elhector1

[quote name="coachdaddy" post="1044154" timestamp="1314650772"] who cares were gonna have a blast in coach pitch :P :P :P :P [/quote] Awesome, awesome answer!  That's the point.  Form pngpurpleforever's post of last year's "complaint"  Gove kid's a chance to play "real baseball"?  I remember when "real baseball" was a whole bunch of us, 18-20 kids, 9 gloves between us all, 2 bats (if we were lucky), and a ball whose stitching could go at any moment.  Bases were big rocks, trash can lids, someone's shirt, etc, and the "ball field" was an empty lot.  That was FUN!  Baseball for the pleasure of the sport was FUN!  Jason seems to want to bring that sense of excitement to an organized league.  Awesome!  Now, if only we could get daddys and mommys to realize that it is a GAME and not the future, or the franchise.  I see to many kids that played ball get burned out, not because of league officials or anything else, but because you had parents that made their kid's life their own...berating TBallers to "get off their (donkey) and play ball (that was a little girl's MOM...we told her to lay off).  Going into dugouts to berate the kid who made All Stars because he made a batting mistake.  Too many fools who think they are "helping" their kid by dumping on them. SO you all know where I come from, I was a league vice president for 1 year, president for 3 years, and a Junior League and Senior League coach for 3 years.  You won'r see my name on the record books as "coach of the year" or "dad of the year"...that wan't the point.  Seeing kids beam when they finally connected with the ball, seeing the look of surprise when little Susie or Jimmy caught the fly ball, watching smiles and tears after the game fade with the snow cone or ice cream...that is REAL baseball.  Thanks Jason...I may not know you personally, but I know your path and caring...keep it up...for all those kids, who play the game, regrardless of the "levels" all the "fantasy kid's baseball parents" want to assign.

It was a joy to watch those kids play ball...there were some awesome plays by so many of the teams, that it was more enjoyable to watch than the Major Leaguers.  Congrats to the team from Huntington Beach!

[quote name="12USelect" post="1043911" timestamp="1314631618"] My understanding from reading Jason Tyner's posts and ads, there were to be no Select Teams for fall ball this year at Ford Park.  I found one team (Astro's in 11/12 level) that have 90% Elite level players. Also the Giants are almost all Elite players and others.. Are they going to play only teams at their level? Or, decimate the teams with league mostly non-All Star non-select players. Lets be fair and give the kids a real chance. [/quote] Decimate?  I wonder if the kids on the "non-elite" teams and "non-select" teams know that you pretty much consider them trash, that in your less than humble opinion, they shouldn't even play.  Wow...it's attitudes like yours that keep me from liking select and "elite" ball.  You see, I like games like those I saw this past week in the Little League World Series.  Where kids go out and play small ball, and big ball, and you can see the evidence of joy on their faces when they play.  That's what the GAME is about for kids in this age level...it's not about their daddy's bragging rights.  So I encourage Mr. Tyner to give you your money back, and you can organize the "Beast Boy" tournament, with proceeds going to the "Daddy's Inflated Ego" fund.  I will probably get this post deleted because it seems like I'm attacking you...not really...just your attitude. 

A lot depends on the league or organization one is playing in as to bat composition, and "drop".  As to bat length, I have always heard that a bat should be long enough to reach a kid's hip from the floor.  Look up the organizations rules under "equipment".

[quote name="Sammy" post="1039635" timestamp="1314099922"] I can't stand Little League, they are RULING thierself to death, BUT, the only sporting event all year long that i cant wait to watch is the L.L. World Series.  There is pure joy and excitement in those kids faces that you dont see at ANY other level.  These kids,  from all over the world, even if they are losing are still having fun.  They won't realize for a few years exactly what they have accomplished. [/quote] I agree that you can overdo the rules, but I have seen the other side of letting adults ride kids to glory.  Tommy Johns surgery at 12, 13, or 14, kids with noodle arms at the same age because they were pitching "hosses" at a young age, and coaches were too lazy to develop more than 2 kids as pitchers.  I notice that successful teams have a lot of good arms, and part of that is enforced pitch count rules.  The no lead up to age 12 makes stealing more challenging, but not impossible. As to the joy on the faces Sammy...I agree!  I love watching the kids play, and some of the catches and plays are awesome!   

The run down and throw to first double play by Mexico with Japan threatening in the 5th was classic heads up baseball!

Since I have had a few looks, here's the questions I had... Would a player today have put up with the insults and the less than first class accomodations in today's age (no matter the ethnicity or race)? Would parents today regard the coach like the parents of then regarded coach Herrera? Though I am loathe to give anybody grief about expressing their heritage, did the comments and actions in Austin in Soccorro(El Paso)'s game for the state baseball championship belong there, with the confederate flag being waved around, and shouts such as "I speak English" directed toward high school players?  Is it part of the game, or did it go too far? Is "small ball" being ignored in favor of pitching duels and "jacks over the wall"? Please let me know if the link works...and answer the questions you want to, a question for each is not necessary... 

[Hidden Content] Being from EL Paso, I have waited for this article for a while.  While the topic of discrimination as it existed back then, and as it exists now...that is for another thread.  My question is:  Coach Herrera taught at Bowie, where the kids had little, and succeeded in taking his kids to the inagural state championship, and winning it.  He then went to Coronado, where he flet the kids didn't care.  It's not a case of ethnicities being better or worse than one another.  However, does affluence equal a reliance on what money can buy you, rather than on how hard you work?  I see arguemnts about bats and rules and other things...but can it be that we worry too much about the fluff, and not the basic abilities of coaching and working?  I have seen kids who are spoiled and monied think that this will get them through...but does it? (BTW, I don't see the Confederate flag as a problem...it's recognizing your roots, pretty much like some who wave a Mexican flag.)

Plusses and minuses of a 3-1 playoff record against 19-4A... Minuses- 1.  Kids passionate about the game come to season's end... 2.  People we don't get to discuss baseball alot with from 19-4A, like Year of he Pat, and GeeGanderDad, we'll have to wait till next season to talk to...sometimes... ;D Plusses 1.  Showing BOHICA the door...

[quote name="hitman009" post="1005995" timestamp="1304615631"] to all of those Ganders - again great season. You have nothing to hang your head about and good luck to all the SR. I wish you all the best in your feature. To all of those Bears - Congrats on the win. I am sure you played a great game and good luck to you in the next round.  I did not mean to take anything away from your performance when I was talking about your field.  I was just stating MO based on what I have seen over the past 20 years.  I did not mean to make this thread about LCM’s field.  I was trying to give Baytown Lee their props. Again good luck to all in the playoffs! [/quote] hit, you can do that without the side jab at the park...that comment would be appropriate in another forum topic, but this one was about the young men from Baytown Lee.  As a parent of a young man who played for the Bears a few years back, I understand the difficulty and heartbreak of a season ending after you enter the playoffs.  So, I join you in extending a well done to both teams. 

[quote name="bears09" post="1005967" timestamp="1304609500"] elhector  hitman is not from baytown lee.  he is a crosby guy originaly with ties to kirbyville i think. [/quote] Yep...I see that now...always a whiner about circumstances other than the actual game, ESPECIALLY when they lose.  "Small park" talk is always brought up by those who can't hit it out of a "small park".  And the "gap" argument only works if you actually know how to hit it into the gap.  If a SS cheats a little after looking at your team's hitting, the "gaps" tend to disappear...oh wait!...is that us talking about the game itself and the players instead of superflous topics like the size of a ball park?  The young men play the game...not the blowhards in the stands.  And it is to these young men on both sides of the diamond that the congratualtions for a great game played must go.  I apologize to the Gander fans for even associating you with whiffman09.

[quote name="hitman009" post="1005911" timestamp="1304600517"] yes good job... I thought yall would win... I thought there might be some trouble with LCM @ LCM and only 1 game.  they are tough at home on that cracker jack ball park of theirs. Balls fly out of there easy.  and of course the score was 2-0 with 2 solo HR.  Tough when you are a gap hitting team.  You did a great job and made 19-4a proud. [/quote] If it is such a "cracker jack park" and "balls fly out of there easy", pray tell, why didn't yours?  It could be that it was a fine preformance by two pitchers, one of whom made a couple of mistakes in an otherwise great preformance.  Always a sore loser in a bunch of otherwise fine and well mannered fans.  Great job Ganders, you fought all the way, and GREAT JOB BEARS, on the win!

A nail biter to the end...Lee sniffing around the edges of a comeback, and the Bears holding them off...GO BEARS!

As a former "Little League" board member, as well as parent, I laugh when Little League gets thrown under the bus as the "bad example".  In having and coaching a kid and team who played Little League, and then Junior and Senior League, I can tell you that the kids whose parents "expected" them to play half a game were not playing high school ball or any higher level ball.  Most of us Little League parents whose kids continued their careers in baseball had coached or participated in the running of the leagues, so we had an understanding of the difficulty a coach had in doing his job.  We understood when he had to make decisions we might not have liked, but agreed with nonetheless. No, the parents that I saw doing all the talking and complaining were the ones who had the financial investment in making their kid a "beast".  I love that word...it kind of described the kid's talent, but fit the kid's attitude to a T.  In the previous e-mail, it described a kid with the high dollar bats, uniform, gloves, etc.  That is the kid and parent I am talking about.  BECAUSE they had a financial investment, some of these parents felt that their investment in "select" meant that their kids deserved more than the "Little Leaguers".  They expected coaches to honor that investment.  The difficult job of a coach to decide who to play was made more difficult by "extremely involved" parents who had the AD's ear.  As a minister, I alseo see what is happening to our young men, and for that matter, our young women as well.  In Little League, it was sacred not to schedule games on Wednesday or Sunday, even Saturday afternoons if it could be avoided.  Now, I see kids spending more time on the diamond than in the pews.  Many parents will go, "but we go to church".  Yes, you do...but look at the time investment differential.  The spirituality and faith aspects of your child's life get 1-2 hours a week to develop...their baseball skills get 10-12 hours a week.  So, when your child develops those "big name ballplayer" habits, should it surprise you?  A good ballplayer will have a balanced life, learning humility as hard as he works at being the best ball player he can be.  He can learn how to reach beyond his limitations by learning about people in scripture who reached beyond theirs.  Those things he won't learn from watching and emulating today's crop of juicers, corkers, and dopers.  I know that I will get an earful from parents who enjoy the travel, but digest what I have said.  It used to be the tourneys were during summer...I now see them every couple of weeks.  To be sure, I see people balancing it as best as they can, but it is the system I have a problem with, not the individual kids. You ever wonder why the Dominicans were glad to play?  To them, it was still a game, not a pressure cooker.  They didn't have daddy turning 35 different shades of red, purple and blue behind the backstop.  It was a game, it is still a game, and it will continue to be a game...when we lose sight of that, we lose sight of our children as children, and instead see them as a revenue stream...and when they disappoint us, we put ALL of our disappointment on them...and that is a shame. Hector Maldonado   

Dayton vs PNG?  The whole freakin' world would run our of purple ink before that game was palyed...

Thankfully, I am here to read it...You're welcome! OS/NC1 US Navy  Frigate sailor 2 Western Pacific Cruises...once off the coast of Iran during the hostage rescue attempt, the second escorting tankers out of the Persian Gulf, right before the mine strike by the USS Samuel B. Roberts. 

And here I thought us Messicans had struggles...you ever wonder why we can't learn the language?  Just look at Snooks... :D

Hippy, Don't disagree at all...we used to make a deposit every night, and kept track of expenses.  It's not difficult. I don't disagree that if a few bring in food for various reasons that it's not a problem...but I think many of them (boards and volunteers) have seen it become a problem, which is why the signs went up.  If there was a problem before, respect the signs and the reason for them.  It oculd have been that the league was spending money to stock a concession stand, and the majority of people were bringing in food from elsewhere, causing the league to lose money, and then the "fans" were compounding the problem by throwing the trash on the ground, when trash cans were placed close to the stands.  Also, when you have folks like queenb that have a legit reason to bring in food, the "do-nothing but gripes"  see it as a right that they aren't getting...again, it goes back to the 5% rule... Come on...boards are fun!... :D  Which is why I no longer do it...I'm too danged soured on the lack of help and the abundance of complaints that would get resolved if more people helped...

[quote name="thetragichippy" post="894716" timestamp="1288717436"] [quote author=GetSome link=topic=74969.msg894618#msg894618 date=1288710989] [quote author=MoFo link=topic=74969.msg893811#msg893811 date=1288636361] Elhector you are in the wrong league, or you need to have a serious talk to your board. Last week I reffed, ran the chains, concessioned, finally got to coach, and then I got to stay late and help clean up. This is a typical game day for all of our coaches and parents [/quote] Amen & thanks MoFo!  I am sure Elharrasser was referring to me at the[b] beginning of his rant[/b]; however, I am dealing in facts, not assumptions.  I take part in all facets of participation.  Previous Board Member, Coach, Spectator, Volunteer (including cleaning, mowing, watering and striping fields) and most importantly Parent of an enthusiastic young player. [/quote] A Rant AND disgruntled parent/concession stand worker [/quote] /Board Member/Grass Cutter/Umpire...lol

[quote name="GetSome" post="894618" timestamp="1288710989"] [quote author=MoFo link=topic=74969.msg893811#msg893811 date=1288636361] Elhector you are in the wrong league, or you need to have a serious talk to your board. Last week I reffed, ran the chains, concessioned, finally got to coach, and then I got to stay late and help clean up. This is a typical game day for all of our coaches and parents [/quote] Amen & thanks MoFo!  I am sure Elharrasser was referring to me at the beginning of his rant; however, I am dealing in facts, not assumptions.  I take part in all facets of participation.  Previous Board Member, Coach, Spectator, Volunteer (including cleaning, mowing, watering and striping fields) and most importantly Parent of an enthusiastic young player. [/quote] Then, Get Some, I apologize...you are like the queenb, in that you put in the time in the non-glamorous positions as well as coaching...however...how many have you seen just like the guy who I first noted?  Not just football, but any league?  Some of them think you have to bow down to them because they are coaches.  Work the fields, work the concession stand, pick up trash...it's about the kids... Like I told queenb...maybe I just got tired of the ones who thought just paying their money and showing up gave them an excuse to be idiots.   

[quote name="queenb77630" post="893918" timestamp="1288643480"] We were there during that time!!!!!  Yep, I know who you are.  I see Nellie every now and again.  I see her daughter a lot when I stop by (Name withheld) to buy a soda.  After TCLL went under (or whatever you call it), the boys played in BCLL for several years.  My youngest (the football player now) decided Baseball was not for him so he quit.  My oldest played there until he hit high school and now plays strictly for the school. [/quote] good deal queenb!  Yeah,,,the money just wasn't there for the repairs, and the county further complicated the problem by allowing hurricane debris to be dumped there without the league's permission.  Like I said before, too many complainer and very littel doers like you and the few who helped...

[quote name="queenb77630" post="893895" timestamp="1288642350"] elhector: I think I know who you are!!!  My kids played for Wesco, then TCLL, and moved to BCLL when TCLL was no more! :o [/quote] After Rita, the electricity was so torn up, that the concession stand couldn't operate.  The president at the time, scheduled afternoon games, and cooked on a pit, sold drinks out of an ice cooler, all so a season could take place.  Guess what? ... We had people, who were electricians, complain and moan about not playing night games...I guess that is why I get so bent out of shape at times... I was there for 3 years, I think it was from 2000-2003 as the league president and bottle washer, then coached Junior and Senior league for 3 years...I hate to see the park in such disrepair, and I hate to see Little League affiliated baseball gone from Orange...but the money isn't there anymore to fix things...where is Extreme Home Makeover when you need them...?...lol

queenb, Nellie burgers at Twin County Little League...links at Pop Warner Cobra games, I have been in the concession stands of both, and seen the work we put into it...but I see your points...we used to carry Diet drinks at TCLL... I guess most of us that comment, with notable exceptions, are the "5%ers"...those that work 100% of the time, so the other 95% can sit and complain...100% of the time...

No doubt, y'all, that there are a lot of things out there that are good... Queenb, thanks for picking up...I should have included that in my original post, but didn't.  There is nothing more IGNORANT that picking up Taco Bell, McDonald's, BK, etc...trash from people who complain and moan about the league, but will do nothing to help it...picking up trash helps A LOT... and mikelbene...ummm...RUDE.  You are probalby one of the lazies, that is much worse than the people you mention...future posts of your will be ignored, as you bring nothing to the table but idiocy...have a nice life!

We have to do it somewhere that allows alcohol sales...tequila shooters. a mud pit, and angriest, toughest, craziest football mamas, single elimination, winner take all... ;D And I KNOW td knows some mamas that could compete, heck, take the first prize!