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How is svbooda (sp) doing? Is he back to throwing yet?

Now those OF doubters will get their wish.

Sort of I guess.  But LCM and BH are both in the same boat as far as district games tues. fri. and tues. So you won't see either teams number 1 or 2 I would guess maybe not even number 3.  But this should really benefit all three teams as the season goes forward. Also I don't really think OF has anything to prove.  They are ranked in the state and are off to a great start.  Any doubters you guys have are in your own district, and guess what, you get to play those guys.

Have seen them both several times; will predict that Nederland will win.

Good point.  Should be a real good game.  Even though they are probably both playing for second.  Nederland looks to be the head of the class.

Just to clarify the argument about the fielders choice/infield single.  There is no judgement call.  If the fielder chooses to make an attempt at a different base other than first there is no hit awarded.  Regardless of the out come of the play.  I have seen many infield hits lost because of this. As for the official book.  There is not one at highschool games.  I can promise you the guy in the press box keeping the score is not keeping a book. At most parks (not BC I know) it is a kid or someones dad who didn't mind sitting up there to watch the game.

As to the game wow.  Both teams showed up big time.  Atmoshpere was great. About as close to playoff type as you will get for this early in the year. Not really having a team to route for it was exiting just to watch every pitch.  Seemed like the game could have turned either way for 7+ innings.  Sure whish BC was still in 4A.  These two teams would be fun to watch play 2 out of 3 in about the regional finals.

I have seen both teams play.  Seems to me both are about even talent wise.  That being said, LCM seems to be lacking that fire in the belly LCM teams have been known for in the past.  BC on the other hand seem to be the obvious number one team in the area. Other than the two losses to Nederland they have been very impressive.

Tournaments have always been an avenue to prepare for district. It is fun to try and win a "championship" but the bottom line is it doesn't mean a whole lot.  It feels good for Sunday, but by Monday it is over. Some of the local tournaments declared champions and it was a round robbin format where everyone doesn't even play everyone else. Bottom line all local schools got to play a bunch of games and all should begin to round into district form soon. Those are the games that really count.

lcm wins the most disrespectful team

if you are going to post that remark, you should back it up with some facts... i doubt the bear coaches would be disrespectful or put up with any disrespect by their players. 

coaches werentg around ans yes lcm was very classless....croaby was a very good team, they might not of won but they are a solid team

Could someone explain this last post for me?

Eagle- I went back and reread some of your posts, and I thought you were being a little more negative towards the highschool programs than you were, so I apologize.  I do however think that perhaps you and patriot have had the misfortune of dealing with some of the lesser coaches in highschool.  I can asure you that many of your concerns are not problems at some of the more successful programs.

I think it is ok for coaches to go watch some of the kids that will be coming his way in the future.  But I do not agree with him going out to watch for the reasons you guys list.  DAD, the little league coach, has been playing him at SS and batting him 3rd since he was wearing diapers.  The assitant coaches son is hitting clean up and pitching.

No high school coach cares where these kids played in little league.  No high school coach cares who was the best in little league.  All they care about who is the best player now!  (and believe me it is rarely the one that was the best in little league)

One guy wrote, "select makes players better".   This may be or may not be the truth. I do know one thng I believe is truth.  Select does not make our local high school teams better.

Local examples:

In the eighties and ninties the Houston area schools were ahead of us and already playing selcet ball.  Our local playoff teams rolled though Houston like a steam roller after spending the entire year practicing and playing here at home. (TOGETHER) We had a rep in Austin about ten years running.  We had teams from the same district playing all of the way through the bracket and meeting in the region finals.

Select baseball moved into SETEX and our local high school teams have fallen off of the map.  You take the best kids (three or four) off of 8 teams in the area and you just left 8 local high school teams playing in a weak pony league.

When is the last playoff run that we have had in 4A or 5A?  When is the last top ten team that we have had in 4A or 5A?  When is the last team that we had that competed to go to Austin? Don't say Jasper either because they play together year round.  

I am sure you are going to be able to name a school or two that beat the recent trend, but the name of that school will not be Westbrook, it will not be Nederland, it will not be Vidor, it will not be Lumberton, it will not be LCM, it will not be Ozen, it will not be PNG, it will not be Dayton, it will not be Barbers Hill, and it will not be Livingston.

Baseball and basketball!  Play together or you will lose.  That is just an honest opinion of a retiredoldcoach.

Barbers Hill made a run in '07 to the Region III semi-finals....were #8 in one of the final state rankings. 

Hales and Campbell played for SE Texas SunDevils, Thamm for the Houston Heat, Silva w/ the Knights and Magic, Garner w/ the Knights in the summer season.    Oops, forgot..Rocha w/ the Knights and Kelley w/ the Ft Bend Texans.  I think it would be great if an entire high school team could play off-season together. Back in my day, this was against UIL regs. Has this changed ?

Not trying to start anything, but you may have just proved retiredoldcoaches' point.  Because how did that group fair in 08 when most where seniors?

Where could you get the complete list?

1. Nederland- I know some of you think I am crazy, but they have the pitching and experience to go a long way this year.

2. Westbrook- The areas only 5a is going to always be at the top and this year their young, but very talented as always.

3. PNG- There is no more talented team in the area. I would just give the other two teams a slight edge in the pitching department  thus they finish third in my poll.

4. Bridge City- Perhaps the best player in the area. New coach who is second to none. They should be almost dominante in 3a, but I would give these larger schools the edge in depth.

5. Vidor- Hester is perhaps the best in 4a therefore they have a good chance everytime out.  How the other guys respond will determine where they finish, but I predict near the top in that disstrict.

6. Orangefield- Felts and Satum are perhaps the best combo in the area and will give BC all they want.

7. LCM- Pitching and defense wins championships which is why the Bears will finish 4th again this year.

8. Jasper- New district, but same result.  Which is Jasper near the top.

9. Lumberton- I know there are some nonbelievers in Lumberton, but this is Coach Reynga's third season. Look for the raiders to turn the corner and compete for the playoffs for the first time in a while.

10. Hamshire Fannett- They were young and very fast last year.  This year with a little experience they should be a playoff team.

OK. BOJOFB her is you a why not. As discussed before "Pitching"

PNG-Benoit, Spikes and others

Vidor-Hester, Simms and others

Nederland-Belows, Dean and many others

LCM has the same group they had last year that finished tied for fourth. Which is where I see them finishing this year. There has been much hype around this group at LCM for a while, but I haven't seen them accomplish much yet. Time will tell but I wouldn't put them in with PNG, Nederland, and Vidor this year until they prove it. But remember 4 teams go to the playoffs this year.

Surely Dan Perrine of the oleader is mistaken about there being a running clock in the second half of a varsity game????????????

.

I think this is just the beginning of this type of thing happening. He has been rumored to be leaving BC for Barbe since after his freshman year. I think with so many players playing on select teams and traveling all over the country instead of playing with their local teams it has opened the door for kids and families to do just these things. THIS is just the beginning.

What you are talking about has gone on for years. Kids move to a school that is rich in tradition and winning to play and be recognized. It was happening to WOS in the 80's and 90's. I'm not saying that is what Matt is doing because I don't know.

Yeah, we all know that no one gets recognized at BC???  It was a selfish move, unlike most of you posting, I heard the reasons for leaving strait from him and all of them were selfish!!!  What happend to team loyalty and home town pride????  His teammates that he has played with all his life depended on him and he dumped on them with two seasons to go because of better facilities and a coach giving him a line strait of of the used car salesmans handbook!!  Does Barbe actually think that they won't get investigated for recruiting him?  And when the investigation finds that they did, Matt won't be able to play anywhere. 

I am not going to sign on to the "selfish" argument, we are talking about a kid here.  But I will jump on the "used car salesman" argument.  I think you are wrong about the investigaiton, because it is in LA.  But I will say I wish there where one.  Something just smells funny.

If you are happy with the results of the program then you should promote from within.  That leaves 2 good candidates.

If you aren't happy with the results at this school, well then I don't understand what you are looking for.  But then the solution is to look outside the district for a change.  At which point I am sure there will be plenty of qualified applicants.

Kyle Green would be a nice fit if he is interested or if BC hasnt already made up its mind.

Why on earth would Coach Green leave what he's built up at Vidor to go to BC where he has 500 zillion whining political parents running the show. 

Who says he would?  These are people on here posting pure speculation.  My guess is he doesn't want to go from 4A playoff team to a 3A. 

So what is the tie-breaker for second or third if one team sweeps the regular season.  Because that is what we are looking at now.  None of these discusses this.

If Head to head is the rule in the 4A District.

It is not.  If you are tied you must play the next day.  Any speculation as to who will end up where at second and third is just that.  It could end up in a three way tie.  LCM/Vidor, Ned., Ozen.  How about that double header on Saturday.

Or, Maybe, from the teams at the bottom are better than some thought.  Just another way to look at it.  The playoffs are the true test.  All will be seen.

I don't mean to sound MidCounty biased, but I will have to take Nederland.  They are peaking right now at the plate and in the field.  Ozen is scrappy and I think it will be close, but without DD on the mound the Dogs will be to much.  Nederland 6-4.  This will set up the biggest game of the year versus LCM on Friday night regardless of the outcome of the Dayton/LCM game.

I know on paper this one shouldn't be close, but there have been some crazy things going on in this district.  Who is slated to pitch this week for PNG?  Do they throw Harrington tonight or save him for Vidor?  I don't think they need him to beat Vidor.  I believe Todd will be just fine.  My prediction is Harrington gets his first no hitter of the year tonight. Will still be available to close against Vidor. PNG 10-0.

*Expos 1999 first-rounder Josh Girdley suffered another major setback in his injury-plagued career. Girdley, 2-5, 4.76 for low Class A Savannah, will have Tommy John surgery to reconstruct his damaged left elbow ligament. Girdley, 22, has never pitched more than 79 innings in a season. He missed most of 2001-2002 due to shoulder problems relating to a motorcycle accident following the 2000 season.

source:http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/dishjuly03.html

Mortorcycle accident was 3 years before the Tommy John. 

Not sure Girdley, as great of a high school pitcher as he was, is the best example of longevity.

I promise.  My last post on the topic.  You can be right.  But my thoughts are a little different.  Baseball people would consider a Fri and Mon games "3" days rest not 4.  Also, if this worked for Mr. Hennigan then I would say he is the exception not the rule.  However, any idea why he retired at just 27 years old after seemingly being very productive?  Kerry Wood once pitched the state semifinal and stae championship games.  They one both and he started his pro career lights out.  Then has been injury proned ever since.  Sometimes it takes years before the wear shows up.  IMO.  But hey, there are far more irresponsible practices going on than throwing to many pitches in a short period of time in this area right now.  So with that good luck bulldogs the rest of the way.  I am sure you guys will bounce back quickly.

Congrats Horns and Coach Landry.  Great Job.

Surely you guys are kidding about the 14 innings in 4 days.  That is just nuts.  I don't want to criticize a coach, but that seems almost irresponsible if it is true.  I am thinking not though.

It is all in how you pitch, and in your capabilities.  Years ago, (many years ago), Jasper had a pitcher who his senior year pitched almost every game.  Twice a week, every week.  His record for the year, was an astounding 18 and 3 as I remember.  Oh yeah, it really, really hurt him.  After pitching one year of college ball and five years of MLB for the Cleveland Indians, he was finished.

He could throw probably in the mid 90's, but that year he threw a lot of junk to pace himself.  Batters knew he could bring smoke at any moment so they had to prepare for anything.

Name please.

Are you really saying that offspead pitches don't put wear on your arm ??? ??? ???  I am not sure vary many baseball people would agree with you on this one.  Not trying to start a long term debate here, but I still say it is crazy.  The ramafications of this type of work load my not be seen for a couple of years.  I just hope long term the kid is fine he seems like a talented young man.