1moreDBmom

Leaving runners on is not half as scarry as errors....multiply errors at that! If the runners are out there, then the threat to score is real and the pressure is on...keep them runners out there...and every once in while slip one across the plate!!! no runners....means 3 up and 3 down every time! So runners are a good thing...score a few of um and you will see what I mean.

Science Hill made a 5 run come back in the top of the 7th but came up a run short. Both teams had 5 run innings in the game.

Keep up the good work Cherookee!

Congratulations South Doyle!

Way to go Stangs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow

Thank you for the updates citicotim. I am listening to the Sci Hill/Bartlett game. Who is pitching for South Doyle and Smyrna today?

end of 5th Bartlett 6/Science Hill 0

Bartlett 6 - Science Hill 0 in the Bottom of the fifth

Panthers 5-0 in the bottom of 5th a man on 1st for panthers and still no outs.

UT and Vandy both made scholarship offers to the Lefty from Mt. Juliet. He made the decision to go to KY. News reports said his choice was because he felt he could be on the field earlier in KY but at Vandy or UT he might sit on the bench until his senior year. I could not agree with the kid more. You get better by playing not by picking up splinters and watching others play. UT recommends to all their baseball camp kids to work on their grades and then to go the JuCo or small college route in order to spend 2 years playing. If they still show promise after a couple years at that level, a bigger college can pick them up after JuCo and they kid will not lose 2 years warming a bench. It's a tough decision these kids have to make but the ones who really love the game, and are good at it, and are smart will find a good fit at a college where they can play 4 more years.... even if it's not UT or Vandy.

I know that there is that fine line in going into high level games with a "jittery" high feeling (extreme emotions) or a complete lack of any emotion at all. As most of you know my son (thus the mom portion of my nic) played for DB this year... he has always been one that does not show extreme emotions. Neither excitement or dissappointment. Cracked his head open when he was 5 and soaking a full roll of papertowels I held against his forehead on the way to the ER along with his clothes and my clothes.....we went through x-rays and stitches without a single tear. The doctor and him discussed McDonalds hamburgers and whether or not the pickles were needed while he put the stitches in. They were calling ER nurses to come over and see this brave little boy who never shed a tear..... He also did not jump up and down on Christmas mornings....I usually woke him at about 10am on Christmas because I was tired of waiting. Very level emotions from a small child to this day. The rest of the team I do not know about but what I witnessed at the games told me they were all very good at holding emotions in check. I personally felt a little worried starting about 3 weeks ago with how "laid back" my son and the rest of the team were heading into this post season. I was thinking at first this is a good thing...emotions can get in the way if they run too high. Some on this board have called the DB team "cocky". I think their "laid back attitudes" on the field has been misinterpreted. They just do not show great emotion in winning...nor in losing....so people think because they do not chant and cheer from the dugouts that they are cocky... Those of us who listen to teams on the dugout fence chanting like a group of 9 year old softball girls "hit-um high, hit um low"..yada yada yada....think of those teams as "bush league". But I digress...so back to my train of thought.... I wonder if perhaps this low emotional level comes in part because of the distance between fans and players at our home field. Those of you who have been to J. Fred Johnson Stadium understand what I am talking about. There is no "propping of the feet against the fence" at this field. You can't hear what the coaches are saying from the dugout or from the coaching boxes on 1st and 3rd. You can't even tell when the boys spit on this field. Major league fields have fans closer to the game then you get at J. Fred Johnson. Maybe this distance is what taught them how to stay so detached from the game (appearing cocky to onlookers). Maybe being so detached is what happens in high level games and they just need a little more emotion. Please don't think I am making excuses for them... South Doyle won that game just like Science Hill won against them in District and in Regionals. So I am not trying to make an excuse at this point...that is why I waited so long to even mention this. At this point most understand that the pre-season ranking was not an unearned ranking. The ability was there. When a team has a BA of .350 (with the lowest man and only 2 on the entire team having below a .295) and 4 members holding a.400 or better and 5 with slugging averages of .550 or greater....(Derek Trent had a slugging average of 1.118 going into the South Doyle game and everyone now knows about all the hitting records he destroyed this year.) Bell was one of the best pitcher we faced all year...but there were others just as good along the way. They however could not shut down DB's hitting.... what was the difference? Playoffs???? I saw an even lower level of emotions going into the playoffs then I saw during the regular season games. Maybe I am wrong in thinking that some level of emotions are needed to win games at this higher level of competition. I have been at every single DB game this season as well as all of last summers'06 team summerball games... I have seen no serious display of emotion ever... these boys just hit the field, do their jobs and hit the showers afterwards...only to hit the field the next day... it was more like a job for them then I have seen in any other team.... and I have followed a lot of baseball over the years. Maybe I am so far off 1st base I am "easy pickin's"...but maybe, just maybe, I am onto something here...feel free to tell me what you think...but do so without trashing individuals, the team, or past records... I did not bring this idea up just to trash talk with... I am just wondering if there might be something behind this lack of extreme emotions that effects DB during playoffs.

I think by claiming DB choked you are in essence trying to say SD is not a good team....hogwash. South Doyle is a fantastic ballclub. South Doyle played a lights out game last night. They not only got the win they deserved the win as well! The best team won that game hands down. The fans, players and coaches on both sides are to be commended. When the game was over the boys meet on the field and did not just slap hands as they passed...they shook hands and gave hugs to each other... South Doyle won with a lot of class and Dobyns-Bennett lost with a lot of class. Now I am exhausted, I spent the morning sitting in the bleachers watching my son along with about 400 other students graduate today, after getting about 4 hours of sleep last night. I had a minute and I wanted to wish South Doyle the very best of luck next week. I will be cheering for you guys!

You misunderstood. I was agreeing with Riverdaleman ( and it was his comment I replied to with that statement) That the OTHER teams are the ones with the beef... 4 days rest in a High School State Championship run IS A CLEAR advantage over the other teams.... McKinney said it best himself in an interview immediately after the WB/SH game Thursday Night. McKinney said his pitching staff, playing the game a day earlier than other teams that will qualify, will be completely ready when his team begins play Tuesday in Murfreesboro. Go to the following link to read the entire story: http://www.tricitiessports.com

I'm counting on MJ. I picked against them in the Rossville game and they are the only flaw on my predictions for the last 2 weeks. I am not going against MJ again.... Hang tough guys and git-r-done for me!

I suspect more people will be asking "why start a 3-4 pitcher in a win or go home game", then "why play on Thursday." But I've been wrong before.

No one said there would be an advantange in the Thursday night game... and no one said a kid should miss graduation.

My best friend's house sits right behind the SD field on adjoining land.... We could just sit in the upstairs of her garage...it has a nice window view up there with a good view of the ballfield... her hubby actually hunted from there this last fall because she saw more deer in their back yard while he was out hunting then he saw "out hunting" .... Heck with my hubby, and your wife...we could play cards and watch the game...that would just about be heaven on earth. I have a 10 year old son that would just love to run over to field for hotdogs and cokes and nachos for us!

We fans certainly hope Ritz played the right cards anyway! I, for one, am going to trust him and those players until the last out of their final game! If you factor in prior year statistics then your million dollars would be a safe bet WaCo... but that is not a bet I would be willing to make myself... different team each year... I personally do all my statistical choosings from the current year records only... we need a few graduates to come back if we play to use past years...some of them might have to lose some weight and run a few laps to condition... I think I will let this year stand by all by itself. Now, come May 26th we can group this year with all the other years of the past and then make those kind of comparisons. I would say however that the odds are favorable that 7 teams will go home from State without the Championship!

The bracket published by Chattanoogansports.com site does not appear to match the bracket on the official TSSAA site, beginning with the Tuesday May 22 games... http://www.tssaa.org/2006Champions/StateBa...assAA/State.pdf

Allowing them a Saturday play date would have eliminated this advantage. 4 day rest instead of 3 day rest is an advantage no doubt. DP set their graduation for Saturday.... Not certain if the Spring playoffs held any weight in their graduation date or not.

Outfoxed Mckinney to stay away from Oakland??? I think if DB was avoiding an early face-off with Oakland that they had to win last night. Somebody correct me if I am reading the bracket wrong. *******edit********* I was looking at the bracket published at the chattanoogansports site. That bracket conflicts with the line bracket on the TSSAA site. According to the TSSAA site Upper Bracket(pool 1) will consist of the following teams winner Science Hill/William Blount winner Bradley/Coffee Co. winner Smyrna/N. Overton winner Bartlett/Collierville Lower Bracket (pool 2) will consist of winner SD/DB winner Oakland/Cleveland winner Franklin/MJ winner Houston/Brighton You continue play next week within your bracket (Wednesday's game is what placed you in either the upper or lower bracket) until the Championship game on Friday where the 2 bracket meet for the first time during the week. It is very possible Ritz was playing for a specific bracket I will not argue that point but playing to avoid Oakland would mean that he would have to win the Wednesday game and send SH to the Lower bracket....

It ok Riverdaleman... in the last 16 games (8 on Monday and 8 last night) I am 14 out of 15 correct picks using good old year long statistics as my guide. (Mt Juliet threw a dang sneaky snake (knuckle ball) at me Monday...grrrrr so every now and then my method does fail me.) And for obvious reasons I just could not bring myself to make a prediction on the Science Hill/Dobyns-Bennett game Wednesday... so I just abstained from that vote as I will on Friday's game at South Doyle. Here are my Friday picks SD/DB (I abstain due to my obvious bias...not to mention I am superstitious!) Oalkand Smyrna Houston (use to date a young man from Houston eons ago) Sci Hill Bradley Bartlett Mt. Juliet (I'm not going against MJ again..so I am trusting them to pull through for me!)

Fantastic Mustangs. Keep your wild horses feed and but keep un just hungry enough to make them lean over all the fences! Make sure they all got hungry eyes!

congratulations to both teams...what an honor. We are proud of you all!

who knows.... but things always get better in the middle of the lake with a big boat under you and fishing line in your hand, the sun on your face.....Tell me you got a lake close enough we can get back between games???? by the way... I joined your stinking premium membership now tell me what I get???? Maybe you should tell me tomorrow...sleeping pill kicking in and brain in not real clear at this moment.