Best pitchers in the country

[anonlooker]

I know of 2 recent State Gatorade POY from East Coast that can not make the starting lineup on their college team. So being Gatoade POY in the state of Virginia is the not the same as POY of Georgia, Alabama, Calif and Arizona ect.
They are Average at Best

Not always the case. Great players come from all over the U.S. Look at where MLB, NBA and NFL players come from. Just about every state. Hell, didn't a kid from Alaska named Trajan Langdon play basketball for Duke a few years ago? I think it is probably tougher to be an elite softball player when you're from a less populated state simply because the kid doesn't have the opportunity to compete as much with/against top talent. I would also be inclined to think the softball POY from CA, Texas, etc. is a bigger deal than from some states but I think there are great athletes that have come from every state. West VA is hardly a hotbed of basketball talent but Jerry West ("Logo") made it to the NBA.

But yeah, if I hear a kid is VA POY I'm not exactly thinking she is a sure bet for the national team just based on that info. But I also wouldn't assume the kid lacks top level talent without more info. I just think InTheCircle is not terribly aware and has fallen prey to the fallacies of hope.

DB Squirrel

Ya think?

[NORCALGOLD]

Hey Not What I Wrote Squirrel, I said I know of two POY, Did not say that certain states can't produce great talent.
Saw pitcher in Florida was not impressed, she lost, walked batters and gave up hits not the best pitcher in the country type off stuff. Seen alot better.

[CheckWriter]

Ok all of the teams from Virginia that go to Colorado never have any of there kids go to UCLA for softball. Why would parents want to spend a bunch of money when they know their kid does not have a great chance of getting into one of those schools? They end up playing close to home and actually have realistic goals.

You are right, only UCLA recruits in Colorado:

http://www.bouldersoftball.org/2010_%20Coaches_Attending.pdf

Why would anybody from the east coast, who wants to play on the east coast, go to Colorado?

[Blind Squirrel]

Hey Not What I Wrote Squirrel, I said I know of two POY, Did not say that certain states can't produce great talent.
Saw pitcher in Florida was not impressed, she lost, walked batters and gave up hits not the best pitcher in the country type off stuff. Seen alot better.

Otay. Thought your last statement was a broader indictment than you apparently meant it to be. My mistake. I also wanted to make it clear to people that folks out here in Cal softball Heaven don't actually think that our kids are the only ones that know which end of the bat to hold.

Your post reminded me of something else. A few years ago my kid's team was in the middle of the exposure tournament every weekend thing. A pitcher had just joined the team. Seems her family had just moved to SoCal from Pennsylvania solely to further her "softball career". The kid turned out to be the #3 and one night at the first or second tournament the family abruptly left because their kid wasn't getting enough innings to suit them. The kid was actually really good. Really good at giving up home runs and line drives to the fence. A series of shrewd moves by the parents.

BTW I just googled her. Nothing.

Not What I Wrote Squirrel

[exD1dad]

All this fuss about Gatorade "player of the year" sure many times kids are great & go on to wonderful full filling careers... but here in SoCal just a few years back my oldest's DD HS had a Junior QB who had all the tools & was California Gatorade Player of the year, no D1 schools wanted him despite leading his team to the playoffs 2 years in a row, didn't even get any decent DII offers so? That HS sends kids to great programs almost every year & many years sends multiple players. all I'm saying is Gatorade isn't the be all end all, IMHO.

Don't get me wrong I'm not dissing Michigan by any means, after all I was born & raised there. As a matter of fact, now that its getting close to Devils Night (the day before Halloween)I'm starting to get the itch to set an abandoned building or two on fire. Nothing like being raised in the Motor City

[anonlooker]

Ok all of the teams from Virginia that go to Colorado never have any of there kids go to UCLA for softball. Why would parents want to spend a bunch of money when they know their kid does not have a great chance of getting into one of those schools? They end up playing close to home and actually have realistic goals.

Read Plato, the Allegory of the Cave.
PONY and NSA are shadows on the wall.
Free yourself. Go to Colorado, or PGF.
Reality awaits, bigger and scarier than you, yet in chains, can imagine.
Better now, Weedhopper, than when you get to Mewborn Field.

[dustyshoes]

Ok all of the teams from Virginia that go to Colorado never have any of there kids go to UCLA for softball. Why would parents want to spend a bunch of money when they know their kid does not have a great chance of getting into one of those schools? They end up playing close to home and actually have realistic goals.

Read Plato, the Allegory of the Cave.
PONY and NSA are shadows on the wall.
Free yourself. Go to Colorado, or PGF.
Reality awaits, bigger and scarier than you, yet in chains, can imagine.
Better now, Weedhopper, than when you get to Mewborn Field.

Plato? Really? You must have been that kid sitting next to George Will on the bench.

[ontheblack]

All this fuss about Gatorade "player of the year" sure many times kids are great & go on to wonderful full filling careers... but here in SoCal just a few years back my oldest's DD HS had a Junior QB who had all the tools & was California Gatorade Player of the year, no D1 schools wanted him despite leading his team to the playoffs 2 years in a row, didn't even get any decent DII offers so? That HS sends kids to great programs almost every year & many years sends multiple players. all I'm saying is Gatorade isn't the be all end all, IMHO.

Reminds me of Gino Toretta. He won the Heisman, but it didnt mean he could play at the next level.

[jonriv]

Ok all of the teams from Virginia that go to Colorado never have any of there kids go to UCLA for softball. Why would parents want to spend a bunch of money when they know their kid does not have a great chance of getting into one of those schools? They end up playing close to home and actually have realistic goals.

IC- many coaches go to CO from the East to view West players(as well how East players against top West players)

[jonriv]

Ok all of the teams from Virginia that go to Colorado never have any of there kids go to UCLA for softball. Why would parents want to spend a bunch of money when they know their kid does not have a great chance of getting into one of those schools? They end up playing close to home and actually have realistic goals.

IC- many coaches go to CO from the East to view West players(as well how East players against top West players)

Mmmm...what a load of hewey...

Most coaches from the East DO NOT travel to CO based upon my personal observations over the last two decades. A small handful with a budget to take a vacation on the school's dime maybe, but the vast majority find fertile recruiting grounds close to their own backyard.

Bite me Joe!

But a large number of Eastern Coaches do attend these showcases- A majority may stay close to home- but even if a minority still attend- a small percentage of a large number can still be a large number number. No?

This past summer- CO Sparkler- here's a sampling of how many were there:

6 coaches from schools in CT
2 from NH
5 from NJ
13 from NY
9 from MA

Should I go on? Still more States in the East.....