So far this season

what are your impressions of teams , players etc.

#1- Greenville Rose is a very well coached team. They play very hard. Coach RV is a class act in every way.
#2- Micheal Wright from Whiteville HS is extremely projectable. At 6'5 and throwing upper 80's touching 90 he is going to be a stud at the next level when he physically matures.
#3- Dylan Dickens a Freshman pitcher from Roxboro is going to be a very successful pitcher for the next four years. He is a submarine guy that can locate.
#4- Jim Leggett from Rocky Mount is so darn good. He will be an impact guy the day he enters college. He is the best we have seen in a long time.
#5- Mr McIntosh from Greenville Rose is going to get alot of wins on the hill for Greenville Rose. The guy is a HS baseball Greg Maddux. Location location and knows how to pitch.
#6- Brian Goodwin is a stud. Speed , power , tremendous arm and he can hit. Rocky Mount is so strong up the middle.
#7- Ben Fish catcher from Rocky Mount is very good behind the plate and at it. I was very impressed with him once again.
#8- Pat Smith HC from Rocky Mount is as good as they come. No one can manage a game any better.
#9- Steve Evans HS Roxboro HS is not only one of the great guys around coaching at the hs level he is a first class person as well. A great coach and a guy the players really enjoy playing for.
#10- There are alot of teams out there that can beat anyone on any given day. Its going to be a very interesting season.
#11- If you dont swing the bat with 2 strikes when the pitcher throws a strike your going to be rung up. What is so hard to understand about that? Im still trying to get an answer to that question.
#12- If you play afraid of messing up your very likely to mess up. So just play the game and have some fun.
#13- If your not having fun then take a week off from school and roof houses for a week. Then come back and tell me how much fun playing baseball is now.
#14- You never make yourself look better by trying to make others look bad. In fact you end up making yourself look bad in the process.
#15- I hate eye black , batting gloves hanging out of the back pocket and wrist bands. I like to see a baseball hat worn properly. And if you can not sprint on and off the field you need to sit in the dugout and watch other guys that do.

And last but not least I love to see Stretchy at a baseball game. No one enjoys it anymore than him. And no one makes me laugh like Stretchy.

 

eleven

# 11 is interesting. How much do ya'll think some HS kids think about if they do mess up, what the coach's reaction will be? Is that a fear factor for them?

and what's wrong with wrist bands?

 

#11

Coach 27 can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he refers to the increasing # of backward Ks seen in hs baseball. Used to be a player took it personally if he struck out, especially looking, as if the pitcher "won" that battle. I see more players go down looking and come back to the dugout like its no big deal. I'm not advocating a player to pout or slam his bat if he whiffs, but where's the sense of urgency to put it in play if a two-strike pitch is close? This seems to be an overall trend. Does it reflect the trend in MLB that many big hitters also K a lot? Food for thought.

 

I like #15

You forgot body amour. Some look like Knights of the Round Table. I would also add #16 Cut you hair and shave. This is not the great wilds of North America.

 

Greatest Game on Earth

Early Surprises:

1-After 3 NNash games this year Tyler Joyner has 3 no decisions.
2-Only 1 home run was hit at the Impact Invite (Ben FIsh/RM)
3-Seems like a lot of no hitters have been thrown already this year.
4-I have witnessed two 9 run innings in two seperate big matchups.
5-Lack of a bonafide #2 pitcher on all the NEW 6 teams.
6-Wilson Beddingfield not having a JV team.
7-Braves not getting tossed from a game yet.

Bonus: The time out strategy discussion by (Coach 27 & Coach F3) in the 7th inning against Rocky Mount was priceless!!!

 

I've only seen 3 games:

- Baine Martin, Watauga, is a player
- Jonney Eaker, AK- some teams mistakenly have captains just because they think they are supposed to. I wish that wasn't the case because it can cause chemistry problems (especially if the coach gets involved). But Eaker is the captain of AK with or without the title.
- Coach Hignight, Providence, warned me that their early season may be rocky, but the strength of schedule will make them a better team when needed.
- Weddington HS is much, much stronger than people thought. A lot of the credit should go to their new coach, Travis Poole
- Myers Park is quietly flying under the radar, but is one of the best teams in the West. I wouldn't want to play those guys.
- Hopewell, under new coach, Dave Brown, has picked up where they left off.
- North Meck continues to be one of the best. Pitcher, Sean Pope, is the real deal.
- Jimmy Messer is bigger and stronger than last year. Jimmy may be the strongest baseball player in the state. There may ne others that workout as hard, but nobody outworks him.

 

Why? Umpires love me. I'm the only one that actually tries to assist them during a game. They appreciate it.

Seriously, I leave those guys alone. Their jobs are hard enough without me interfering

 

Hmmmmm

A Few Of Mine, Thus Far...
-Pitchers have come to rely on the curveball far too much.
-Fundamentals are crucial and you have to wonder if we are failing at this while the kids are young.
-Errors always come back and bite you in some fashion.
-Only the better hitters hit back side or behind the runners. This is quickly becoming a lost art.
-Parents should cheer for their kids, not against the other kids. Here's a lil clue for the parents...yelling "Swing" while an opposing player is taking an at bat is ineffectual and does not make you knowledgeable about the game. It's bush and makes you look like a fool...lol
-Sliding into second is becoming a lost art.
-NOT Running out a groundball or fly ball is far to common (and it's a sin where I come from)

Yeah, nothing new here. Hate to sound too negative. See the same things every year. Guess I have this everlasting hope that things will change.

On the positive side of things...
-There are a good number of kids in the East that will be making a lot of noise the next few years.
-There is as much pride in baseball at the HS level as there is for football (now only if we could figure out how to get the same attendance levels)
-The better pitchers are spotting up and using the change up effectively OVER the curveball.

 

Diesel, as a fellow easterner, I'm happy you decided to join ,and contribute. Informed, level headed contributors can help us all on TBR.

 

Well, I appreciate that. Not sure how level headed I am, but I try...