Maryville Baseball

[FBEmeritus]

Agree with dheat on most points. Powerhitter has some good comments and the numbers always tell the tail if you look at them objectively.

 

Can't agree with "Part of theis (This) is because Maryville is a football oriented school, and that is where the money goes. If the football program needed a field, or some supplies they would have it in a second”. The football program does bring the cash, much like a college program like UT's does for it's athletic programs. But that is not an excuse for the present baseball situation. The baseball program has won before while the football team was also successful.

 

I said early on not having a field and a decent practice facility is a major factor. I think the school board and school should really get a solution to this short coming, till then it is tough to develop players. Coaching is by far the biggest factor and like I said the coaches are doing their best as their ability allows. Same as the players.

 

When a school has 700 young men available and you have only 20 or so kids show for the try-out that is slim pickens from a school that is known statewide because of athletics. There is a reason kids don't try out, just ask some of them. I have. No one expects any school to win a state championships every year, but everyone in this area knows Maryville is always competive in every sport. The school enjoys a constant inflow of kids with athletic ability just waiting to be developed.

 

Question, does Bearden, SD and Farragat have a 9th grade team? I spoke of the little league players because where else would Maryville get fresh faces? Kids like Fernandez played one or two years of travel ball, I think. Clement did as well I think. Both little league all stars while at the little league level. Above average Maryville players and good kids, but not enough to carry a team. So all the early development occurs at the little league level and presently is the future of the team as it is the only game in town. It would be great if someone would form a Maryville based tournament team or travel squad. There is enough talent in the community to compete anywhere in my opinion.

 

Another problem is the selection of players, A major factor as mentioned by me and others. It is very hard for a coaching staff, even a good one to select the right players by a tryout alone. More knowledge is needed. They call it scouting! Look at the Maryville paper. They don't even cover youth baseball! Eagelton and Maryville could have a kid throw a no hitter or two, hit 10-15 homeruns, bat .800, have RBI's every at bat and be a stud on the diamond and no one would know except for his dad, a dad coach and a few people who come to watch. I know some think these things done on a little league field are nothing but, same size field for the most part and the kids are JV age. Some HS players continue their season by playing in the senior leagues, 15-16 yr olds. Most make very little impact. One would think a player on the local HS team would dominate at the plate and on the diamond, well why do they not? They are good kids but just fit in, seldom stand out. So I would not discount the only local feeder system Maryville has, it happens to be the only one Maryville has.

 

What does the town of Farragot have that Maryville does not have??

I am sorry this was long and people are wrong that I wish ill on the program or the kids on the team, that is not the case. I wish the program the best for the program but if the team is ever going to really compete, some changes will have to take place. Good luck.

Edited May 17, 2005 by FBEmeritus

[dheat]

Okey, ThTh and FB. To hit on a couple of points. Here is a list of talent from Maryville.

 

J. Merry, D. Calkin, B. Burchfield at Carson Newman, A Rouse now there after leaving Baseball for Football. Lambert, Bott, Burns,Watson at MC are going there. D.Parker and K. Hodges, Jacob Holt, Derrick Rang, Dustin Lindsey. now that is a lot of tallent. Not all are still playing for whatever reasons. I've been around over four years and We have benefited from some great tallent. No teams around east TN have a all freshman team. I'm aware of the young man going to WB. It will be tough for him down there with who is playing in front of him at that position. I know of one WB player who might be transfering to Maryville. The current situation is this: The tallent level in Maryville is down way down to where it was. 8 out of 10 seniors in the 04 class chose to continue their careers in college. The 05 class will be lucky to get 2 out of 5 not counting Cade. The 05 seniors struggled in a bad way. Anyway As I have said before, The coaches, players, parents, AD need to come toghter. It looks to be a rocky road ahead.

[powerhitter3]

I agree with dheat, mhs has had quite a few players continue their careers at the college level, the only thing is that farragut has had just a little more tallent in the past few years. Waldrop-pro ball, h. eldridge-east carolina, c. ivy-missouri, Delmonico-UT, c. brown-UT, Mckendry-MTSU,c. cobb-UT. All D1 schools. Yes, the mhs tallent may be down, but some other schools just plain have better tallent, and coaching.

 

FBEmeritus, I agree with scouting tallent and not being able to tell much about a kid from just a 2 or 3 day tryout, but what reasons are you talking about that lead kids from mhs to not tryout.

 

If mhs has kids coming up in the system with tallent, it is the coach's job to try to get the most out of the kid's tallent.

Edited May 17, 2005 by powerhitter3

[marymojoman]

heard maryville was getting a batting facility? any truth to that? that would be a step in the right direction and a change.

[dheat]

heard maryville was getting a batting facility? any truth to that? that would be a step in the right direction and a change.

825675690[/snapback]

Another sore spot. One is in the works. They are going to be built at the middle school where the old outdoor cage was. Money is the current issue!

[msgov]

How many Farragut baseball players also play football? It seems all of the noes mentioned, play only baseball. Therefore, they can play fall ball and begin workouts for HS baseball in Nov, Dec, Jan.

 

Most of the Maryville athletes mentioned, didn't finish football until Dec. 4th. That in itself puts them way behind schools that have baseball players only.

 

The exception is Knox Halls. They have many baseball players that played football. Guess the reason is either they are better at baseball or the coaching is better.

[FBEmeritus]

Powerhitter

 

Some of the reasons I am talking about that lead kids from mhs to not tryout is the current coaching situation. That is what a few have told me to include some parents. I like Coach Gaylor, great athlete in his day, but in my opinion is he is a better Football man than a Baseball coach. To be fair to Coach G, a quality batting cage would be great. He can't develope kids if the equipment is not in place and one might note, he was a pitcher not a HR hitter at UT!

 

I would like to know how many kids on the Maryville HS team played at Eagleton vs. Maryville little leage? Anyone know?