elhector1

How about a plexiglass walkway from the ballpark to the parking lot? It's easier for us to clean up afterwards, since eggs and other muck doesn't stick to it. ;D You know those fans from OTHER schools...lol...just kiddin' guys... This has been a project that has results that can be seen. It is a definite plus for everyone, and enhances an already great place to play baseball. Thanks to all the coaches and parents who participated in this, especially Patty Cloeren, who was a moving force for the beautification.

Tim Barry started for LCM.

Now, all of us having vented... How many are going to go out there and see our Bears play ball? [move][glow=green,2,300]ME![/glow][/move] ;D

I understand...it is frustrating for mr as well. The boys know who is giving effort, and who is in cruise mode, and I think that they will have a heart to heart with each other, and clear the air, and get back on the horse. Would I like to see mine get more playing time? I would be a d**n liar if I said no. But, having coached kids in Junior and Senior League, I also understand the difficulties Coach Griff has in making those decisions. And in saying that, I give him my confidence, regardless of how much time my son sees. The team is more important, and my son has said that same exact thing.

I guess this is one of the things I was worried about...the "kick 'em while they're down" attitude. It's understandable, but at the same time, when you bring change, it should be as a motivational move, not as a "punishment" for struggling. I want the team to succeed, as a team, and not just see change for the sake of change. It requires a lot of maturity for a kid to say, "hey coach, I need to be moved in the line-up, I'm struggling here" or another to say "hey coach, can you put me into pitch as a reliever instead of a starter, I'm more comfortable that way." It also requires a straightforward, frank self-assessment of strengths and weaknesses. All this has to be accomplished in a short amount of time. The great thing is, if anyone can turn around this group, Griff can. I look for a great game on Friday.

I'm not touching that one. I do have a real question though ? What happened @ LCM in just a week's time ? I'm talking about last week, I'm reading posts that "our boys are so focused on playing as a team that we can't post our HR stats...because we are a team, etc., etc. And there is certainly nothing wrong with that. That's just one example. A week later I'm reading about selfish players who don't want to get dirty....play guys that want to win, etc. I will say that I do not believe that this game was indicative of the team and talent that LCM has. As an outsider, I look for LCM to bounce back. I guess that's why I ask my question....maybe there's something "an outsider" isn't seeing...I don't know...Just seems a little odd to go from one extreme to the other in a week. Just my two cents. To quote a popular movie (Top Gun) "That MIG really shook him up"...change "MIG" to "PNG" and "him" to "them". It's like a strong punch to the head...not enough to knock you out, but enough to ring your bell. Some of our guys seem to be lethargic, and MAYBE a couple of pine splinters will release them from their grogginess. Regardless, no matter who Coach Griff plays, he will play to win. I guess some of our own fans have seen the struggles, and many times in our own kids, that they want the team to refocus as a team. It'll come back...

actually, bronco1, you just said what I was going to say. Dayton played with PASSION. I don't know who was at first base, but I remember a couple of high throws where his 5ft ?in frame stretched to Shaquille O'Neal proportions. The center fielder had some wheels on him, as I remember hard shots into the gaps being snagged by him. Herrera came up big with the grand slam. Your team had the fire ours didn't and it showed... Your fans were pretty good ecept for that one guy..but hey...y'all had reason to celebrate. One question though...why are you asking for repect for your baseball team, when you have a big picture of your football team on your reply page? This is baseball season...lol... ;D much love, bronco1, much love...

Or maybe let some of the guys who have sat and watched, aching for a chance to make a difference, give it a shot. Then again, that is the selfish side of me talking. Griff will coach like he always does...to have a successful season, and post season, which is how a coach should coach To my Bears... Where has your inspiration gone? Did you beleive yourselves to be giants, and when you were knocked down, decide that it all was no longer worth it? A successful man, a winner, is not the one who never fails, but the one who, after failure, gets back up, and finds a reason to fight again. You, gentlemen, have been knocked down...it is here where you decide to get back up and fight again, or stay down and give up...your choice... Seniors... Lead! It is up to you to inspire this TEAM. You have the experience of having gone through all the difficulties and struggles of sophmore and JV, Show the others lead, even though they may not want to follow, you are the team's leaders, and that leadership is needed NOW! Your season can be the next three games, or the next three games, and a post season slot. YOU DECIDE! Bears... You are not Briseno, Garza, Gunn, Jones, Maldonado, Pousson, Richard, Richard, Viator, Barry, Brown, Cloeren, Derouen, Estes, Johnson, Leger, Thompson, Waddell, Landry, and Vaughn. When you put on that uniform, you are BEARS. As such, you play for the team, not for yoursleves. Sit down, find your sense of unity, and come out as a team, not as a bunch of guys who called each other to coordinate their clothes every Tuesday and Friday. If you feel you have no inspiration to play, let your coaches know...I think they would rather have a guy out there with a little less skill but a whole lot of wanna trying to win a game, than a hoss who could care less. YOU DECIDE! You know, it is said that one of the most dangerous animals is a wounded grizzly...it will fight to keep from getting hurt again or dying. The mascot you have is a proud one...live up to it. YOU DECIDE! Friday, a dangerous dog comes into YOUR HOUSE, Will it leave a pit bull, or a whipped chihuahua? YOU DECIDE! Friday, you will honor Victoria and Corbin. The greatest honor you can give them is to leave everything on the field every game from here on out. YOU DECIDE! Were the Bears a flash in the pan? Or are the Bears a force to be reckoned with the rest of the season and beyond? YOU DECIDE!

Not even that, Blue...uhhhh, MrUmp1. I HAVE called Little League games, and if you want to see people that actually foam at the mouth... Again, There are times when a coach has the right and the responsibility to his team to question a call, or to ask for a different perspective from another umpire. A coach also has the right and responsibility to question a strike zone IF IT IS CALLED INCONSISTENTLY. That is the coach. As fans, we can talk all we want about strike zones, but to tell you the truth, unless you are squatting right there, behind that catcher, there is no way we will ever know from 20 feet away whether it was there or not. Should blue ask the batter not to squat down in the batter's box? Should blue ask a batter to move back in the batter's box? Should blue ask the catcher to remain rooted in place? NO! All that is part of the game and strategy. Strike zones are a matter of judgment and perspective, and as long as that remains consistent, then GAME ON!

For us in the stands, it is always a beautiful strike if it's our guy pitching, or a ball (in th EXACT SAME PLACE) if it's the opponent's pitcher. We can always call it from the stands. That is why most of us are "bleacher umpires". I think that MrUmp1 has defined what the strike zone is. He has also explained why there seems to be some differences in what is called, namely a human perspective. If you want, we can install millions of dollars worth of equipment in every single ballpark, so the calls can be perfect...rriiiiiiiggghhht..... When a ball is coming in your general direction at the speed in which even some of our high school hosses throw, then an umpire must do these things all at once... 1.) Suppress the survival instinct of jumping out of the way, since the catcher in front of him has been known to swat at a ball, instead of stopping it with his body, thereby putting the ability to continue the family name of said ump in jeopardy; 2.) judge the height of said speeding object at the exact moment it crosses the plate; 3.) judge the placement between the black lines of home plate of same speeding object at the SAME TIME as he is judging height; 4.) call "strike" or "ball" within the fan allotted time of 3.2 nanoseconds 5.) Do all the above PERFECTLY, EVERY SINGLE TIME. I, as a fan, reserve the right to scream "Come on Blue!" when I am not happy with a call. I, as a fan, have the right to ask for consistency from an umpire. I, as a fan, reserve the right to call the strike zone from the bleachers. However... I, as a fan, DO NOT have the right to think myself capable of perfection, when I have not donned the steel toed "mailmans" which every umpire is shod with.

Brown started, Waddell came in in the 4th, did a great job holding Ozen to no runs all the innings he pitched.

Props to one of THE dominant pitchers in the distruct, DD Lott. He shut our Bears down, but they showed some fire late in the comeback attempt. Yjay fire needs to remain for the rest of the season for the Bears, but increased 10 fold. Don't pay attention to us dads and moms on here, listen to your coaches. The 2 of them have the experience to take you far. That, coupled with a renewed intensity on your part, will insure that we make the playoffs and progress further. This loss can go one of 2 ways...it can devastate you, or it can make you reach even higher. I have every confidence that the latter will be the case...GO BEARS!

Not to make it seem like only a few contribute to a team effort, but which Pirates stood out? Saw a lot of them grow up with my middle child at Twin County LL.

Brings tears to my eyes, seeing an El Paso team on 5A there...hometown...oh, uh, yeah, uh...GO BEARS!

Also a close score, but in the Bears favor...5-3

Is it me, or are the Jags like a sleeping giant, waking up late for the spoiler role...?

I will give my props to the Indians. They played a great game, and Harrington pitched a great game as well. What about my Bears? I can't say a whole lot, and as it is, I am sure that coaches Griff and Stephenson have already said it. They know what their strengths are, and what they have to work on. Our Bears will come out of this, and be ready for their next opponent. As for me, I will still be out there screaming for our team, because I am a fan, no, a fanatic, and have every confidence that the Battlin' Bears will be doing exactly that for the rest of the season.

Agreed bearfan. I look for the Bears to rebound after yesterday, and fight a very determined opponent. Bears 4-2 winners over the Tribe, but it will be a nail biter to the very end, so us fellas that have short nails might want to go get a fake set, else we will be chewing actual finger instead of nail...

Central came to play ball. The Jags were doing good putting the bat on the ball, and we had some untimely errors at the worst times. It was a nail biter all the way down to the end, and the Bears did battle, and come away with the win. I have to give props to the Jags, because they were ready for this game. I beleive Thomas, jersey #2, the starting pitcher, went 4 for 4 or 5 for 5. All in all, a really good game, and another example of playing mentally ready every night in this district.

To quote my good buddy Sgt Schultz..."I know nothing, I zee nothing,"... Wonder how many are going to jump on the last part of that last quote?...lol...

Eh...I beg to differ. I have seen at least one game in which a coach just "went off" on an umpire who was right on top of the play. I'm talking no obstructions to the line of sight, and saw the play as it happened, and I know simply because we were standing like 15 feet away from 1st base where the call was made. Sometimes, a coach has to stand up for his kids in what seems like a "questionable" judgement call. Notice that most umpires handle it pretty well, and have rarley ejected even really vehement objections. Like MrUmp1 said...part of the game.

Our team is concentrating on Central tonight...Too many teams in this district find out too late about the level of play, even from teams whose fortunes have been bad as of late. We'll look at it one game at a time, and I'll leave the crystal ball gazing and "whoomp there it is!" thing to y'all. Go Bears!

where you see games "played under protest" is in Little League. The reason for the protest is noted, and the method is outlined in the LL umpire rules. Remember, this post applies to Little League International only, and not to Dixie Youth or any other youth baseball program. In my experience, the few protests that were filed were usually subjective p***ing contests, and usually showed coaches and fans backsides, rather than actually solving something weird that had happened. As mrump1 stated, judgement calls were NOT grounds for protesting a game. Rather, a bat that was too big (usually noticed after some kid had gotten a couple of good hits), a glove that was 1/2 an inch too big, or a 12 year old that was shaving...usually found at NSLL or NNLLL... ;D...just kidding guys, much love, much love

thanks bear...we get to go to the game now.

Must be a dang short fence...lol...