Dumb New Format

[SquatchU]

This new baseball format makes about as much sense as a screen door on a submarine.

This rain is now going to force teams to change their entire strategy for region/sectionals because some yahoos who don’t coach think they are smarter than everyone else.

Did you ever think about rain? Or smaller schools who don’t have resources as other schools?

The Region window needs to start sooner. If the TSSAA would have allowed schools to play Wednesday or Thursday given the forecast for yesterday and today we wouldn’t be in these predicaments.

But I am sure that one school who pushed this so much enjoys it because they got their nice shiny turf field so it doesn’t affect them. 

[ghost]

Agree, the format is alright, but the region should have started Monday, this would give room to move games and adjust for weather. Also something that most have not thought of, lets say Saturday in the loser's bracket a team is in a do or die situation and their #1 pitcher throws 106 pitches to send his team to Sectionals. That pitcher will not be eligible until Thursday of the sectionals meaning his team would have to win 1 of 2 on Wednesday for that player to get back on the mound. The format is not bad but the timing of it is not good at all.

[thegreatwhite1]

Coaches knew all season when the region tournaments began so it’s completely up to them when to hold their district tournaments being that the TSSAA has nothing to do with those. Gripe at your coach or district coaches, not the TSSAA. This is a much better format than the previous format. I’m a little partial to the old Final Four format where you had to win Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to make the Spring Fling. Seeing teams “celebrate” being the Region Runner up is a microcosm of the participation trophy generation that is here to stay IMO. 

[XBOX]

On 5/13/2023 at 6:08 AM, ghost said:

Agree, the format is alright, but the region should have started Monday, this would give room to move games and adjust for weather. Also something that most have not thought of, lets say Saturday in the loser's bracket a team is in a do or die situation and their #1 pitcher throws 106 pitches to send his team to Sectionals. That pitcher will not be eligible until Thursday of the sectionals meaning his team would have to win 1 of 2 on Wednesday for that player to get back on the mound. The format is not bad but the timing of it is not good at all.

TSSAA isn't going to add a week.  They want baseball done ASAP.......get out of the way...........so now baseball is forced to move up their district tournaments to get them completed by the TSSAA set date.  This means baseball loses a whole week of that long 7-week regular season.  

I have been vocal about being against this new format.  Too many games in too short a period on small schools with small resources.  We said it from the beginning....................factor in rain!!!!!  Factor in Graduations!!!  Factor in financial issues.  
"THEY" say it is a series sport?  I am not disagreeing with that at all, but there are other factors that have to be examined.  
The calendar for starters.  
I spoke with an AD who was trying to figure out if their regional game was going to be played because the host school wasn't being very communicative.  The reason for the importance was "We are 2 1/2 hours one way and if we are rained out then why spend the money on hotel rooms.  This is an expensive thing."  

Hey, what about Florida?  Unless something has changed recently, their postseason format was single elimination (like the NCAA Basketball Tournament).  Play and win on Monday...........next round will be next Monday........and so on once a week till final four.  I am not saying that is the way to go or that I even like that, but just throwing it out that a hotbed baseball state like Florida played its postseason weekly,, not cram it in a few days.

#SundayMorningCoffeeRambling

[ghost]

Once again the format is not terrible, it does put a lot of stress on smaller schools. This is my main concern the Region Tournament and the Sectionals are to close to each other. The TSSAA set Regions for Friday and Saturday that gives you no room for weather, because even with good weather a team could possibly lose 2 pitchers to be available for The sectionals on Wednesday. Give the Region Tournament the full week to play then everyone that makes the sectionals would be at full strength. Another concern is the financial concern, for the host school, a three man crew for 5 games plus mileage is over $1500 and TSSAA gets 18% off the top, most of the small schools will lose money hosting, not to mention paying book keeper, announcers, and gate workers.

My suggestion would be Monday District #1's host first round games, Tuesday Winners play at higher seed or host year, losers same situation. Wednesday Losers bracket final. All teams have a full week rest before Sectionals.

[davidlimbaugh]

We need to get TSSAA to start season a week earlier....

[crazzyness]

11 hours ago, davidlimbaugh said:

We need to get TSSAA to start season a week earlier....

You've normally got some pretty darn good takes sir, but imma have to absolutely disagree on this particular one. 

In a perfect world, IMO, baseball would begin alittle later, and the TSSAA would finally concede that trying to have everything wrapped up before June is just too compressed, and have baseball continue after traditional school ending dates. I'd really like to see the regular season start a week or two later, wrap up the regular season the Thursday or Friday prior to Memorial Day, then come back and crank up the post season after the holiday weekend. 

 

I mean, in Tennessee, we play regular season football for 11 weeks, regular season basketball for 13 weeks (and a post season that lasts over a month,) and regular season baseball for (checks notes) 7 weeks?!??!?     

That's absolutely ludicrous, trying to get in a 30-40 game regular season PLUS the entirety of the post season in only 10 1/2 weeks. All the while, basketball gets nearly 19 weeks for a 25-30 game regular season and postseason. Baseball in this state is just entirely far too compressed. 

 

*Edit* 

After rereading what I typed, I suppose we could also help things out if we didn't drag basketball out for 4 1/2 months in this state.

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by crazzyness

[Summit22]

On 5/13/2023 at 8:35 AM, SquatchU said:

This new baseball format makes about as much sense as a screen door on a submarine.

This rain is now going to force teams to change their entire strategy for region/sectionals because some yahoos who don’t coach think they are smarter than everyone else.

Did you ever think about rain? Or smaller schools who don’t have resources as other schools?

The Region window needs to start sooner. If the TSSAA would have allowed schools to play Wednesday or Thursday given the forecast for yesterday and today we wouldn’t be in these predicaments.

But I am sure that one school who pushed this so much enjoys it because they got their nice shiny turf field so it doesn’t affect them. 

They were allowed to play the region tournaments on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Region 2A played all of their games on Wednesday and Thursday before the rain came in on Friday. I know both district 3A & 4A played their district tournaments a week early forcing all of the teams to cancel their regular season games scheduled for the first week of May, so their system seemed to work this year as they were able to beat the weather. 

[howdoitknow]

15 hours ago, davidlimbaugh said:

We need to get TSSAA to start season a week earlier....

I've long said that the TSSAA should start their season a week earlier and should end their season a week earlier.  A lot of school systems have already graduated their seniors by the time the State Tournament rolls around and it really takes away from the atmosphere.  The high school Spring Fling should not butt into Memorial Day Weekend.  

[BelmontRebel]

On 5/13/2023 at 7:35 AM, SquatchU said:

This new baseball format makes about as much sense as a screen door on a submarine.

This rain is now going to force teams to change their entire strategy for region/sectionals because some yahoos who don’t coach think they are smarter than everyone else.

Did you ever think about rain? Or smaller schools who don’t have resources as other schools?

The Region window needs to start sooner. If the TSSAA would have allowed schools to play Wednesday or Thursday given the forecast for yesterday and today we wouldn’t be in these predicaments.

But I am sure that one school who pushed this so much enjoys it because they got their nice shiny turf field so it doesn’t affect them. 

There were several Regions that started Thursday.  You do realize they can start when they want to. TSSAA doesn't decide this.  Maybe check up on stuff.  Plus, just about everybody will be ready for Sectionals on Wednesday anyway.  

[BelmontRebel]

16 hours ago, davidlimbaugh said:

We need to get TSSAA to start season a week earlier....

What good would that do?  The window to finish would just be pushed up earlier too.  Everyone will be ready for Sectionals on Wednesday.  

[ghost]

5 minutes ago, BelmontRebel said:

There were several Regions that started Thursday.  You do realize they can start when they want to. TSSAA doesn't decide this.  Maybe check up on stuff.  Plus, just about everybody will be ready for Sectionals on Wednesday anyway.  

The TSSAA does decide the dates, region participants must agree and get TSSAA approval to move.