Page 812 – Diamond Prospects

Diamond Spotlight: TJ Young

Coastal Carolina Commitment: TJ Young is a senior at Dorman High School and member of the varsity baseball team. Young is a true example of a student-athlete. While being in the top six percent of his class, he also attends classes at Spartanburg Methodist College. In 2006, he was recognized nationally as an Academic All-American. In 2008, he was s… The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well. Username Password Remember Me Forgot Password

DP’s Pre-season Scrimmages

Diamond Prospects is hosting four pre-season scrimmages during the month of February… February 21 at Brookland-Cayce HS 8:30 AM – Airport BP in LF cages 9:00 AM – Southside Christian BP in LF cages 9:30 AM – Airport INF/OF 9:40 AM – Southside Christian INF/OF 10:00 AM – Southside Christian vs Airport (9 innings) 11:30 AM – Brookland-Cayce BP in LF cages 11:45 AM – Sumter-60’s 12:00 PM – Sumter BP in LF cages 12:30 PM – Brookland-Cayce INF/OF 12:40 PM – Sumter INF/OF 12:50 PM – Southside Christian-60’s following game 1:00 PM – Brookland-Cayce vs Sumter (5 innings) 1:30 PM – Stratford-60’s 2:00 PM – Stratford BP in LF cages 2:40 PM – Stratford INF/OF 3:00 PM – Sumter vs Stratford (5 innings) 5:00 PM – Stratford vs Brookland-Cayce (5 innings) *The 3rd and 4th gametimes are approximate, games will begin immediately following the game before. February 21 at Easley’s Alice Mill Park 10:00 AM – Blue Ridge/Chesnee BP & INF/OF 11:30 AM – Blue Ridge vs Chesnee (9 innings) 2:30 PM – Sptg/BHP 60’s & INF/OF 3:15 PM – Easley vs Spartanburg (5 innings) Spartanburg vs Belton-Honea Path (5 innings) Easley vs Belton-Honea Path (5 innings) ————————————————— Coaches Notes… -Team listed first will be in the 3B dugout and represent the home team unless otherwise agreed upon by both coaches for pitching reasons. -Teams are responsible for chasing foul/HR balls on their side of the field. -Unless noted otherwise, scrimmages will last 9 innings or 2 1/2 hours, whichever comes first. -Please bring multiple rosters of your team, complete with uniform numbers. -Please outfit your team with numbers – they do not have to be in a jersey, tshirts with numbers are perfectly fine. ————————————————— General Notes… This event is counted as a scrimmage, not a pre-season tournament or jamboree. Teams are guaranteed 9 innings, baseballs and umpires will be supplied by DP. Each team has the option to run the 60 before their games and DP will also compile a detailed prospect list for each club. To view an example of what we did last year as a follow-up for our pre-season scrimmages, click here. ————————————————— Parent/Fan Notes… -There will be a $5 Day Pass sold at the gate, no other passes will be accepted. Ages 12 & under are FREE. -Diamond Prospects apparel will be available throughout the day at each site. -A concession stand will be open throughout the day courtesy of the host high school. Coaches choosing to feed their teams at the ballpark should notify the Head Coach of the host team upon your arrival that day.

Diamond Spotlight: Seth Neely

Clemson Commitment-Seth Neely: Rock Hill shortstop Seth Neely has committed to the Tigers but also has a good perspective on life after high school and life after baseball. In his Diamond Spotlight Q & A, get a feel for the infielder and the person with high aspirations in Tigertown: DP-Please list any high school statistics of importance,… The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well.

Top Un-committed Position Players

-Class of 2009- Rank Name High School Position B/T Notes 1 Daniel Aldrich Wando OF L/R Tons of power and has performed very well on the national stage over the past 3 years 2 Dustin Morris Landrum INF R/R Versatile defensively but b… The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well.

Top Un-committed Pitchers

-Class of 2009- Rank Name High School Throws Notes 1 Travis Murphy Dillon Right Live arm that reaches the upper-80’s; potential pro guy with big game experience since freshman year 2 Chase Goude Battery Creek Left Mid-80’s LHP that has reportedl… The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well.

A Day in the Life of College Coaches

Compiled By: Austin Alexander-October 9, 2008 College Coaches and the Life They Choose: Much is said and has been written about the hours that college baseball coaches work, the miles they travel, the personal sacrifices they make, all to advance the game and the programs they are employed by. We have surveyed a number of them at each level of the game to weigh in on their daily routines and responsibilities across 365 days. This article is very long, but provides you an in-depth look at all of the things that these guys juggle, just to produce a quality product for you and their institution on the field. An ACC pitching coach said: (Day) Thursday before a weekend series at home: 6:00 Wake up 6:30 Breakfast 7:15 In the Office. Things I try to cover are: watching video of the opposing teams, getting our scouting report completed, figuring a plan of attack for the oppositions hitters, making sure I have charts, pencils, pens, stopwatches ready for the Friday game! 10:00 Morning Lift and Run 11:30 Lunch 1:00 Sunday starter’s bullpen – discuss our plan of attack according to his strengths as a pitcher, discuss the things from the previous start that we need to get better at this Sunday. 2:00 Team practice will begin: this will be a very light day for our relievers, the Friday night starter is on his own (under my supervision), this is a light conditioning day for us as well. 4:30 Practice is usually over – I usually sit around the field and relax for a little bit. 5:00 Shower and return to the office to organize my night. 6:00 (ritual meal when at home) I eat at a nice restaurant, nice steak, no bread, no potato, vegetable of the day, sushi appetizer, water to drink. 7:00 Starbucks: 4 shot, venti, non fat, no foam 3 splenda, sugar free hazelnut latte 7:15 Return to the office: quiet time, review my notes on the up and coming weekend, review video if I need to, chew some tobacco and read some form of an educational book. 10:00 Return home, ritual movie selection, crash out and get ready for the weekend. Typical day/week in the Fall: Sunday: 2 hours of office work to organize the up and coming week Monday: Team Lifting groups at 7:00 am, 8:00 am, begin office work – emails to answer, call JUCO coaches, call high school coaches, place kids in summer baseball, talk with parents on the phone, ect. 2:00 Pitchers will Long Toss, Long run in the afternoon. Tuesday: 5:30 am run, 7:30 am in the office, begin office work – emails to answer, call JUCO coaches, call high school coaches, place kids in summer baseball, talk with parents on the phone, ect. 2:00 Pitchers will have Drill Work and PFP, 4:30 we will condition as a staff Wednesday: Office work…same as usual, 2:00 Pitchers will have drill work and PFP, 4:30 we will condition as a staff, 5:00 Team Lift, 7:00-10:00 return to the office for scheduling of the following week and making recruiting calls. Thursday and Friday: Office Work…same as usual, 2:00 Pitchers will begin bullpens, 4:00 PFP, 4:30 Conditioning, 5:00 on Friday is another team lift. Typical day/week in the Summer: 3 Weeks of Atlanta Perfect Game 5:30 Head to the Gym, Lift weights, Run 7:00 Breakfast and Starbucks 8:00 Arrive at a Field somewhere in Atlanta 9:00 Game, 11:30 Game, 2:00 Game, 4:30 Game, 7:00 Game 10:30-11:00 return to the room and organize what you have seen over the day 12:00 Hopefully showered and in bed This is the exact same schedule that myself and the (then) assistant at LSU, along with Vanderbilt kept for 3 straight weeks. A JUCO assistant coach said: Family life – my baseball team is my family. I feel like I’m living through my players and it feels unbelievable to help their development on and off the field. As for my parents and relatives, I never get to see them and I know that it is tough on them. Personal life – well…baseball and female relationships don’t mix. You gotta pick one or the other. I have lost out on some girls that I was truly in love with because of this game. I’ve come to realize that I will never have the classic american family, as long as I’m coaching. Income – I make zero money from baseball. My income stems from a warehouse where I make hydraulic hoses and deal with UPS shipments. I earn $1,200 a month by working 7:30-1:30. Practice starts at 3:00. Daily – This past Monday…I woke up at 5:15 and was in the weight room at 5:50. I handled 3 different groups of players on lower and upper body lifts, as well as agilities and conditioning. I left school at 6:55 and got to work at 7:30. I dealt with about 30 UPS packages and the computer BS that goes with them. Then I made about 60 different types of hoses ranging from 6 inches to 150 feet. When I leave work, I usually eat at McDonald’s and get to the field at 2:25. We practice from 3:00 to 5:30, then I’ll usually have 3 to 5 guys in the cage getting extra BP or drill work. For dinner, I try to sneak in the backdoor of the cafeteria and snatch a free meal. At night, me and our other assistant coach will be on the computer/phone dealing with scouts, recruits, coaches, or parents till about 9:30. The best part about being a junior college coach is that you can take a kid who had zero Division I offers out of high school and watch him transform himself into a legit prospect with hard work and determination. A JUCO assistant coach said: Typical day/week in the Spring… At the moment I am still taking classes and working on getting my teaching degree which I should have by December of next year. So for me, the day begins with about three hours in …

Coaches Corner: Tom Riginos

Coaches Corner-Tom Riginos: Clemson Associate Head Coach Tom Riginos is in his seventh year as part of the Tiger program. Riginos made his mark as a player, then later as a coach at Stetson University before moving to Tigertown. He spent some time recently with Diamond Prospects to do a Q & A with us to give us a close-up look at him and his life as Clemson’s recruiting coordinator: DP-How many years have you been in coaching? What got you into the business? TR-This is my 18th year of coaching. My senior year of college I started to work baseball camps and throw BP during practice. I decided to go back to my high school and coach for a year. I loved it and that how it all started. DP-What is the most rewarding thing about being a baseball coach? TR-Developing relationships during the recruiting process and then seeing the players develop as players and young men. Maintaining the relationships after their playing days are over. DP-What does the term "coach" mean to you? TR-It means many things to me: Role model, leader, disciplinarian, teacher, a person that can help give direction not only on the field but also in life. DP-What is something you wish everyone knew about your profession? TR-It takes a lot of hard work and long hours to be successful. DP-We all know there is very little money in getting started in coaching at the college level yet the time involved is mind-boggling, why did you do it? TR-For the love of the game, I could not see myself behind a desk for 8 hours a day. DP: How do you balance the time demands of coaching and your family? TR-It is very difficult to do. I think you have to have balance in life. There are many coaches out there that don’t have balance and they lose their family. I think first you have to have a wife that understands the time it takes. I think as a coach you have to make sacrifices to make it work. I know for me it is as simple as not answering my phone from 7:00-8:30 pm. That is family time. After 8:30 I can make all my recruiting calls from my home office. DP-When you hear the expression "old school baseball", what does that phrase mean to you? TR-Playing as hard as you can all the time. DP-What is the definition of a "student-athlete"? TR-It a person that has their priorities set both in the classroom and on the field. He puts the same effort in both places. DP-Relocation is synonymous with the coaching profession, tell us how your family dealt with the move to Clemson from the state of Florida: TR-It was harder on the grandparents than my wife and me. Our twin girls were only 18 months old and both sets of grandparents were very close. We love living in Clemson and the change of seasons, but miss family. DP-Describe the Omaha Experience to those who have never been there, much less participate in the College World Series: TR-It is hard to put in words the experience of Omaha. It is the one place every college player and coach dreams of going. Best word UNBELIVABLE. DP-Jack Leggett is a highly-respected college baseball coach, tell us a little bit about him: TR-Coach Leggett is the best Head Coach in the business, with that being said, he probably an even better person. He really cares about you as a person. The day he offered me the job seven years ago, I will never forget that day. He offered me the job on a Saturday morning, by the end of that day he had called me five times just wanting to make sure my family and I were taken care of, what could he do to make the move easier. Right then I knew I would be working for a great person. DP-What is your most memorable experience as a baseball coach? TR-Being in the dugout when my son hit his first college home run for Clemson. Winning the 2006 Super Regional on Tiger Field and going to the CWS. DP-Make your case for why the ACC is the best conference in the country: TR-In the last 3 years, the ACC has had 2 to 3 teams in the CWS. DP-Who has made the greatest impression on you as a baseball coach and why? TR-My Dad, from an early age we were always at the ballpark. DP-Who are the best three players you have coached against? TR-Justin Verlander, Pat Burrell, Mark Teixeira DP-What does it mean to be a good teammate and is that important? TR-A player that is unselfish, he puts the team before himself. It is vital to have a successful team. DP-Do you have any superstitions? If so, what? TR-I dress the same way if we are on a winning streak. DP-What do you see as the biggest difference in high school-aged players today versus when you played? TR-So many more outside influences. These high school players have Hitting coaches, pitching coaches, Weight trainers, speed trainers, agents, etc. When I played we had our high school coach, Legion coach and that was it. DP-What is your greatest high school thrill? TR-Beating Gary Sheffield in our district playoffs. DP-What is your greatest thrill, or two, beyond high school? TR-Beating FSU in a regional semi-final and putting Stetson University one win from the CWS. DP-Who were the three best players you played against? TR-Jeff Bagwell, Frank Thomas, Mo Vaughn DP-Who has made the greatest impression on you as a person and why? TR-Pete Dunn – Head Coach Stetson University. He taught me how to play the game as a player, and he believed in me as a coach. He gave me my first full-time job as a coach. He trusted me to be his recruiting coordinator at 24. DP-Who is you favorite athlete outside of baseball? TR-Tiger Woods DP-Who is your favorite MLB team? TR-Boston Red …

Your Fandom: My Team

By: Austin Alexander-October 5, 2008 Who is your favorite team? Not just in baseball but in all of sports. Maybe it’s a college football team, successful basketball program, an NBA organization or NFL powerhouse. If you are a transplant down here from the north, maybe your team of choice skates on ice. It is conceivable that someone reading this really loves NASCAR and some individual driver. Perhaps you are a big booster or fan of your local high school athletic teams. Whatever the case, most of us have one team that we are emotionally invested in. You know if you are a crazy sports fan toward one team because your general happiness can rise and fall from year to year, week to week, day to day or play to play depending on how they fare in the standings. We invest much of our time watching, daily thoughts thinking and pocketbooks purchasing merchandise or tickets. We have various reasons for choosing that club. It could be because it’s our alma mater, the local team or a childhood memory. Maybe we love them because we know someone on the team, our father always grew up loving them or you just like the way their logo looks! Point being, if you fall into any one of those categories, then you may have some sense of what Chicago Cubs fans experienced in 2008. Best record in the Majors, eight all-stars, the National League’s top offense, a legit pitching staff and ton of come-from-behind victories throughout the season. We all know the history. Black cats, 1908, Billy Goats, Bartman, blah, blah, blah…But man-oh-man, this year just "felt" different. While folks of my generation had seen our share of postseason collapses, there was a general feeling that 2008’s October may present a different fate. Well, after a Game 1 grand slam in the 5th, Game 2 comedy of errors in the 2nd and Game 3’s 2-0 deficit in the 1st and 15 men left on base, actually means that in their biggest series of the year, the Cubs were a factor in a grand total of five innings. Now, when your friends and acquaintances know how much you care about your team, they are very quick to call, email or text you when they fail. But as you know, we are very poor sports when our teams capture our hearts, then fall on their faces…which makes us very angry when asked about the last 100 years and what happened during the past week. (In other words, that means when this article is published, I don’t care to discuss this topic further) You see, it may be sad that a grown man with a family is surrounded with Cubs apparel, pictures, etc. I can understand that. But when your 2-year old just does not know why he has not been allowed to wave the "W" flag following a win for the past week, and won’t be able to for the next six months, it resonates just how disappointing this year wound up being. Not to mention how this particular club added to the lore of past failures, this year has made any such Cubs team in the future deal with even more questions, more pressure, and likely, more lost opportunities. The Los Angeles Dodgers completely out-played Chicago this week, in every single phase of the game. A tip of the cap to them is in order for sure. But a whole lot of people just like me feel the pain of another sizable collapse in Wrigleyville, which makes the many late nights we invested in that group of 25 feel in vain. By the way, Fukodome just corkscrewed into another punch-out after Lou promised we would not have see him again… But as they say, there’s always next year. Unfortunately, fans of the Lovable Losers really believed this was the year to kill the curse. But honestly, what’s another 100 years to wait? So if you have a team, I hope on some level you can understand why I’d just assume go into hibernation until Spring Training when all of "Cubdom" can hope, once again, that ‘this’ will be the year that it all comes together for our favorite team. It’s been noted that the ‘thrill of victory’ and ‘agony of defeat’ is a powerful thing in the world of sports. I experienced both in 2008…and "crazy sport fan guy or gal": you know what I mean!

Diamond Spotlight: Matthew Van Laan

My name is Matthew Van Laan and I was born in Royal Oak, Michigan in 1991. My parents and I moved to South Carolina when I was three. I started playing baseball and soccer at the age of four. I made it to the State playoffs in Dixie Youth when I was in the minors and in the majors. I laid down all other sports after the eighth grade so I could focu… The new DP website is here. For all the great DP content, subscribe. If you have any login/subscription issues, please contact our support team. Your feedback on the new experience is appreciated as well.

Al’s View: Playoff Preview

By: Al Hudson-October 1, 2008 Isn’t it amazing that every year in all sports we are faced with a controversy of some sorts. The Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox finished the regular season in a tie for first place in the American League Central Division. The White Sox won a coin flip to determine home field for the playoff. Why was a coin flip necessary? During the regular season the Twins and White Sox met eighteen times. The Twins prevailed 10-8 in their head-to-head competition. Shouldn’t the Twins have been awarded home field for the play-in regular season games? If they had finished 9-9 in head to head, then, a coin flip would be necessary, but suppose the Twins had won 15-3, where is the fairness in that? Head-to-head competition is part of the playoff format. If for example, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox had finished in a tie for first place, the Rays would have been awarded first place, because they had won more games in head-to-head against the Red Sox. Why? Because the Red Sox received a bid as the Wild Card team, allowing both to compete in the playoffs. But, the Rays would receive a home field advantage against their opponent because they were a division winner. It appears to me that the same rule was misapplied in the Twins and White Sox decision. I am not saying the Twins would have won the game in Minneapolis, but they should have had the chance. The White Sox and the Rays are a very intriguing matchup. It is probably the hardest to predict. I like the hot team coming into the playoffs. Momentum should carry the White Sox past what I believe will be a "happy to be there" Tampa Bay team. I have been wrong on the Rays all year, but I just can’t pick them. They have to sweep the first two games to win this series. The Red Sox enter the 2008 post season as the defending World Series Champion. Starting on the road at Anaheim against the Angels will favor the Angels, who won 100 games this year. However, recent history has shown the Red Sox seem to rise to the occasion in the playoffs. In 2008, the Angels won eight out of nine from the Red Sox. Even though they play in a weaker division, the Angels seemed to relish a chance to beat Boston. The key points to look at are: (1) As good as Josh Beckett has been in the playoffs, is his oblique injury going to hamper his performance? (2) How effective will Mike Lowell and JD Drew be with their nagging injuries? (3) Will Jason Bay’s lack of playoff experience actually replace Manny as an offensive threat? (4) If the Angels can get a lead, their bullpen can finish the deal (5) Will Mark Teixeira make the Angels a better offensive machine than the Red Sox? My heart says Boston in four, but my pick is the Angels to displace the monkey, and win this series in four. The Dodgers and Cubs series comes down to pitching. Both teams have a pitching advantage in this series. The Cubs have better depth on the mound, but the Dodgers strength is from the right side and the Cubs are a right-handed hitting team. What about Manny? Granted, he has changed the atmosphere in Los Angeles, it is too much to ask of one hitter to dominate a series? The key to this series is Carlos Zambrano. If he wins, the Cubs win. I hope this is the magical year for the Cubs. Can you imagine if Harry Caray was still alive to call a CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! In the Beefeater Bowl, the Phillies and the Brewers have the potential to play a very entertaining offensive series. With CC Sabathia, Prince Fielder, and Ryan Howard, this could be the makings of a six-man tag event, or a formidable team to enter against Joey Chestnut, Kobayashi, and the Black Widow in a beer and brats eating contest. This should be the easiest to pick. The Phillies will only have to face Sabathia one time. The Phillies have one of the best bullpens in the National League, while the Brewers have the worst. I think management put Dale Sveum in a tough position. They fired manager Ned Yost with 12 games to play, but Sabathia was the reason they made the playoffs. It takes a team effort to win in the post-season, and I am afraid the Brewers are fragmented. Sorry the Atlanta Braves are not in the playoffs again this year, but it is a small price to pay when the Yankees and the Mets are both playing golf today. Questions and comments should be sent: [email protected]