Question for the group, when you play showcases do you play to win? More specifically, do you bat everyone? We are playing in the Champions showcase this weekend and there is a single elimination tournament starting Saturday afternoon that is seeded by the pool play. Our coaching staff decided that in order to increase our chances to get a good seed for bracket play that we would play our pool games "to win" and only bat 9. I personally prefer to bat everyone and let the chips fall where they may, but I was outvoted 3 to 1.
Playing showcases to win????
- Thread starter JAD
- Start date
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We carry a skeleton crew but usually bat 10 if allowed. If someone doesn't bat it's usually a pitcher. We do play to win with the emphasis on winning this summer.
- Oct 10, 2011
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Our coaches generally bat 10 during pool play and 9 after. If a college coach or player requests a position on the field or to bat because they will be seen, then they will get to play.
- Oct 25, 2009
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Why not get the teams all together and vote for the winners? Everyone could play then. I was at a showcase once where, at a college coach's request, they put a baserunner on 2nd to simulate something they wanted to see.
Showcases are about displaying your abilities and giving the prospective college coaches an idea of how you may fit into their program. It's a balance of yes, we play every game to win, but more importantly, you're there to market your players. So, for those reasons, I always batted everyone to give every girl a chance.
I did find a lot of plain Jane tournaments that were advertised as showcases while searching for a season schedule, so be certain that where you're playing is in fact a showcase with scouts and coaches present.
I did find a lot of plain Jane tournaments that were advertised as showcases while searching for a season schedule, so be certain that where you're playing is in fact a showcase with scouts and coaches present.
We will bat 10 in pool and then 9 in bracket play like others. We also play to win. Our philosophy is the longer we're in it, the more chance to be seen and with fewer teams each round, the more concentrated the scouts and college coaches will be.
Bad on the tournament for seeding bracket via pool play for an exposure. I do like bracket play in exposures so the whole weekend doesn't feel like a series of friendlies, but just blind draw the seeds so there's no pressure on coaches not to show everyone off in pool play.
With 10 players shouldn't be an issue either way, for teams carrying bigger rosters different story.
With 10 players shouldn't be an issue either way, for teams carrying bigger rosters different story.
We're in the same tournament this weekend. I expect our coach will bat all 11. I can understand batting 9 once single-elim begins because then you're extending your life in the tournament.
I guess it's up to each team's goals, but we're partly here to get experience and get better. We're committed to all 11 getting that experience. If they weren't deserving of the opportunity to play here, we wouldn't have brought them.
I guess it's up to each team's goals, but we're partly here to get experience and get better. We're committed to all 11 getting that experience. If they weren't deserving of the opportunity to play here, we wouldn't have brought them.
I have always wondered why they call them "showcases" when they are tournaments with pools seeding bracket. To me, showcases should be like exposures - where all games are scheduled, and the prospective athletes can email colleges with their fixed schedules. This way you are not wasting college coaches' time. Last summer, the team DD was on...the coaches signed them up for TCS Nationals in Atlanta...which started one day after Chicago (Demarini showcase). The coaches said they didn't need to play pool and to seed them as needed. Well...over half the team were non-committed players, so it seemed like a huge waste of time/money to play when college coaches were scarce. Also, the coaches couldn't make the tournament so they dealt with an interim coach (coach's son-in-law!). Needless to say, she's not on that team any more. Sorry...I digressed. I think that 16U/18U teams should play in tons of exposures and stick to one Nationals (ASA/PGF)...the Nationals should be the ones they are "in it to win". And wherever there is bracket play, the coaches should rotate their players (committed and uncommitted) to the best of their abilities and win. That is what they did last weekend...DD didn't pitch, but she played awesome 3B...they got 2nd in TCS State (although it was silver bracket...gold bracket had some seriously tough teams with most girls being D1 commits).
