2006 All - Impact Teams

Impact has posted it's 2006 All - Impact Teams for NC, SC and Va.....

http://www.impactbaseball.com/

How would you like to have these line ups on the field....wow!

 

I seen Addison Johnson on the list from North Forsyth. I heard that he tore his ACL and will miss the season. Is this true?

 

Disagree with some of the list

Nate Cockman might have the most powerful swing I've seen, at the South Carolina Showcase last year he crushed some balls. He'll make a great DH for State, but looking at his throwing speeds as listed on the Impact site at the recent pitcher-catcher camp defensively he has to improve. At that same South Carolina showcase in the only gamed played due to rain a group of 06 grads beat the Impact 06 team mainly due to the amount of past balls. There are better catchers in the state!

The Pitching staff listed is great for sure. Though after seeing BJ Dail and Sam Brown some this summer you couldn't go wrong with either one, or both on this list. Brown with his height surely brings the heat downhill.

 

Good pop times are not ALL about velocity, and it's "passed" balls that count.

 

Pop times are overrated any way. If the pitcher does not hold runners on very well, it doesn't matter how the catcher throws. I know some D1 recruiters tell catchers that if their poptime is not better than a 1.90, they will not recruit them. Last year at Knights Castle, the best poptime was a 1.95!! I look for a guy who controls the game from behind the plate,receiving the ball, calling a game. I have seen only one or two kids in high school that can call their own game(that are in NC and SC). I saw a kid in Charleston that plays for Charlotte Express who is a great receiver. He has a great teacher in Gary Robinson who was an All-American catcher. Whoever gets this kid will get a great find because he is under the radar. I can not remember his name.

 

We had one a few years back that called his own game for 2 years. But he had a 1500 SAT and has a full academic ride. He is also still playing and he was 1.95 to second.

 

Twig, I agree that holding runners on is a two man job the Catcher and the Pitcher. That's why scouts look at a Pitchers time to the plate and a Catchers POP time. Depending on those times we'll run to we drop if you're slow. And conversely good times keep runners out of scoring position.

And a GOOD POP Time along with accuracy gives the Pitchers confidence that they don't have to rush. The POP time is not everything, but it is very important - and a catcher with a quick POP time helps the pitching staff out.

Watch the Pro's and most college games and you'll see somebody with a watch on the pitcher and catcher.

 

If a pitcher does his job holding runners, I have seen many catcher's throw people out with 2.0+ poptimes.

 

twig--- I agree with you to a certain extent, however, like yankees said, a catcher with good skills, one of which is pop time will take pressure off the pitcher.

The tandem together will be extremely effective. The pitcher cant keep them there by himself and neither can the catcher, but it is important to see whether the strengths/weaknesses lie with the pitcher or the catcher. In the same respect, getting pop times and pitchers times to the plate are an effective tool for evaluating catchers. However the "showcase" method of timing to me is not as accurate as timing them in game situations with batters in the box and runners on base. I see too many catchers running through the box to get a good time. But the fact is a good release time may be a better method of timing. You time from the time it hits the mit to release. We are talking tenths of a second, but it is effective after measuring arm strength.

 

Talking to several college coaches during the fall showcase season I had a couple tell me they would sign a 2.1 in a heartbeat. Guess it depends on the total package, and what you're looking for. If a guy throws a 1.9 but it sails a little high or to the ss side of the bag 5 out of 10 times it becomes irrelevant if the 2.1 guy throws it on the money 8 out of ten times. Just my humble .02.