FORT MYERS, Fla. – In just its third year of bringing together kids from all over the country, the PG Series has continued to get better and better and it has taken notice amongst all parties involved.
Perfect Game was an up-and-coming venture in the role of amateur baseball development when Joel Pineiro was a teenager in Puerto Rico. The 12-year veteran pitcher who finished his big league career with a 104-93 record and won 16 games in 2003 with the Mariners is now a proud parent, watching his oldest son Joel Jr. take part in the 14u Series Classic.
Pineiro shared his thoughts on why the PG Series is one of the most well-rounded events in the Perfect Game family.
“It has been a great experience so far for my son and all of the kids and it’s the best tournament I’ve been to because of how everything is prepared and the different aspects the event has,” Pineiro said. “With my son just turning 14, it’s about when the competition gets to that high school level and the talent here from all over is special. It’s like having All-Star teams from all across the different areas of the country and the kids love it because they get to see all the talent from everywhere and get to meet each other.”
Pineiro noted that the event gets the players playing different positions and get coached up by experienced baseball lifers that get them started about possibly furthering their playing futures.
“I’ve been very impressed by the whole process and I wish I had known about this event sooner for my son,” Pineiro added. “I certainly wish we had this back when I was playing, and we won’t miss anymore Perfect Game events down here.”
Participants in the PG Series have been very supportive of the improvements that they have seen throughout its run. Joshua James (Yardville, N.J.) has taken part in all three years of the event, and at first was surprised about the competition level he saw from across the country.
“I wasn’t expecting how hard all the pitchers throw and how hard everyone hits the ball and each year everyone gets better and better,” James said of his experiences at the PG Series Classic. “I really like that aspect and I love the competition.”
James also enjoyed how much better organized the skill testing was compared to its last few years.
“At first, everyone was all over the place. This year, we were grouped up in our teams with set schedules and it just was ran so much better.”
Grayson Irwin (Wilmington, N.C) has been on the same Carolinas team the past two Series events, and has played with a handful of the same players and had the same coach from last year to this year.
“Our team has two coaches instead of just one last year, and it is cool having PG coaches because it’s just different with the higher level of coaching they have had which has made the experience better,” Irwin said. “My travel coaches are amazing, but it is cool to hear different things and Coach (Mark) Marino really brings a lot of energy to the table and how he goes about things is outstanding. He really cares about the game and he has a lot of knowledge. He anticipates plays before they happen and let’s us know how to deal with them which is huge.”
Irwin was particularly impressed with the technology used to test each player’s physical attributes, with new features being introduced this year. He also got a lot out of the recruiting seminar that is a new aspect to the Series this year, and learned a lot about what he can expect going forward.
“The whole skills competition has evolved so much from last year to this year and the science behind it is incredible. From the organization of everything to the tests, it’s so much better,” Irwin said. “I really enjoyed it a lot and got a lot of information out of (the recruiting seminar). I found out what to expect about the recruiting process and how to go about my business in order to get to the next level.”
Marino, who has coached in all three years of the Series, has been a 10-year assistant at Joliet Junior College and has been a part of two National Championships coaching staffs at Joliet in 2008 and 2012. He has seen first-hand the changes the Series has taken on, and has enjoyed seeing kids he has had previously improve from year to year.
“I like seeing progression and I like seeing how the kids have gotten better,” Marino said. “It’s nice to have some of the same kids to know your roster, and I get a kick out of seeing how much they have improved. They play for their teams with different styles and they seem to adapt well to me when they come down here.”
Marino’s approach to coaching different age groups within the Series doesn’t waver much, as he wants to stress teaching his players regardless of their abilities.
“You do have to tone down the on-field teaching for the younger kids, but at the end of the day, it’s about teaching the kids something,” Marino added. “When you teach things the right way, that’s when I get the most of this. Seeing them succeed is all that matters to me, and if I feel like I’ve done that, I’m happy.”
The progression of the Series has made Marino proud that kids from the other featured PG events such as the BCS and Super25 are now asking about what the Series is all about.
“From year one to year three, it’s cool to see more kids getting into the Series. Games are competitive, there’s juice in the ballpark and the kids are having fun,” Marino said of the Perfect Game family of events. “What Bill Perry, Ryan Normoyle and Ben Ford are trying to do to move the Series forward, getting more teams internationally and bringing in teams with different styles of play is great and it will make the event better.”