texcoug

[quote name="LAZEEK" post="800147" timestamp="1273520227"] Any truth to the rumor that the All Star tournament will take on a new flavor this year and go to a round robin/ pool play format???  Something along the lines of guaranteeing each team a minimum of 4 games.........3 round robin/pool play games for seeding and then a single elimination tourney???  I think that this would be a GREAT change to the existing double elimination format!!!!  Based on last year in the Pinto Division we had 8 teams in the all star tourney.....two from Vidor, two from Orange, two from Twin County and one each from Groves and Port Arthur.  What are others thoughts??? [/quote] I heard that too.  That would be great -- but they will need to start it earlier (or it will have to end later).  With 8 teams, that is 31 games.  In a double elim. tournament, it was only 12 games (at most I think).  I would love to hear how they are going to do that in terms of timing. 

[quote name="MJB" post="799969" timestamp="1273460183"] Great play all the way around.  I was scared the Yankees run record would be toppled today as I watched the Cubs and the Indians get into the 30's but they stayed shy of the Pinto park record of 38 last year that we put on the Astros. [/quote] I a m sure glad that they didn't break that record -- there really needs to be a mercy rule. 

Gotta love Hal -- he didn't tell you his team scored 31. . .

Heard that the Vidor D-Backs won a close one against the Pirates.  The Vidor Astros defeated the River Bandits setting up an Astros v D-Backs game.  Vidor has closed out all the brackets that I know of.  So, Fun Day is starting now...less the Angels. (Unless the Vidor Twins were beaten -- I have not heard). 

can someone post some updates.  Cubs advanced to Tuesday with a win over the Orange Orioles in Orange.  Not sure about any other results.

Some of the best games I have seen in a long time.  The Pirates holding off the Rattlers was just a tease.  Two first place teams -- River Bandits and Giants from Groves -- squared up and wow -- what a game.  Several lead changes, but, down 15-16 in the top of the 6th with one pitch left and two outs and no one on base, J Fielder for Groves hits a game tying no doubter -- the longest HR I have seen at that park.  Then, in the bottom of the 6th, to lead off, C Litzke hits a game winning no doubter walk off homer.  Great game.  Great job by both teams.  Congrats to both.  And then there was tomorrow...

[quote name="LAZEEK" post="799107" timestamp="1273267562"] Big Duke is the TC Storm....not the Scrappers!!!!  Scrappers are in 7th out of 7 teams at TC!!!!!!  Just FYI!!!! [/quote] Good to know.  I assumed he stayed as the Scrappers. 

[quote name="LAZEEK" post="798811" timestamp="1273202305"] In the first round you have two games that feature two first place teams from 4 of the leagues.............Orange Yankees play the Vidor Cubs and the Groves Giants play the Twin County River Bandits!!!!  Should make for an interesting tourney..............two league leaders will be gone after the first round!!!!!  Good seeing all of the guys that we have grown to be friends with over the last few years!!!! [/quote] As a real life Cubs fan, it would sure be nice to see a win over the Yankees...since it will never really happen.  Rob--looks like just you and me here - no life in this board.  So, to add to the fun, here is my analysis of the brackets: In VIDOR: [TOP BRACKET] With three of the 6 teams from Vidor, it will be odd if a team from somewhere other than Vidor advances.  The winner of this group of six will play the top of the Orange bracket winner (likely the Cubs).  Based on pure record, the Vidor White Sox are the top of the three and they are dangerous.  Solid around the infield (even though their middle is shored up by 7 YOs - don't underestimate them bc of their age), they keep the ball in play when hitting.  They boast one of the biggest sticks in the Vidor PONY league and some solid young players. The Cardinals rank next for Vidor here.  With a first year coach, they have done remarkably well.  Coach Whitmire's crew is solid around the horn defensively and, as a team, put the ball in play better than the White Sox.  They complement their contact hitting approach with a lot of speed on the pads.  You will have to earn a victory over this Gashouse Gang.  The Vidor Angels may be in last place in Vidor PONY, but watch out.  They have recovered nicely from early season slumps and have been in every game the last two weeks.  Someone could say that they are primed for the Tournament.  They have 2 boys that can go yard (even in Orange) withe a solid 2b too.  Coach James has these boys playing loose so beware.  The second place team was down 4 runs to this squad going into the 6th a few nights ago.  [ORANGE TOP BRACKET] While I don't know much about the Thunder (TC) or the Rangers (Orange), I hear that the Rangers have a stud 7 YO.  I know that PA Red Sox will be ready to play.  They are well coached and solid around the horn.  They will be a solid offensive team with several boys that can go yard.  If their bats come alive, they could make a deep run in the tourny.  The winner of this bracket will square off against the Orange NORTH winner (Yankees, Cubs, Orioles or Bulls (TC)).  While the Yankees are the top team from Orange, the Orioles boast some big bats too.  For those interested, if the Cubs bat go silent, they will still be a difficult out because of their defense.  But, anything can happen.  If the opposing team struggles to hit balls out of the infield, it will be a very short game as the Cubs infield is the best in Vidor.  The Orioles can definitely pressure teams with multiple players who can stick it in the OF (and in ORange, that is a big OF). They could be an interesting matchup against the Cubs.  For the Yankees, this is probably not the draw that they wanted.  But, from what I hear, SAT AM will be an interesting game. VIDOR:  BOTTOM BRACKET 8 teams make up the Vidor Bottom Bracket.  From Vidor, the D-Backs, Pirates, and Astros.  The D-Backs are the second place team in Vidor and has been a pleasant surprise.  With a staff of new coaches and being an expansion team, the expectations for the D-Backs were not as high as they have achieved.  They started their run before the season began by forming a solid coaching staff with lots of baseball experience.  They had an excellent draft and, while boasting the strongest 7 YO crop, found some real gems that were 8.  Even though the only 8YO in their infield plays P, don't be fooled.  This is a good defensive team.  They can make plays at every base.  At the plate, they keep the ball in play better than any team in Vidor -- I mean any team.  Your defense will have to make plays to win.  They are smart on the pads too.  They bring a lot of fans and this is their home field (you can thank their coaches for the professional appearance of the field).  They will be a tough out.  The Vidor Pirates may have dropped some games but if you are expecting a walkover, you are wrong.  They hit the ball hard and lots.  With several seasoned 8 YOs, they can play.  They will challenge you defensively with the pace of their hits.  Their SS has a lot of range, their 1B is solid, and they picked up a solid 2B in the draft (7YO).  Their 3B has Cameron Perkins (3B Purdue) blood in his veins -- so you know he can rake.  This team can cause a lot of trouble when combining their talent with a very experienced coaching staff.  The Vidor Astros are the only team that has beaten the Cubs.  They boast the HR king in Vidor in their stud first baseman.  Their 2B covers a lot of ground and they can make plays at SS and 3B too (those boys have cannons).  While their defense is sturdy, the Astros do their damage with their bats as one hitter after the next consistently hits the ball with a lot of pace.  This is the best hitting lineup in Vidor and, when they are on, look out.  Their coaches are energetic and focused.  In addition, their OFs can catch the ball so they could be a surprise team.  While the Groves Giants is the top team in Groves, we have heard all sorts of rumours about how good this team is.  They will get tested right away against a savy TC coach against the top TC team (River Bandits).  The winner of that game needs to be prepared to play the Astros where, if their bats are alive, will be a tough out.  I know ROb's boys will be ready to play and we all know his boy can flat hit.  It has been said that the Giants have not played a full game this year -- they will get a treat in their first game then.  They need to be prepared for 6 innings.  ORANGE BOTTOM: The Vidor Indians are the class of the Orange Bottom bracket and will be a difficult matchup.  Complementing their solid returners, they added two of the top 7 YOs.  Their SS is a beast and, when he gets hot at the plate, can go yard.  They make all the plays in the infield and consistently put balls in play at the plate.  They were the runners up to the Cubs on Fund Day.  While they lack some of the punch of the Vidor Astros, they are a more balanced order.  The Orange Indians will have a tough time handling them.  The battle of the Astros is anyone's game (since I don't know anything about the Orange Astros or the Groves Astros).  The winner of the battle of the Astros will be paired with the winner of the Indian battle (I predict Vidor).  The bottom four have the Vidor Twins, a scrappy bunch that wobble a little defensively but are steady on offense.  They will score a lot of runs and can keep pressure on a team with a lot of fast baserunners. Their kids aggressively try to make plays and come up big in tight spots.  Watch out. Big Duke's Scrappers are down there too -- his teams are always ready and coached up.  With several all stars on the roster, Duke has a chance and a nice spot in the bracket to make some noise.    He will have to get past the Indians from Vidor eventually, but he just may be able to do it.  Good luck to everyone. 

Brackets completed, coins tossed...tournament gets off with a bang in Orange as the 1st place Orange Yankees take on the once defeated Vidor Cubs.  Can the Cubs recover from their lone loss of the season at the hands of the up and coming Astros?  Can someone lend me some spray on anti-anxiety medicine for the Cub fans... (you know who your are)....After the tough loss to the Astros, Head Coach Hal said, "I am doing holding runners up -- forget these other coaches -- it is green lights all the way..."  Maybe Green Light LaPray will have his boys ready.  Until Sat....

BTW Jason -- the closest thing to 6U baseball around here is the PONY system.  That tournament will be playing in Groves the following weekend.  

Jason picked a nice  thread to pimp his fall league.  ;D  See you tonight Rob.  Are you going to share the lowdown on the teeballers too (you know I am back down there)...

Saw the brackets today.  Vidor is main host with Orange helping out through Monday.  No games in TC.  Weather report looks real good.  Like I said, there are 5 strong teams from Vidor and the 4 others will make some noise.  Our last place team almost beat the second place team a few nights ago (FYI). 

All quiet on the western front?  Where is the chatter?  What is the skinny on the Groves team (which team is it?)  Who is checking in here from Orange?  I think that there are 5 teams from Vidor that all have a chance to win it all. 

[quote name="tgreen" post="795183" timestamp="1272335825"] Jeremy Green-Grand Slam Hitting Facility [/quote] Seconded.

I heard that Albion was going to open a club here.... Nice post Rip -- the realities of playing college ball (especially for a major college) need to be considered by parents.  I think the important part of soccer is to enjoy the ride.  I enjoy the competitive side of it, but there are limits.  I think the idea of trying to compete with the best Texan team or the best Lonestar team or the best North Carolina team is tough coming from our population base and access to instruction.  But, as long as the ride is fun for the kids and they build lots of good memories, that is the most important.  Very few of these kids will go on to play DI soccer.  And, there really isn't anything beyond that (except for the very rare).  I think the club experience in soccer is great in that the kids get to build networks of friends and build memories that can last for them.  If you are hoping for more than that, I would reconsider and spend some time on math, science, shakespeare, etc. 

What about the girls?

I think it starts at a young age.  Too many refs allow illegal play early on and it continues.  Once in competitive soccer, it is hard to break a kid from those habits.  Multiple times, I have had a striker behind the defense with only the goalie left and have the kid taken down from behind.  The rules of soccer contemplate this very play.  It is a send off foul.  While that may be harsh at the younger ages, at least stop the game, walk the kid to the sideline and tell them to take a break (often, the person committing the foul was the last one beaten, hence, there is also some retaliation in it).  I think if that is done enough times when they are younger, they can understand the limits better. As they get older, they will tend to do what they are allowed.  In Houston area games, blatant fouls are more likely to be called (even as the games are more physical).  But, even there, the refs have not been willing to card kids for the play I described.  In the semi-finals of a tournament, a ref gave us a direct free kick 1/2 a yard outside the box as a compromise.  I see that a lot.  My point is, start instructing the players when they are young on the proper ways to use your body against an opponent.  As a referee, you can reinforce that by asking a kid out of control to sit out for a while. 

Who are the kids that are signed from this year's graduates? 

I don't think that "strongest" LL should mean which one has the best team.  Obviously, some communities have advantages over others in terms of population.  And, I would not include Select programs in answering the question posted (as they provide a different service).  So, to get back to the discussion, I am continually amazed at the organization and level of activity at BCLL.  I am from Vidor and play in PONY but I have been around enough people from the different communities (and inside baseball).  They appear to do a good job servicing the advanced players as well as all the others.  And, don't forget, "all the others" are who pay the bills. Remember, most of these kids playing will spend most of their life appreciating baseball, not necessarily playing it.  So, what league is doing the best job of teaching the game such that all the boys can appreciate the sport?  There are way more boys that fit into that category than who fit into the competitive category.  I know I want my boys to, first and foremost, develop a love for the game and also learn the fundamentals and be good ballplayers.  But, I will settle for the former if I had to pick only one (I would rather my son love the game and be average than be great and hate it).  Since I love the game, I want to have the opportunities to watch with my boys.  So...forget about the score sometimes and teach your kids about Kirk Gibson's walkoff (we let our boys act it out).  Let them practice "the catch" by Say Hey. 

Who is home in Vidor - boys or girls?

Can someone post the Vidor girls schedule.  Thanks.

I think that the mod stepped right into this.  I think he meant to say that you were going to be restricted because you all have a dirty, whorish mouth.

New to thread -- late lover of soccer (introduced 3 years ago when daughter decided to start a team starting with a uniform design)...love the game. My question for CoachL -- tell us more about your youth -- ratio of soccer v. football. I am interested to know how you balanced it and at what age did you start playing football (appears you were playing soccer at a young age). I am from Vidor (but do not know the poster). I hear the new coach is great but I am sad to lose Rui.

I saw it happen the other way -- teams that Nations had flagged as Elite were allowed to play "aa" at USSSA. I guess it just depends on the situation.

So it should be Oak Hill and Benbrooke in the finals correct? If you are there please let me know how that goes along with the Vidor game. As I remember it they (Vidor) should get to play a consolation game for 3rd. Oak Hill had 2 teams. I presume one beat Burleson to advance to the final. The other team was eliminated (they were in Benbrooke's pool). Championship is tonight at 7.