All-Observer Team

Braves,
You and I typically agree on everything and the three you listed are great catchers. However, I've been equally impressed by a couple of others. Brandon York from West Wilkes and Taylor Smith from Fuquay Varina have been good for awhile. I think both had solid senior seasons as well. Another one that impresses is Daniel Cooke from Independence, although he's such a great athlete I'm not sure he would be categorized as a true catcher.

Now for my soapbox, the position is maybe the most important on the field. It was interesting that the SW4A didn't pick a catcher to their all-conference team. I know I'm biased, but Joey Savago at East had a dominating year defensively (0 PB, 40% caught stealing and a pitching staff with very few wild pitches even though they threw a lot of them). I was shocked he wasn't all-conference, but it looks like offensive stats were the predominant measurement. What a shame that defensive ability seems to be overlooked. He was a difference maker in many of our games.

 

Another good example as Daniel Cooke is playing left field for the Pineville Post 337 team and has not gotten behind the plate with catcher's gear on as yet but...Cooke is a VERY good athlete indeed no matter where he is playing! In fact, Gardner-Webb wants him to play on their baseball team but as an outfielder and definitely not as a catcher?!?

 

I knew I was going to get some feedback when I said "best"...but it is only my opinion, shared by the Query, Summer and Tarleton families

Seriously, I'm with you Sutigers, about Joey Savago. You know I love that kid. He is everything you want in a ballplayer. But as good an athlete as Daniel Cooke is, I don't think of him as a catcher...just an extraordinary talent who can play catcher.

 

Unfortunately, it is the only factor for position players

 

Remember most conferences do not select by position, and a lot have a number of selections allocated to them based on order of finish. Hence the best person defensively at their position could very well not make the All-Conference team if their over all play didn't make them one of their teams top players, or their team had very few picks allocated to them based on the team's poor season record.

To me the Coaches should pick the best player at each position, Elect a 1st and 2nd team. This would make 18 players selected, to which you could add say 7 Honorable Mention players.

 

good idea..
Then we could have a 3rd team and almost honorable mention.
or maybe just give everyone who participated in the Disturber reading area a certificate showing that they almost made the All-Disturber Team.

Ya'll puttin way to much bandwidth into this award... Your Conference Awards carry a whole lot more value than this one..

This award is almost equal to Nascar's Goody's Headache Award....

 

So if the coaches did All Conference voting by the best two players at their position kids would still be missed greatly. A conference may be lacking at a certain position like third base and may have 4 All State calibur short stops, 2 of which do not get voted b/c of the position rule. In the SW4A their were 4 All Conference Shortstops who all were very deserving of their spot. You cannot take kids like these off an all conference list; this is why it was changed to the best 18 players in the first place. I thought thats what All-Conference meant. Just my opinion and backing up the coaches who put this plan in place.

And to add what Braves and Sutigers said about Joey Savago, i did see him throw out North Carolina's all time state record holder in steals, Mike Cavisinni, on his last steal attempt.

 

baseballfan29 & Intimidator Coach

I believe Luv the game has a point in that we select pitchers based on how they pitch, catchers should be judged on how they catch defensively and the offensive side, and their versatility to play other positions should be the tie breaker.

If you are going to call it the "All-(fill in the blank) Team" then select the best player at each position. If you don't like that change the name to the "Top 18 (players, or some other name), then you pick the best 18 players regardless of position, school, placement of that school in the league standings, etc.

I'm prejudiced I know, but see how many of those All somethings you'd want behind the plate for your team when the games on the line.

 

I can assure you ours are compiled by an impartial observor, statistician, and scoreboard operator.