re: ULL Coach Robichaux discusses "Daddy Ball"

My kid played high level rec, travel and HS ball. I'd say that on every level - depending on the situation - a "motivated" daddy can see to it that Little Johnny is the SS, leadoff hitter and never comes out. The key word is situation - it's certainly not equal everywhere. Where star Status is only failing to get a hit 6 of 10 times, there's a lot of wiggle room.

Of course it happens, and it happens in soccer, even subjective thing like theatre and singing. Parents use their influence ("donations", bankrolling teams, etc) The big difference is that now a Daddy Ball dad can directly influence everything himself in travel ball, bypassing rec and school coaches. He can be the coach whose kid always gets the green light, whereas a better player may be called on to bunt or H&R for the "sake of the team". Any players challenging Little Johnny as team stud can be buried or sent on their way.

These Daddies enter every travel tournament, so the organizers love them. Then they get the prime time slots, and optimal opponents.

We can argue this forever, but you'd think with all of the academies, private training, travel teams, "Elite" tournaments, that the US players would be retaking the MLB from the foreign players - NOT. Worse now than ever. US baseball players do not have a true mechanism that fosters competition. And it's showing.