Howdy ya'll. I was just wondering if any of ya'll ever tried out in front of major league scouts before in an open tryout bases? Call me crazy but I miss the game so much. I'm still young enough to go out there and play ball on a regular basis. But the odds are stacked against. I was wondering what I should expect if I do go to an open tryout. I play outfield so I suspect it'd be like taking fly *****, throwing to the bases, and hitting. What are some things scouts look at? I know as an outfielder they'd look for range, arm strength, accuracy, jumps on the ball. I guess what i'm wanting to know is whats the odds of someone getting signed out of the open tryouts? And is it mostly kids who played D1 ball that didnt get drafted?

I mean as a child your told to chase your dreams correct? So thats what I'm wanting to do is chase my dreams. Now I don't plan on doing this till next summer. And if i'm going to do it, im going to do it right and train before i ever go out. My passion for the game just doesn't quite get filled by schooling old men in playing softball. Now I have a buddy ( a kid we hosted from australia) playing in the twins organization in A league. I watched 2 games of theirs this year, and i wasn't that impressed with the level of play. I mean dont get me wrong they were all good, but most had a sub .250 batting average.

Now I'm going to travel halfway across the country to tryout. But there was some tryouts with a few hours of me here earlier this year.

So have any of ya auditioned in front of MLB scouts before? Or anybody have any USEFUL advice of pointers?

 

Good Luck!! Oh yeah, my advise...."Don't drop the ball."

 

If you get the chance, go for it! Back in the strike year of 1994 (when I was 21), I was planning to go to the braves pitching try-out, but it was canceled.

Just get your arm in the best shape as possible and try to lose a few pounds if you need to. Anything to make you quicker.

The scouts will know you're nervous so don't worry about the jitters.

 

Be in the best shape you can.

I walked on to ASU's baseball team last year...made it to day 5 of the 5 day tryout, as a pitcher. My arm definitely wasnt in the shape i thought it was, and it showed throwing 5 bullpens 5 days in a row for the coaches.

 

Ya see i'll be 20 this december and I don't plan on going until next summer. I'm in good shape I weigh about 160-170. I need to get on the tredmill and build my stamina back up but i mean over the summer i lifted daily, and now with school back in I lift about 2-3 times a week. I regret not trying to walk on here this year, but I'm just way too busy with school work and work to even think about practices everyday. But ya I planned on getting my arm into shape and maybe if I can get access to our local babe ruth league batting cage, going in there and gettin the ol' swing back into a baseball swing. I mean I'm not the next Albert Pujols, I won't hit you home runs. But what i will give you is hustle, heart, and solid defense. I was always I pretty reliable defender. But it seems like those 3 attributes have disappeared from the game now-a-days. I just fear of going there and making a fool of myself and being in way over my head.

 

I have a friend that plays pro football, he told me these little try out things were basically to provide entertainment to the players and coaches...

Not hurt in going out there and trying, but I would not go in there expecting anything unless you can blow their minds away.

 

I would think football would be 10x harder to make it in though. Because in baseball you have like 6 or more steps in the minors until you make it to the bigs. In the NFL, you have like your practice squad then your real NFL team and thats it. So I would think chances would be a lot less walking onto an NFL team.

 

I think if you're worried about making a fool of yourself, you're looking at things the wrong way. No one will remember you more than one day, if you don't do well. No one's going to go to their grave thinking, "I just can't believe that klutz that showed up that day at tryouts!"

But, if you DON'T try out, YOU will remember that fact till YOUR dying day and you'll always wonder, "What might have been...?" And, you'll always remember you were too chicken to find out.

So, I know what the right choice for you is - do it, and just give it your best (and have fun too)!

- Jack

 

Perfect advice.
Plenty of people have walked on pro teams, even Kurt Warner. It IS a lot harder in football, but in that case players would try NFL Europe or the CFL to try and get noticed.

 

First thing you'll more than likely do is run a 60, which is the distance from home to second. If you can't run under a 6.9 range you better have a damn cannon for an arm and kill the ball at the plate. Next they will put everyone in right field and hit a series of ***** at you and you have to throw it to third base, this is to see arm strength and accuracy. Then maybe some BP on the field or in the cages.

The hardest thing for someone that's been away from the game is hitting, you can't just go out there and hit a 90 MPH fastball, and if you can hit it chances are you won't touch the off speed stuff. Throwing the ball hard from the outfield and running fast will get you attention you need, hitting they can work with if you have a decent swing/approach to begin with.

I've been to plenty of showcases myself and that's how I got my scholarship that I'm on right now.

 

Exactly why I want to do this. See I was always over shadowed by small town politics. I know its an excuse but I believe I could have easily out produced every outfielder on our team.

Your talkin 60 yards correct? You mean going from home to first, first to second. 6.9 eh...thats pretty quick, im pretty quick but i've never had a stop watch on me when running. I think I am going to do it though. I don't wanna regret not trying it at least once. I'm just hoping that they see raw talent or somebody they can work with. So basically i need to work on sprints, long toss, and working on the stick. I can start on the running stuff now, just work some cardio into my lifting schedule.

 

Im in the mix of it all right now because of college ball and let me tell you this. Unless you have something that is going to impress them right away (90+ arm, 6.5 or below speed, or hit ***** 450+ ft) then dont waste your time. I just finished up with the royals this summer and unless you are a stud the scouts will send you home after the 60 time. You're also gonna need some stats somewhere to backup that you can play. hitting .400 in HS wont do it. Not to sound like an *** but the last one i got invited to was referred to as "The american idol of baseball" so unless you can show them something superb dont drive more than 2+ hours. I talked to the scout after evertyhing was done and he said it more of a publicity thing and the off chance that some kid will throw 95 that was never seen.

Oh yea(Edit) Useful advice: RUN EVERYWHERE...they notice hustle more than anything else, right away they know who wants to be there and who doesnt

P.s.: How old are you? because scouts wont take a risk on "potential" with anyone over 22-23 because by the time they work with them they are already considered old. One of my good family friends is a crosschecker

 

Yea 60 yards, when they time you it's just a straight line. When your hitting video tape your swing and check it out. I use it after every scrimmage and game we have to see things that you don't notice about your swing, because you assume your doing this and that and when you see it you finally realize what your actually doing. Also try and get some live pitching just in case they want to see you hit live.

 

straight line in 6.9? It'd be close but its probably somewhere around there. Hard to say since i've never been timed. But idk its still worth a shot you never know maybe luck will finally go my way.

 

Go for it. You don't lose anything by trying. I worked with a guy who went to a walk-on tryout for the CFL in the 80s, he ended up making it through. Only played in one game before they let him go but he said the experience was one he will remember forever.