FORT MYERS, Fla. – Terry Park in Fort Myers will be a busy place this weekend (Jan. 9-10) with the 2010 World Showcase, World Open Showcase and National Underclass Showcase-Session 3 all proceeding at the same time with 270 players from 30 states, Puerto Rico and Canada.
The World Showcase, which began in 1997, was the first national-level showcase ever held by Perfect Game USA and is considered the No.1 off-season scouting event of its kind. The World Showcase has produced 27 first-round draft picks over the years and has seen 56 of its alumni reached the major leagues.
Zack Greinke, who won the American League Cy Young Award this past season with the Kansas City Royals, played in the World Showcase when he was in high school. Jameson Taillon, rated one of the top prospects for this year’s draft, was here last year and threw a 95 mph fastball, matching the all-time best at this event. Dan Phillips posted a 1.72 clocking in the catcher pop times, also matching the Showcase record.
Some of the top alumni from the National Underclass Showcase include Andrew McCutchen and Jarrod Saltamacchia, a pair of first-round selections. The Underclass Showcase is for younger high school players who are on their way up the ladder.
The big weekend begins Friday night with a College Recruiting Seminar at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, with sessions at 7:15 p.m. or 8:30 p.m.
All 270 players will report to Terry Park by 8 a.m. on Saturday. Members of the Perfect Game staff will talk to all the players at 9 a.m. about the showcases, and then the individual workouts will begin. All of the players will be filmed by BaseballWebTV.com for web postings and individual videos.
Games are scheduled in all three showcases for 3 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, with more games on Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. on four fields at Terry Park.