SuperSport

This is much ado about nothing IMHO.  How many HS pitchers truly end up with arm problems?

Thank Dr. Andrews

If only these conversations were being held by the people making decisions.

Travel Baseball will get more looks than High School. When the coach plays to please parents more than winning a game. I like the rule so maybe more than 2 daddy's kids will get a look.

Travel Ball is getting more looks than high school, but it's not because of coaches trying to please parents (99% of the time anyway). Sounds like you're pretty bitter about your coach.

Travel gets more looks because of reasons mentioned above, along with College and High School seasons coinciding with each other. 

I know of no parents that are happy with a coach who loses, regardless of their children's pt. I also know of no teams that have ever only given "2 daddy's kids" a look.

Well baseball season is officially here.  Guess all those coaches/teams/players that have been practicing since August/September can now 'officially' practice. 

 

Practice, we talking about practice, not a game, just a practice.

"Open Facilities" - what happens when the T$$AA realizes it has made a rule it can't enforce. 

I'll hang up and listen.

We are too far south for anybody to think about cutting into the summer ball season. Organizations like the Knights make too much money off tournaments and player fees for that to happen. It is ridiculous how many high school kids care more about their "prestigious" travel teams than the guys they play four years in high school with. Even though that would make the most sense for the development of players and keeping them healthy. It would be interesting to see how many overuse arm injuries there would be by pushing the season into the summer and eliminating part of summer ball. Summer ball has become something that no body realized it would be. High school baseball has lost some of the lore it use to have as well. Too many people care about how many offers they are getting or who is seeing them rather than trying to win a state championship. But I guess since baseball is not a big money sport they could care less.

I don't think we're too far south. Two years ago, during the month of pre-season practice, there was only approximately a week worth of outdoor practice because of snow and ice storms... then consider most years where there are 10 games played in March in sub-freezing temps.

I agree with you on summer ball being so important to individuals these days. I have said for 3 or 4 years now that in 20 years high school sports, besides football, will not exist. It is already happening to soccer; kids play travel ball (or whatever those people call it) instead of high school soccer. 

NFHS's heart was in the right spot with a pitch limit, but they have made a rule for state associations to build upon that is impossible to enforce. Menees screwed this up at the TBCA rules meeting. A high school coach had to correctly explain it. If the T$$AA rep cannot explain it right, how is a 1A high school coach who coaches 3 sports going to completely understand it? Some team of 14-18 y.o. young men somewhere is going to get screwed over, either inadvertently or on purpose, by a rule with no way of enforcement and judging. It's going to come down to two coaches' words against each others' and the T$$AA is not going to have a way to solve it correctly.

If the TSSAA really cared about the health of pitchers and players, they'd start the season March 1 or earlier (i.e. GA, AL) instead of cramming 30+ games in a 7 week window.

Partly Correct. If they really cared, they would push the start time back to April 15, and run the season through June 15. The T$$AA says they cant control things in the summer... But what's the one thing they do control? That would be the dead period (It's in the summer). Odd to some, but many baseball coaches have pushed for this for years and have been told repeatedly that it "can't" happen. However, warmer weather would help arms, along with cutting into summer ball programs that overuse arms more than high school. 

We're all wishing for something that's never going to happen... for T$$AA to do anything that makes sense for any sport besides football.

Somebody answer this question, please.

There is no answer... The T$$AA does not care and will probably come up with something stupid like taking an average of the two disputed pitch counts.

Why are you guys saying JPII should have done homework? I'm seriously just curious.

Has he done something there? Has something else come out since he's been there?

Are you guys from his past and saying that if JPII knew what you know they wouldn't have hired him?

I'm being nosy...

I like the idea in general. However I dislike the set guidelines. A days rest after 25 pitches? Really? That's really going too limit the bullpen at smaller schools. 1A ball will suffer because of this. I believe less games will have to be scheduled.

I agree. The other two guidelines are acceptable and I would say most coaches used those amounts of pitches and correlating days of rest anyways. However, "closers" (if you agree that this has become an effective and useful position at any level of high school baseball) will no longer be allowed to close both district games in a week that are in a lot of districts played back-to-back. I also believe this will take away college opportunities from young men who take on that role. 

You proposed a $2500 fine for the coach to be paid personally, cbq? That's a pretty hefty fine, considering most coaches make a supplement some where around $4k to coach baseball. Your plan, as previously stated, is anything but simple. 

Look, here's how it's going to go. The T$$AA does not care anything about baseball and does not want to spend anymore time enforcing baseball rules than it has to. With that in mind, they're going to put out a pitch limit, just like the inning limit that has been in place for years now, and will let whoever watches the limit notify them of infractions. If no one (i.e. parent, coach, player, book keeper, etc.) keeps the pitch count, the T$$AA is not going to worry about it. 

Coaches are going to be self-enforcing this rule, whatever the limit is, because of the liability. Pitch counts can be really closely estimated by the books, and with apps like gamechanger now, you can go back and find exact pitch counts. T$$AA is going to set the limit and walk away.

Will travel or can host.

Call HC Rob Laxson 931-212-1027.

Yeah... Funny thing about baseball that I don't think many umpires realize lol: outs make innings, innings make ball games, and games make (a little) money. If only they all followed T$$AA logic...anyway, BACK TO FOOTBALL

Dual possession goes to receiver.

Thanks to both teams for a great, great game.

Nice job Bobcats. Your angels are singing the alma mater right now.

Coach O, Coach Shirey... Amazing job. You guys work magic.

I will say this, and this is only talking to the Giles Co football team.

You started off the season with 10 men on the field. You did that to remember and honor fallen teammates. Tomorrow night, you honor those guys, on EVERY play. You play with those two voices in your head telling you they won't accept anything less than your very best. You've carried their jerseys out before every game. Do not let what that means wear off in the least little bit. You give everything you have and a little more. A little more for what those guys would have brought to the team, but cannot now because of unfortunate events. Tomorrow night, you rise above everything. Win or lose... Rise above.

Good luck to both teams. I hope it's a "cat" fight until the very end. I hope both teams give their all because that's what this rivalry deserves. Whatever happens, know that both towns will be proud of what you've accomplished.

Who got the job at Chapel Hill?

Pitch counts are subjective to the arm. Kids need to throw more to build their arms up. Go back and look at 60's and 70's with  the 4 man rotation and finishing games. More innings and less injuries to arm. Mechanics for pitchers for Mets (Seaver, Ryan, Koosman, etc.) were basically the same and they all had long careers. Maybe we are babying arms too much.

Correct Sir!

It's part of the over-medicated world we live in. A little pain and we go see ol' doc. Guess how ol' doc makes money? BY DIAGNOSING AND OPERATING ON YOU! It's a business.

Sadly, however, Dr. Andrews is fixing to get all the long tossing programs and what not shut down with his "tread on a tire" philosophy.

Players Play, Coaches Coach.

Coaches can't put on a glove and go catch the ball. They can't throw it. They can't get a bat and hit for their team.

Do you think that teachers are capable of making every kid a Dr? That would be like what it sounds like your expectations are (and that statement, as well as everything in this post, is generic, and not directed at any one person, but more towards parents in general that think their child loses solely because of the coach) of a high school baseball coach.

Do you think the coach you so dislike could do better at your job than you do? Probably not, and you're probably right. There's a reason you have your job, and there's a reason he has his. Baseball is such a complex game and you may watch every Braves game. You might have played High School, College, or Pro Ball. Those facts don't mean you know it all. You might have coached before. You've never coached all of those kids, on the same team, in that jersey, at that age.

It's insane to me that parents/ communities think that babe ruth, legion, travel, whatever else there is in the summer, compares to high school. There's many variables and it's not a good comparison (Every high school coach in the country would agree with that.)

Questioning a coach's knowledge about the game isn't smart as well. Anyone that knows baseball knows that in almost any situation, there are multiple plays or ways to be successful. Whichever one the coach picks is what he picks. If it's successful, most fans aren't intelligent enough to realize he probably got lucky, he probably had a better athlete/player than the other team in that situation, or the other team probably made a mistake. If it works, he's a genius, but if it doesn't, he's an idiot that deserves to be fired (in fans' opinions).

Baseball is about winning, yes. I would bet my house on the fact that every high school coach in the country wants to win more than every single one of his players. Most coaches spend too much time at school and the ball field. Their families suffer. Their health suffers. They sacrfice so much, but yet you say they're not doing enough. You say you know so much about baseball, go out and work with your child and see if you can make him better. Offer to become an assistant. Go fill out an application with the BOE. Walk a mile in his shoes...

Back to winning... If a coach teaches his players more than baseball, he's doing a good job. If he teaches them responsibilty, teamwork, respect, courage, and persistance, you have a good coach. It's not near as much about scholarships or playing time as it is those things.

I don't think high school coaches (besides football) get enough appreaciation from their community. So few coaches guide so many young men. Try saying thank you to them for what they do. Believe it or not, they probably do more for your son than anyone else at that age besides mom and dad. And your son would tell you that if he knew you were unbiased towards his coach.

I believe MC won, but do not know the score.

One of the tightest, most competitive districts in the state... Everyone's too tight lipped to speak on this. Don't blame em!

Put it this way... whoever you have first, could very well finish last, and whoever you have last, could very well finish first... and anywhere between the two... What an exciting season it's going to be in this district!

Giles 3

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walk off hit in the bottom of the

8th by giles' first baseman sean harmond. there's your SHARPNESS

I think we found it last night!!!

Puts everything back into perspective. Prayers from Giles Co.

Coach Laxson doesn't hide behind the screen name. I also don't bash the kids, but I'm honest with them 100% like I am with my own son, and my father was with me. I don't think there's a whole lot for us to get together and talk about, other than at a game.

I think you started the drama queen mentality with the "let the jrs and srs tear it down". I know what the boys can do been with this group of kids since they were 7 and 8. Just take it a little personal when one of those seniors is mine. GO CATS!!!

Each game they show up flat is another brick out of the house that Coach Cardin and Coach Boatwright have worked their tail off to build. So far, more bricks have come out than been put in this year. That's not too dramatic, but it's the truth. You can take it personal if you want. It doesn't really matter to me. I want Giles County to win and uphold what the jersey means.