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Enine
66 Posts |
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AllStar
762 Posts |
 Posted - 03/18/2013 : 17:47:57
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"Travel ball is as close as you can get to real Major League Baseball," said Anthony Russo, coach of the Lantana-based South Florida Stealth. "By 12 years old, we know everyone who is [any]one."
This might be the single most insane thing I have ever read about youth baseball. I stopped right there. Thank * we're past all that. |
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coach0512
123 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2013 : 21:46:22
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The disgusting side of travel ball.
Anyone who agrees with how the teams discussed in this piece operate are just as sick as those teams.
Those "owners" have more money than sense................ |
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RACGOFAR
208 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2013 : 14:10:22
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Historically speaking, this is really nothing new in the world of baseball. History simply repeats itself at a different level.
For as long as the game has been around, people have wanted to organize, own or run a team. The early game evolved from private associations that played what we would call intra squad games, and were motivated mostly to play for exercise, a bodily vigor. They were more like intramural clubs than professional teams and everybody wanted to have one or be in one.
It didn't take long for the recruiting to happen and pretty soon players were being paid to play on these clubs: with money, board and housing and even jobs. By the 1870's players were being paid and people were paying to watch the games.
In the early 1900's just about every small town had a team. Most small factories and town plants had a team. Even little ol' Helen, Georgia had a city team in the 1910's.
So is it really that surprising that someone who wants to manage and own a baseball club would do this? Most of the best games I've ever seen played at any level were youth travel games. Its competitive. Its fun to be a part of. And there are many differnt levels to suit budgets, time committments and the talent levels.
So, I will admit that these guys are doing it at level that I really have no intrest in. But if you think these guys are that much different than anybody else involved in travel ball, then you must have never recruited a player to come play on your team, never wanted to win or beat the top teams in your classification, never wanted your son to play on a better team or at a higher level, never picked up a player for a tournament, or never had a single team sponsorship of any kind. |
Edited by - RACGOFAR on 03/19/2013 16:21:47 |
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4bagger
131 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 09:20:11
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Oh come on Rac!
There is no way you are trying to compare early private associations with ADULT players, factory teams with ADULT players, paid ADULT players, etc with 12 year olds?!
There is a VERY distinct difference between what those south Florida (and other places) teams are doing and recruiting a LOCAL player from another LOCAL team who will be on your team for the whole season or picking up a player for one tournament and a local sponsorship from a company for a couple hundred bucks. Flying kids around the country, paying for airfare, hotels, transportation, meals, a "$200 gas card" and a kid playing on 27 different teams once in a season just doesn't sound right and the vast majority of rational people would agree.
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rippit
667 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 09:46:23
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| Do the payoffs stop at HS ball? Or are there parents out there paying HS coaches to give their kid more playing time, starts on the mound, ABs etc? If so, how rampant do you think it is and is it at all levels (freshman through varsity)? |
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Big Daddy
132 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 11:57:27
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| I thought it was pretty arrogant of that one coach to say "if your anybody, we know about you by 12 years old". What a stupid thing to say, especially with puberty around the corner for these kids and how much that changes EVERYTHING. |
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Spartan4
913 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 13:45:20
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It was arrogant but there is some truth to it. My nephew plays at the 13U level and I would guess that 75% of the top players were top players last year and the year before and the year before. Just my personal observation, and when I was playing sports it was the same way. My SR. Year the football teams starters was **** near identical as it was in 8th grade.
Also I can't figure out why people care what parents do with their kids?!? If you don't like it fine don't allow your son to do it...Don't understand how it affects your situation?!? Unless the teams that are "win at all costs" are costing you some wins. We don't do it that way but if your goal is to put your kid against the toughest competition around there it is! |
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spike
41 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 14:24:30
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| I'm sure money is not the only thing offered to H.S. coaches for their kid to play...:) |
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AllStar
762 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 14:25:34
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quote:
Originally posted by rippit
Do the payoffs stop at HS ball? Or are there parents out there paying HS coaches to give their kid more playing time, starts on the mound, ABs etc? If so, how rampant do you think it is and is it at all levels (freshman through varsity)?
I didn't read in the article that parents were paying for playing time. More like the other way around. Parents and players are getting paid, errrr, reimbursed.
As far as I can tell no team my son ever played for, or is playing for, played or is playing anybody based on how much the parents paid or how involved they were. I know we didn't on the teams I coached.
I don't have access to our books, but at our HS there are 5 board members. One of them has a son who is a starter. The other 4 have maybe 15 innings between them after 9 games. If there is favoritism, it's pretty subtle.
If you are seeing a lot of it either a) you're running with the wrong crowd or b) we've gotten very, very lucky. |
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bama21
278 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 14:50:50
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| It's all about arrogance, they say they do it for the kids but who actually believes that? It's about bringing notoriety and bragging rights to themselves. Winning at all "Costs", literally. |
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Spartan4
913 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 23:42:14
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quote:
Originally posted by bama21
It's all about arrogance, they say they do it for the kids but who actually believes that? It's about bringing notoriety and bragging rights to themselves. Winning at all "Costs", literally.
Kinda like offering a HS kids girlfriend a job at your university to sway him to your school?!?! |
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AllStar
762 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2013 : 09:01:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Spartan4
quote:
Originally posted by bama21
It's all about arrogance, they say they do it for the kids but who actually believes that? It's about bringing notoriety and bragging rights to themselves. Winning at all "Costs", literally.
Kinda like offering a HS kids girlfriend a job at your university to sway him to your school?!?!
Did that happen? Sounds more like college football or basketball. |
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Spartan4
913 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2013 : 10:12:15
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quote:
Originally posted by AllStar
quote:
Originally posted by Spartan4
quote:
Originally posted by bama21
It's all about arrogance, they say they do it for the kids but who actually believes that? It's about bringing notoriety and bragging rights to themselves. Winning at all "Costs", literally.
Kinda like offering a HS kids girlfriend a job at your university to sway him to your school?!?!
Did that happen? Sounds more like college football or basketball.
It was college... I still think its the funniest recruiting story I know of. |
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AllStar
762 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2013 : 15:57:02
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quote:
Originally posted by Spartan4
quote:
Originally posted by AllStar
quote:
Originally posted by Spartan4
quote:
Originally posted by bama21
It's all about arrogance, they say they do it for the kids but who actually believes that? It's about bringing notoriety and bragging rights to themselves. Winning at all "Costs", literally.
Kinda like offering a HS kids girlfriend a job at your university to sway him to your school?!?!
Did that happen? Sounds more like college football or basketball.
It was college... I still think its the funniest recruiting story I know of.
Of course, I have no idea what you're talking about. |
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Spartan4
913 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2013 : 20:30:01
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| Saban offered a players girlfriend a job in his office to get him to come play. When we talk about craziness in amateur sports that's the craziest thing I can think of. |
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AllStar
762 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2013 : 09:36:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Spartan4
Saban offered a players girlfriend a job in his office to get him to come play. When we talk about craziness in amateur sports that's the craziest thing I can think of.
Ah. Got it. OK-now you are in truly "Win at all costs," territory. I think that college football, for better or worse, is the farthest thing from amateur sports as you could imagine. Although in that case, everyone is getting paid EXCEPT the players...
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Article on the craziness of travel ball 8u-14u
