What is HS Baseball?

I just read where one guy thinks that travel baseball was more important than HS ball. Me thinks it is because the parenst have no control over what happens in HS but they can pretty much control the travel team coach. If you think your little Johnny is the cat's meow, why would you support the HS coach whotreats him like everyone else? I mean, GOSH, why should Johnny have to earn playing time in HS? His travel team has won the Alphabet Soup World Series.

For me I see HS baseball as still a big part of HS life for the ballplayer-- It is also a means of prepping for the sumemr and fall travle schedule but there is a lot to be said for "playing for your school".

It gives the player another point of reference in terms of recommendations

It gives the player another place to be seen in action?


Why not play HS ball? There are no travel teams playing at that time, at least not in our region

I think HS ball is important for so many reasons. First of all, in this area HS ball is supported very well IMO. My son and the others on his team that have already signed or have offers have them from our HS team. Almost all of the boys have stayed together in the summer to play and all have played together in the fall. We have a different coach for the summer/fall than regular season.

I know Fungo probably doesn't want mushy responses and maybe because we play our first game of the season today, I'm feeling quite sentimental and I can't imagine our baseball experience without highschool baseball. The kids, the parents, the victories, the losses, the travel, the disagreements, the success stories of kids going on to college ball..... They get to see themselves on the news and in the paper. I just can't imagine any player not having those same highschool experiences. My son has lifelong memories and lifelong friends from highschool.

No matter how successful he is in the future in baseball or anything else, these years of highschool ball will never be forgotten. They have helped to make him the player he is and the person he is. It's been very important part of his life.

My experience has been that the summer ball is of higher quality baseball because you get the best players from several HS's on a team. There are more coaches and more organized practices in Summer ball. If you haven't received the basic hitting, fielding and pitching mechanics prior to stepping on the field in HS you aren't going to get them there. The coaches don't have the time or the resources to really coach plus they shun parental help.

Travel Ball or Summer ball is superior to
HS basball in my region since it is not
in competition with F***ball!!!! Summer
coaches are baseball coaches. So the
Players are better because they are the
best players from several High Schools
but the Coaching is better because they
are only concentrating on BASEBALL.

I think HS baseball is what brings the community together in the Spring. I think HS baseball is my town against your town. I think HS baseball is what makes local heros out of young teenagers. I think HS baseball is what the local newspaper is interested in reporting on. I think HS baseball is what young players should strive to play. I think HS baseball is the highest level a young player can reasonably expect to attain.

High quality summer baseball is for a select few. It is out of reach for the typical youth baseball player. I personally enjoyed watching summer baseball more than HS baseball. HS baseball frustrated me as a fan/parent who had seen much better. But I think for the good and long-term health of the game of baseball, HS baseball is more important.

Wildthingking

"If you haven't recived the basic hitting fielding and pitching prior to stepping on the field in Hs you are not going to get them there"

Well I guess for all my years I and many like me just threw and hit the ball around at practice? Let me tell you I spent more time teaching basic fundamentals to kids than anything else. I spent hours working on fielding and hitting throw in some pitching baserunning defensive positioning and my plate was full.

Based on my observations of my son's first season:

1. From a skills perspective he gets many more games in travel ball and together with private instruction learns more with the travel team.

2. But, HS ball is still important as a gauge of how he compares with other kids in his grade. It is also a bonding with kids/families from your own community that you will interact with for the rest of your life in some cases.

3. HS ball is important for the reasons Redbird stated, and having to adjust to a whole new way of doing things. Building character.

4. HS ball is important to the travel team coaches as well because they market based on who they have from what school, etc.

Everyone has an opinion about HS baseball but I think an easy way to come with an answer to this question is to consider.

What would Spring be like without HS baseball?

For us Northerners that have just come out of our holes after a long winters nap, it is a big part of our "Rights of Spring".

In my state, basically high school ball is all there is. In Iowa we play high school baseball in the summer. There are a smattering of spring leagues around the state. There is also some legion ball during the summer, but they are basically at the mercy of the high school team. The one advantage to the legion team is that it is an all star team. Drawback, they don't play as many games as the legion teams in the surrounding states. Legion is a lot bigger in Minnesota, South dakota, and Illinois then it is in Iowa.

High School ball is loosing it's luster because it isn't keeping up with the times.

Players look for the best competition they can get. Which includes the best coaching, the best organization, best fields, etc etc.

High School ball doesn't offer the best of anything. Too much "school" interference. By that I mean things related to school like......the coach has to be a teacher, therefore maybe not the best available.....high school athletic associations are continually increasing rules and regulations that have diminished the game itself.....baseball is way down the priority list of most high schools.....budget problems.....etc etc etc.

Summer programs have far outdistanced the high schools in the quality of the experience for the serious baseball player.

High School baseball cannot be compared with summer select ball. This is an old topic. There are many select parents or coaches who would like to downplay or even bury HS ball but it will not happen.

My son plays summer ball in Dallas and HS ball for his school in NE Texas. He loves both. The HS ball is exciting because he is playing for more than himself - his school and his community are behind him and come out to support his team. Our HS team draws large crowds.

Conversely select teams are typically full of players out to showcase themselves and improve their skills. Nothing wrong with that but it doesn't exactly bring about the same warm feelings of teamwork that playing with your life-long friends on your HS team does.

BTW, the situation with baseball (HS vs. select) is not unique. HS summer AAU basketball teams are much stronger teams then what would typically be found at most High School's. Football is probably the only HS sport left where the "best" teams really are the high school sponsored teams since for obvious reasons there are not any "select" summer football teams.

Whether you are talking about baseball or basketball, there is nothing that can take the place of the pride of being on your local high school team. A state championship in high school is well known and appreciated by everyone in the community.

Despite the wishes of some, I don't see high school baseball being replaced by select leagues anytime soon.

Select ball. AAU ball. Fill me in

DIFFERENTIAL:

In HS the majority of the players are there to play the game without worrying about what comes after HS--they do it because it is FUN and for them and see it as part of their HS life-- many even play other sports during the HS year

When you get to "select" teams the players are looking to take their game further than just HS ball--they are looking at college or the pros and it is still "fun" for them but at a different level of competition.


No matter where they play the player had better be playing because he enjoys the game

HS Ball and select ball are not the only options.

There is also summer ball which is very good baseball in my area. Not travel select type where everything is me me me. And, not HS ball which often times doesn't even resemble baseball.

The good local summer programs offer a great experience.....far and above the hs experience.

TEACHERMAN
Question for you

Have you experienced HS baseball as a parent recently?

I am right now, thank you.

Don't thank me-- thank your son for allowing you to be there

Trhit

I was and still am confused. Select ball. who selects. Are there criteria. Can I just start a team. AAU. et some kids together have them pay money and have a team. Showcase. I talked to a father who spent a couple hundred dollars to send his kid to a showcase. I am confused. (nothing new there)

High School, Travel, Recreational, etc. They can all be Great! It's all baseball!

I like pizza, steak, liver and onions, chili and other stuff. It's all food!

They're all real good if they're prepared the right way.

They all can make you sick if you have the wrong cook.

Will,

Many teams are started b/c Lil Johnny "should" be playing SS and hitting 3rd. Daddy gets upset, pays his registration money and voila Local Mudstompers are born. Throw in a couple of other upset parents and you have a roster.

Great analogy PG and if I may add...

If you have an allergy to, or don't like what's on the menu go somewhere else to eat, just don't go out of your way to ruin everyone's diner.

rz - PG's analogy was great, but like your addition too!

Here's maybe a different aspect of this situation for you: I've been watching a local high school team which has some highly touted "prospects" on it. Last year, as juniors, with a few unpublicised seniors as team leaders, they won it all (at least as much as you can around here.) This year, the "prospects" are seniors. They already have their D-1 schools picked out, as noted in the local papers, and are gearing up for some prestigious summer showcase activities.

A dozen games into the HS season I see them standing around, looking for all the world like this High School stuff is just an annoyance - a necessary, if boring, interference with their important baseball careers. They stand apart, waiting to be showcased. No leadership, no team spirit, nothing. The only hustle (and most of the actual production, now that I think about it) is coming from guys who sat the bench last year - and who will probably never play again after this year. It's really kind of sad.

Like anything else, if you are in a good program it makes all the difference in the world.

My son plays over 100 games a year between HS, Summer, and Fall ball.

High School ball is great. It is where his friends from school can come and watch he and his teamates play. That does not happen is summer.

In our case, instruction is emphasized much more in HS then in summer. The kids on the summer teams are from all over and it is tough to get them together reguarly for practices. That, plus playing 6 or more games per week as opposed to the 2 or 3 games in HS.

o6rHP86

Are you pulling our leg?

Will,

I think I kind of know what 06RHP86 is trying to say and so I don't think he's pulling our leg.

* On the issue of "abuse of his arm," this is fairly common in HS baseball. Many coaches throw a 16-year old kid for 140/150 pitches just to win a game. Of course I've seen complete game pitchers turned around on 3 days rest in a summer ball tournament too, so HS coaches don't hold a monopoly on arm abuse.

* On the issue being alienated from some of his teammates because he's going to play beyond HS. Assuming thats true, it wouldn't be too uncommon for jealousies to get in the way on a HS team. Mostly comes from parents I think, but often they look at the player leaving for college the next year and say, "hey, my son/I'm better than him, why aren't I moving on?" Have heard this in the stands and seen it on internet chat boards a lot.

Justbaseball

I hope what you described is the exception rather than the rule. Sounds more like a soap opera than a baseball team

I'm starting to think I live in fairy-tell land or something. My son's HS team has ten seniors. Many, if not most, will play ball in college, one will probably go high in the draft (not my son). These boys are the best of friends. They support, encourage, and practically live with one another.

As far as overuse of arms, it doesn't happen with our best guy or anyone else. I see that as a developmental issue. You have to have enough arms, whether you have a "stud" or not.

I think if jealousy is a problem for a high-school kid, he might want to look in the mirror and develop a little humility which will take him a long way with his buds. As a parent, I'm extremly excited for any of our boys that have options after highschool, whether that be playing baseball in college, getting a nice ride on academic money, or going pro.

Well, I'm relieved, I was afraid by the title that Fungo was going all metaphysical on us.....

It's a big country and everybody's descriptions of their experience is valid. There are good coaches, bad coaches, coaches who do or don't take care of their players' arms, prospects, and futures in hs ball and travel teams. The Baseball States may well have more of an 'attitude' toward hs ball because there's so much else on offer.

But I can't imagine hs ball fading away. Around here, all the studs --- college-bound or first-round draft picks --- play for their school.

And PG, I assume when you said 'liver and onions' you were talking about a poorly-organized rec league filled with the worst kind of Daddy Ball coaches.

Any baseball is perfect baseball, whether it's a HS team or summer or fall or spring or batting cages or wiffle ball, or whatever. Just be gald whenever you can play.

Orlando,

I really do like liver and onions (lots of onions of course)

It can be real good or real bad depending on who's in charge of cooking it.

Just like high school, college, travel, recreational, or any other baseball one can think of.

It too can be real good or real bad depending on who's in charge.

PG

If you want liver and onions talk to me--- I make the best you can find

Ha Ha, We are going to take a perfectly innocent thread and turn it into another food discussion.

TR, Do you remember the last time this happened? I made the mistake of saying I liked Anchovies. It led to many strange posts involving everyones favorite foods. Some of which I've never even heard of.

Anyway, you mentioned that the next meal was on you. I'm still waiting for you to pay up!

I was surprised (because I am firmly in the anti-liver and onions camp) to learn some years back that liver and onions is the #2 seller (behind hamburgers) at the Hyatt's coffee shop. With it's distinctve cooking odor, it's rarely the whole family's idea of a good meal --- so the coffee shop is a great place to get to indulge.

All down to tastes....me, I like squid, blood pudding, curried goat and all manner of other strange foods. But liver belongs in pate and sausage when it's not amongst the rest of the internal organs!

Orlando,

I don't know what it is (hoping something other than the obvious) but you can place me in the anti-blood pudding group.

I hate the breast of a chicken, but love those chicken livers. They're not just for bait.

PG

The night of the championship game in Florida dinner is on me -- you never sit still long enough--- write it down--matter of fact my wife will be with me this year so you and Betty will join us.


Fair enough !!!!

Can I pick the place and order what I want?

quote:

Originally posted by 06RHP86:
I do feel that high school baseball is a great thing for many people. However, if you're one of the lucky few that is going to play beyond high school, then school ball can be a hindrance. I know that in my case, the fact that I'm going to play beyond high school alientates me from some of my teammates, and there is the all to common abuse of my arm that can take place. So for those highly touted players, high school ball can be a hindrance, but still, ball is ball, and you have to play hard.

In Texas your attitude would cause you a few problems. High School ball here is very competitive. In the past 4 years the top two pitchers taken in the MLB amateur draft have come from my son's 8 team high school district (NE Texas - Colt Griffin & Phillip Humber). We will have two pitchers drafted in this year's draft (we are in 17-4A - one of the pitchers is the #43 prospect in the USA).

I doubt you would be anything special down here. Move to Texas and see how you stack up down here playing that sorry ol high school baseball.