My annual Tuesday morning rant - and we won this year!

[Solomon]

What was the year they went from 4 to 8 teams?

 

I know in 2002 it was 4, but forget after that.

[Solomon]

While we're at it, I'd also change the 8 team state format from double elim to round robin. Two pool winners play for title. Max four games.

[MSUBac2001]

Well whatever Coach is throwing his #1 that much is an Idiot...Its a team Game, so throw someone else....but this crap about riding one guy to a state championship is BULL as well...IMO...now Ill get off my soapbox:}

 

Prior to the current format, when the entire regionals and sectional were single elimination, some coaches threw their Ace on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It has worked well enough to take a team to the state tournament. Because of the 10 innings every 2 days pitching rule, it was perfectly legal. I don't agree with it - I wish there was some sort of pitch count regulations for HS baseball. However, over pitching has occurred and will continue to occur under the current format.

[ksgovols]

While we're at it, I'd also change the 8 team state format from double elim to round robin. Two pool winners play for title. Max four games.

 

 

I agree with this too. You still can't seed them and may have the best 2 teams in the same pool, but it gives a bigger reward for making it to state and it weeds out teams with a thin pitching staff.

 

There are plenty of simple rules that can be applied to protect pitchers arms if the players health was of primary concern. It'll take a blown UCL and a lawsuit to get it changed though.

[haebvols]

I agree with this too. You still can't seed them and may have the best 2 teams in the same pool, but it gives a bigger reward for making it to state and it weeds out teams with a thin pitching staff.

 

There are plenty of simple rules that can be applied to protect pitchers arms if the players health was of primary concern. It'll take a blown UCL and a lawsuit to get it changed though.

Still sounds like somebody wants to return to the days of D Price and S Gray, as in one arm wins it all. That's one of the reasons for the change in 9AAA... back to back games. If your team and staff are strong, you should be able to advance. The mere idea that they end on Friday instead of Sat. is silly, as such a huge gate and $$ could be in place for the finals. Gee, they do it for football, why not the little guy.

[SpringFlingGuru]

I totally agree. When two of the best arms in the state are competing it shouldn't be a one and done game, unless it's a state championship. At least a series? Last year Columbia rode Stone's right arm all the way to Murfreesboro. Slatton didn't even hardly throw and he's a projected 3rd rounder. Teams don't even try to win the district tournament anymore , knowing you just have to finish 2nd. The Ace will throw opening night and the losers bracket final.

[davidlimbaugh]

Still sounds like somebody wants to return to the days of D Price and S Gray, as in one arm wins it all. That's one of the reasons for the change in 9AAA... back to back games. If your team and staff are strong, you should be able to advance. The mere idea that they end on Friday instead of Sat. is silly, as such a huge gate and $$ could be in place for the finals. Gee, they do it for football, why not the little guy.

Just the opposite. We have that now. Just about every pitcher from A to AAA that threw Monday will throw tomorrow. One great #1 gets you to Spring Fling. Once you get there it might get ugly. See above. That is why I have pushing for a change for 11 years now. I think most of the "leave it as it is" votes don't seem to grasp that...

Edited May 17, 2012 by davidlimbaugh

[ksgovols]

Right I don't think anythings changed other than the back/back district format which the district coaches wanted because of the adverse effect it had on seeding.

 

While we're at it, why not a consistent criteria for district championships and tournaments to start with? Then a region tournament that doesn't have these single elimination elements in the middle of post season. And then a pool play format at state that guarantees 3 games for your trouble?

 

Minus that, pitch counts, days rest or games between starts to insure pitcher's health and a better litmus test for best 'team'.

[thunderbolts]

I totally agree that the single elimination format needs to be changed. I have proposed in the past a little different double elimination format though. You still have the top two teams from each district advance, and you have an eight team double elimination format. It would look like this:

Saturday

Game 1: Winner Districts 1,5,9,13 hosting Runner-up from 2,6,10,14

Game 2: Winner Districts 2,6,10,14 hosting Runner-up from 1,5,9,13

Game 3: Winner Districts 3,7,11,15 hosting Runner-up from 4,8,12,16

Game 4: Winner Districts 4,8,12,16 hosting Runner-up from 3,7,11,15

 

Monday

Game 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 at a neutral site at 4:30

Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 at a neutral site at 7:00

 

Tuesday

Game 7: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 at a neutral site at 4:30

Game 8: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 at a neutral site at 7:00

 

Wednesday

Game 9: Winner of Game 7 vs. Loser Game 6 at a neutral site at 4:30

Game 10: Winner of Game 8 vs. Loser Game 5 at a neutral site at 7:00

 

Thursday

Game 11: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10 at a neutral site at 4:30

Game 12: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 at a neutral site at 7:00 WINNER ADVANCES TO STATE TOURNAMENT

 

Friday

Game 13: Winner of Game 11 vs. Loser of Game 12 at 6:00 WINNER ADVANCES TO STATE TOURNAMENT

 

With this format, if you win your first three you are going to state. Also, the first round of the state tournament would match a winner of a sectional vs. a team that made it through the losers bracket. It also would provide a lot of $$$$$$$ for the TSSAA.

[NashvilleBaller]

Just the opposite. We have that now. Just about every pitcher from A to AAA that threw Monday will throw tomorrow. One great #1 gets you to Spring Fling. Once you get there it might get ugly. See above. That is why I have pushing for a change for 11 years now. I think most of the "leave it as it is" votes don't seem to grasp that...

Haebvols should agree. They had 3 good arms, but not a great#1. MJ same situation this year without Kyle. We will see how we do.

 

Da Bears!

[davidlimbaugh]

I totally agree that the single elimination format needs to be changed. I have proposed in the past a little different double elimination format though. You still have the top two teams from each district advance, and you have an eight team double elimination format. It would look like this:

Saturday

Game 1: Winner Districts 1,5,9,13 hosting Runner-up from 2,6,10,14

Game 2: Winner Districts 2,6,10,14 hosting Runner-up from 1,5,9,13

Game 3: Winner Districts 3,7,11,15 hosting Runner-up from 4,8,12,16

Game 4: Winner Districts 4,8,12,16 hosting Runner-up from 3,7,11,15

 

Monday

Game 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 at a neutral site at 4:30

Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 at a neutral site at 7:00

 

Tuesday

Game 7: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 at a neutral site at 4:30

Game 8: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 at a neutral site at 7:00

 

Wednesday

Game 9: Winner of Game 7 vs. Loser Game 6 at a neutral site at 4:30

Game 10: Winner of Game 8 vs. Loser Game 5 at a neutral site at 7:00

 

Thursday

Game 11: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10 at a neutral site at 4:30

Game 12: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 at a neutral site at 7:00 WINNER ADVANCES TO STATE TOURNAMENT

 

Friday

Game 13: Winner of Game 11 vs. Loser of Game 12 at 6:00 WINNER ADVANCES TO STATE TOURNAMENT

 

With this format, if you win your first three you are going to state. Also, the first round of the state tournament would match a winner of a sectional vs. a team that made it through the losers bracket. It also would provide a lot of $$$$$$$ for the TSSAA.

 

TSSAA will tell you that involves too much travel, especially with the price of gas and the chance or rain. That is why I want to just let regions play it out among themselves.

 

Here is how last weekend would have looked under the Powers-Limbaugh plan for Region 1:

 

at Jefferson County:

 

Friday

Morristown West vs D-Bennett

Science Hill vs Jefferson Co

 

Saturday

Morristown West vs Science Hill

D-Bennett vs Jefferson Co

 

Monday

??? vs Jefferson Co

winner vs D-Bennett

 

Tuesday if necessary

[Switchhitter]

Linbaugh is right here - In fact in the 80's and 90's it was standard fare as most if not all district play was on a Mon-Wed-Fri rotation and there were very few if any tournaments played... by the end of the 90's everyone was having a tourney - there really were no regulations on maximum amount you could play - they counted as two games... so districts figured out how to play the least amount of district games they could so they could get more games in tournaments... this is what lead to the new rules in place now on pre season scrimmages, etc... Most schools would have two main starters and one week one guy threw mon-fri and the other threw on wed and the next week they would rotate... pitch counts were not really a big deal - some teams didn't even keep them... the high school game has evolved as now its like a college thing where we play "series" with another school on back to back days so you won't have to face the other guys' #1 guy more than once - back in the old days some teams would see him twice and others would not see him at all due to the m-w-f rotation... in some ways that's good in others i think high school athletics are way out of whack - too much emphasis put on virtually every sport there is... priorities - think about it - at most, high school sports are all most will play... a few will move on to college - so we spend all this time for 8 years of a kids life??? in the grand scheme - we'd be better off going to back to 24 -30 games total and a single elimination tourney all the way thru the state tourney... but i guess that's another story?