Southwestern AAAA Fall Reports:

I've talked to Teague about East Meck's workouts. Their physical training doesn't start until after the fall "dead" period. Which then includes multiple running long distance and short sprint drills. This may be part of the reason they had such great team speed last year. I know Teague has been clocked at a 7.1 in the sixty which is good for his size. Blake Gehringer is one of the most "under appreciated" players in the SW4A. He may be undersized but by god he has HEART. He holds it down better than anyone in the conference over there at first base. Look for Blake to be in the 3 hole while Teague returns to the clean-up spot. Him and Blake could do some damage in those two spots. Buchanan will deffinately be the #1. Not sure who will be behind him. It's true East deffinately lost some POP this year losing Matt Hill, Tyler White, Sean Neal, and Craig Burnham. But look for Greeson to have them ready to go for any game, expecially the Myers Park one. I know the returning seniors want to beat them atleast once!!

 

Gambit--could you give us a rundown of the returning players for East?..and who they have coming up from junior varsity?

I agree with you. Blake is THE MAN!! The kid is a pure masher...won't be underrated this year!!! That I will assure you. In fact, Blake Gehringer is one of the players I'm going to highlight this winter...and Logan Smith as well!!

 

I like it, I like it. A lot of great things are being brought up. I have to agree with the one on Blake Gherringer. Sorry if I mis-spelled the name. The kid is what I call a free-swinger. Look out if there are runnners in scoring position because this guy is gonna clear 'em with a double. He is fun to compete against and great to watch. He should have a huge year for East. Good luck to him.

On Buchanan. He is a competitior. Guys like him will find a way to win. I am not saying that he will win them all, but I guaruntee you that right now he is in a full sweat preparing for that first game. He is a gamer and you can go ahead and count on at least 10 wins from him, and by that I mean 10 BIG wins...no mediocre teams, because he will only pitch against the best.

On to another team... Besides Shelton and Kennedy at South, who are some of you guys' sleepers? I know their faces, but I cant put their names with them. I believe that there is a first baseman and a secondbaseman/shortstop in the On Deck program who flat out get after it. I would always see these guys up there. I am sure that whenever their names are mentioned a bell will ring and I will say "oh yeah", but for now they have slipped my memory. Anyways, look for these guys to fill some big holes and step it up for South.

That's all of the reporting that I have for now, I would appreciate it (Braves ) if you could fill in the Board with the 2 South players' names. If you dont know them, we will by March.

Thanks.

 

SS/2nd- Wes Borden
1st ------Matt Andruss/ Daniel Foster...both big strong kids and both play for On Deck.

 

Rocket Scientist or what?

Myers Park will be back perhaps not as strong but with quality teachers/personnel! This is KEY hands down! The same is true of East and Olympic, Waddell and Butler as I know each of them fairly well. Hignight has fine credentials as an "assistant" at Providence yet I hear it is a "beast" of a program to deal with? No word on Garinger and their new head coach hope it will be good for the kids. As was the case last year the Panthers are loaded with talent AND great hard working kids throughout as has traditionally been the case. From what I hear it will be the same as recent years in how will the kids react and gel under the reigns of a hard charging go getter young coach? Usually it will mean good if not great things? On the other hand when things are not going well for them individually look to be SOLD OUT by yep guess whom? I sure wish the best for Providence as well as ALLLL the teams in the southwest 4A...

 

"O"OPS!

P.S. I thought the moderators on here were to promote discussion and debate NOT judge others??? Apparently in reading numerous posts on here that is NOT the case... Alot of people on this board are parents and players AND that usually means nothing better to do than judge others for their lack of when they KNOW absolutely NOTHING in reference towhat they are talking about and only what they have "heard". I can see clearly now AGAIN many do not know their heads from their you know what seemingly.. Just another reminder hmmmmmmmmm..

 

You are right "O". The teaching and personnel over at Myers Park are a tough one to beat. Here is why. Lets start from the top. You have Coach Deming. He has been at both ends of the scale in that he knows what it feels like to be a 2-20 team, as well as a team at the top of the ranks. He is committed everyday to helping the program and team in one way or another. From a coaching standpoint he has found the fine line with his players of when to get down to business and when to loosen up a bit. There is no confusion between the two. It was an absolute pleasure everyday to walk down the hill to the field because I knew that not only were the team and myself going to get better, we were going to have a darn good time doing it. Another thing is, he does not play favorites. He does not care who your dad is, what team you played for, what your summer stats were, etc. He couldn't care less. He goes by what he sees and those who get after everyday and get the job done, make the team and see the field. That may sound like a minute detail to some, but for a team and their success, that is huge. I have a huge amount of respect for Coach Deming. I hope that one day when I get done playing that I can either coach under him, or have the torch passed down to me.

Next, you have Coach Bicknell. I don't know how we got him last year, because he would make an awesome head coach today. His commitment to the Myers Park program is surpassed by none. He worked for free last year and was without a doubt one of the top reasons for why we had the success of last year. Everyday he would be down at the field before practice, during practice, and after practice working with the hitters, infielders or whoever needed his help. And that was everyday. There were always guys going to him for advice for anything ranging from hitting to how to make a better grade in English. I am serious, he is incredibly dedicated to not only the team...but the game. Even as a coach he has the respect of the game that few players have. You will never see him walk on a field and you will never see him unprepared. Everyday he has an approach for how he is going to make his players better and that is exactly what he did.

Lastly, you have Coach Clewis. Coach Clewis is the athletic director at Myers Park, but if you have played at Myers Park since Coach Clewis resigned as Head Baseball coach and took the AD position, you know how much his support and time with the program has made a difference. Every opportunity that he has, he is working on the field, working with the pitchers, standing next to the cages helping hitters with their mechanics, as well as their mental approaches. He has a complete understanding of what goes through players' minds in certain situations and he does a great job of preparing us for them. I lost track of how many times I would go into his office during my spare time at school and sit down and talk baseball with him. He knows a great deal about the game and the program benefits greatly from his presence.

I know that this post is a little lengthy, but when the"O" mentioned the "teachers/personnel, I thought that I would make an attempt to describe them to you. Trust me, I couldn't write enough things on this board about these guys and give you real sense of what it was like to be apart of that program with them. It was something special.

 

Geez Prep, if it did, I'd never be able to post again !!!!!

 

Good point, NC. I retract my earlier question...but the underlying charge still stands!

 

Alright alright, break it up...

Thanks Braves for the names of those two players. My instincts tell me that they are gonna have a huge year over there at South.

Who are some other guys that everyone predicts to have a "breakout year"?