hs baseball

Question
I"ve recently been cut, I did not make the Varsity team.
I made middle school and jv, but didn't play much.
I play on a competitive travel team.
I am a pitcher, along with playing 3rd,2nd,ss.
I played the past summer and fall with the hs cocah so he knows what i am capable of,
I attended workouts, then the tryouts, then I wasnt chosen for team. I am looking at playing beyond HS.
I am a junior,and will begin contacting coachs,
without playinhg hs ball, all i have is my travel team,
what should i tell the college coachs, i know to market myself.
I have 5 pitchs, switch hit, and like i said play many positions.
 I hit over .600.
Should I let coachs know my schedule, and what I can do?
Any help will be appreciated.
 Player, in Medford,NY

Answer
Charles:  Thank you for your question.

While playing high school baseball can be of great assistance in moving on to the next level, it is not necessarily everything.

My initial question would be, did your high school coach tell you what he felt the reasons were that you did not make the varsity team this spring?

If not, I would suggest you start there and ask him what areas he feels you need to improve in, to be able to play for your school next year.  It can only improve your opportunities at the next level.

If he has already let you know these areas, that is where I would begin.  I wouldn't write off next year, or this upcoming summer and fall.  Take the information he provides, create a workout plan for yourself that will put you in a position to compete for a spot, summer, fall or next spring.

From your description, you appear to be versatile, which is a plus.

Everyone, high school, college and professional needs pitchers, you can never have too many.  Just a thought, without having been able to see you pitch, 5 pitches is a lot.  I have always felt that a pitcher needs to be able to throw any pitch they have for a strike, 60% of the time, then use it 15% or more in a game.

If a pitcher can't throw that pitch for a strike 60% of the time, it is not a pitch they have, it is just something they throw.

The time factor alone, to work and master 5 pitches, is hard.  Most of the front line starters in MLB only have 3, relievers generally 2.  

The reason I mention it is, THE BEST PITCH IN BASEBALL IS NOT A FAST BALL, CHANGE UP OR CURVE BALL; IT IS STRIKE ONE.

You may possibly be complicating your pitching situation by attempting to do too much, substituting quantity for quality.

On my website, www.theoleballgame.com, I have some charts on MLB hitting splits, for all the various counts.  If you look at them, it quickly jumps out at you that it is critical to get ahead of hitters, to be successful.

I have those charts on there for a page on hitting; but the information is meaningful for pitchers as well.  Since you are both, it will be twice the value for you.  If you look on the nav bar under Personal and Team Game Changers, click on HITTING FOR SUCCESS, those charts are on that page.  

College coaches are looking for certain things from someone they may recruit, or keep as a walk on:

1.  The first they always ask is, what type of person is this player?

2.  What type of student is he?

3.  What will he be able to contribute to our program?

4.  Is he coachable?

5.  What is his work ethic?

6.  It is at this point that they will get around to asking what type of baseball skills you have.  If they do not hear what they want to hear in those first 5 questions, the rest won't matter to them.

For college coaches, coaching baseball is more than their life, it is their families livelihood.  Their job security and families future depends directly on the quality of the individual they recruit, or keep as a member of their squad.

When you contact the schools that you are looking at, start out by asking them for information on their program, as well as the school.
Personal statistics probably won't matter much; however a video of you pitching, or fielding or hitting could help them out a lot.  

If you can't get some video from actual games, have someone make one while you are fielding fungos, or hitting BP.

Coaches all have their own way of approaching recruiting.  I would assume, in your area, there are numerous schools to look into.  Throw out a big net, and see what interest is generated.  Given your situation, it is still early.

Once again, if you don't have the information from your HS coach as to why you didn't make the cut, it is essential to talk with him.  That information is what enables you to develop a program for strengthening those areas, so that you can compete for a spot next season.

It sounds like you certainly have the desire and interest to play the game.  Stay after your dream.  

Do what you need to do to improve your chances and take another run at it.  I can tell you, you will get far more back from baseball than you put into it.  It goes well beyond the game itself.

Good luck to you as you go forward.

Yours in baseball,

Rick