About APBPA YOUTH LEAGUE
The APBPA Youth Travel baseball League unites former professional ballplayers with TOMORROW’S pro ballplayers. No one is more qualified to teach, train and coach your young athlete than those who have already been AT the top of the sport.
the apbpa Story
The Association of Professional Ball Players of America was formed when twelve former MLB baseball players, including Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig gathered in Los Angeles, California in 1924 with first baseball Commissioner Hon. Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis and determined there was a need to assist the less fortunate members of the baseball profession. In the past almost one hundred years, the association has been graced with over 100,000 members and has provided temporary financial assistance to thousands of current and former professional players, coaches, umpires, scouts, and trainers. Major League Baseball, the National Association of the Minor Leagues, MLB Alumni, MLBPAA, AAGPL, and SABR have all endorsed the Association and recognize the important role we play in helping those ballplayers in need.
With the creation of the APBPA Youth Baseball League, The APBPA and its current members have pledged to use their considerable knowledge and resources to help secure the future of America’s favorite pastime as well as the futures of tomorrow’s pro ball players.
Building a 5-Tool Star
At the APBPA, we encourage every parent to hold off sending their athlete to a showcase until he/she is ready. Having an athlete attend a showcase unprepared could be incredibly damaging to that young athlete’s career. Just as scouts remember the athletes who turn in above average or exceptional performances, they will also remember those athletes who turn in average or below-average performances. The APBPA’s 5-Tool Camps will provide athletes with objective performance ratings. Our subsequent skills camps will be specifically designed to improve average or below average skills. Once we know your athlete is ready to be seen by our network of college and pro scouts, he/she will be invited to attend one of our APBPA showcases.
Scouts have long graded position players on five tools that are central to success in the game: Hitting, hitting for power, running, fielding and throwing. The so-called “five-tool player” is a special breed, as those who truly rate as above average in each category are extremely rare.
—MLB.com
