Shetland Tournament May 17th-18th (PONY)

[Lazeek]

Who are the teams to beat in Orange, Vidor, PA and Groves.  I have a team in TC and we have only 4 teams playing in this years tournament.  One team is not playing because they have had some issues with coaching and another team is not playing because they only have 9 players after a few quit mid-season.  Needless to say the 4 best teams in TC will be playing.  We play Groves #2 in the first round.  Anyone know who this is?  Thanks in advance.

[daddy23]

I am from Vidor and the Shetland division this year has 9 teams.  Only 7 could enter because two teams had too many kids that would not play on Sunday (at least that is what I heard).

I don't know who the team to beat is.  There are 5 teams who have a solid shot at winning the championship.  We play a 16 game schedule and right now we have 5 teams within 2.5 games of the lead (and the team that is 2.5 back has more games left and can catch up with two extra wins), so basically 5 teams within 2 games.

We are playing in Groves (which gives away what team we are because there is only one Vidor team in Groves).  However, we are on different sides of the bracket so we will not play each other in Groves.  I think it is amazing that there are 11 Orange teams in the tournament.  I would love to hear how any of the teams are looking and who the teams to beat are from the different areas.  I also don't mind sharing a little info on the Vidor teams.

[black pearl]

Which Vidor teams do you think are the ones that will do well? Any info on the players would also help!

I am from Vidor and the Shetland division this year has 9 teams.  Only 7 could enter because two teams had too many kids that would not play on Sunday (at least that is what I heard).

I don't know who the team to beat is.  There are 5 teams who have a solid shot at winning the championship.  We play a 16 game schedule and right now we have 5 teams within 2.5 games of the lead (and the team that is 2.5 back has more games left and can catch up with two extra wins), so basically 5 teams within 2 games.

We are playing in Groves (which gives away what team we are because there is only one Vidor team in Groves).  However, we are on different sides of the bracket so we will not play each other in Groves.  I think it is amazing that there are 11 Orange teams in the tournament.  I would love to hear how any of the teams are looking and who the teams to beat are from the different areas.  I also don't mind sharing a little info on the Vidor teams.

[daddy23]

I am hoping to find out as much as I can about the teams from the other areas as well. 

I will tell you one thing which is amazing about the teams from Vidor.  All 7 of the teams that are entered in the tournament can say that they have beat a team that has beat a team that between them have beat everyone else. 

So it is really hard to predict how the Vidor teams will fare in the tourney.

Any ideas from the other cities?

[Lazeek]

TC has 4 teams that could beat anyone on any given night.  We have not played the Lugnuts yet so things at the top could change.  We will not play them until after the Shetland Tourney either.  They are all 4 pretty equal talent wise.  My guess on the records is something like this.  Record wise are as follows:

Scrappers 6-0-3 (I coach this team so I know our record)

Lugnuts---1 or 2 losses

Bulls---2 losses, 2-3 ties

Mudcats---2-3 losses and 1-2 ties

SandGnats---Not playing in Directors Tourney

Sidewinders---Not playing in Directors Tourney

[daddy23]

Lazeek,

That is amazing that you have had 3 ties out of 9 games. 

I guess with only 6 teams, that you probably don't play quite as many games as we do in Vidor.  We have 9 teams.  We start with a FunDay tournament before the season.  It is single elimination, so some teams only play one game but most teams get 2 or more.  One team played 4 games this year.  Then we play a 16 game schedule. 

We still have a 2 games every night (except Wednesday) this week as well 8 more games after the tournament before our season closes.  So with everyone having 3-5 games left on the schedule, the outcome is still wide open. 

I love working with this little guys (and girls) and I am looking forward to seeing how we stack up against teams from other areas.

Good Luck To Us All.

And to Black Pearl:

I hope that the Vidor Astros do well in the tourney but since my son is on the team, I am biased.

[texcoug]

Vidor has 4 teams with 9 or more wins (between 9-11) and two teams with 5.  Of the two teams with 5 wins, both have tied (one has tied twice). Also, one of those 5 loss teams has beaten every team above it at least once (other than the first place team). 

[Lazeek]

Lazeek,

That is amazing that you have had 3 ties out of 9 games. 

I guess with only 6 teams, that you probably don't play quite as many games as we do in Vidor.  We have 9 teams.  We start with a FunDay tournament before the season.  It is single elimination, so some teams only play one game but most teams get 2 or more.  One team played 4 games this year.  Then we play a 16 game schedule. 

We still have a 2 games every night (except Wednesday) this week as well 8 more games after the tournament before our season closes.  So with everyone having 3-5 games left on the schedule, the outcome is still wide open. 

I love working with this little guys (and girls) and I am looking forward to seeing how we stack up against teams from other areas.

Good Luck To Us All.

And to Black Pearl:

I hope that the Vidor Astros do well in the tourney but since my son is on the team, I am biased.

We play a Opening Tournament at the beginning of the season as well.  We lost in the Championship game to the Bulls.  We play a 12 game regular season and then a tournament at the end of the season.  Hopefully we will play several games at the Directors Tourney.  Good luck to all!!!!!

[texcoug]

Congrats to the Vidor squads -- 6 of 7 advanced on Sat. 

I saw the Scrappers -- nice job with that team.  They play well and hit the ball well.  Should be a good game tomorrow against the Yankees. 

[Lazeek]

Thanks.............we played pretty well today.  A little first inning jitters on offense and defense.  Then we woke up.  Groves Yankees are very solid.  We will have our hands full with them tomorrow.  We were down 5-2 after 1 today and ended up winning 17-5!!!!  Defense and Offense started clicking.  Really liked the 1st baseman for the Groves Indians.  He is a solid player along with the coaches son from the Indians.  Looks like they had a really young team.

3 out of the 4 TC teams won today with the lone team losing by 2 runs.  Record wise they are our 4th best team.  Hopefully all of the TC teams will advance tomorrow.

Man the field at Groves America is tiny.  What is it down the lines????  Maybe 100 Feet??  125 to center???  At TC we play all of our games on our Pinto field 150 and 170.  The field looked tiny today!!!!

Best of luck to all of the teams the rest of the tournament.

[daddy23]

Congrats to Twin County then as well. 

That field in Groves is quite small and feels even smaller due to the boarded fence.  The field in Vidor is much deeper (at least in my mind).

I hear that the field in Port Arthur is really deep and I know that the fields that we played on last year in Orange were huge.

Good Luck To Everyone Tomorrow. 

[gablfan]

I can't remember what the shetland field is down the lines. i think its about 100 feet. I dont think the field at TC is 150 feet either. I know the sign says that but our pinto field in groves is 150 down the lines and it is bigger than TC's. Their fence is higher but still. My boy hit one out there last year in allstars so I just dont believe that it is 150.

[texcoug]

I agree that the Groves team looked young.  I heard that the Groves American league (PONY) lost some players to the National (LL) this year.  How do the two leagues compare?   

[texcoug]

Congrats to all the teams that have advanced.  Two of Vidor's best teams played each other and, unfortunately, one had to be eliminated.  Congrats to the Braves.  And, bad luck for them, they get to play another Vidor squad (the Red Sox) tomorrow.  Vidor still has Astros, Cardinals, Braves, and Red Sox in. 

Congrats to the Scrappers.  That was a good game against a tough Groves Yankee squad.  I haven't been at the other sites so I do not know how the other teams have fared.  I know that the Lugnuts won a close one against the Vidor Royals. 

Kudos to Groves for being a great host.  The fields have been great as well as the food and setup. 

[Lazeek]

We (TC Scrappers) played well today and managed to beat the Groves Yankees today 19-14.  We were the home team and were tied after 1 and then we took control of the game.  We led 19-12 and only gave up two in the top of the 5th.  There 1st baseman for the Yankees was very solid, but know one else really stood out.  

We play the Orange Indians tomorrow night at 6pm in Groves.  Does anyone know anything about them.  I saw them play a few innings this afternoon against the TC Bulls.  The Bulls had it won and let it slip away in the bottom of the 5th.  I know the 1st baseman is a stud for them as well.

Any results from the other games.

[daddy23]

I have to concur on the Groves as host.  The field has been in great shape and someone is lining the field in between every game.  The food has been good and the bathrooms have been clean.  I would say that it doesn't get any better than that.

Also, congrats to the Scrappers.  That Groves Yankees team has a lot of talent.  They were very strong at the top of their order.  I think Groves will be dangerous come All-Stars.

[daddy23]

Lazeek

You did look good (at least the little part of the game that I saw).  You are playing the Orange Indians, which I have no idea about.  I have never seen them play or talked to anyone who has seen them play.  However, I did hear that they were undefeated in Orange league play.  However, that last part may be a rumor. 

Also on your side of the bracket are two teams from Vidor--the Red Sox and Braves.  They are both solid teams.  I don't really know who will come on on top of that one.

The other bracket is down to the Vidor Astros and the Groves Rangers.  I have no information on the Groves Rangers.  I dont know what there regular season has been like and they have not played yet in the tournament, so to me they are the big Wild Card out of the 8 Teams.

Also on that side of the bracket are the Twin County Lugnuts and the Vidor Cardinals.  I heard that the Lugnuts won a very close game against the Vidor Royals.  The Vidor Cardinals are another solid team from Vidor.

Tommorow's games should all be exciting.

[Guest vpfootball]

Congratulation to all teams left in tournament. I hope something is done about the fields in PA its bad. One more thing why is it every year some one from TC gets kicked out of the game happened last year and happened last night two coaches got tossed come on show a little class..

[Lazeek]

I am from TC Scrappers.  We did not have anyone kicked out.  I was at the TC Bulls game and know one there got the boot either.  They must have been from the TC Lugnuts.  They still won the game so it could not have been that bad.

Good luck to the final 8 teams.  We will need it tonight verses the Orange Indians from what I saw yesterday.

[Guest vpfootball]

Yes it was the lugnuts I wasn't going call out the team but since you did yes lugnuts.. You must of not been there because yes it was bad even though they won!

[Lazeek]

Down to the Final Four.  Vidor is well represented with 3 teams remaining with 1 TC team.  The Vidor Cardinals beat the TC Lugnuts tonight.  Vidor Astros beat a team from Groves.  Vidor Braves beat I believe another team from Vidor.  And the TC Scrappers beat the Orange Indians tonight.

The Vidor Braves play the TC Scrappers tomorrow night in PA at 6.  The Vidor Caridnals play the Vidor Astros at 7:30 in PA.  The Championship game is Wednesday night in PA at 7pm.  Good luck to the remaining teams.

Our TC Scrappers played well again tonight.  They beat the Orange Indians 15-3.  We have been very fortunate with some good breaks on offense and defense.  Hopefully it will continue for a few more nights.

[daddy23]

Congrats to all the winners tonight and Good Luck to everyone tomorrow.

It should be an exciting finish.

[Lazeek]

Daddy23,

What team are your rooting for.  I know you are from Vidor but what team?  ANd yes best of luck to all teams.  Going to fun the next two nights.

[daddy23]

I thought I gave it away early in the thread.  I coach the Vidor Astros, but I am rooting for all the Vidor teams unless they are playing my team. ;D

We have not had the opportunity to play against any of the better teams in the tournament, so I really don't know how we will fare from here on out.  I am hoping for the best.

[Lazeek]

TC Scrappers advance to Chamionship Game tomorrow night at 7pm in PA.  They beat the Vidor Braves 21-20.  We were lucky tonight.  We could not get anything going early on in the game with our defense.  We still managed to get the hits when we needed them.  THen we got the break in the top of the 5th.  3 up and 3 down with 2 base running errors on the Vidor Braves.  We managed to get the win with a line drive to left center driving in the winning run from 3rd with two outs and the game tied.  We trailed 20-17 going into the bottom of the 5th.  Great job Braves.  You guys have a really good team. 

I am assuming that the Vidor Astros beat the Vidor Cardinals in the other semi-final.  They were winning 16-8 in the 4th and that was the last I heard.

Should be a good final tomorrow night.  Come out and support the little kids!!!!!!!

daddy23, you said you hoped that you saw us in the final............well we managed to slide into it.  Should be fun for us and the kids.

Good luck tomorrow night!!!!!!!