bavarian

Don't know who Diamond Devil is, but he or she is wrong to imply politics had anything to do with Lebanon's disappointing season. Coach Messer was not treated fairly at LHS and that can be blamed on a few families, long since gone, and a lazy principal who'd rather succumb to parents than work with a young coach to let them know that what's usual and customary at one school may not be acceptable at another. That situation could have been handled much better for Coach Messer and LHS...but I suspect Coach Messer is much happier.

This is not directed at any particular school because it's the same everywhere, but $5 is too much for a high school baseball game. Cumberland University only charges $3. High School football games are $5 or $6 depending on the district, but that's just once a week and 10 times per year, not including postseason. If TSSAA dictates the price, it's still too high. Now for rant #2. Fan's shouldn't bring food into a baseball game. I'm not talking about a drink, I'm talking about the district fans who brought 2 large pizzas and a Whitt's family pack. If you're coming to a high school game, you should be a big enough fan to know the concession stand is how teams raise the money to pay umpires, buy baseballs, build hitting facilities, etc. Let's support all the teams.

I've been hearing rumors for a couple of years now about what will happen when Station Camp goes to 3A. It would make sense to have all the schools in a county in the same district...if they're the same size. For instance, Smyrna and Lavergne should be with the Murfreesboro schools and Lebanon should be with Mt. Juliet and Wilson Central. If you add Station Camp and Lebanon to District 6, while removing Smyrna and Lavergne, district 6 stays the same size and county rivalries are in tact. The problem is district 7 gains a team, though it seems Warren County, White County, or Cookeville would fit better in another district. I haven't researched it thoroughly, but the idea of keeping county schools in the same district seems obvious. Before anyone starts mouthing about wanting Lebanon out of the tougher district, I'd say before this year, districts 6 & 7 have been comparable, and I'm sure they will be again.

I like it.

There's a right way to do anything, and we know that teenagers aren't very good communicators so sometimes a parent has to step in. A good approach would be to approach the coach during a very unemotional time...in other words, not right after a loss, or even a frustrating practice. Then, ask what does my son need to concentrate on to get better? Often, other parents can head this off. Usually, a disgruntled parent will gripe to other parents before they go to the coach. I usually ask them, "Okay, we put your son in the lineup. Who do we take out?" High School ball is not Little League and not every kid gets to play. On the other hand, the kids who don't play put in as much time in practice and traveling to games as the others, and it can get frustrating for the kid and their parents.

Speaking of visits to the mound, I've seen several coaches make a pitching change, head back toward their dugout, then return to the mound area to watch their new pitcher warm up and have a last word. I'm thinking this should count as a visit, assuming the coach stepped across the line into foul territory. Any thoughts?

In MLB, the acting manager gets credit if he manages the whole game, for example during a suspension or manager's illness. I'm not sure how it works for an ejection.

Blue Devils 3 Blaze 2 Exact same score as last night but reversed. Two very good games. Good job by both teams.

Blackman 3 Lebanon 2 Blue Devil bats waste another great outing by Fanchier. Well played by Blackman and a good job by the Blackman coach of mixing up his pitchers.

rumor of Warren Co over Siegel

Oakland 8 Lebanon 6 Best umpired game of the year...kudos to the men in blue.

None of our top 3 pitchers went yesterday. I know we didn't see the aces of Mt. Juliet or Wilson Central either, but my point is pitching won't be an excuse for Lebanon against Tullahoma. We're expecting another good game.

He did. Hopefully, we'll see you again in the districts.

Congratulations to Riverdale on a great ballgame. Great performance by both teams and especially the pitchers. The only 2 errors of the game came on pick off attempts. I hate to sound like sour grapes because the boys all played great, but I would have liked to have seen the field ump ask for help from his partner on the sac bunt in the 7th. I don't understand why you wouldn't ask for help from someone who has a better angle. With only 2 umps, the field ump can't be expected to see everything and he was positioned where he should have been and was hustling on the play. It's the only call he missed all night, but it came at a critical time. I understand he says he saw the tag, but Riverdale fans who had an angle similar to the plate ump said he missed the tag by 18 inches. Swallow your pride and ask for help so the players can decide the game. Two evenly matched teams that split a hard fought series and did so with style and grace...terms you don't usually hear when referring to a Lebanon-Riverdale matchup. Well done guys.

I can't imagine many high schools having the budget, but I took the tour of Camden Yards, and they can take 12 inches of water and play 1 hour later. My numbers may be off a tad, but it was incredible. After a hurricane went up the east coast a few years ago, they were playing ball in Baltimore 2 days before they were able to play in Boston. They have only an inch and a half of top soil. Under that is 18 inches of gravel and sand. The company that designed and installed the system has since put it in at Fenway. So do your research and have a car wash or two.