The playoffs are NOT cruel!!!!!!!!!!

So many of you gentlemen just want to declare Providence the state champion because in your opinions they are the best team. You have to win, win, win to be the champion. The eventual champion will be the best team on the field EVERY GAME THEY PLAY. If for some reason a team allows themselves to lose they do not deserve the crown. I hope they win and I think they will win so stop complaining about the format and let them do the job.
So, let's all enjoy the playoffs.
???

 

The enjoying part, yes, I agree.
The part about the best team on the field winning, not necessarily.
In our game, sometimes you just have to have the best one, single player on the field that night. Or, the best team has to have a few miscues and the other team - not necessarily the better one - play above their collective head.

One personal anecdote along these lines.
The year was, I believe, 2003. Glenn had twins who would play at UNCC. We had a legitimate 92 who would be drafted in June by the Brewers. Several others on the team would go on to play collegiately. We, #1 seed, played East Chapel Hill in the first round. Funny thing, a week earlier ECH had - it was told, though it may have been exaggerated - actually packed up their unis because they were out of the picture. Somehow, amazingly, a team that just could not have lost did so, and ECH slid into the playoffs. They were led by a righty with a maybe mid 80s FB that he threw into a Dixie cup on the outer edge, and absolutely rediculous, nasty off-speed. He ate us alive. We lost; a team that had played TC Roberson in '02 and was figuring to head back. Yes, more than just the pitcher showed up, but make no mistake, HE beat us that day - along with great coaching! (Props to Coach Woodell). He also went on to beat a few others.

By the way, I'm cool with all that. It is the cruel beauty of our game. It's like that really cute girl in Jr High. She is right there. Close enough to touch. She smiles at you a lot. You get her as a partner for group work. She sits with you at lunch a few times. All is perfect. It's a done deal. Then you write her that little note with the boxes and she checks "MAYBE".
At least I had a chance to write the note.
Just let me have a chance in those cruel playoffs...

 

The fewer the games, the less advantage of having superior talent comes into play.

One of the first things you see at a pro-style work out is that they run the sixty, which has little to do with throwing, hitting or catching the baseball. In a one game situation, the extra speed that a player may have (that made him a higher level prospect then he would have been otherwise) to track down a fly ball, score from second on a base hit, turn a base hit into extra bases, etc. may not come into play. Conversely, the opponent that is not quite as talented may not be exposed because the ball comes at them instead of the gap that day. In watching 40-50 AAA games a season and comparing it to the 50-60 high school games a season one of the biggest differences is the speed and range. The difference in speed (which might push a player up or dropped a player down in a scout's evaluation of playing at the next level) in one game is not nearly significant (especially if you get a high school game where both pitchers are putting up an lager amount of strike outs because so few balls are put in play) as it is over 25-30 games in high school which is even greater over 60+ games in college and it is huge over 144/162 games of professional baseball season.

The same is true with arm strength, which is another large difference in watching professional baseball versus high school (you see many high schoolers that can pick it and swing it at the HS level). You don’t need a gun on every play or even in every game, but is nice to have when needed. Over the length of the season it is significant. In any one specific game however, who knows if it will be a factor that day.

Hitting wise, you can square the ball up perfectly and still get out while the preverbal swinging bunt that turns into a line drive in the next day’s box score can get you beat.

There are good teams and even teams that have less than good records that are still capable of winning on any night against any team. These teams have players that, while they are not top level prospects, are more than capable of competing at the high school level. That is why there is maybe one team in the NCHSAA that has not loss yet this season.

The NCHSAA baseball playoffs are currently designed to identify a champion, not necessary which school has the best team of players. Those two things (champion and best team) are not mutually exclusive nor are they mutually shared. The same is true of the NCAA basketball tournament, does not make it less of a great event when the top team does not win. Those that are identifying top teams based upon what they have seen this season are not necessarily wrong in their evaluations. It also does not make them state champions and they know that too.

Like catcoach said, the best team does not win every night. That’s baseball. It may not be cruel, but it can sure hurt. If you don’t think so, why don’t you stay until the last player leaves the field after a crushing loss in the playoffs this May.

You might want to bring a pillow because there is a chance you will be there overnight.

 

Ryan Marion...boy, do I have a good (funny) story about him

 

He was the 92 righty.
Great kid - as good with a pencil and sketch pad and guitar player as with a baseball.

 

Chris and Cory Lane (now have a very good band "Chris Lane Band"...check them out, they are about to make it big!) were the twins! I played with all three growing up and played against all 3 that year. Also played with Billy Quinn who was apart of the East Chapel Hill team and he did say that they had turned their jersey's in. Catcoach, hope that outfielder of yours gets well soon. Sorry to hear that he's out for the season, but glad he is alive and well!

 

The Lanes are SPECIAL - tremendous on the field and off, ALWAYS.
Two of my absolute favorites ever!
And yes, please check out their band. ITunes I think.

For the record in terms of thos eout - D1 signed catcher in knee brace (0 games played), 18 game starting 3rd baseman put in cast last week, 20 game starting OF/leadoff put in cast this weekend - but maybe SR pitcher returning this week after 2 weeks off for shoulder. We'll go with what we got! Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

 

I agree with the music from the Chris Lane Band -- it's awesome! If you haven't heard the song, "Too Tennessee", you need to -- they've also got a new album out.