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High-level scout teams will be playing at the Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif., throughout the fall. But Major League Baseball's first UYA isn't just providing the venue. It's producing a lot of the players those scouts are interested in.Some of the top high school ballplayers in one of the country's richest breeding grounds, Southern California, are on teams hand-picked by Twins and Brewer bcs football standings s evaluators. They play with wood bats, they play once a week against local junior colleges, and they play under the watchful eye of up to 50 Major League and collegiate evaluators.On a Brewers scout team of about 20 players, seven are products of the Compton UYA."In years past, before we'd start, you'd say maybe one or two [UYA] players were at that level, developing-type players," Brewers West C bcs football standings oast cross-checker Corey Rodriguez said. "But they've done a very good job of promoting the game, selling the game, to the players in and around the area. It's not just the city of Compton, it's all the surrounding areas that are benefitting from that, as well."Throughout the year, Twins and Brewers area scouts will attend high-school games and begin the process of "qualifying" players for their t bcs football standings eams, then use that information to round out their rosters with some of the best local talent. Unlike many scout-team leagues, playing on these clubs is free. The Twins and Brewers provide the uniforms and the equipment, and all the players have to do is commit for a 10-week stretch in the offseason.That's hardly a tough decision."I think it's an opportunity to play the game, and secondly, it's ju bcs football standings st the exposure that they're getting," area scout and Brewers scout team manager Josh Belovsky said. "They're playing against junior college teams, and in some cases, guys three or four years older. And they're showing they have the talent to compete against them, and in some ways, at a higher level than them."The Brewers play on Wednesday nights and the Twins play on Sunday afternoons, and player bcs football standings s' grades must be cleared by academic evaluators before they can partake.The high school competition they'll play in the spring? It doesn't even compare."This is a lot tougher because the kids are older and more developed," said Ron Miller, a senior corner infielder from nearby Serra High School. "We're playing against some of the top junior colleges in California."In the five years the Brewers ha bcs football standings ve been holding these scout teams -- the first three years were on the campus of the University of Southern California, and the past two have been at the Compton UYA -- Rodriguez said, "Almost every one of those players has been drafted."A few of those drafted last year were from the Compton UYA, and one of them, Desmond Henry, was taken as early as the fourth round by the Rangers."Without the Aca bcs football standings demy's help," Rodriguez said, "this player would've gone under the radar."But very few go under the radar on these clubs, if for no other reason that so many eyeballs are on them every time they play. Sometimes there are 15-20 scouts, sometimes there are 40-50, but there are always plenty of evaluators on hand."We want our kids to be seen," said Darrell Miller, MLB's vice president of youth and fa bcs football standings cility development. "So why not use the venue to help promote scouting and player development in America?"Miller, who helps oversee MLB's UYAs, played five years with the Angels, then worked for the club as a scout for six years and as director of player development for another three.His son, Darrell Jr., is a well-regarded amateur catcher who has been playing on the Brewers' scout team for the pa bcs football standings st three years. This June, he'll likely get drafted, adding to the list of 100-plus players that have been taken in the Draft since the Academy first opened its doors in 2006.Scouts will tell you that rate will only increase."We know what they've been doing," Rodriguez said, "and I think a lot of people are beginning to see their hard work transferring into building a lot of good talent out there. bcs football standings 'Very noticeable' is the best way I would describe what they're doing." bcs football standings
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