User:Pjddog/sandbox

Cosmos League

The Cosmos League is a developmental baseball league that provides advanced baseball instruction and marketing training for players aspiring to become professional baseball players. The company was formed in March 2014 and is located in Menifee, California. The Cosmos League features six showcase baseball teams. In keeping with the outer space theme of the league, the teams are named after astronomical objects. These teams are the Comets, the Rockets, the Martians, the Big Dippers, La Luna and the Saturn V (roman numeral five).

The Cosmos League features a three-week professional development baseball league where ball players participate in seven games and seven practice days. These three-week sessions are conducted at different times throughout the year.

During the three-week period, professional media products are developed for each player. These products include headshot photos, game action photos, live at-bat videos, on-camera sit-down interview, real-time slow motion swing analysis video and a professionally written long and short biography. Additionally, a feature story in the form of a press release and photos are distributed to media outlets of each player's hometown. Southern California media are also invited to cover the league's various training events. At the end of the three-week session, players are given a CD that contains all the media products generated for that player. Each player is also given a copy of their spray chart showing their hitting tendencies and their baseball skills assessment form. Each player also receives a certificate of completion from the Cosmos League stating they have completed 20 days of professional baseball development and marketing training.

Baseball development is conducted by professional coaches with a wide variety of experience. Some coaches have years of experience in the collegiate leagues while others worked with independent minor league baseball. Some coaches are former Major League Baseball players. The Cosmos League prefers to staff its coaching crew with a majority of former MLB players when possible.

Practice days and game days alternate on the Cosmos League schedule. Upon arrival to the three-week league, players assemble in a conference room for an administration day where they are introduced to the staff, given an overview of the schedule and then asked to fill out an extensive biographical data packet. Players are assigned to their teams, issued their hat and jersey and professional headshot photos are taken of each player.

Training day one consists of a baseball skills assessment just like at a team try-out. This is done to gage each player's level of skill in order to tailor the practice days to help them better develop. After the skills assessment portion, swing analysis video is shot of every player during batting practice.

Subsequent training days are conducted with infielders at a morning practice and outfielders at an afternoon practice. Practice sessions last three hours.

Game days regularly feature three games. One in the morning, one in the afternoon and one at night. If there are only enough participants to field four teams, then games are played in the afternoon and at night.

Players who are not involved in practices or games are busy working with a coach during video swing analysis review or are conducting their on-camera interview.

During the last week of the league, Major League Baseball affiliated scouts and independent professional baseball scouts are invited to attend games and practices. Upon their arrival, scouts are presented with a binder that contains all the information for each player tabbed out per their team number. The information in the binder includes a short bio, stats for the last three years, a photo, contact information, baseball skills assessment form and a blank notes page.

Marketing training is conducted on the next to last day of the league as a conference day. This training consists of social media practices, SEO techniques, and other uses of marketing tools. In the afternoon of the conference day, a special guest with some connection to Major League Baseball (past or present) is brought in for an hour-long question and answer session with the players. The event is broadcast live on the internet via the Ustream website.

On the final day of the league, the two teams with the most wins have a playoff game.