Carpenter Cup gets back to its roots

The Carpenter Cup has been among the most prestigious and well-run high school events in the Delaware Valley, but last season the 16-team single-elimination baseball tournament strayed from its roots.

As a way of possibly attracting more college coaches to this tournament that consists of 15 games and has the semifinals and finals played at Citizens Bank Park, last year the organizers voted to keep some of the top players on the sidelines.

If a player had signed with a Division I school by March 1, he was ineligible to compete.

The reasoning was that college coaches wanted to come to see players they could sign, not those already ticketed for an institution of higher learning.

While creating exposure for the participants has always been a high priority, the Carpenter Cup is more than merely a vehicle for college coaches and Major League Baseball scouts to evaluate talent.

It is truly a celebration of the great baseball that is played in the Tri-State area, and it rewards high school players for a successful season.

So after that one-year experiment, the Carpenter Cup Committee recently voted to return to the old tournament rules and permit all players to participate.

"It's always been the philosophy to showcase the best baseball players in the Delaware Valley," said former Frankford coach Dick Connolly who teanmed with ex-North Catholic coach Larry Conti in founding the tournament.

Carpenter Cup officials said that about 165 college coaches and scouts attended last year's tournament, which was staged in June and won by Burlington County. That was an increase from about 145 in 2008.

So even though reverting back to the old rules may mean fewer coaches, those who do scout players will be able to see them perform against the best in the area.

Wouldn't a college coach who is looking for a hitter want to see what he can do against some top-flight Division I pitchers?

That's not to say the competition wasn't good last year, but the teams obviously weren't nearly as deep as in the past.

To understand the Carpenter Cup, one must realize how special it is for those involved to participate. There are very few sports where a player in preseason states as a goal to play in a certain postseason event.

Yet, many baseball players do have the Carpenter Cup on their to-do goal list. It means that much to them.

As stated repeatedly in the past, one can't emphasize the job the Phillies do in supporting this tournament.

It's a unique relationship and it's not just a go-through-the-motions all-star event for the participants.

That's because teams have to win two games just to get the right to play at Citizens Bank Park.

And playing at the Phillies' sparkling stadium provides memories for a lifetime for high school athletes.

"To reduce the level of competition in the Carpenter Cup doesn't help the area," said Conti, who was also a former college baseball coach at La Salle.

Conti also hinted that it's possible that Skills Day may be brought back. That is when underclassmen perform a variety of skills in front of the scouts. That would be another opportunity for exposure.

It must be noted that while there are scores of showcases around the country that charge players to be seen, the Carpenter Cup has never done that.

The organizers' goal is to provide the youngsters with the best possible baseball experience.

Give the committee credit on a number of fronts. This group of dedicated volunteers is always seeking ways to improve the tournament, which enters its 25th season this year. And when they saw what a negative impact last year's decision had by leaving out many of the best players, they hit a home run by righting a wrong.