LCborn

Well...you're saying it's a no-brainer that a talented kid would want to be in another program besides LC's? Why is that a no-brainer? After all, they're in the same district. LC has better facilities. What makes it a no-brainer to go elsewhere to play?

Ouch.

If LC beats S-D in a makeup game tonight (yeah, I know) they will be 7-seed. If they lose, SC and LC will both finish 1-13. LC and SC split during the regular season. If the tiebreaker is victory margin, SC beat LC by 5 and LC beat SC by 2, according to CoachT. I think that gives 7 to SC. Either way...

No prob. I think that the South-Doyle/LC game on April 21 was rained out. At least, I haven't been able to find a score for it. LC's last regularly-scheduled game in the district is tonight with Bearden. They also have a game scheduled for tomorrow with Ooltewah. I haven't heard when or if the S-D game will be made up if it was rained out. I guess it would have to be Wednesday or Thursday. I guess they'll make up the game because it could (theoretically) change who finishes 7/8. I know it's not likely to, but it could. I guess they wouldn't need to play it if LC beats Bearden tonight (again, not likely). Coach T's standings and the KnoxPreps standings are both off by a few games for some teams. For example, KnoxPreps has S-D at 11-1 but they've lost to Bearden and Farragut.

One can purchase many, many bottles of 'prof with a good signing bonus. Anyway, a dad's gotta teach more than just baseball to his kids. Making them play through pain builds character.

Hey, LC could still steal 7th. I think they have a game remaining with South-Doyle and one with Bearden. All they need is to win one of those games.

The truth hurts but I can take it. Are those scores right? LC got run-ruled in consecutive games? Ouch.

Anybody know what happened in the LC-Kingston game tonight?

I think at Brushy Mount "the flip side" probably doesn't refer to the inverted drill. Or maybe it does. Without the pitching. Hang in there, CC, you'll be out in time to pass your wisdom on to the great-grandkids.

I hope they've got kickball at Brushy Mount.

Sounds like a lame attempt to rob us of our share of the kid's future signing bonus, to me. Authorities, indeed! WE'RE the authorities on this issue, dag nab it! And, who's a gentleman? I'm more an Ernest T. Bass type, actually.

Swimming is a useful skill for submariners. It's good that he's amphibious.

Absolutely. Talent takes skill development to perform. Players need to develop mentally and emotionally as well as physically. Winning takes leadership on and off the field. Talented players have to be used properly. Game management has to be good. Pitch selection has to be good. There's a lot more that goes into baseball success than just raw talent. A "program" is the sum total of all those parts and probably others that I haven't mentioned. I also believe that wins and losses aren't the only measure of a program. It's part of high school education, after all. The talent list was just in response to the comment that all that LC needs is more talent coming through than that one kid.

It's probably really Robin Williams. I found this image of Kent Tekulve working on the inverted drill during spring training in '79. Note the development of the neck muscles and the flailing of the legs to maintain balance. Muscle and balance enhancement are also benefits of the drill.

I don't disagree that 4AA is a tough district. Of course, 4AAA is tougher. I said 2 all-staters in 4 years ('02 to '05). The all-state players were Erik Draper in '03 and Jubal Duncan in '05. With two future-all staters on the roster in '02 and '03, LC went a combined 9-9 in the district during the regular season and finished fourth both years. In '02 they were 0-2 in the district tournament played at LC (fifth out of 5). In '03 they were 4-0 and won it but then lost at home to Seymour in the region. In '04 with Duncan and TN Tech signee pitcher Patrick Miller, they were 5-5 in the district and again finished fourth. They were 3-2 in the tourney for 2nd but were beaten at Seymour in the region. In '05 with just Duncan, they were 5-4 in the district and finished fourth. They were 2-2 in the tourney and finished 3rd. Note that while that's a tough district, finishing fourth means they were only ahead of Oliver Springs (now a single-A school) and Scott County. I'm not sure how accurate the following analysis of their record is because I'm getting it off of CoachT and not every game is recorded here, but it's close. LC's combined record from '02 to '05 (while in AA) was 80-61. Against AAA teams, 5-15; AA, 48-38; A, 26-6; and DII, 1-2. In their district, including tournament games, they were 28-24--since they were 17-0 against OS and SHS in that span, against Loudon, AC, and Kingston they were 11-24. Since 3 of that 11 came in the '03 tourney, well... As far as talent, here are their college signees by class (according to LC's website): '05 Jubal Duncan (MTSU) Justin Littlefield (Maryville) '04 Patrick Miller (Tennessee Tech) '03 Erik Draper (Roane State) Daniel Mashburn (Roane State) '02 Allen Russell (Piedmont College) Matt Wallace (Carson Newman) Nathan York (Tusculum) Needs talent? In '02 they had 8 future college signees on their roster. In '03 they had 5 in their starting lineup--not including Ty Nelson, who also started and will play college ball somewhere. Aside from these college signees, the '03 team had all-district player Allen Moore. '05 all-district player Ben Draper also started from '03 to '05. So, I wouldn't say Jubal was the only talent that's come through that school.

Just when I think this thread is about to finally sink from view Slyder, E5, CC, et. al come up with new and interesting angles. Arm or otherwise. One good submarine pitching drill that no one has mentioned is the inverted wind-up drill. Having the boy pitch while standing on his head on the mound--and you may need to assist him by holding him up by the ankles when he first starts doing this drill--promotes the proper underhand release form by preventing the kid from throwing overhand. Unless he's got the arm strength to actually plow a furrow with his hand. (Actually, the latter is a good indicator of whether he should become a U-boater; if his arm is strong enough to through the ball through dirt, he should probably keep throwing overhand.)

Well, it can't be a ground-rule double and an error; it must be one or the other. It would be up to the official scorer's judgement. I couldn't say it was an E3 without seeing the play. I don't think it is like a muffed foul ball. It is more like an outfielder losing a fly ball in the lights or the sun.

Well, he's a nice guy and works really hard at maintaining the facilities. But the program needs to step up a level or two to compete in their new class.

A lot depends on how the league is run. My kids played in a really good Little League; the men and women who were allowed to coach were screened pretty well and, as a consequence, the coaches were much better than the fans. The secret to maintaining good order was the league president's trump card: since it was a completely private league--no public parks or money--he could invite people to leave the league and never come back. And he did.

Yes, you are correct. The rules that have been quoted on this thread make it pretty clear that it is fair.

It's been a tough year and it's not all his fault, for sure. All of the LC teams have struggled with the switch to AAA. In baseball it's particularly tough because they would have been down even if they'd stayed in AA. But, they had some good talent in recent classes--two all-staters in the last four years--and even with that, they generally finished fourth in their AA district during the regular season. With two all-state players on the roster, the best they could do is one district tourney championship and one second place finish. Some things about that program have to change for things to get better. They have to stop discouraging their players from participating on competitive summer baseball teams. They have to stop playing in a summer league that includes TMG, Greenback, and their own JV. They have to stop scheduling down; the other teams in their district typically play only 3 or 4 teams in AA and A, but LC has 18 games on their schedule--half their games--in AA or A. When they do schedule down, it should be with the top local teams in AA and A. (Given their weak schedule, their record is even worse than just the win-loss total--and they'll lose 20 games this year.) Playing weaker teams can help with the win total but it won't get the kids ready to play in a tough AAA district. They have to stop chasing off players like Farragut's starting catcher, who was a key player in LC's tourney victory when he was a freshman. LC has the facilities and the population to compete. Whether or not they can compete is, more than ever, on the shoulders of their coach. The proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes.

Well, LOL, that's what makes it fun!

SHS1 said it rolled into the dugout in the first post in the thread. That's why I'm thinking g-r double.

Because it's a fair ball that bounced out of play without being touched by a fielder. From a rules perspective, it doesn't sound that different from a ball that bounds over the outfield fence. And three or four centuries ago when I played, I gave up a ground-rule double on a ball that hit third base and hopped into the stands. Like a lot of my pitches, it was hit pretty hard.

Well, there ya go. Fair ball. Run, boys, run! I'd still like to know if it's a ground-rule double.