Crack of the Bat
by Blaine Clemmens
National Showcase Story
It’s been awhile since I posted a column, sorry about that… I had three events to scout in January, two in Southern California and one in Hawaii… yes, I am sure you feel very sorry for me.
There are still many email responses to my series about anti-showcase sentiment that exists, particularly among a lot of high school coaches. Before I start posting some of those responses, some of which just make you shake your head, I wanted to let you in on a recent email exchange I had with a parent.
There is a player I saw and really liked at our California Underclass Showcase, a player of National Showcase ability. I contacted the family and told them about his forthcoming invitation to the National Showcase, which most would consider the single most talent-laden showcase in the nation.
Following this email exchange are more specific thoughts and information pertaining to the subject of the email… I underlined the part of this email that is particularly troublesome because the statement made by the high school coach can be damaging to his current player’s future and the future of other players he will coach…
To: Blaine Clemmens
Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2007 9:46 PM
Subject: Re: Perfect Game National
Dear Mr. Clemmens,
I would like to get your opinion on the PG National event. There are so many things offered out there and of course most of them cost a substantial amount of money. We are not in a position to be able to send our son to everything so we are trying to pick a few events that can get him some good exposure. On the agenda for the summer are a number of events here in California, such as the CA coaches North and South event, the Stanford All Star camp, and Area Codes. In addition, his summer tournament team is going to Omaha, East Cobb and USABF in San Diego. We had the PG National event down as a priority because it sounds like a great event but his coach seems to think that it's not really worthwhile unless our son is interested in East Coast schools (which he really isn't, he would like to stay in California). I do realize you work for PG, but would really appreciate your honest opinion of the event.
From: Blaine Clemmens
Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2007 12:04 PM
Subject: Re: Perfect Game National
There is NO bigger showcase than the PG National... most all West Coast schools scout it... and on top of that, when a player goes to that particular showcase and performs well, his write up/scouting report is read by hundreds of coaches all over the nation...
Schools like UCLA, Oregon State, ASU, Arizona, California, Hawaii, USC, Pepperdine, Long Beach State, etc... they do go to PG National... no disrespect to your son’s coach, but he is wrong and is speaking about something of which he has no awareness. I do this for a living and without getting into any of my specific background (and the rest of our scouting staff for that matter), having your son play in that event, where we will be watching him against the top players in the nation, means that we can TREMENDOUSLY impact his future...
Sent: Sun 2/25/2007 1:39 PM
To: Blaine Clemmens
Subject: Re: Perfect Game National
Thank you very much for your honest opinion, you really just helped affirm what we originally thought of the National event, we were surprised when his coach said it wasn't worth his while. Our son really respects his coach and is committed to his team but unfortunately, he is already getting pressured from his summer coach about missing too many of his team events, so that has left us to have to read between the lines, do our homework, and try to balance commitment with opportunity. Blaine, thank you again for your insight, and most of all for giving our son this great opportunity of attending the National event, he will definitely be there.
PS: Thank you also for the words of encouragement for him to continue to improve his game. Rest assured, he is continuing to work hard to improve all aspects of his game. A job that he knows is never done.
Ok, there you have it… now some more insights that I could have put in that email but decided to save for this posting…
We only bring about 200 or so select players to PG National, so it is very special to be invited, considering how many thousands of players we see each year. Those that have been to our National Showcase are aware of its magnitude and its importance to not only the professional game, but also to the major D1 college programs in attendance.
The National Showcase takes place in a somewhat centrally located city (this year in Cincinnati, last year in Fayetteville, AR), though in years past it was in decidedly eastern cities like Atlanta and Tampa, albeit at the MLB ballparks in those cities.
Perhaps because the event is not held in California or in Arizona, there are many people out west that are either being told or are making assumptions that no California or western region D1 programs scout PG National. Worse is that there are people saying such things that HAVE NEVER BEEN TO PG NATIONAL. Somewhere we have a list of all the programs that have attended past PG Nationals. Without seeing a list, I can specifically recall many western D1 programs that were in Arkansas last year. I also know from conversations with other coaches that did not attend last year that more are planning on coming this year… especially after understanding the level of talent present at the National Showcase.
It is an invalid but often used reason for players from California or Arizona or even the Northwest to not attend PG National. Programs from the Pac-10, Big West, Mountain West, and other western D1 conferences DO attend PG National. Furthermore, the opportunity presented for a player at PG National is not entirely about his college opportunities. Most top players have professional aspirations.
PG National gives the top players in the nation a chance to compete and test themselves on the same field against the highest level of competition, in front of major MLB draft decision makers and major D1 program coaches. It allows players to be judged, rated, and ranked accordingly in direct comparison to their peers from all across the nation.
What top player would not want to be challenged in that environment? The pro clubs and the top D1 programs want to sign top players that not only have ability, but they want players that LOVE TO COMPETE and seek opportunities to compete against the very best as often as they can.
I live in California and so often I hear this exact statement from parents and players here… “he would like to stay in California to go to school.” The fact of the matter is that there are more D1 caliber players in California and on the West Coast than can fit on the available roster spots at the California/West Coast D1 programs each year. That means many of the top players in California, Arizona, and in the Northwest go to junior college, waiting another two years for an opportunity to play at a four year, D1 program and get started on that four year college degree.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a player going to junior college (I did and also coached at the JC level) and for some players there is everything right about it… but most players do not start out with that as their goal and many see it as a fallback they generally are not too excited about.
High school players, their parents, and their high school coaches should be aware that many of those aforementioned players went to a JC (remember, they also were hoping to go to a California D1 or west coast D1). Those JC players make the talent pool that much deeper, lessening the chances of a high school player getting to go to a D1 school in California immediately out of high school, especially with scholarship money.
What many parents, players, and their high school coaches do not realize is that many of the major D1 programs in California, Arizona, and even in the Northwest no longer exclusively recruit and attract only local players. Look at the rosters and especially the early commitment lists of programs like Stanford, UCLA, Oregon State, Arizona State, Arizona, Pepperdine, Long Beach State, etc… yes, many of the players on their rosters are from California and other western states, but those programs have increasingly larger “national profiles” and are using that profile to recruit not only just the top California/West Coast players, but the top players in general.
Then there is the obvious benefit to a player that attends not just PG National, but any PG Showcase… the free on-line scouting reports and profiles at www.perfectgameusa.com and beyond that, the more in-depth scouting reports filed for each player at www.PGCrosschecker.com. All the PG events (and some non-PG events) that each player has participated in are listed and cataloged in chronological order, viewed with one click on a player’s name. There are top prospect rankings and reports, as well as national rankings and regional rankings too at PGCrosschecker.com.
Oh, and even after all of that, isn’t it supposed to be about getting a college degree from a good college? What about keeping the options open and learning what possibly could be out there? How can a high school aged person really know what they want when most of them know so little about what else is out there? Shutting doors and potential opportunities, basically putting all the eggs in one basket, is not the best plan of attack for MOST high school players. It will and does work for some, but most end up disappointed and settle for something they did not plan on.
It really is too bad that there is even one high school coach that is steering their players in a bad direction.
So many great universities scout at PG National… Ivy League schools; top private schools like Notre Dame, Duke, Vanderbilt, Stanford; top state schools like Virginia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Arizona State, UCLA… just to name a few. Who wouldn’t want their child or their player to have the OPPORTUNITY TO SAY NO to options like that?
This column represents the thoughts and opinions of the author and are not necessarily those of Perfect Game.