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Scout Day Spotlight: Gem City Throwbacks

DAYTON - The name Throwbacks says it all.

“We have an old-school philosophy, that’s where the Throwbacks name came from,” explained Bob Seymour, co-founder of the organization back in 2006. “We want to put a product on the field that is disciplined, plays hard and competes very well.”

The Gem City Throwbacks started out with one team more than a decade ago but now has some of the best numbers around with 14 teams scheduled to play in 2019.

“When we started out we wanted to have a team where we could do our thing coaching and developing kids,” Seymour reflected. “Our main philosophy was we wanted to keep the cost down as much as possible, yet be very competitive. We didn’t want to be a win-at-all-costs organization. If you develop kids, do things the right way and compete at the right level, winning will take care of itself.”

The 14 teams this year are the most ever for the program.

“Over the last five or six years we’ve had 11 to 14 teams regularly,” pointed out Seymour, who helped coach 10U and 11U teams the last couple years but is now the director of the organization. “We have them from 7U up to 18U. While the costs have risen, I feel we are still below average when it comes to cost per family.”

Matt Mahaffey heads up the 18U team for the Throwbacks, which last year’s 13 teams ended up with more than 50 place-finishes of first or second.

“He’s been with us for six years,” Seymour said of Mahaffey. “He started as a parent coach but is a non-parent coach now. He’s done a great job of getting our kids ready to play in college.”

A year ago there were two college commitments for the Throwbacks, but that has expanded to five in the 2019 class.

“Our goal is to prepare kids, not just that want to play in college but for the younger kids to play at a high level in high school ball,” Seymour said. “We’ve had 25-plus that have gone on to play in college. We feel we’re headed in the right direction.”

Numerous others have played key roles along the way.

“Braden Bushman is a board member and head coach of 10U,” Seymour noted. “Braden runs our two Throwbacks tournaments every year with 50-plus teams throughout the midwest attending. Braden’s teams are some of the most competitive we have and he’s a key member of shaping the future of the organization.”

Like Bushman, Johnny King - another board member and head coach of the 8U and 14U teams - has been with the Throwbacks for four years.

“Johnny started our Future Throwbacks Program for kids 6U-8U a few years ago,” Seymour said. “He also has some of our most competitive teams and has been very helpful in shaping the future of the Throwbacks.”

Keith Isaacs, a head coach for 7U and 12U and an assistant for 18U, has been part of the organization for eight years.

“Keith puts in a lot of time and effort with all the players, especially the older players, to prepare them for college,” Seymour explained.

Mike Morrow was an important coach in the earlier days of the Throwbacks.

“He brought a lot of his kids over from the Richmond (Ind.) Diamond Dogs in 2011,” Seymour said. “He liked what he saw in the organization and stayed with us for three years. His son Matt played up for us and went on to Wright State and was then drafted by the Pirates.”

The organization - which offers a $500 Old-School Scholarship Award every year to a player from the 17/18U teams that “displays our Old-School Values and has a desire to play in college” - will be participating in the PBR Scout Day event for the fourth time.

“It’s been very well received,” Seymour said of the PBR event, which this year is slated for Jan. 21. “I’ve attended to watch our kids go through the process and our coaches always ask to do it again. We like to partner up with PBR and our kids like it. We have Chris Valentine (PBR Ohio Executive Director) come speak at our recruiting events.

“In the fall we talk to our parents on how to go through the process with PBR. It’s the only outside organization we partner with. We tell our kids going to PBR events is a must.”

Come summer, the Throwbacks play mainly in the midwest.

“We play in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky,” Seymour said. “In order to keep our costs down we play in big events around Ohio and a lot of teams from outside Ohio come to our area to play. It’s an area rich in baseball tradition.”