Good points. I have been out of it for a few years.
The mid-atlantic area had some very high quality teams (drafted, DI) playing mostly local with a July 4th type tournament and Connie Mack or NABF at the end of the year. I think there is something to be said about playing against high quality competition against top high school talent. It was a good balance. Not the heavy travel, yet a chance to play good competition. Still had a chance to hit the gym, rest, etc...
If you're in the mid Atlantic area and looking for a collegiate summer league that allows rising freshman, Va Beach has a new summer league that was very successful this year and will likely double in size next year.
Here is a list of Major League players that all played in the WWBA 18u tournament. The number of teams has dropped over the years, but the quality is still there at this age group. I think we still get about 100 teams in this age group. There are other PG 18u evens also.
http://www.perfectgame.org/Eve...yers.aspx?event=3323
I had no idea that PG had an 18u/graduated seniors WWBA. Learn something new every day.
Impressive list. We are the majority of graduating seniors playing (i.e. showcase, college leagues, local leagues, not playing , starting college?)
Jerry,
Can you give any insight as to why less 18 U teams? Are guys too protective of arms? More guys getting drafted and going to rookie ball instead?
Teaching Elder posted:Jerry,
Can you give any insight as to why less 18 U teams? Are guys too protective of arms? More guys getting drafted and going to rookie ball instead?
Maybe because the entry fee is about double the cost of a collegiate summer league? I'll be honest, I didn't know there were any 18u PG events because we didn't NEED any 18u PG events. Just a thought.
seems like this topic is veering toward issues specific to graduating seniors/rising frosh and summer ball. I revived an old thread specifically about this here:
BBALLDAD2016,
That seemed somewhat of a negative post. NEED doesn't seem to fit in the discussion. I'm glad you didn't NEED to play in those tournaments. Neither do the East Cobb Yankees who along with Midland Redskins are the two most legendary 18u programs in the country. Just like everyone else, they don't NEED to play in those events either, but they DO. The competition is outstanding, many recently drafted, but yet to sign players. In fact, Zack Greinke was playing in this event when he signed.
Maybe you meant you didn't want to play in that event. Because there is no real NEED to play in any event. Or did you mean everything worked out the best possible way without playing in that event?
TEACHING ELDER,
There are several reasons the 18u age group is getting less summer teams.
A lot has to do with how much the younger groups are growing. Years ago colleges were recruiting a lot of seniors. Now they are looking more for younger players. Some summer collegiate teams have picked up HS grads. Many organizations quit having 18u teams because 17u became the premier age group, followed by 16u and even 15u. 18u is popular with Connie Mack Baseball in certain parts of the country it is big. The Connie Mack World Series is absolutely a great event. Usually a battle between Midland, East Cobb, DBat or other Texas Team and the team that qualifies from California. Those four are always great teams and usually there are one or two other outstanding teams along with a couple weaker teams.
So the bottom line is there just isn't as many 18u teams these days. The quality is just as good, the quantity is not.
PGSTAFF,
it wasn't meant to be negative, but I did mean what I said. Why pay the 2500$ team entry fee (or whatever it is these days) for a team of kids that are either not going to play in college, or they are. Either way, that fate is decided before they graduate.
Again Jerry, it's not meant to be negative. Can you explain the need for anyone to participate in a WWBA event, post HS?
... And I did mention that I didn't know there was an 18u WWBA because I didn't have a need for it. My son is already signed as a JUCO player. I would think the recruiting ends upon graduation, signed or not.
bballdad2016 posted:... And I did mention that I didn't know there was an 18u WWBA because I didn't have a need for it. My son is already signed as a JUCO player. I would think the recruiting ends upon graduation, signed or not.
My son's team played in the 18U event when he was still a rising senior -- as were all the guys on the team. Don't know why we scheduled the 18U event rather than the 17U event. But we did. It was a blast. High quality competition.
I know of teams that played both the 17U event and the 18U event back to back, as I recall.
Lots of recruiters and scouts at both.
There were also JC guys there who were trying to be seen by scouts and recruiters from 4 year schools. We got no hit by one such JC guy.
Do JUCO guys use 18u for exposure to 4 year colleges? That would seem to not only make sense, but maybe necessitate a 19u division too. Unless 19u is really too late to get picked up by a 4 year college.
Sluggerdad,
That makes sense. I can see where JUCO players would benefit from the exposure, but I have a hard time believing that anyone could put together a team of complete JUCO players, nessasitating an 18u or 19u WWBA. That's kinda what JUCO and summer leagues do already. I could be wrong.
bballdad2016 posted:PGSTAFF,
it wasn't meant to be negative, but I did mean what I said. Why pay the 2500$ team entry fee (or whatever it is these days) for a team of kids that are either not going to play in college, or they are. Either way, that fate is decided before they graduate.
Again Jerry, it's not meant to be negative. Can you explain the need for anyone to participate in a WWBA event, post HS?
I know on incoming freshman D1 pitcher that had to report to school early July to start summer classes. He was also told not to pitch during the American Legion season by his soon to be D1 coach.
I think if you are a position player the extra reps against good competition would be good but there is no way I would be shelling out the money for my son to do it.
lionbaseball posted:bballdad2016 posted:PGSTAFF,
it wasn't meant to be negative, but I did mean what I said. Why pay the 2500$ team entry fee (or whatever it is these days) for a team of kids that are either not going to play in college, or they are. Either way, that fate is decided before they graduate.
Again Jerry, it's not meant to be negative. Can you explain the need for anyone to participate in a WWBA event, post HS?
I know on incoming freshman D1 pitcher that had to report to school early July to start summer classes. He was also told not to pitch during the American Legion season by his soon to be D1 coach.
I think if you are a position player the extra reps against good competition would be good but there is no way I would be shelling out the money for my son to do it.
That's kinda my point...
Not every kid who wants to play college baseball is committed before the summer after their senior year...especially kids who may end up at a D3 or a JUCO. A lot of those kids are too old to play 17U so the 18U division works for them. My son had a couple kids on his 18U team who weren't committed....but were still hoping to pick up an offer. One ended up at a D1 after the D1 lost a couple kids to the draft....and another ended up at a D2 whose coach just happened to be at the game watching one of his prior commits pitch
I get everyone's point that not every kid has committed by the time they graduate. But let's be real here... If you haven't found a school by the time you graduate, is the WWBA the place to be looking to get picked up? Sure, if you live there maybe, and if the local D3 or JUCO is going to attend maybe.
Full disclosure: both of my sons have been to east cobb / lakepoint for wwba's and the 2020 will attend a few more. Great events to gain exposure due to playing against the top teams/players in the nation.
FWIW my son played in the 2004 18U WWBA at EC.
Looking back, as a committed pitcher, I think his time would have been better served taking summer classes and devoting more time in the gym as well as being acclimated to campus life. I think he wold agree to the same.
More and more committed players are taking this avenue, which better prepares them for fall practice and getting up at 6am for workouts as well as hoping to graduate in 4 years.
One more thing to keep in mind, back then and up until 2007 or 8 (not 100 % sure) HS seniors drafted had a longer timeframe to sign. Playing in these tournaments, doing well might have increased their signing bonus.
JMO
That makes sense. The draft part, that is.
