Monday, June 21, 2010

Going Amateur

There has been an ongoing discussion on whether or not the NCAA has a right to restrict a high school payer from getting drafted or not and dictating when any college student can enter the draft. Are they given too much power. No doubt that power is about protecting self interests. But rules are needed for the good of the sport. In order to protect the integrity of collegiate baseball, there has to be limitations or you'd have the Wild, Wild West.

I think College basketball has become that. The One and Done rule is stupid. College coaches risk a lot recruiting that lottery pick for one year and if they don't perform or go deep into the NCAA tourney, the chances of getting another One And Done is tough. It's hard for a coach to teach a player their system in just one year. Frankly, I think College basketball at the very least needs to restrict the NBA from drafting players until after their sophomore year.

College Baseball would be far more profitable and a TV ratings booster if a Bryce Harper or similar type of player was incentified to go to a 4 year and face top competition. I know he went the JC route...but that's watered down competition. You can argue all you want about JC's being an alternative, but the level of competition is not even close in the big baseball states or conferences. I want to see Harper face Garret Cole or Jungerman...maybe he'd get the best of those pitchers...maybe not...I'd pay a lot to see that though...Could a California or Arizona JC beat a small Northeastern Mid Major? Yes! Could Saddleback CC beat UCLA or anyone else in the PAC 10, Big West or WCC...Not once in a hundred contests.

D-I colleges have to make it enticing to want to go to a 4 year. That is only done through increased scholarships..You give 25 full rides and you'll get a lot more top prospects beating down college admission doors.

Many say that student athletes, if forced to go to college, would put the sport before their school... Yes, many kids are just taking simple basic electives, just to get by and be academically eligible to play baseball...sociology, geography,writing 101, etc..., but it's more about the total disciplinary routine that college can offer to a young mentally and physically growing boy that's important here.

In college, a young baseball player has a pretty tight schedule...up at 6:30 for strength and conditioning, class from 8:00 til noon...break for lunch...on the field from 1:00-5:00pm...dinner and then mandatory study hall till 9:00 or 10:00 depending on the school. And that's just the non-game days, fall and spring...and whether or not he is just there to stay academically eligible or not...he has learned at the very least...time management skills and a strict discipline about life that is invaluable for his future as a well rounded human being.

If he doesn't make it as a pro...he knows the routine already to go back to college and get that degree. That's the type of men college can help build. You can never convince me that a high school kid will get that type of daily support, discipline and time

As it stands right now, MLB is just cherry picking all of the top HS pitching prospects first and that's why Sunday and Tuesday NCAA games resemble a pin ball game. Not enough pitching to go around. A third of the games would be so much more meaningful if those HS prospects matured and warmed up to the game, travel and the discipline of a college atmosphere for a few years before making a career out of the sport.

Look at the High School kids drafted in the first round below...How many of you college fans out there would love to see those kids playing for your school? Longhorn fans would have loved to see Jameson Taillon and Zach Lee in Austin. What a fight it would have been between Georgia and Georgia Tech to try to land Delino DeShields, Jake Skole, Caleb Cowart, Chevy Clark and Cam Bedrosian. Christian Yelich and Dylan Covey can't go wrong with any of the college choices down in Southern California (except for USC). This is what it's all about folks...School pride, fight songs and the old college try. We are all here on this board because we love the college game. Ask any of today's pro stars if they benefitted by going to college and unanimously they would say YES! Ask players out of HS if they may have liked to go to college first and I think you'd get another high percentages of Yes's.

Here's the list of HS First Rounders..Imagine them on your college team...

# 1. Bryce Harper, C/OFCollege of Southern Nevada, Fr.
# 2. Jameson Taillon, RHPThe Woodlands HS (Texas), Sr.
# 3. Manny Machado, SSBrito Miami Private School (Fla.), Sr.
# 8. Delino DeShields, CFWoodward Academy (Ga.), Sr.
# 9. Karsten Whitson, RHPChipley HS (Fla.), Sr.
# 14. Dylan Covey, RHPMarantha HS (Calif.), Sr.
# 15. Jake Skole, CFBlessed Trinity HS (Ga.), Sr.
# 17. Josh Sale, RFBishop Blanchet HS (Wash.), Sr.
# 18. Kaleb Cowart, RHPCook HS (Ga.), Sr.
# 19. Mike Foltynewicz, RHPMinooka Community HS (Ill.), Sr.
# 23. Christian Yelich, 1BWestlake HS (Calif.) Sr.
# 27. Jesse Biddle, LHPGermantown Friends School (Pa.), Sr.
# 28. Zach Lee, RHPMcKinney HS (Texas), Sr.
# 29. Cam Bedrosian, RHPEast Coweta HS (Ga.), Sr.
# 30. Chevy Clarke, CFMarietta HS (Ga.), Sr.
# 31. Justin O'Conner, CCowan HS (Ind.), Sr.
# 32. Cito Culver, SSIrondequoit HS (N.Y.), Sr

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