The limit of 50 evaluation days for D1 has also been a factor since coaches didn't want to spend them on days with a limited number of games and not knowing which teams would be playing in them. They did away with that limit with the major recruiting calendar changes that begin Aug 1.
OK, what's with this Showcase Scenario?
- Thread starter CMMom1740
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I think the brackets on Sunday are more about stroking the egos many of the TB coaches in search of that elusive "Showcase National Championship" than accommodating college coaches. You know, the ones who spend their time calling pitches, screaming at their players, and arguing calls instead of interacting with the college coaches.
My biggest problem with bracket play Sunday is when pool play seeds the brackets. There will always be a handful of idiotic TB coaches who "play to win" their pool games in order to get a good seed on Sunday, batting 9 and disregarding the other 6-8 players on their roster.
I still say the premise that a coach needs to see a player in a more competitive environment is a load of crap. This is about TD's catering to the egos of some TB coaches. Why would a college coach want to recruit a player who plays with less intensity based on the format of an event? Are they seeking players who will take it easy when playing non-conference teams and then up their intensity in a conference contest? So why simulate that environment? Many coaches will watch a recruit warm up because as one SEC coach told me, "In warmups is where you really see their work ethic." If they are not all in 100% of the time who wants them? The truth is having bracket play on Sunday is more lucrative for those running the tournament and has little to do with helping coaches see potential recruits.
So they are looking for players who will play with more intensity on Sunday than the day(s) before? Sounds like a great reason NOT to recruit someone. If a player is not putting their all into every pitch, every inning, every game they are of no use to a college coach. You cannot really coach up intensity.
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Nope. I think you are missing the point. I didn't say anything about intensity of a player. I said competition.
Hopefully the recruit is playing with an all out intensity in both the showcase and bracket. The concern becomes the competition she is facing.
Did she just hit one over against the opposing teams #1 pitcher or was that the #4 development pitcher in a 2 inning showcase rotation? Coaches want to see their recruits in action against competition so they can judge how they would do in their conference play.
Showcases breed exposure of all players regardless of ability hence the lack of competition.
- May 17, 2012
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Bracket games in Showcases are idiotic specifically if pool play influences seeding (or if you even get into bracket play).
If they want to have bracket games for competitive reasons (I still don't' understand what that means) then it should be a blind draw and pool play should have nothing to do with bracket play.
We just played in a PGF showcase in the Midwest where the Top 3 seeds in each Pool got to go a single elimination tournament on Sunday. Every coach was playing to win their pool games (short lineups, managing the clock).
You can't have it both ways.
If they want to have bracket games for competitive reasons (I still don't' understand what that means) then it should be a blind draw and pool play should have nothing to do with bracket play.
We just played in a PGF showcase in the Midwest where the Top 3 seeds in each Pool got to go a single elimination tournament on Sunday. Every coach was playing to win their pool games (short lineups, managing the clock).
You can't have it both ways.
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If pool play influences seeding, then that isn't really a showcase is it?
I think you do understand what that means and what you are really trying to say is you don't agree with it. I agree, it should be a blind draw and usually is around here.
Showcase? Sounds more like a tournament with seeding pool games to me.
True. It's either a showcase with free play to showcase pool games or a tournament with seeding pool games.
DD's team was in St Louis this weekend. Very few college coaches wandering around I'm told. Most excitement was when the team almost had a bench clearing brawl. I guess 3+ players hit by pitch and the other coach talking smack to our players, our coach telling him to NOT talk to his players made for an exciting time. DD said she saw 1 community college coach in the stands and laughingly said she was there to see the fight. lol
On the plus side DD got to meet and hang out with her college roommate and is even more excited for August to come.
On the plus side DD got to meet and hang out with her college roommate and is even more excited for August to come.
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- Feb 7, 2013
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My DD used to be on a travel ball team affiliated with USA Preps. I like what they do with their college showcases. On Friday evenings the individual teams have 3-hour instructional camps/workouts with the college coaches and then break out into specific areas like Catching / Pitching / Middle Infield / Outfield / Hitting, etc. During the Saturday and Sunday games the college coaches were encouraged to help coach the team (3rd base coach, call certain pitches, etc.) and would frequently move around to different teams throughout the day to work with them. I really like this "hands-on" approach if the whole point of the showcase is to get seen and recruited.
That's really nice. Hopefully, they keep the showcases small enough so that there aren't like 50 catchers and 75 pitchers all vying for a few coaches' attention. That is a neat idea. Haven't heard about anything similar to that around here as of yet.
