Lewisburg baseball

[Guest baseballwatchr]

The lewisburg tigers,for once,are going to have a weak team this year.The only senior pitcher on the team will be lykins, who has been having shoulder problems lately.The Tigers lost 6 seniors that composed of Clifton(p),Giles(2b),Spivy©,Johnson(lf,p),Harmon(3b),and Smith(p).they are going to have a very young team.Many players will have to step up in order to give the tigers any hope to win district.Jeremy Renyolds,a sophomore to be will be playing alot of ss with lykins on the mound.He got a good amount of playing time last year.He shows speed with a good arm and a good bat.He also has good command of his fastball and an ok curve.Matt Waldrop, also a sophomore to be will be starting this year as catcher.He did not get to much playing time last year under senior Brett Spivy but watching him in state tournament play he showed great defence behind the plate and a good heads up knowing of baseball.One play the other team had called a squeeze and upon matt seeing the runner breaking he stood up for a pitch out. the batter was unable to get the bunt down and the runner was put out at the plate.They won that game 2-1.His arm is good but will have to be strengthened for the highschool level.His bat may also lack at some time.Another kid is Bryan Calderaro, he showed a great bat in tournament and good leadership.He can cover alot of groung at ss and has a decent arm.He does some pitching but does not show much command on his pitches.Other names to listen for:Eric Walker,a 15 yr old junior to be.He shows great command on his fast,curve,and change.He also had a hot bat this summer.All the boys listed above played for the Babe Ruth 15 yr old State Champion team out of Marshall Co.Congratulations for that accomplishment.

[Tony]

Spivey is a good catcher. The play you mentioned in the state tourn. should have been called a balk on Spivey. He left the catchers area (since no catchers box was ever drawn) before the pitch released the ball.Umps ignored this rule.. Marshall Co. High should be alright for a few years with the sophmores, there is a lot of baseball there...

[Guest baseballwatchr]

The catcher you are refering to is Matt Waldrop.Spivy was a senior and graduated last year.About the pitch out.Maybe the catcher was out of the box but it's kinda hard to tell when there isan't a box.How many babe ruth leagues use a catchers box.Look at page for example they don't even have a batters box.Even in southeast region tournaments their is no catchers box drawn.Does your league use one?

[Tony]

Of course we use the box. How can you have a rule that says he must stay in the box untill the pitcher releases the ball,( both feet) without having a box. You would think that a game in the state tournament would be importatant enough to use the rule book. Box or no box the catcher was way out of the area. Timeout had been called when the runner reached third. Coach talked to the pitch and catch, probably instructing them on how to handle the squeeze. The play had been run successfully in the inning before. Ump should have called the balk, as it is a judgement on whether he was in the box or not before the release of the pitch. He was out of the lefthanders batters box when he caught the ball. No excuse for letting this slide. Ump has the power to judge where the box is, simply saying there is no box drawn I can't make that call is unacceptable. That call turned out to be the most important in the tournament. QUESTION: how would you teach on defensing the squeeze?

[Guest baseballwatchr]

The catcher may have been out but not out of the left handers batters box.I was able to watch a video of the play and he was standing in the left handers batters box.I could not tell weather the pitch had been thrown yet.There are two was to defend the squeeze.1. throw a pitchout like was done or 2.throw right at the batters head.I was able to talk to Matt after the game and asked him about the meeting on the mound before the play he said "I knew they were were going to[squeeze],I think every one in the park knew.Coach asked how we wanted to defend it and I said to throw a pitchout.So then when i went back to the plate the Franklin County coach had just got done talking to his batter.He[the batter] took the first pitch right down the middle,i knew they had somthing on or else why would he not be swinging with a runner at third and less than two outs," said Matt."as I was down waiting for the batter to get back in the box I noticed the coach stuck both of his hands down and shook his wrist,I knew this had to been the sign for squeeze and so I gave the pitcher the sign for the pitchout." Matt later said when asked about the BALK "I don't know if I was outside the box before the pitch,all I knew is we've got this kid dead and Im not letting him get to my plate."

[Edited by baseballwatchr on 7/31/02 11:26A]

[Guest coachrita3]

Marshall County did lose 6 seniors but there are some pretty awesome players coming up for this next year. The seniors going to college should be commended for a great job they done this past year. But also nobody can knock MC out of the running this coming year until time for playing gets here. I also heard people saying that MC was going to be weak this past year and look what happened. As for the state tournament I agree with whoever said that squeeze play was a good call. It came from people that were not Marshall county folk that the ump made a good call.

[cd27]

ok..congrats to the MC storm for their victory along with our *MC dusters* win...look the call is over and done with, MC got the title and FC didnt so be it!..let it go. theres always next year...come on storm work on a back to back!

go MC!!

[tnfisher]

Imagine how good Lewisburg could be if they didn't have so many talented baseball players "concentrating" on other sports. Mario Davis, Dalton, Blake Andrews, and Trai Alred to name a few.

[cd27]

well see i really wouldnt call it "concentrating" id call it quiting...i have a few more suggestions but im keepin that to myself

[Tony]

Its been nearly 30 days since " the call" has been brought up. So give it up.

[jacketpride24]

how do you think lewisburg will match up with the other teams in their district. Most of the teams were young last year with only marshall and page losing alot of seniors. I play for Fairview and we should have an improved team this year, we lost two seniors and we played really well in the district last year against Marshall until the umps turned against us. so good luck this year

[Guest smaug]

Hasn't Lewisburg converted to football? I did not know they even had a baseball team anymore. I heard they gave baseball up. Any truth to that?