ABL Recruiting Strategies

I was chatting with the General Manager from one of the ABL teams the other day about the ABL Supplementary Draft that seemed to sneak up on the public. I'll keep his identity anonymous, but I will say that he was from one of the four teams that didn't select anyone in the draft.

He commented that he gets about 5 to 10 emails per day from players from around the world wanting to inquire about trying to join the team. I was surprised to hear that it was that high.

In regards to the Supplementary Draft he gave some interesting commentary. No, the team's roster wasn't necessary settled at that point, however the supplementary draft relied on teams sitting down and choosing players based purely on their statistical performances in the past.  He said that his team were more interested in utlising their contacts as scouts, and getting feedback on what players were like personally, their work ethic and other factors that might help them fit into the team. They felt that for them, this made the recruiting less number based, and more team focussed, and that they were more likely to draw their players from these personal recommendations than through other methods.

There are lots of recruiting strategies - whether it be moneyball, personal based referrals, or the luck of the lottery, there are many ways to acquire players. Whats' right for one team may not be right for others, but it was definitely interesting to get a quick peek into the thought process that was going on in this particular team. The Australian Baseball League seems to be becoming a popular winterball destination for players.

Even the Grandfather of Steroids, Jose Canseco sounded like he wanted to come and play Down Under.

Jose Canseco 1986 Donruss 39