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

[Switchhitter]

Another example of one strong pitcher was LaVergne 2002 AAA road to the State....Matt Scott pitches 7 innings against Dickson County on Monday, pitches 3 innings on Wednesday vs. Mt. Juliet and defeats Brentwood in 9 innings that was played on Saturday due to rainout on Friday... Yes, he also pitched the following Wednesday 7 innings against Farragut and 2 innings against Munford..he did not pitch the championship, but was scheduled to pitch again if LaVergne lost....

[HSbaseballguru]

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.

You have no idea what you are talking about and saying that sells that Columbia team short on what they accomplished. Stone threw a complete game on Monday against Riverdale. Slatton threw 5 innings in the game on Wed. and Horne closed. Then Friday Stone threw another 5 and Horne closed that one. Then Horne, not Stone started Tuesday and Friday for Columbia. Slatton closed the first 2 games of the State Tournament for them last year as well. I would say they rode 3 arms to the title game, not 1. Also, Slatton is not a projected 3rd rounder and probably won't go in the top 5 rds, but good try.

 

Limbaugh, you know you will never get the coaches from 8AAA to agree to something like this. More times than not a double elimination tournament favors Murfreesboro over 8AAA because of depth. Right now, teams like Columbia, Tullahoma, and Lioncoln Co have a legit shot at getting to a State Tournament in the current scenario but would have a far less chance of getting there in your format. Also, I would liek to know how many of those scores you posted were from AAA state tournament games.

[Solomon]

I'm still for cutting the current district tournament and the top four regular season district teams advancing. If a district wants to guarantee top two and let the others play it out somehow for 3 and 4, then that is their prerogative.

 

Here's how my entire plan would play out through state with this year's dates (the first number is the game number)

 

Regions -

 

Thurs 10/Fri 11 (play these at higher seed)

 

1 - A1/B4

2 - B2/A3

3 - B1/A4

4 - A2/B3

 

Fri 11/Sat 12 (play at higher seed)

 

5 - L1/L2

6 - L3/L4

7 - W1/W2

8 - W3/W4

 

Mon 14 (central location)

 

9 - W5/L8

10 - W6/L7

 

Tues 15 (central location)

 

11 - W9/W10

12 - W7/W8

 

Wed 16 (central location)

 

13 - W11/L12

14 - W12/W13

 

Thurs 17 (central location)

 

15 - in necessary game

 

State

 

Tues 22 - Pool Play

Wed 23 - Pool Play

Thurs 24 - Pool Play

Friday 25 - Championship game

 

The negative - you may get a few weak regions get a team at state that have no business of being there. I'm thinking specifically of 8AA here.

 

Positives - Save arms, cutting district tournament would offset gas of regions, a one man show will be less likely to make it to state.

[ksgovols]

You have no idea what you are talking about and saying that sells that Columbia team short on what they accomplished. Stone threw a complete game on Monday against Riverdale. Slatton threw 5 innings in the game on Wed. and Horne closed. Then Friday Stone threw another 5 and Horne closed that one. Then Horne, not Stone started Tuesday and Friday for Columbia. Slatton closed the first 2 games of the State Tournament for them last year as well. I would say they rode 3 arms to the title game, not 1. Also, Slatton is not a projected 3rd rounder and probably won't go in the top 5 rds, but good try.

 

Limbaugh, you know you will never get the coaches from 8AAA to agree to something like this. More times than not a double elimination tournament favors Murfreesboro over 8AAA because of depth. Right now, teams like Columbia, Tullahoma, and Lioncoln Co have a legit shot at getting to a State Tournament in the current scenario but would have a far less chance of getting there in your format. Also, I would liek to know how many of those scores you posted were from AAA state tournament games.

 

I disagree. I'm an old 8AAA guy and keep up with this district. What's bad is that 7AAA and 8AAA are in the same region because they both play outstanding baseball, but Columbia has had 3 arms most of the time since Pickle's been there and many times Shelbyville and Tullahoma had sound pitching that would give anybody fits. I don't think a double elimination tournament favors 7AAA over 8AAA but if it does it's because the better team wins the series rather than riding an arm. Seems to me Stone, Horne and Slatten could have handled a double elimination tournament just as easy as the current format according to your post and their innings pitched. You sort of made Mr. Limbaugh's point.

 

I would say it's more of a problem at the A and AA level because of numbers, but AAA teams from Murfreesboro should have around the same depth as AAA teams anywhere else. We're not gonna divide baseball and basketball into 6 divisions are we?

[Hoganknows]

4 teams in baseball and softball need to advance to region play....just like basketball

[davidlimbaugh]

You have no idea what you are talking about and saying that sells that Columbia team short on what they accomplished. Stone threw a complete game on Monday against Riverdale. Slatton threw 5 innings in the game on Wed. and Horne closed. Then Friday Stone threw another 5 and Horne closed that one. Then Horne, not Stone started Tuesday and Friday for Columbia. Slatton closed the first 2 games of the State Tournament for them last year as well. I would say they rode 3 arms to the title game, not 1. Also, Slatton is not a projected 3rd rounder and probably won't go in the top 5 rds, but good try.

 

Limbaugh, you know you will never get the coaches from 8AAA to agree to something like this. More times than not a double elimination tournament favors Murfreesboro over 8AAA because of depth. Right now, teams like Columbia, Tullahoma, and Lioncoln Co have a legit shot at getting to a State Tournament in the current scenario but would have a far less chance of getting there in your format. Also, I would liek to know how many of those scores you posted were from AAA state tournament games.

 

I have had this discussion with a great baseball person, friend and coach, Coach Pickle at Columbia, for several years now.

 

I have always found the argument "Right now, teams like Columbia, Tullahoma, and Lioncoln Co have a legit shot at getting to a State Tournament in the current scenario but would have a far less chance of getting there in your format." to ring a little hollow, and I would feel that way whether I was at Riverdale or Pearl-Cohn. What that argument seems to say to me is "I just want to get there" and not "I want to win it all when I get there." Because you are saying you don't think you can win in a 4-team, double elimination tournament. What does that say about how you feel playing in a 8-team, double elimination tournament????

 

I agree with my old friend ksgovols here. You make my argument and then argue that my argument isn't valid

 

In AAA last year everyone seemed to have some pitching depth (See Columbia)

 

after first round, scores were 5-0, 9-8, 9-6, 6-2, 9-6, 11-5, 8-7, 1-0 and 2-0 (and yes, pitchers that threw on Tuesday threw on Friday)

 

All of the rest of these scores are AFTER the first game each team played.

 

2010 had a 10-4 game

 

2009 had Collierville beating Independence 11-1 in first loser's bracket game. Farragut beat Collierville later 10-0 and Bartlett beat Mt. Juliet 10-9

 

2008 gave us scores of 10-0, 13-0, 12-11, 7-1, 9-2 and a 10-6 championship game

 

2007 gave us 11-0, 10-2, 13-1, 10-6, 10-0 and a 18-7 championship game. What is strange about that year was you would think that Smyrna's first game, a 2-1 win over Houston, would have been started by Sonny Gray, but he did not pitch that game. He pitched their second game, a 6-2 loss to South Doyle, allowing 6 runs but only 1 earned. They then lost to that same Houston team 13-1. Houston then turned around and lost 10-0 to South Doyle in 5 innings.

 

2006: 13-3 was the only real 'blowout'

 

2005: 8-7, 13-3, 10-7, 12-0, 11-7 and a 9-1 state championship

 

2004: 11-3 (Columbia lost to Munford), 16-6, 12-0, 8-3, 8-1

 

2003: 10-9

 

But my rant is really aimed at 'A' because that is where the #1 getting you there and falling flat after that really shows up. 'AAA' at least has some arms that can throw the ball to the plate. Check out some of these 'A' scores:

 

2003: 12-0, 14-4

 

2004: 10-2, 14-6, 14-1, 13-3, 10-3

 

2005: 13-1, 14-2, 13-3, 11-0, 9-2 championship game

 

2006: 10-2, 17-7, 16-6, 12-2, 12-0

 

2007: 11-1, 19-1, 15-1, 12-3, 26-0, 13-2, 19-6, 13-3 championship game

 

2008: 16-10, 15-10, 9-8, 10-4 championship game

 

2009: 10-2, 14-3, 15-6, 13-2, 20-1, 18-4

 

2010: 13-0, 16-6, 10-0 championship game

 

2011: 13-3, 9-0, 12-6, 23-4

 

This isn't 'championship caliber' baseball...

Edited May 18, 2012 by davidlimbaugh

[davidlimbaugh]

4 teams in baseball and softball need to advance to region play....just like basketball

 

They do that now. Monday in 4AAA it was Siegel at Tullahoma and Columbia at Riverdale.

 

The problem is that two of those teams' season ended Monday night....

[CommanderMan]

I have had this discussion with a great baseball person, friend and coach, Coach Pickle at Columbia, for several years now.

 

I have always found the argument "Right now, teams like Columbia, Tullahoma, and Lioncoln Co have a legit shot at getting to a State Tournament in the current scenario but would have a far less chance of getting there in your format." to ring a little hollow, and I would feel that way whether I was at Riverdale or Pearl-Cohn. What that argument seems to say to me is "I just want to get there" and not "I want to win it all when I get there." Because you are saying you don't think you can win in a 4-team, double elimination tournament. What does that say about how you feel playing in a 8-team, double elimination tournament????

 

I agree with my old friend ksgovols here. You make my argument and then argue that my argument isn't valid

 

In AAA last year everyone seemed to have some pitching depth (See Columbia)

 

after first round, scores were 5-0, 9-8, 9-6, 6-2, 9-6, 11-5, 8-7, 1-0 and 2-0 (and yes, pitchers that threw on Tuesday threw on Friday)

 

All of the rest of these scores are AFTER the first game each team played.

 

2010 had a 10-4 game

 

2009 had Collierville beating Independence 11-1 in first loser's bracket game. Farragut beat Collierville later 10-0 and Bartlett beat Mt. Juliet 10-9

 

2008 gave us scores of 10-0, 13-0, 12-11, 7-1, 9-2 and a 10-6 championship game

 

2007 gave us 11-0, 10-2, 13-1, 10-6, 10-0 and a 18-7 championship game. What is strange about that year was you would think that Smyrna's first game, a 2-1 win over Houston, would have been started by Sonny Gray, but he did not pitch that game. He pitched their second game, a 6-2 loss to South Doyle, allowing 6 runs but only 1 earned. They then lost to that same Houston team 13-1. Houston then turned around and lost 10-0 to South Doyle in 5 innings.

 

2006: 13-3 was the only real 'blowout'

 

2005: 8-7, 13-3, 10-7, 12-0, 11-7 and a 9-1 state championship

 

2004: 11-3 (Columbia lost to Munford), 16-6, 12-0, 8-3, 8-1

 

2003: 10-9

 

But my rant is really aimed at 'A' because that is where the #1 getting you there and falling flat after that really shows up. 'AAA' at least has some arms that can throw the ball to the plate. Check out some of these 'A' scores:

 

2003: 12-0, 14-4

 

2004: 10-2, 14-6, 14-1, 13-3, 10-3

 

2005: 13-1, 14-2, 13-3, 11-0, 9-2 championship game

 

2006: 10-2, 17-7, 16-6, 12-2, 12-0

 

2007: 11-1, 19-1, 15-1, 12-3, 26-0, 13-2, 19-6, 13-3 championship game

 

2008: 16-10, 15-10, 9-8, 10-4 championship game

 

2009: 10-2, 14-3, 15-6, 13-2, 20-1, 18-4

 

2010: 13-0, 16-6, 10-0 championship game

 

2011: 13-3, 9-0, 12-6, 23-4

 

This isn't 'championship caliber' baseball...

 

 

 

Single A baseball is overall pretty pathetic. Most years there are only 2 or 3 quality TEAMS in all of Single A. Sure there will be many teams with a good #1 but past that there pitching staff will be awful. It's sad to get to the state tournament and look at the opposing pitcher and see that they are throwing low 70's and then you learn that is their #2 pitcher. I wish there was a way to get the best 8 teams in the state to the state tournament. Some Single A districts and regions are really bad and never produce a quality team at the tournament and that's where you see those outlandish scores. Some of these teams don't even have a good #1 if you can believe that. This is coming from someone who competed in the single A state tournament the last 4 years

[ksgovols]

No I think hoganknows is suggesting an 8 team region tournament with the top 4 seeds from each district. That would force the same format as state. For baseball, thin pitching through 3- 8 team tournaments would surely be the issue and getting all the games in on time. I still like it better than what we're doing now.

[SpringFlingGuru]

Stone won Monday,Friday, Wednesday, and got a Save Thursday in the State tournament. I wasn't knocking Columbia at all. And before you say when Slatton's going to go you may want to research it a llittle bit.

[davidlimbaugh]

No I think hoganknows is suggesting an 8 team region tournament with the top 4 seeds from each district. That would force the same format as state. For baseball, thin pitching through 3- 8 team tournaments would surely be the issue and getting all the games in on time. I still like it better than what we're doing now.

 

Gotcha! Difference is it doesn't rain in gyms and basketball games go quick....

[davidlimbaugh]

Another great example of why current format is not fair:

 

Eagleville (32-11) got a significant break before the game began. Because Mt. Pleasant’s region tournament opener was rained out and made up on Tuesday, ace right-hander and MTSU signee Garrett Ring was too arm weary to pitch against Eagleville.