I’ve been trying to write a blog for weeks now, but there’s been so much action recently that I failed the army. Sorry, but not sorry. Here’s the most important news and notes from recent weeks.
ABCA
This was a kick ass event. In fact, I was kicking myself in the ass for never attending before. If you’re a baseball fan of any kind, attending the ABCA Annual Convention needs to go on your bucket list. If you have a son who plays, it would be an amazing father-son trip. If you’re a coach of any kind, bring your staff and make memories for a lifetime. I really can’t say enough about this extraordinary experience.
The big thing I left with was a visual of the ongoing transition from old school to new school. The floor of exhibits looked like something out of the Jetsons. But the people in attendance were more suited for South Park. The expo floor was a lot of young entrepreneurs with their tech gadgets speaking a language that was foreign to coaches over 40. It looked like a bunch of hillbillies accidentally walked into an AP French class. The divide was clear. It was the first time I’ve seen the transition happening with such clarity. We’re in a unique era for our game.
The thing is, five years from now, the large majority in attendance will be guys fluent in French. There’s no going back. Tech companies from all over the world have converged on America’s Pastime and are monetizing the shit out of it. Good for them – the American dream. But seeing outsiders – people without a true love for the game – trying to change the baseball world was unexpected. Don’t take that the wrong way, because most of these companies are making the game better. However, it was an eye-opener for me to realize what’s happening here. And it left a weird taste in my mouth.
PROJECT 22
The Annual J. Rudd Baseball Project is underway. It’s time to take care of the uncommitted 2022s looking for a college home this coming Fall. Participating is free and there’s nothing like it in the world. This Project, presented by Flatground and powered by StatStak, is my biggest campaign each year.
It started in 2020 when seasons were shut down due to Covid. Here’s a story from a California newspaper that explains what went down that year. Since then, people constantly ask me if I’ll do it again. Even though it’s ANOTHER THING to do, I am all about it because it changes lives.
Here’s the PLAYER REGISTRATION LINK.
COLLEGE COACHES WERE EMAILED THE PROSPECT REQUEST FORM. IF YOU DID NOT RECEIVE IT, EMAIL [email protected] TO GET THE FORM.
DISCORD
Let’s be real, everybody copies what we’re doing here. I found a dude recently who is obviously straight up stealing from me and another guy. I’m not getting into details, but imitation is the greatest form of flattery so I’m truly blessed and humbled to announce people are robbing from me. At the same time, our army is always staying several steps ahead of the competition. We are the pioneers who lead the pack to a better future for recruiting. That said, Discord is our next move.
Don’t be scared. I know it’s ANOTHER THING TO SIGN UP FOR, but I wouldn’t intentionally steer you off a cliff (unless you wear a suit & work for Perfect Game). Here’s what’s awesome – it’s OUR OWN world, unpolluted by the masses on other social media platforms. My Discord channel is live 24/7 and open to all our fans enjoy fun. There’s live meeting rooms and message boards. It’s a baseball bar where drinking age doesn’t matter. I promise, this is an opportunity to be part of something amazing – and, of course, it’s free. Just get in, start playing around, and be patient while we build the community. Over time, this Discord server is going to become an absolute beast. This is next level stuff.
Here’s your invite to join us.