Somebody's Watching

From A Recent Email Message from a Recruiter:

I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me

We've all seen the Geico commercial where the 80's song sings "I always feel like somebody's watching me".

Nothing could be truer when it comes to players that have the potential of moving to the next level. Whether it's hoping to move onto the college or pro ranks there is always someone watching whether it;'s coaches, scouts, parents, umpires and even teammates and opponents.

After my freshmen year of college, I played collegiate summer ball with a handful of players that went on to play professional baseball. After one of the games one of our coaches who was an Assistant Coach at a Division I school told us a story of a high school player that he was looking into recruiting the previous summer. He said that he had heard he had some great talent and went to watch him play. As he arrived at the game the player was just beginning warm ups in a section playoff game. The player did not carry himself well during warmups or in pregame. He didn't hustle and really didn't show the work ethic of a player that wanted to move on to the next level. The way he talked to teammates and his coaches and just his overall makeup gave the coach many red flags.

After watching this player for the hour of pre-game the college coach decided to leave. He reported back to his Head Coach and told him that he didn't think the player was worth recruiting anymore and they closed the file on him. This was without even watching the player play in a game.

Players who are looking to make the step to the next level really need to be more Baseball Savvy. It's easy to make a list of things that the college and pro scouts are looking for. I could list things like Power Hitting, Velocity, Speed, etc. These things are well known.

Here are some things that I looked at when I used to recruit and what other coaches look for as well that many players seem to overlook...

Grades. Nothing is more valuable to recruiters and nothing is more undervalued by players. I can't stress how important this is.
How you carry yourself on the field. Having your shirt tucked in, hustling, respecting teammates, opponents and umpires.
How you carry yourself off the field. How you talk to and act to your teachers, coaches, classmates and family. For those of you who have cell phones the worst thing you can do is have a voicemail that says "Yo dawg this is (your name), hit me back" and then have some song blaring in the background. If there is a chance of someone calling you that maybe associated with a college or pro team your voicemail should say "You've reached the voicemail of (your name), please leave a message. Thank you". I can't tell you how many players don't understand how something that small can have a big effect. When you get to talk to coaches make sure to address them as sir and be respectful.
Are you emotionally mature? Can you handle the pressure of pitching in big games and big situations or do you let mistakes rattle you? Do you know the game and the rules? Are you confident? Aggressive? Or do you look as though you'd rather be elsewhere. Scouts are looking for guys who want the ball.
Offseason work. I come across so many talented players that if they were to put the work in in the off-season that would be the difference to making it to the next level or not. You hear stories of guys like Derek Jeter and Tony Gwynn taking hundreds of swings in their backyard everyday in the offseason, etc. Your high school season is just a small part of the year. A lot of players seem to forget that college coaches see many more summer and fall games then they do high school games. I had a younger brother that had a great high school career. He would wake up at 5am and work out for an hour and then do tee work for an hour until he had to go to school each morning. That was dedication.

These are just a few intangibles that recruiters and scouts look for. All of this is meant to get you thinking - be it a parent or a player. The above things are some things that may help you get there. There is so much more to it.

Remember that participating in intercollegiate athletics is a privilege and only about 5.6 percent of all high school baseball players get an opportunity to play NCAA baseball, so if you get this special chance, make the most of it. You will have great memories, a college degree and experiences that will last you a lifetime!