Kevin Manero – The case for American Legion baseball
April 16, 2011 by Coach McCreary
Filed under Guest, Misc
Today is Baseball By The Yard’s first guest post. It comes from my right-hand man, Coach Kevin Manero, who along with being an assistant of mine at the high school level, is also an American Legion coach. He is a former high school and Division I pitcher at LaSalle University and is a tremendous baseball guy. Although the team and player names are specific to the suburban Philadelphia area, I think the theme and message from his piece are universal to baseball in America today.
PAY TO PLAY – THE FINANCES AND THE PROMISES:
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| Coach Manero |
Over the last approximately ten years, the concept of AAU baseball, otherwise referred to as Travel Ball or Tournament and Showcase teams, has increased in popularity and diverted many high school age baseball players away from the established, community based American Legion programs. As I enter my ninth season as an American Legion coach with an admitted bias, I continue to see many families spend inordinate amounts of money on these nouveaux programs, and I feel it is time to speak as a voice for Legion baseball. I am certainly not denouncing all tournament and travel teams (there are always exceptions to every point one may make for or against), and I am also not promulgating praise for every American Legion program, as certainly some need fixing and Legion ball itself is not without its own shortcomings, but before people jump into what may be packaged as a better baseball alternative, there are some points that should be considered and some questions that should be further examined.
How much money are you spending on “furthering your son’s baseball career?”
Who are you listening to for baseball advice?
What are your kids really learning, and how much are they really progressing?
It’s time to start thinking about these questions a little more diligently in this era of “pay to play” youth baseball. In so many ways, it appears that parents and their sons now feel they should measure the quality of a baseball program on how much it costs to join it. But, does it make sense to pay at least a $2,000 registration fee (sometimes much more) and then dish out more money on top of that for transportation and hotels, only to end up at a college where your counterparts on American Legion teams also landed, after paying much less to get to that point?
Also consider this: In the last six years, four players from the Hatfield and Nor-Gwyn Legion programs have advanced to play professional baseball, and over forty have gone on to play in college. (And that is just 2 of the 4,000 programs in the nation and nearly 400 in PA. These numbers may not mean much at first but consider these facts available at www.ncaa,org:
* Only 6.3% of high school baseball players go on to play NCAA baseball
* Only 0.44% of high school baseball players will be signed by a pro team
When you consider these meager percentages, it is clear that two of our most prominent local Legion baseball programs are doing a pretty good job of turning out players who advance beyond their percentage likelihood to the next level (and that is only mentioning two programs). Oh, and by the way – these players’ parents are not spending thousands of dollars to allow that to happen; instead, they are saving that money for college since most NCAA baseball teams have only limited scholarship money, and it is rare that a player would get a “full ride” despite what some disillusioned would-be collegiate stars may boast to their peers. Here is a brief glimpse at local Legion players who have advanced to play Division I ball in recent years: (Doylestown Legion – John Gyles, LaSalle; David Putman, Duke; Ryan Pater, St. Joe’s; Nor-Gwyn Hawks – Mike Bradstreet, Rhode Island; Matt Quinn, Maryland; Ryan Ignas, Penn State; Hatfield Legion – Eric Ruth, Winthrop; Kevin Christy, LaSalle; Pennridge Legion – Eric and Adam Kammler, LaSalle; Pat Dameron, Delaware.) To finish the list of local Division One players in just the last few seasons and to add the prominent D-2 and D-3 programs to which our local legion players have advanced would far exceed the available space for this article (such as Boyertown Bears Legion alum Shayne Houck who lit the PSAC on fire last year, batting .449 with 17HR and 77 RBI for Kutztown).
THE EXPERIENCE
If your son is playing an AAU sponsored tournament with a name like the “Elite National Championship” but you had to pay a boat load of money for the team to be there – are they really playing for a national championship? Or are they just a team that has enough money to pay to enter the tournament with an impressive name?
It is worth noting that the American Legion programs in Spring City, Norchester, Boyertown, Pennridge, Hatfield and Nor-Gwyn have, in the last six years and beyond, advanced to Regional, State, and National Tournaments on multiple occasions, and yes… they ADVANCED – that means they had to win a lot of baseball games to earn the right to compete for these tournament titles, after all, generally that is how it works in college and the pros as well. And when they did ADVANCE, how much money did they have to pay to play in these tournaments comprised of some of the best legion teams in the state and nation… $0.00. In fact, when the Nor-Gwyn Hawks advanced to the Great Lakes Regional in Appleton, WI in the summer of 2009, (and when Pennridge Legion advanced to Mattoon, IL last summer summer) not only was it free, but American Legion baseball picked up the tab for the round trip flight, rental cars, and four nights in the hotel.,, AND all players and coaches received meal money each day. And yet some families are paying thousands to play in tournaments in which they have to pay for their own transportation and hotels, but those are the tournaments that are titles “Elite.”
So, if Legion ball in our area has so much to offer, what is pulling families into the realm of AAU tournament ball instead? A lot of it has to do with the myth that a player has to play in AAU Tournaments and showcases to “be seen.” Sure, there are very talented players who have been seen by and signed by college coaches at tournaments; however, do people ever realize, “yes, but these players are good players anyway, and they would likely have gone on to college ball with or without an AAU team”? Many tournament teams have spawned when talented kids leave an established program, set up tournament teams full of good players, and then a year or two later… disappear to be replaced by another temporary team somewhere else. I fully understand the need for our kids to be on good teams that provide good baseball experiences. After all, who wouldn’t want only the best for his or her own son, but perhaps maybe if the good players would stick around for the commitment of community based teams, and the focus would be on getting good people involved to run these teams, and continue to build them, then we would not even need teams with registration fees of over $2,000+ for a season, and those who really cannot afford that would not feel so much pressure to spend it anyway.
THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE ESTABLISHMENT
Pennsylvania’s nearly 400 American Legion teams ranks it tops in the country in total number of teams, and Region 2 in PA (Berks, Bucks, Montgomery, Lehigh, Northampton, and Schuylkill Counties) has been home to the PA State Champion eight times in the last ten years, including Hatfield in 2002 and Nor-Gwyn in 2005, http://www.baseball.legion.org/baseball . Along the road to that success, it is difficult to top the baseball atmosphere one would find at Bear Stadium in Boyertown on a typical summer night (www.bearstadium.com), or more locally at our own Hostelley Field at Nor-Gwyn on a night when the Hawks are in town (www.nor-gwynbaseball.org). The community involvement, the behind the scenes volunteerism, the media attention on the front page of the sports section on a daily basis, the constant phone calls and emails to and from college coaches, the affordable registration fees, and the opportunity to advance to League, Regional, State, and National play in front of numerous coaches and scouts, are what combine to make American Legion baseball such a beneficial program of which to be a part. And to the question of exposure for players well, the list (as previously referenced) is lengthy and getting longer each year.
WHICH BRAND OF BASEBALL IS REALLY PREPARING YOUNG PLAYERS MOST EFFECTIVELY?
An NCAA season is a day in and day out grind of 56 nine inning games on a nearly daily basis, usually with conference games on the weekends and days of practice in between. A major league season is a 162 game grind with nine innings each day. These college and pro seasons are marathons of ups and downs, with standings, jockeying for positioning, league and non-league opponents, strong and weak opponents, home field advantage and away games. Preparation for this type of season happens in American Legion baseball. Teams are vying for postseason berths, coaches are playing non-league games to keep people fresh and give regular players a break, and players are learning to handle and adapt to the high and low moments in a rigorous, but regimented schedule of daily baseball.
AAU /Tournament ball is run entirely differently. In many cases these teams play weekend tournaments often requiring extensive travel arrangements, only to be idle most of the week, before packing up and heading to another tournament the following weekend. Without daily conditioning regimens such as pitchers running and long tossing between starts, without league play, and with the focus being on just winning these short sprints of weekend tournaments that often include multiple doubleheaders and upwards of 4-6 games in one weekend, the baseball being played in the AAU/ Tournament programs is not conducive to preparing players for the competition and the rigors of the next level. Not to mention, these teams lack the media publicity, the community involvement, and the affordability that American Legion baseball offers. After all, just because it costs more money does not mean it is a better final product. Further insights are also available at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD4GSEYDeZc
FINAL THOUGHTS
So, if your son is going to be in high school soon or already is, ask yourself if you want to be spending upwards of over $15,000 between summer and fall baseball for about three years worth of youth baseball.
Sure, tuck some money away for private instruction – our area is brimming with indoor instructional facilities, and one-on-one private lessons can absolutely make better players. But save the rest of your money to cover what a partial baseball scholarship may not, and remember, the players in our area who have been drafted and signed at the pro level, still make up only 0.44% of high school players, so be optimistic but also be realistic.
And if you are a player with high aspirations for baseball, and want to play at the next level … get better. Set up a batting tee in your basement or backyard and take fifty swings a day. Get out and long toss as much as you can while the weather is warm, and have someone hit you a hundred ground balls a week; get into the weight room; watch baseball games on TV and learn situational baseball, not just ESPN highlights. Oh, and by the way…that advice is free.
Coach McCreary,
NICE POST, so true!!!! A lot of parents think that their child(ren) are better than they really are. The coaches for these AAU teams are not necessarily good coaches and teachers of the game. The cost to play is a lot of money and what do you get out off it? If you are a good player and play the game the right way you will be found and get to continue to play as far as your talent will take you. Parents just let your kids be kids and have fun playing the GREAT game of baseball.
Well said Coach Manero, well said.
Coach Manero – I think you make a solid argument for local Legion ball over travel-type baseball, and thanks for giving your opinion on what is a contentious issue. Two things to consider though before passing judgement on travel ball, is that it does serve a need in those areas that may not have a strong Legion or HS program such as North Penns's. Also, it gives an opportunity to kids who still want to play, and maybe weren't able to make the cut in those programs. That 26th player might not be ready to give up the dream, and travel gives him the opportunity to improve and play. My $0.02 – KM
I feel 100% the same way as Coach. I too am a Legion Coach, along with experience as a HS Coach and a D3 College Coach. Your correct that travel teams as do legion teams have their pros and cons. The problem is their seems to be more and more programs popping up that are just being used as a way to have people put $ in their pockets. Now their are programs that do this and those coaches put a lot of time in to get players better and exposed to colleges and professionally. But their are some who blow smoke up your explicit word. My advice is too just make sure you do your research and see who gives you the best experience and opportunity, just like college 🙂
I absolutely agree with you 100%. I played Legion baseball, was a college baseball All-American and drafted in the 11th round of the professional baseball draft. I have coached little league, high school and now American Legion baseball. I have noticed that many parents have "grown" to be passionate about the game. We live in a world of instant gratification and a "feel good" society. Unfortunately parents (many of whom never played the game or were not very good) steer their kids in the wrong direction. I recently lost many local players that were succesful players that opted to play 16U AAU baseball going into their senior year of high school instead of wood bat American Legion. Due to AAU age requirements in Connecticut a players age group is determined by the date of May 10th. What benefit would a soon to be senior in high school have playing 16U? Some of these players that hovered around the .300 plus batting average in high school are batting .500 or better in the early season of AAU play. Thus, the "feel good" and instant gratification concept comes into play. Suddenly little Johnnie that was a decent to mediocre high school player is "tearing it up" in AAU. Unfortunately as Coach Manero states, college baseball is NOT a weekend warrior experience. I played it back when the NCAA allowwed college baseball to play 25 plus fall GAMES as well as numerous practices. Then it was everyday winter workouts into Spring break trips to California or Arizona going into a rigourous spring season of 45 games with regional and national play after that. I was fortunate to play on a NCAA national championship team as a freshmen. Legion baseball more then enough prepared me for the college game. The ONLY time I believe AAU baseball should even be considered as an option is when a player leaves the little league diamond and is making the transistion onto the bigger diamond. This is ONLY if the players local area does NOT provide a respectful Babe Ruth, Jaycee Courant type league. As a legion coach I fear these AAU programs are advertising how certain players that are drafted played AAU. Did these parents ever consider that these kids are just that good and have raw talent? If your good enough someone from the college or professional levels will hear about you and find you. I am so exhausted to hear these kids and their parents talk about D1 visions. First of all D1 baseball does not typically offer JV baseball teams, so you better be an All State or Region high school player if you think your making the squad. College baseball is usually a non revenue sport, meaning that don't generate enough money to offer full rides like football or basketball. Granted there are some high profile, typically warm weather schools that pack em in the stands that can provide scholarships. Although for the most part its not happening. Legion baseball is getting watered down due to AAU teams stealing kids, giving them false hopes and promises. Many times they adverstise ex professional players as instructors blah, blah blah. It's a money maker and for the price parents pay they could send their kid to a good college and play even at the D3 level and still get signed very easily. This is why legion baseball has turned to allowing 19 year olds to play as well as offering mediocre junior legion teams. The days of towns having the best 18 kids committed to play 40 or 50 games in a short period of time are over. It's easier for parents to sit by their pool all week then jump in the car and go for a nice weekend excursion and watch little Johnnie go 15 for 32 with 20 RBI against lesser pitching. Then stop for an ice cream on the trip home and tell little Johnnie how god he is. The fact is you gotta be GOOD to go somewhere. If you pay me $2500 or more I can work with your kid and tell you he has the potential to do big things. Legion baseball is the best amatuer competition a kid can play hands down. Many AAU teams "advertise" tryouts but in reality those who have the money to pay will have to play.
continuing…. Why is it that almost EVERY AAU team qualifies and/or WINS some type of "National" championship? Because it's a business and propaganda. It obviously promotes AAU programs to advertise this so after one group of kids graduates through their program the next "sucker" family is waiting in line so little Johnnie gets his chance. Save your money, if your kid is good enough someone will hear about him and find him. Trust me I coached high school baseball. I also have many college coaching contacts and they all tell me they prefer legion players over AAU typically. Their reasons are as Coach Manero stated, legion players are prepared for the rigourous schedule college baseball offers. AAU will tell you anything you want to hear just like a used car salesman because they are selling a product to line their pockets with cash. Legion will offer the best PURE baseball at the highest level of amateur competition, hands down. The 19 year old rule came into effect due to AAU stealing legion players, thus hurting college recruiting. Some of these AAU teams don't even have to WIN games to get to National championships, they simply pay their way in. This is much like the hundreds of men's slow pitch softball "National" tournaments. Teams that compete in qualifier tournaments and come in 2nd place or even 3rd will get berths due to the winner already winning a berth in a previous tournament. There's no actual win or go home scenario until they actually get to these glorified numerous "National" championships. So if your goal is having your kid play the best competition then play legion. If your goal is making your kid "feel good" then play AAU. Good luck.
Thanks coach Manero. The article is true to the core. The problem with both Legion and AAU baseball is that both of them end up being diluted of talent. I am part of the coaching staff for an American Legion team, an organization/town that used to have a proud past. We had a difficult time fielding a team this summer. Even worse, several other teams barely had nine kids for some games. One team dropped their program 3/4 of the way into the season.
The Legion vs. AAU issue reflects larger social issues. Those with money will grow their programs, while those without money will die a slow death. In the end, some of these lower income kids with legitimate talent wont be playing ANYWHERE because they can't afford to pay for AAU or the increasing costs to play even legion ball.
If anyone out there in baseball land has any appropriate, creative ideas with this issue please respond.
The Boys of Summer