Podcast: Governor’s Academy coach James Cramphin on the ISL

Governor's Academy coach James Cramphin joined hosts Dan Guttenplan and Matt Feld. (Govs Athletics)

Governor’s Academy coach James Crampin joined The Base Path Podcast to discuss the recent news that the ISL will not be hosting a postseason tournament, along with his thoughts on the upcoming season and the baseball landscape in New England.

Cramphin has been outspoken about his desire to bring a postseason tournament to the 16-team ISL, and he explained that position on the pod.

“I’m sure if you polled the league, you would get an almost unanimous decision there,” Cramphin said. “The kids want to be in a playoff format. I don’t think anybody would argue (that we should decide the champion based on) the best record at the end of the year. And that can lead to co champions and tri-champions. It’s a little anticlimactic to have that (conclusion).

“It’s just less exciting and less of a chance to showcase the kids’ talents as well. So, you’d always rather be on the same field as the team that you’re trying to beat for top dog. So, there’s a little disappointment there.”

Despite the lack of an ISL Tournament, Cramphin still believes the high school and prep seasons are paramount for players looking to continue their careers at the next level.

“The rise of the summer programs and offseason programs has changed the perception of high school baseball,” Cramphin said. “I think there’s a perception that the high school season doesn’t matter. I would argue strongly that it does for different reasons. In the ISL, you’ve got unbelievable competition. Top to bottom, you’ve got great teams and lineups. You’ve got future college baseball players almost across the board, and you’ve got a half dozen or more 90-mph arms. It’s incredibly high-level baseball. When you share stats with a college coach, it’s not just the Blast-censored data. It’s not your exit velocity or Rapsodo numbers. All that stuff matters, but it’s how you compete, what kind of teammate you are on a day-to-day basis. That matters to college coaches. They want to hear that.”

For more with Governor’s Academy coach James Cramphin, listen to the entire podcast.

The New England Baseball Journal podcast is brought to you by the University of Nebraska High School.

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