Hello Mr. Sclafani,

Hello Woody,

Last weekend, an old journey ended and a new one began. On Monday, Cal U traveled south to play Mars Hill. It was the Vulcan's season road opener, and the first college game for Will. Driving to Asheville, NC, I thought about all of the great advice we received from the Baseball Factory staff, the priceless experience Will gained at Dodgertown, and the ongoing support that you, Dan Forester, and Dan Mooney provided.  Will might have never realized his dream of playing college baseball without your help.

Catching game two, Will stepped to the plate and doubled off the top of the right-centerfield fence in his first at bat.

It was a very special moment for Janet, me and, of course, Will.  We wanted to share this with you and say thank you for teaching us the Baseball Factory method and for being so supportive and helpful.  If the link below does not work, please go to Jon Kaufman Facebook.  It is posted on my homepage.

Sincerely

Jon Kaufman, Janet Hamrick and Will Kaufman

Will,
I wanted to thank you for all your help the past two years. Baseball Factory has a product that is very helpful to kids that really don't know the ins and outs of the baseball scene. For us, Baseball Factory provided a product to showcase our son's abilities to numerous coaches. It is a wonderful tool for athletes. It is professionally done and wonderfully executed. I would highly recommend your company.

Will, you have been very accomodating. There were many times when I would mentions something to you and I would always get a helpful suggestion. I never felt like I bothered you and I really thought you wanted the best for Garrison. I know you have went out of your way to help him and I appreciate that.

So, in summary, Baseball Factory is awesome.....but so are you!

Respectfully,
Kathy Banas

Good Morning Dave,

Well Andrew made it through his first tournament with your program in Florida and he had a great time and I believe learned a lot. We did as well.

Everyone was great, always taking the time to talk with us about anything. Every coach, any staff member it didn't matter. Everyone always had the attitude that they were there to help.

Joe Lake was great. He took time to chat whenever we had questions even though he was extremely busy every minute. We really appreciated that. We also appreciated his talks with the players, very informative. I especially appreciated the help from his coach Gregg Mucerino. He took the time on several occasions to talk with Andrew but also his dad and myself. Andrew did great, I feel, overall but did have some challenges. Coach Gregg was very understanding and supportive and made it very clear to me he was there for the benefit of the players and wanting them to do their best. I truly appreciated that.

I look forward to hearing from you about Andrew's evaluation. His pitching coach is as well so that we can put together a program for him to work on the things he needs to better prepare for his next event.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.

Carrie Geisler Foster
 

Jason,

Hi Mr. Brown

I just letting you know that Pirate City on a personal level was possibly one of the best experiences that I've ever had. Myself‚ in the actual baseball game play did pretty good. My manger was coach Nolan‚ and I guess he was full of complements. We won the championship in extra innings‚ and I had hit the tying run. Going down to Florida, really showed me how I may need to work a little harder to get ahead of the other kids, but I know I could have played much better than I did. I just wanted to thank you for allowing to go because like I said that this was probably the best time of my life, and it was way too short. I'm very excited for Omaha.
                               
Chris Geppert

Patrick I wanted to thank you and the Baseball Factory organization for the a great experiences I had at the the tryouts you held at the Greenville Drive stadium and then the invite to the session 1 in Florida at the Pirate City training camp. The coach of my team and my position coach and my conditioning coach and hitting instructor gave me alot of great advise and how to carry myself to the next level. I wanted to personally thank you for staying in constant contact with me and helping me with my video and making sure I was well represented through the Baseball Factory experience. I also wanted to let you and the Baseball Factory organization know I have committed to play my college baseball at Erskine University college a Div.2, in Due West, South Carolina. Thank you again and I will always recommend to younger players to get in with the Baseball Factory organization.

I know you and your staff don't hear it enough so...THANK YOU!!!

Kip had an amazing time today at your tryout in Sanford, Florida -- and us as his parents learned a whole lot!! We are already looking forward to next year or sooner if you have another one! Please keep in touch and let Kip know of anymore upcoming events. We will keep in touch too. Have a great day and thanks again! You truly are making a difference in all the kids future! What a spectacular program you have! We are so happy we have found your organization! Thanks again to all the coaches and helpers there today they were truly GREAT!!! Kip had an amazing experience!!! Looking forward to hearing from you soon!!

Kerin Lee Jedlicka-Scott

Everyone at Baseball Factory, 

Steve, Dan and Woody,

I wanted to let you all know that Carter, Nic and I will be flying out to Eastern Arizona this evening to get him enrolled into school!  Both he and Carter have had conversations with the coach (who was an assistant at Georgia before Coach Perno), and they both feel good about the opportunity.  The coach was very encouraging to Nic and told him that unfortunately situations like this happen more often than they should.  He said he got the video clip, and while he could not see Nic as well as he would have liked to, he was impressed by what he did see.

I wanted to thank you all for your support of Nic and us through this process.  I remember Steve saying to the families at dinner down in Florida (it was Nic’s first interaction with Baseball Factory), that once a kid becomes a member of the Baseball Factory family they were always a member of the family.  You all have proven that time and time again with Nic Wilson; THANK YOU!  I hope that you all know how much of a difference you make in the lives of young men each and every day.

Blessings to you all,

Val Wilson

Dear Baseball Factory :

For over twelve years my son Brad has played Little League, Club ball, on Scout teams, attended MANY different types of showcases and even traveled to Puerto Rico to compete.  He has made unimaginable scarifices i.e, dedicating himself to the sport, hitting in cages while its snowing instead of being inside, leaving the house at 6 AM on Saturday morning making a 160 mile round trip to see a personal trainer when he was six, giving up bike riding, fishing trips, camping trips and just being a kid to attend tournaments, training sessions and showcases from coast to coast.
 
Needless to say, we as many parents do, have spent THOUSANDS to see his dream come true.  They say hind sight is twenty - twenty.  Boy is that so true.
 
After overcoming incredible adversity the past two years, I am proud to say, Brad is expected to sign April 13th with a Division II college. He is able to play his senior year with the huge weight of "Where am I going" off his shoulders.
 
The college coach saw his video on the Baseball Factory website.  Not at a tournament, not a high profile showcase, not anywhere but what you included in your program for your athletes.
 
We cannot thank you enough.  If I could tell all the baseball parents one thing it would be, see that your athlete gets good fundemental training at a young age and do NOT waste your money and ever so precious time with any other program!  Again, we cannot thank you enough and we would be honored if you could attend his signing.
 
Sincerely,
 
Jerry Damron

Mr. Naddleman,

To Matt Schilling-

We just wanted to thank you & compliment  you on a fantastic event!  Our son Brian Reilly attended training at Pirate City, we were amazed and extremely pleased with the way things were run and with the amazing experience it gave not only our son, but our entire family!  A big thank you to you and all of the coaching staff.  The knowledge our son gained over the weekend was unbelievable!  Not only did he learn baseball strategies, but he was taught life lessons.  This was above and beyond what we expected.

Once again, sincere thanks and appreciation to you and the entire coaching staff.

Sincerely,
The Reilly Family

Justin,

The Neal’s wanted to thank you and the Team One organization for the invitation and the great experience. We were extremely impressed with the organization, planning, and execution of the showcase, as well as the game. The ability for the players to take easy rhythm grounders in the outfield prior to showcasing in the infield, as well as the BP swings they got in the cage prior to on field hitting, was beneficial and much appreciated.

Thanks again,

Mike Neal
 

Mr. Mooney:

Just a quick note to let you know Shane’s status.  Shane has verbally committed to Lackawanna College.  The coach watched one of his fall tournament games, Shane visited the school and team’s practice (he actually knows one of the players from his high school), talked to the Coach a number of times, and had a formal meeting with him last week.  It seems like a good fit for Shane.
 
As you can imagine it was a very difficult decision.  We appreciate everything you and Baseball Factory did.  As you know, Shane had opportunities because of Baseball Factory.  Besides Chesapeake College, Shane did visit Florence-Darlington who told us they knew of Shane through Baseball Factory.  Also, Shane e-mailed the Baseball Factory evaluation and video to Harper Community College and they expressed a lot of interest in him because of the video.  He was actually scheduled to visit with them before he made up his mind.
 
Thanks again for all your help.
 
Kathy Perdick

Hi Dave,

Hi Patrick,
 
What an amazing last 4 days!  Nick had a good time and worked his butt off.  
 
The Cal Lutheran coaches came out to watch him on Saturday and he delivered.  He gapped a line drive to the right center wall and Coach Smilak commented to me how impressed he was with Nick’s speed on the bases in that AB. Coaches were yelling 3rd to him so he kept running and was tagged out at 3rd by a perfect relay, but it is how he hit that ball is most important. He also had another single and a walk in that game.  Seems like they are very interested in him.  They kept talking about him getting his application in ASAP.
 
Our Baseball Factory coaches played him almost every inning and also gave him some extended time at 2B in Saturday’s 2nd game.  Nick faced the best pitching he has ever seen and held his own for the most part.  He was facing lefties throwing low 90’s and big giant humans slinging the rock.
 
I can not believe how many college and pro scouts were out there Friday and Saturday.  Must have been 300+
 
Thanks again for the opportunity for my boy.  I can’t thank you enough.
 
Ross

Ryan,
 
It was a great experience.  The facilities, coaches and everything was just fantastic.  Jake liked the coaches and the instruction.  For a 12 year old to be playing on those fields and staying in that facilty-he was over the top excited!  We are very interested in anything that is occuring with Baseball Factory next year, regardless of the location.
 
Thanks
 
Todd LaSota

Dear Mr. Nagler

I want to thank you and the Baseball Factory staff for inviting me to the Pre-Season All-America Tournament again.  I had a great time competing and met a bunch of good guys.  I also wanted to inform you that last night I committed to High Point University.  My family and I are very excited.  I personally wanted to thank you and the Baseball Factory staff for everything you have done for me over the years.  Thank you for molding me as a player and person since 8th grade.  I hope you are doing well and hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely

Cameron Scott
 

Guys –

Thanks so much for a first class event last night (2011 Team One Futures Showcase).  We have been to a few showcase type events and I was very impressed with your effort last night and guidance and feedback.  Not sure I have seen that many quality kids in one spot ever.  My son Michael McCann thoroughly enjoyed playing and the chance to compete against and get to know boys of that caliber.  I hope Michael will be considered for future events.

Tim McCann

Hi Dan,

Hi Steve,
 
To answer your question, "Did he enjoy the event and working with our staff?", here is what Stewart posted on Facebook:
"Just finished one of the best weekends of my entire life!!!!!! I had the most fun ever!!!! And finally got some specific position coaching!!!!"
 
Guess that about sums it up!  Kate and I were very impressed with all the coaching and how well the players responded to their instruction.  The pace of the weekend activities was power-packed, no idle time, and days and nights full of baseball.  The games were especially great to watch, and to see the players in game-type situations.  Stewart especially ennjoyed Coach Cutspec's first base specific coaching.  Kate and I were glad you told the players to tell their parents all about the weekend.  We had a super discussion while waiting for our flight back to Seattle, and we keep hearing bits and pieces each day.  
 
Stewart is interested in future Baseball Factory events.
 
Thank you, once again, to you and the coaching staff for making this a meaningful and beneficial weekend for Stewart.
 
Cheers,
 
Tom and Kate Lange

Hey Patrick,

I just wanted to get in touch with you and let you know the news of my college decision myself.  I know my dad already told you but I wanted to tell you that I am very excited that I am going to Willamette University and I wanted to thank you for everything you did to help me through the process.  Baseball Factory was a great help to me and I had a blast at the events I attended.  I will definitely let people I know that are interested in baseball during their college years that Baseball Factory is awesome and well worth everything.  I also am glad that I made a great friendship with you and you will soon be hopefully guiding my younger brother through this same process.  Once again thank you for everything you did for me and I will make sure to keep in touch with you through my college career.  Hope to hear from you soon.

Shea Harrison
 

Mr. Packer,
 
The Pirate City World Series was an incredible experience. I wish every young baseball player could experience what I did. After the first day I do have to say I was terribly sore from playing all day and the strength and agility was intense. By the end of the camp, the strength and agility came easy to me as did playing all day in the heat.
 
I did take my notebook with me as you suggested and have full pages of stuff to remember about all types of things from hitting, catching, general baseball knowledge and recruiting. It truely was a great event and I learned alot from all of the coaches although some of the things I did already know from previous coaching.
 
I feel that I did alright as an individual. Catching wise, I threw out 50% of runners attempting to steal and I hit .500 in all the games combined. I was pleased with my performance but we will see how well I actually did when my evaluations come out.
 
Thank you for the suggestion to attend The Pirate City World Series it was like I said a great experience and I learned alot.
 
Talk to you soon,
 
Corey Phillips

Hi Patrick -  I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your assistance and guidance through the whole recruiting process. The entire experience with Baseball Factory was fantastic, and the trips to Arizona were definitely a highlight for both Christian and our family alike.  The Under Armour Pre-Season All-America tournament was undoubtedly one of the best experiences Christian has had to date. He stays in touch with many of the players he met, and they all seem to follow each other’s progress.
 
Christian is a senior now at Lake Stevens HS.  We were contacted by several schools thanks to the Baseball Factory program and video package we sent out, and after weighing several options, Christian has decided to stay local. He is going to start out playing for Everett C.C. and was offered a nice scholarship package to play for them. He will hopefully transfer to a D1 school following his stint at Everett CC.
 
The college recruiting seminars were very helpful, and the experience with Baseball Factory was very memorable and purposeful. Thanks to you personally for answering questions, and updating his profile when it was necessary.  We appreciate all your work, and everyone’s contributions at Baseball Factory.  (Incidentally, I noticed another signee for Everett CC also went through Baseball Factory, but I can’t recall his name right away). Thanks again, and all the best !
 
Sincerely,
Storm Shouman
 

Dear Rob and Steve,

Matt,

I would just like to thank you for providing such a great experience for my son (and me).  I think you and your crew did an awesome job.  From the minute we walked into the store for registration we were very impressed.   Your clinic was very organized, educational and most of all fun.  Not only did you teach baseball but found time to throw in "life lessons", which we all know kids these days need.  When I look back through my life, I realize that the coaches I had contact with as a kid and teenager made some of the biggest impact on who I am today.  I think you and your staff had that same impact on about 60-70 kids this weekend!  Keep up the great work!

See you next year!

Chris (and Riley) O'Neil
 

Chris, 

Hey Patrick,

It's Robert West just wanted to check in and see how you are doing. I am currently working my way to my dream, I am playing college ball at Scottsdale CC. I honestly have to say I couldn't have done it without the Baseball Factory. The player page, scouting report and video helped Coach Clapp get a look at me. He saw it and called me the next day. Thank you for helping me find a home for the next two years.

Sincerely,
Robert West

To All At Baseball Factory,

My son Tyler Lopes was a participant at Pirate City last weekend and I felt compelled to send out an email.  This was our first experience with Baseball Factory.  My biggest regret is that I never heard of it years before.  I have a younger son who is currently 11 and I am certain he will get saturated in Baseball Factory before he reaches his senior year in high school.
 

Tyler's experience with Pirate City is one that he will never forget.  Andy Ferguson ran a professional camp that met all of the objects he said they would.  Dan Forester's knowledge and interaction with the players was invaluable.  Steve Sclafani, you should be very proud of the organization you have.  I'm convinced it's the best baseball/college development tool that I'm aware of in the country.

Thanks Again,

Tim Lopes

Hi Dan,

Mr. Packer,

Hey Mr. Brown,

Camp was exhilerating! I'm wishing I could still be there right now. I thought everything was well organized and flowed great, and except for some rain we had no down time which I thought helped me understand how much I need to work on my stamina. I performed decently, I didn't play as well as I would have liked defensively, but I now know the things I need to work on. My hitting was pretty good, I thought. I went 5 for 8 with 2 doubles and 3-4 runs. I'm not sure if I had any RBIs because I usually started the inning. I thought having Coach Murray was pretty great. He was really funny and kept the team loose the whole time. Overall, this had to be the best baseball camp I had ever attended. All the coaches were great and kept things moving, while providing a loose atmosphere. It was just plain awesome!

Thanks

Jacob Sutton

Dear Mr.Bowers,

I'll start off by saying that Pirate City was one of the best experiences I have had in my baseball career and I will never forget it. The organization and effectiveness of the camp helped me in becoming a better player during the off season. The coaching staff was fantastic. They all helped me in different ways from hitting to fielding to strength training. The skills that I have learned here will stay with me through my high school season. I enjoyed being in Florida with elite baseball players from across the country and making new friends. I was very pleased with my experience with Baseball Factory and look forward to continue on with Baseball Factory.

Sincerely,

Gianni Magliaro
 

Chris,

As a parent I cannot thank you enough for the wonderful opportunity you all provided to Niko. The coaching staff was amazing. They provided nothing but positive, constructive instruction to the boys. I have been to numerous showcase events, tryouts, college workouts and baseball games but this event was by far my favorite. The facilities (hotel, batting cages and baseball fields) were outstanding. I really appreciated the great communication Ryan Liddle had with the boys. There was little down time, and more than enough to keep the boys busy.

I especially enjoyed coach Sofield, he is very charismatic and he gave the most heart felt, well meaning talk to the boys about the significance of the attitude on and off the field. He taught them about winning teams who unconditionally support each other. He told them how disruptive it is to a team when you wish a teammate ill will, when you get jealous because you are on the bench and someone is starting over you. He really drove home the message that you are more attractive to coach when you are positive, when you encourage your team, and lift up those teammates who are suffering. He asked that the boys always remember to thank those the help them along the way.

I learned a priceless lesson about the process and the approach are what really matters, not necessarily the results. A hard hit ball is a victory even if you make an out. I never looked at it like that. I also wanted to share that Niko's hitting coach was there for the workout day and the first game. He played in the bigs, and was very impressed with the event. He was really impressed by the coaches, the instruction and the positive manner in which they dealt with the boys. He even said that he would encourage his kids to do this event. It was one of the best he had seen.

Thanks so much. I had the best time, and both Niko and I learned so much. I would love for the coaches to know what an impact they made on us, and Niko' s approach to the game, amazing.


Stacy Cribb

I’m sure Stephen Jr. will contact you, but I can assure you that the Baseball Factory is one of the highlights of Stephen’s life. He loves it. Loves the coaches. Loves the kids. Loves the venues, etc.

He was even talking about trying to work at a camp when he gets older. It really makes a difference in his life, way beyond baseball. And he was hurt most of this camp. Didn’t deter his enthusiasm at all.

Stephen Dickey
 

Hi Chris,