated coaches and scouts to oversee the process and objectively rate players across every territory.
The players who rise out of The Combine that advance to the second leg of The Series - The Challenge - will have the opportunity to put their skills to the test. They will be competing against the best players in their age group and in their territory for a chance to represent their home territory at The Series - The Classic - a weeklong celebration played on the fabulous fields of Ft. Myers, Florida. Players who advance to Ft. Myers will be treated to a celebration of baseball in a festival atmosphere with interactive exhibits, skills competitions, entertainment and the best baseball competition in the country.
We believe that every player, if armed with proprietary data and assessment, can improve their baseball skills and raise their game to the next level. The goal of The Series is to help players of all ages become more complete players, by understanding their skill strengths and, more importantly, their weaknesses. The Series provides a road map for this journey and we believe in the importance of turning a player's weaknesses into strengths. More athletic and complete baseball players will equate to better and even more passionate baseball players stepping onto the field every day.
The Series offers the tools and guidance necessary to make this happen, but it is up to you to work hard enough to reach the goals you constantly set for yourself. The best players work to get better every single day. What have you done today to be your best?
Ft. Myers, FL will be home to The Series Classic from late June through mid August, with JetBlue Stadium as the centerpiece of our baseball world. Family friendly interactive exhibits from companies including equipment manufacturers, retailers, MLB licensees, camp and showcase organizations and more will be open throughout the Festival for players and their families to immerse themselves in the world of baseball. Special deals on local tourist attractions will be made available for visiting families.
Founder/Managing Partner – Andy Ford - aford@theseries.com
Born and raised in a baseball family, Andy has been with Perfect Game, since its inception. As Vice President and one of the current owners of Perfect Game, Andy continues to be instrumental in taking Perfect Game from an Iowa based baseball company to the gold standard in their industry of the amateur baseball world.
Founder/Managing Partner – Bob Barth - bbarth@theseries.com
Bob has been in the travel baseball circuit since starting the Tri State Arsenal program in 1995. Tri-State Arsenal is a Northeast Region powerhouse in the travel baseball landscape with 26 current MLB players. Bob has also served as VP and Director of Operations for The Hit Doctor Baseball School in Southern NJ since 1996. He also has been an area scout for 5 MLB teams over the past 15 years including the Phillies, Marlins, Brewers, Dodgers, and Giants.
Founder/VP - Ben Ford - bford@theseries.com
Ben pitched for 12 years in professional baseball, that included stints in the Major Leagues with the Arizona Diamondbacks in their inaugural year, the New York Yankees, and the Milwaukee Brewers. Ben's father, Jerry Ford, founder of Perfect Game, brought Ben on at Perfect Game and he immediately began overseeing tournaments and showcases, becoming the National Director of Perfect Game's Baseball Championship Series.
Redbird, this looks so interesting. I'm not sure i completely understand though. What format are the Challenges in? Is it like a showcase? Do you register as a team or a player? Is there a limit to how many players are taken for each position?
Redbird, this looks so interesting. I'm not sure i completely understand though. What format are the Challenges in? Is it like a showcase? Do you register as a team or a player? Is there a limit to how many players are taken for each position?
JAM,
This is an individual showcase - you sign up as a player. The format for The Challenge is several individual tests/ratings followed by games Over a 2-3 day period. The purpose is to evaluate and rank players within their respective age groups as well as select a Team VA/WV in each age group to participate in The Classic in Fort Myers, FL. This will be a baseball festival like no other.
Ok, I just realized this is the Virginia forum 
i usually just click on new posts on the left. I am in NY, but it's a really cool idea!
JAM,
No problem! Keep an eye out for dates in NY coming soon.
redbird5,
looks interesting, but what is in it for the players other than being selected to play on a team in Ft. Myers? Is the Classic in FT Myers a series specific event with only teams participating that were selected from their regional Challenge event or will other teams be registered for the Classic as well? What separates the series from all the other combine/showcase/tournaments available?
bballdad,
Great question. I think The Series is different in many ways. Overall, it is all about the experience at the Classic. It is going to be a truly memorable experience.
It is my experience that college coaches want data. They want measurables and they want them from reputable people. An 85 on a Series gun is much more reliable than the same on Dad's gun. (We have several other data points that we measure as well). Having this data allows college coaches to "find" players to follow. They also want reputable evaluations. With the reputations of the baseball people involved, this is strength of The Series. I am fortunate enough to be involved with some very knowledgeable baseball people here.
The data is also very useful for the players. It will show them how they stack up to their peers and show opportunities in their game to strengthen (e.g. agility, quickness, foot speed, etc.) Each age group will be ranked according to their measurables and further evaluated during game play.
As for the format, teams in each state will be selected from the Challenges. In Year 1, there will only be Challenges since we are short on time. In Year 2, the players will enter through a Combine and may be invited to proceed to a Challenge in hopes of being selected for the Classic team. In addition to representing their state in this festival, they will get a pretty impressive load of gear. Additionally, its been my experience that college coaches show up where there are large amounts of talent. I can very easily imagine that certain age groups will have large amounts of college coaches and pro scouts. There are international teams that will be present as well.
I hope this answers your question.
