Friday, January 20, 2006

D1 Recruiting -- A Great Parents' Guide


Editors Note: We heard Mark Patrick on MLB Home Plate mention the abundant info available on PerfectGame.org and thought we'd take a look. We found plenty and you will too. Here's an excerpt from an article by Blaine Clemmons on the ins and outs of D1 college recruiting. Good stuff.

Crack of the Bat
By Blaine Clemmens

About Scholarships and Recruiting!


At the end of the year, there are always many players that are wishing they had received an opportunity to sign with a D1 program in the early signing period. Many of those players are very talented, sometimes among the best players in their local area or region. It can often be hard for the parents and the players themselves to understand why an opportunity has not come yet.

Most parents and players only go through the process once in their lives. They don't have the experience or background to understand the process, methods, and reasons college coaches sign certain players in the early period and not others. Further confusing things for the parents in particular is their ability to understand the scholarship situation.

While many of the players that sign in the early period (this year it was Nov. 7-11) are offered and sign for significant athletic scholarships (I would say that anything 50% and above is a large scholarship offer), there aren't nearly as many "full rides" as parents are led believe. I can't tell you how many times I am at games around parents talking about an offer that Johnny received or an offer that Joey committed to. There is so much second hand information being passed around and frankly, a lot of fibbing too.

Anyway, most of the parents and players have very, very little knowledge about how the whole recruiting process, and in particular, very little knowledge about how scholarships work for baseball at the D1 more about recruiting

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Hall of Shame?


Not to suggest that the Baseball Hall of Fame is in any way responsible for the outcome of yesterday's vote tally and subsequent announcement, but electing but one candidate in a pool of fine choices is a travesty.

Ring Lardner perhaps put it best on his induction in 1963, "Nothing on Earth is more depressing than an old baseball writer."

Not unlike the perennial debate around college football's BCS system, the ongoing neglect of deserving candidates plays havoc with fans, writers, broadcasters and players both active and former... Point of fact, players who should receive their props, often don't, and those elected to the hall often wait way too long.

Arguments abound as to why the Baseball Writers can't seem to get their collective act together, as to why is it a canidate may become more attractive on his 13th year of eligibility (see Bruce Souter) than when he was first in the running. And equally contentious is the notion that voting is limited to baseball writers having plied their trade for over 10 years. What about the broadcasters? Why do HOF members vote on just the veterans committee -- and why not EVERY year? AND... how is it the voting membership allows BBWAA members to no-show, sending in blank ballots or no votes at all?

Rather than refine the quality of HOF membership, the mayhem that visits us each year following weeks of the "talking sport's" jawing about who's who leading up to the announcement is the equivalent of watching the Hindeburg go down -- again and again and again. We watch, we marvel at its grandiose design, and we reel in horror as it falls to the ground in flames.

I'm sick of the show. Pro football revised its voting process a few years back, and now it's baseball's turn. Open it up to qualified broadcasters, include alum players in a prorata vote, and ban those writers (the gang of 12 for 2006) who jimmy the system with their blank ballots or complete no-shows.

We've been listening intently on baseball's newest star, XM Radio, and reading on their online boards, but many more opinions are available out there. To see all the latest updates and news on this hot topic, click here.

Monday, January 09, 2006

Upton Signs w/ D-Backs For Record Bonus

The Diamondbacks confirmed the rumors Friday, announcing that they had signed the 2005 draft’s No. 1 overall pick, Virginia prep star Justin Upton.

Upton and the Diamondbacks finalized a deal that includes the largest signing bonus for a player signing with the team that drafted him. The Associated Press reported the bonus at $6.1 million payable over five years, a proviso used for players who have the ability to be a professional in two sports.

Upton's advisor Larry Reynolds on Friday that termed reports would only say the bonus was “in (the $6 million) range . . . It's going to be pretty strong."

The previous record bonus was $5.3 million the White Sox paid Stanford outfielder Joe Borchard, the first pick in the 2000 draft. Matt White signed for a $10.2 million bonus as an amateur free agent in 1996 with the Devil Rays, which remains the all-time bonus record.

Upton was the consensus top player available in the 2005 draft. He was Baseball America's 2005 High School Player of the Year after batting .519-11-32 in 54 at-bats as a senior at Great Bridge High in Chesapeake, Va., homering every 4.9 at-bats.

He was expected to fly Monday to Arizona, where the contract will be finalized after he takes a physical and attends a press conference to make an official announcement.

"We still have a couple of minor deals to make it final, we've agreed in principle to terms, but we're not 100 percent done," Reynolds said Friday. "But we've agreed on numbers and stuff.

"They have a new regime over there and (Diamondbacks general manager) Josh Byrnes came in and, frankly, did a good job."

The Diamondbacks' original offer to Upton following the draft included a more on Upton.

BA's 2005 Youth Player of the Year

There's a lot that goes into being one of the best youth baseball players in the country, and Robert Stock has the market cornered on practically every criterion.

The 6-foot, 180-pound 15-year-old was tossing 90 mph fastballs by the time he was 14 and has been known to connect on 400-foot home runs, using a wood bat. He also has the intangibles, the moxie, the mental edge, as well. Just ask his teammates, who have seen Stock's competitiveness on the field and off it.

"We're pretty serious when it comes to poker," said Stock, who began participating in games as a freshman when some of his Agoura (Calif.) High senior teammates invited him to join in. "I wear glasses and a hat and try and stay as stone-faced as I can."

Whether he's leaning on pocket kings or his lightning-quick arm, Stock has spent much of his amateur career winning. He was named Baseball America's best 13-year-old in 2003, best 14-year-old in 2004 and this year's best 15-year-old in our annual Baseball For the Ages feature. He also is being recognized as BA’s 2005 Youth Player of the Year, the first time a high school underclassman has won the honor.

Impressive Resume

The precocious Stock possesses outstanding skills as a catcher and pitcher. His arm strength is his most outstanding tool, as he hit 94 mph this summer and one scout clocked him at 95 on a couple of pitches this fall in a scout league game. He racked up 29 strikeouts in 20 innings as Agoura's closer as a sophomore last spring, and later turned heads at the Area Code Games in Long Beach, touching 92 mph while dealing against some of the top players in the High School Class of 2006, despite being more than a year younger than most of them.

Stock, who turns 16 on Nov. 21, also shows impressive raw power from the left side of the plate, and his arm strength plays well behind the plate, where he has the potential to be a sound defensive catcher. He hit .404-8-29 in the heart of Agoura's lineup and scouts have long loved his potential and proven track record of performance.

"It might be a 50-50 split with scouts in Southern California which way we like him," one area scout said. "I asked him what he liked most about hitting or pitching and he just sad, 'I just love to dominate, whether it be hitting or pitching.' And that's what he does, he just dominates games."

Stock solidified his spot as BA's top youth player with another sensational summer, spent playing against older and more experienced competition.

At the age of 14 last summer, Stock became the youngest player ever to make Team USA's youth national team, which finished second in a qualifying tournament in Mexico. He was the second-youngest player of the roster—yet the team’s No. 1 pitcher.

He was on the team again for the World Youth Championship this summer, and again the Americans drew Cuba in the championship game. Stock, who struck out 15 against the Netherlands earlier in the tournament, eagerly awaited the opportunity.

"The whole year I was looking forward to and practicing for that game," Stock said. "To bring back the gold medal and have a chance to pitch in that game was all I could think about."

Stock was sharp early on, racking up eight strikeouts in four innings before a three-hour rain delay prevented him from completing the game, which Cuba eventually won 5-0.

"Stock was incredible," USA Baseball's Jeff Singer said. "I really would have liked to see him try and close it out, because before it started raining he had dominant stuff."

Ace in the Hole

Stock follows in the footsteps of Delmon Young, Nick Adenhart and Cameron Maybin as BA's Youth Player of the Year, but he wins the award as a 15-year-old, after the others all picked up the award based on their performance and prospect status as rising seniors.

All three of BA's previous winners are off to promising starts as professionals, and while we'll have to wait a little longer to see how Stock fares in professional baseball, he has grown accustomed to looking ahead.

"At this point, I feel I'm more talented at pitching, but I have a better body and stature for catching," he said. "So down the road, who knows, but I'm ready for whatever's next."

As Stock continues to refine his skills, his attitude and perseverance figure to serve him well. And when it's not batting practice or pitching lessons, there's always poker to help him hone his game face. "Sixty dollars, that's the biggest pot I've won so far," he said with a smile.

The ante figures to be upped in due time.