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Before John Marzano played for the U.S. baseball team in the 1984 Olympics or made it to the Major Leagues, he had to be discovered.
But Philadelphia isn’t exactly known for baseball talent like California, Texas or Florida, where college and pro scouts regularly visit. The former catcher and current Major League Baseball Radio talk-show host lucked out when college scouts came to see one of his Central High teammates his sophomore year.
"They didn’t have scout leagues, showcases and stuff like that," Marzano recalled of his high school days.
That was the case until this spring, when the retired player and good friend Steve Koplove created the Marzano Scout League as an avenue for colleges and the Major League to check out the Delaware Valley’s top high school talent, specifically 2008 graduates and younger.
"For kids to get adequate exposure, they have to go to showcases," Koplove said. "It’s so costly and such a shame to have to do all that traveling because there is no where up here to be seen."
So, similar to the summer Cape Cod league, where the best college baseball players display their skills for professional teams, the Marzano Scout League was created for area high-schoolers.
"Let’s build it, and perhaps they will come," Koplove, whose son Michael is in the Cleveland Indians farm system, recalled thinking.
Seven teams from Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery and Delaware counties, as well as South Jersey, are participating in the inaugural season, which runs through July 18. Each squad, including the locally based Philadelphia Senators National, are playing a 12- to 15-game schedule. All contests are at South Philadelphia-based Sunocco Field, 3501 Moore St. There will be no playoffs, which means the one with the best record once the schedule is completed will be crowned champ.
There are 140 kids participating this spring and summer, with the possibility of adding more teams in ’08. One possible scenario is getting access to Ashburn Field in FDR Park, giving the league another facility for games. It would provide coaches and scouts the opportunity to see twice as many athletes in one visit, with the two located within a five-minute drive from each other.
Marzano is noticing a big difference from his high school days.
"I knew how hard it was for me and know how hard it is for kids in Philadelphia," he said of the recruiting process. "Scouts have come out said, ‘Hey, there is a lot of good talent in the area.’"
Before the season opened Memorial Day weekend, a media guide introducing the league was mailed to college coaches from Upstate New York down to Virginia, as well as Major League general managers, assistant general mangers and scouting directors. Koplove estimated a 1,000 books were sent out. It also includes a letter from Marzano.
"This league is designed to make your job easier, and give you a head start in identifying the best baseball talent in the Delaware Valley," Marzano wrote in the media guide. "The more you support the league by personally attending games or sending your associate scouts or recruiting assistants, the more likely the area’s best players will gravitate to play in the league for seasons to come."
Affiliating the league with Marzano quickly brings respectability. He was an All-City player at Central and went on to become an All-Star at Temple University. He also is a first-round Major League draft pick, Olympic gold medalist and played with the Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners. He currently serves as a Phillies postgame analyst on Comcast SportsNet and has a daily MLB-sponsored show on the radio and Internet television. This type of experience equates to knowing a lot of people involved with college and pro baseball.
Koplove, who also coaches the Senators, said he has gotten positive feedback.
"From what people tell me, there has been great reaction to the league and a lot of buzz about it," he said.
Unlike the pro circuit, rosters were set last month and teams can’t add or drop players.
"It’s difficult for me because a lot of people have called me asking if you can get my kid in the league," Marzano said. "It’s a difficult thing to say no, but rules are the rules."
The South Philly native isn’t just sponsoring the league, he attends games on a regular basis and offers advice to the parents and kids about what it takes to fulfill those baseball dreams.
"I tell the kids to just relax, play hard and play the best they possibly can and the scouts will come see you," Marzano said.
Many of the teams will still be playing an extensive summer schedule and will have even more opportunities to get noticed. The Senators, for instance, have several stops in Florida planned, including one for the USA Baseball Junior Olympics. The tournament slate also includes trips to Georgia and Long Island, N.Y.
Over the next couple years, if everything stays on track, the Delaware Valley will become a hot spot for college- and Major League-caliber talent.
"We want to give kids the same opportunity that kids in California and Florida get," Koplove said.
Marzano is happy to be providing the assist.
"I was anxious at first because I didn’t know what to expect," he said of the league. "I am ecstatic with the turnout and the people. Just the feeling I get for giving back is a better feeling than anything else."
For more information, visit www.marzanoscoutleague.com.
