Tourneys...Why have them?

[westend1]

Just wondering what you guys think.  Brook has it's first district game Wednesday, where presumably they will throw their best pitchers.  They will also want those guys available next tuesday for our second district game.  That leaves us throwing everybody else for 4 games over three days.  As thin as brook in at the pitching rotation, this probably means calling up JV guys.

What we end up with is a glorified scrimmage, with kids missing substantial school time(which some need) on thursday and friday.  My question.....Is this a good idea to schedule tourneys as district is starting?  Just seems like we would be better off with a couple of scrimmages this week.  maybe it's not a problem for teams with a lot of pitching depth.  Are we the only ones thin enough at pitching to make this a problem?

[Guest UHCoog14]

[quote name="westend1" post="1193108" timestamp="1331046961"]
Just wondering what you guys think.  Brook has it's first district game Wednesday, where presumably they will throw their best pitchers.  They will also want those guys available next tuesday for our second district game.  That leaves us throwing everybody else for 4 games over three days.  As thin as brook in at the pitching rotation, this probably means calling up JV guys.

What we end up with is a glorified scrimmage, with kids missing substantial school time(which some need) on thursday and friday.  My question.....Is this a good idea to schedule tourneys as district is starting?  Just seems like we would be better off with a couple of scrimmages this week.  maybe it's not a problem for teams with a lot of pitching depth.  Are we the only ones thin enough at pitching to make this a problem?
[/quote]

You cannot discout seeing "live" pitching (even if it's a JV kid) and getting AB's. IMO tournaments are more for the hitters than the pitchers. You do get to see some guys on the mound, in game situations, that you might need down the road. You also get to see how those young guys react to the pressure.

As for missing school, at some point these young people need to learn responsibility, as well as, how to utilize their time. What a better way.

Baseball teaches SO many life lessons.

[EAGLE07]

[quote name="GCMPats" post="1193110" timestamp="1331047251"]
[quote author=westend1 link=topic=97188.msg1193108#msg1193108 date=1331046961]
Just wondering what you guys think.  Brook has it's first district game Wednesday, where presumably they will throw their best pitchers.  They will also want those guys available next tuesday for our second district game.  That leaves us throwing everybody else for 4 games over three days.  As thin as brook in at the pitching rotation, this probably means calling up JV guys.

What we end up with is a glorified scrimmage, with kids missing substantial school time(which some need) on thursday and friday.  My question.....Is this a good idea to schedule tourneys as district is starting?  Just seems like we would be better off with a couple of scrimmages this week.  maybe it's not a problem for teams with a lot of pitching depth.  Are we the only ones thin enough at pitching to make this a problem?
[/quote]

You cannot discout seeing "live" pitching (even if it's a JV kid) and getting AB's. IMO tournaments are more for the hitters than the pitchers. You do get to see some guys on the mound, in game situations, that you might need down the road. You also get to see how those young guys react to the pressure.

As for missing school, at some point these young people need to learn responsibility, as well as, how to utilize their time. What a better way.

[b]Baseball teaches SO many life lessons.[/b][/quote]

Amen, brother ! I tell kids this everyday.

[Walk off]

I agree. And don't discount the chance for the relief or JV pitcher to get in some innings against quality bats. The kid and the coach can see how they measure up and what to work on.

[WeedBegone]

[quote name="Walk off" post="1193131" timestamp="1331048639"]
I agree. And don't discount the chance for the relief or JV pitcher to get in some innings against quality bats. The kid and the coach can see how they measure up and what to work on.
[/quote]
From the perspective of a GFPSB coach -sometimes seeing sub-standard pitching at a level they are not ready to perform can also have a negative impact on batters because of timing.  The pros and cons are hard to measure.  Perhaps the best results  from a tournament close to district games IMO is for the fielders to get some reps in addition to some base running opportunities in addition to fine-tuning some of the strategic aspects of the game in situational cases.