TR,
I think you know the answer to that question.
But I am not to judge what someone else would want.
I do give advice though, for those who would be in the position to consider an advisor/agent. The questions he asked are not the questions that you are concerned with when finding an advisor/agent. You also want someone who will present all pro and cons to you, depending upon your son's particualar situation.
Agents are just another facet of the business of baseball. They all work with the same philosophy, to make money and most of their practices are about the same. I would be cautious of anyone offering a "new approach". I can't see how much of an approach you may have that is different other than making money off of your client. I worry about the unsuspecting late rounders who find advisors/agents at the field befriending them with the hopes that someday this person may make some money and they convince the player to sign with them because no one else beleived in them. Also, you do sign an agreement with an agent, he takes part of your signing bonus (if you are drafted) and that should be his fee until someday he negotiates a contract for you. He should be willing to wait it out if he beleives in you and he should work hard at possibly securing endorsements for you to help you as a player. He shouldn't take a dime unless those endorsements reach a certain amount. He also should have established some reputation with equipment companies that are willing to give equipment with no fees attached. Newagent thinks I don't like agents, that is not true, there are just certain kinds I don't care for and neither does anyone else. I realize and he realizes he has a lot to learn and there are many ways to do it, if you have to come to a HS bseball web site to learn about being an advisor/agent, well that's pretty scary for me, not that we don't give good advice, but why should someone coming to make money in this business learn here for free?
JMO and I am not an advisor/agent or recruiter.
With all the other stuff going on here, I forgot the topic of the thread.
We've tried a number of wood bats (ash and maple) and IMO Sam bats and Marucci bats have the most balance and best feel. I don't know how their arrangements with MLB players work, but I do know a lot of MLB and MiLB players use their products.
infielddad...excellent post. new agent, I recommend you pay close attention to what infielddad posted to you.
We've tried a number of wood bats (ash and maple) and IMO Sam bats and Marucci bats have the most balance and best feel. I don't know how their arrangements with MLB players work, but I do know a lot of MLB and MiLB players use their products.
infielddad...excellent post. new agent, I recommend you pay close attention to what infielddad posted to you.
quote:Originally posted by OLDSLUGGER8:
Regarding newagent and the thread that evolved into what makes a pro prospect and the college experience, he neglected to mention that 50% of MILB are from foreign born countries bought for cheap. Most of you know I research, and I can back that statement up.
Who is in the minors? According to what I read, a revolving 3000 foreign born players signed for $5000 bucks each, minimal investment. The balance of the players, about another 3000 through the annual draft consisting of Bonus paid players from either high school or college and college players who got a shot with minimal investment.
I suppose newagent was telling us that a high school kid who wants to devote 100% to becoming a pro should sign regardless of draft position because college was a big waste of baseball development time. Did you guys interpret it the same way I did ?
If you have 2 high schoolers who are both struggling in Rookie or A ball, one received a bonus of $750,000 and the other a bus ticket, who is getting sent home first ?
If you keep consistently performing very well, you probably will get a shot at it. If you don't have compensatory money in the bank before you start, you better have at least the education in the bank.
Then learn Spanish
OS8, I think most of that is an accurate summary of life in Milb.
The area of difference is the costs MLB teams are investing in foreign born players. Fact is those guys are all free agents and they are coming to MLB with bonuses that are every increasing into the...millions. Many bonuses are now well into 6 figures. If you check BA, I think you will find some information. Bottom line, players are coming from the Latin countries, Asia, Australia, etc and because they are free agents, more and more of them are signing very tidy bonuses because teams have to compete and do compete, and the players usually have representation.
The Padres just invested millions to build a fabulous baseball training center in the Dominican, to identify and cultivate more talent from the area, at an earlier age.
I read newagents other posts to suggest players in the US are going to have an increasingly hard time competing with the talent pool that is coming and playing every day as 16-18 year olds. Those players are not coming cheap, either, as the clubs appear not to have the oversight of "slot" money.
I don't know if newagent is correct in where MLB might be headed, and what it means for US players who choose college over the draft, but I do know that every organization is now recommending their new scouts/coaches and player personnel folks speak a second language, and Spanish is mentioned often.
As opposed to others, when I did bit of digging, there were some ideas I read into his posts that provoked some thoughts when I put them into what I have learned and observed.
YHF, good information about the bats. My son said the Sam Bats got very hard to get. I can't remember the reason exactly, but I know that even Bonds had trouble getting them. They are back on the market but expensive. Our son also used Marucci and liked them a lot, but seemed to favor the SSK, when he could get one.