Sectional Process

[901Hoops850]

It is a shame that the TSSAA did not adopt the revisions to the sectional round. A single game of that magnitude ending a season should have been immediately changed. baseball is not like football, basketball, and soccer. A dominant pitcher is more valuable than the best player in the other sports. A pitcher has the ball is their hands at least half of the game. No other sport can argue that. Why should a champion in baseball be handled the same way?

For example, Brighton and Houston met in the sectional last year. Houston had the better team. Had they played 10 times, using 10 different pitchers, Houston would have won 8 or 9. Brighting threw a pitcher that Houston could not touch. Brighton won the game, advanced to state and lost their first two games. There is not telling how Houston would have faired at state, but had Houston and Brighton played a Best of 3, Houston would not have lost twice. 

Basketball, football, and soccer have a good system in place. A dominant player in these sports is not as valuable to the team as a dominant pitcher is in baseball. The system should have been changed when it was discussed. Why was it tabled?

[BelmontRebel]

I guess Houston should have had a dominant pitcher as well.  

[731Ball]

On 4/18/2022 at 12:43 AM, 901Hoops850 said:

It is a shame that the TSSAA did not adopt the revisions to the sectional round. A single game of that magnitude ending a season should have been immediately changed. baseball is not like football, basketball, and soccer. A dominant pitcher is more valuable than the best player in the other sports. A pitcher has the ball is their hands at least half of the game. No other sport can argue that. Why should a champion in baseball be handled the same way?

For example, Brighton and Houston met in the sectional last year. Houston had the better team. Had they played 10 times, using 10 different pitchers, Houston would have won 8 or 9. Brighting threw a pitcher that Houston could not touch. Brighton won the game, advanced to state and lost their first two games. There is not telling how Houston would have faired at state, but had Houston and Brighton played a Best of 3, Houston would not have lost twice. 

Basketball, football, and soccer have a good system in place. A dominant player in these sports is not as valuable to the team as a dominant pitcher is in baseball. The system should have been changed when it was discussed. Why was it tabled?

It is a terrible set up. One good pitcher can literally get you to state, but one only good pitcher gets you killed at state.

[901Hoops850]

5 hours ago, BelmontRebel said:

I guess Houston should have had a dominant pitcher as well.  

Perhaps. Great insight BelmontRebel. Smart guy!

[RodgerDodger32]

Just about every other state does 3 game series. I think it would definitely help getting the best teams to state instead of the best pitcher. 

[BelmontRebel]

19 hours ago, 901Hoops850 said:

Perhaps. Great insight BelmontRebel. Smart guy!

Ok in all seriousness, So Brighton won that game but you think Houston would have been any better the 2nd or 3rd game? Brighton won 4-1.  I say Brighton wins either of the next two games.  

 

[BelmontRebel]

On 4/18/2022 at 12:43 AM, 901Hoops850 said:

It is a shame that the TSSAA did not adopt the revisions to the sectional round. A single game of that magnitude ending a season should have been immediately changed. baseball is not like football, basketball, and soccer. A dominant pitcher is more valuable than the best player in the other sports. A pitcher has the ball is their hands at least half of the game. No other sport can argue that. Why should a champion in baseball be handled the same way?

For example, Brighton and Houston met in the sectional last year. Houston had the better team. Had they played 10 times, using 10 different pitchers, Houston would have won 8 or 9. Brighting threw a pitcher that Houston could not touch. Brighton won the game, advanced to state and lost their first two games. There is not telling how Houston would have faired at state, but had Houston and Brighton played a Best of 3, Houston would not have lost twice. 

Basketball, football, and soccer have a good system in place. A dominant player in these sports is not as valuable to the team as a dominant pitcher is in baseball. The system should have been changed when it was discussed. Why was it tabled?

 

On 4/18/2022 at 12:43 AM, 901Hoops850 said:

It is a shame that the TSSAA did not adopt the revisions to the sectional round. A single game of that magnitude ending a season should have been immediately changed. baseball is not like football, basketball, and soccer. A dominant pitcher is more valuable than the best player in the other sports. A pitcher has the ball is their hands at least half of the game. No other sport can argue that. Why should a champion in baseball be handled the same way?

For example, Brighton and Houston met in the sectional last year. Houston had the better team. Had they played 10 times, using 10 different pitchers, Houston would have won 8 or 9. Brighting threw a pitcher that Houston could not touch. Brighton won the game, advanced to state and lost their first two games. There is not telling how Houston would have faired at state, but had Houston and Brighton played a Best of 3, Houston would not have lost twice. 

Basketball, football, and soccer have a good system in place. A dominant player in these sports is not as valuable to the team as a dominant pitcher is in baseball. The system should have been changed when it was discussed. Why was it tabled?

DII plays 2/3 substate - aren't there too many teams in D1 to do that?  Wouldn't it drag out the playoffs even longer?  IDK. 

[crazzyness]

13 hours ago, BelmontRebel said:

 

DII plays 2/3 substate - aren't there too many teams in D1 to do that?  Wouldn't it drag out the playoffs even longer?  IDK. 

Everyone here has valid points. The one game thing is a total crapshoot, there's no doubt about it. On the flip side, the travel is absolutely atrocious for some substate games. Say last year (before reclassification) you could have had a substate matchup of Lookout Valley at Cloudland. Travel for a 3 game series would either require ridiculous amounts of milage, or Lookout Valley having to to put up 20 kids (and parents/family members/fans) in a hotel somewhere.

The only "fair" way to deal with that would be a centralized location, and have a sectional tournament between the top 2 finishers in each region, like they did in basketball in the 90s. Of course, that takes away the home field advantage for winning your own Region, which I absolutely love.

There's no real good way around it.

[tradertwo]

14 hours ago, crazzyness said:

Everyone here has valid points. The one game thing is a total crapshoot, there's no doubt about it. On the flip side, the travel is absolutely atrocious for some substate games. Say last year (before reclassification) you could have had a substate matchup of Lookout Valley at Cloudland. Travel for a 3 game series would either require ridiculous amounts of milage, or Lookout Valley having to to put up 20 kids (and parents/family members/fans) in a hotel somewhere.

The only "fair" way to deal with that would be a centralized location, and have a sectional tournament between the top 2 finishers in each region, like they did in basketball in the 90s. Of course, that takes away the home field advantage for winning your own Region, which I absolutely love.

There's no real good way around it.

You're right, but the current system of "you can afford to lose in district, region, and state, but not sectionals" isn't exactly a real good way to do it either.

[tradertwo]

On 4/20/2022 at 8:42 AM, RodgerDodger32 said:

Just about every other state does 3 game series. I think it would definitely help getting the best teams to state instead of the best pitcher. 

Bingo...we have a winner! If the objective of the tournament is that the best team advance at every level until only one team is left, a three game series is a good answer. Increasing the state level participation from 8 to 16 would be another, and forget sectionals altogether.

[OldTownRoad]

Districts should be a double elimination tournament of some sorts (that wouldn't be much of a change from now)

Regions could be winner of even district playing runner up of odd district (and vice versa) in a two game series at a neutral site (district winner only has to win one) in semifinals. Championship would be at same site in best of three for the right to go to state tournament. Reduces travel, keeps similar number of games. Only bad thing is sometimes a good region with two great teams only gets one to state.

[MichaelMyers76]

District tournaments are not even required now. Each district decides how to come up with two teams for the region tournament. They can vote to just send the top two regular season teams if they want to. Some let the regular season winner get an automatic bid to the region. Some don't. No requirement to play a tournament until the region. They could always just eliminate the district tournament altogether. How many of you would cry then?