First Baseball Practice

[Screw_Michigan]

This is going to be a bloodbath.

Outfuckingstanding. The key is to maintain the bloodletting all season.

Sin
Schmeck

[Mr T]

If your kid makes an error, always remember to beat them with a car antenna. It builds character.

Sin,
you know who

[Mister Bushice]

I am coaching my youngest son's baseball team again this year. This is the first year that the kids pitch to each other. They hit off a machine last year. The league had to downsize a team from last season, so they held a "skills" evaluation session and then, based on the ratings, divided all the players up to try to even up the teams.

I didn't attend the "draft". The other coach of the team did. He is one of the league officials, and he definitely stacked the deck. My son's team is absolutely loaded. We've got four or five kids who can pitch, and probably 10 of the top 15 players from last year's league. My older son is two years ahead of my younger son, so I've seen two years of kid pitch. There might only be six kids with decent arms in the whole leage most years. Like I said, we've got four or five. This is going to be a bloodbath. And, to be honest, I'm kind of sad its going to be like this. It creates resentment among the other coaches and parents, and doesn't help the kids on this team get better.

Same exact shit happened when we were kids. Two teams had all the best, most experienced players and every other team got the crap beat out of them all year long.

isn't being a coach AND a league official a little conflict of interest-ish?

[BSmack]

Look at it this way 88. All the other kids are learning that life isn't fucking fair. That's a pretty valuable life lesson.

[Wolfman]

I think the kids would be better off if the "adults" stayed out of it all-- and the kids
divvy themselves up into teams of 18-20 by
choosing up sides---remember tossing up the bat and
doing that ??
The two teams would be more balanced and competitive-
the kids would have fun and play till they got tired of it and then go home.
Wait--that's the way it was when I was a kid. I'd always
choose that Abner Doubleday kid--he knew the rules !

[smackaholic]

rack wolfman and sandlot ball. wolfie's old enough to remember when pretty much everybody played that way. I am not. Kids played organized ball in the burbs during the seventies, but, in the city we were still playing pickup games. Our home field was a parking lot in an industrial park. Pull one foul up onto the roof of the building there was an automatic 3 outs. If you were lucky it came back down on the back side which just made it a foul ball. If you really drilled one deep to left onto the roof of the next building it was a homer. Yeah, you were now short one ball, but, you couldn't punish the batter for drilling one that well. In about 5 years, I think I saw maybe 3 balls hit to that roof.

so, 88, has that asshole coach showed the kids how to sharpen their cleats yet? I guess it wouldn't help much though, as these newfangled plastic ones don't hold an edge worth a shit.

one other question. did anybody tell that guy what a pos he is? nice job convincing some of the kids on the other teams to give up on baseball and become sahkah faggits.

[smackaholic]

rack. kids living their entire childhoods under the watchful, well maybe not so watchful eye of mommy on a cell phone are doomed.

why?

because when you are supervised, you can't do really really really stupid shit. therefore, you don't learn that it's really not a good idea to douse cats with lighter fluid and light them off or other dumb shit you wouldn't even think of doing with an adult around.

so, what we have now is 18-19 year old who have spent their formative years either home in front of the play station or at some sort of organized practice. these fukkers aren't street smart and it shows.

[BSmack]

You guys make it sound like kids playing organized ball automatically means they don't play sandlot ball either. I know when I was growing up we played both Little League and pickup games around the neighborhood.

The reason so many Latin kids make it to the bigs is simple. They have all year to play and they are playing to get out of the shitholes they were born in. That automatically gives them two big advantages over whitebread kids from the wealthy suburbs of Ohio. Of course those kids in America that don't make it to the bigs have the chance to become lawyers, doctors, businessmen etc. The 99% from Latin America who don't make it have the chance to work the fields and spend the rest of their lives in poverty.

So tell me again, do you REALLY want your kids to trade places with the Latin kids?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Don't forget to teach your kids to spit in the faces of the opposing players when it comes time for the handshake. Because the handshake isn't necessary, and you should have strong feelings against it. And when the organization decides to fire you over this, just threaten them by saying you're a lawyer and that "you'll go all the way with this."

[smackaholic]

So tell me again, do you REALLY want your kids to trade places with the Latin kids?

link?

pointing out how they play ball is a little diferent from saying you want your kid to swap places with them.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

OXICLEAN! Mgo


Kaboom.

[BSmack]

So tell me again, do you REALLY want your kids to trade places with the Latin kids?

link?

pointing out how they play ball is a little diferent from saying you want your kid to swap places with them.

Yea, but it begs the question "Why do they play ball they way they do?"

Perhaps the first Latin American MVP can shed some light?

"I am different. We, the Latins, are different. If an (American) boy cannot make a play or throw he can go to his daddy, perhaps, and sell cars for him. But if I miss too many, where can I go when they say goodbye? I have no father, no business, no education...I must, therefore, make the play."

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/159

[OCmike]

The 99% from Latin America who don't make it have the chance to work the strawberry or lettuce fields and spend the rest of their lives driving around the freeways of SoCal with 8 relatives in a Chevy Astro van.

FTFY

[BSmack]

The 99% from Latin America who don't make it have the chance to work the strawberry or lettuce fields and spend the rest of their lives driving around the freeways of SoCal with 8 relatives in a Chevy Astro van.

FTFY

You're referring to those lucky few who even get signed to a minor league deal. Which is yet another reason why so many Latin players make it to the bigs. Because teams can sign a whole bunch of Latin prospects for a fraction of what American born players command coming out of HS or college.

[OCmike]

All true, but I was just making a bigoted comment about hispanic people in general. Carry on...

[BSmack]

All true, but I was just making a bigoted comment about hispanic people in general. Carry on...

Sorry, didn't mean to monk your hijack.

[smackaholic]

oc, you trying to run racist smack on the dnc posterboy, bsmack?

go sit in the corner with iman until you learn some respect, mister.

[SoCalTrjn]

Don't forget to practice the intentional walks in case a cancer patient is on deck.

No shit. You can imagine how this season is going to go. I can see the coach going ape shit because the other team scores a run when we've got 30 on the board. Very depressing.

have found that after 4 innings, a 12 run lead ends the game on a mercy ruling. We scored 21 runs in the dfirst 2 innings of one game and the officials zeroed out the score board

[Dinsdale]

If your kid makes an error, always remember to beat them with a car antenna. It builds character.

Sin,
you know who

Probably my favorite so far.

RACK!

[SoCalTrjn]

Get a hold of an Anderson Bat rep in your area, they usually have guys that will come give your team very good hitting instruction and the bats are amazing. I had to bring my 9 year old up to my older sons team to shut the leagues board members up and he went yard in his second game with a 29/20.

http://www.andersonbat.com/

go with the Techzilla, by far the best bat on the market

if your kid doesnt have the hand speed for that bat the PXP is nice

another nice bat for real little guys is a combat bat, full composite, just doesnt have the pop of the techzilla
http://www.combatbaseball.com/products. ... stingid=16

[Goober McTuber]

Someone should take that TechZilla upside your fucking head.

[SoCalTrjn]

yeah cause wanting what's best for your kid is a horrible thing

[PSUFAN]

Someone should take that TechZilla upside your fucking head.

What makes you think it hasn't happened a few hundred times already?

[Goober McTuber]

yeah cause wanting what's best for your kid is a horrible thing

No, your Leo Durocher complex is a horrible thing.

[Wolfman]

at least they are on the 2004 ASA approved
bat list !

[Screw_Michigan]

have found that after 4 innings, a 12 run lead ends the game on a mercy ruling. We scored 21 runs in the dfirst 2 innings of one game and the officials zeroed out the score board

god, you're fucking stupid.

RACK Goobs.

[SoCalTrjn]

My cousins kid is 12 and is far better than any kid on the team I coach. He plays on a LL team where his mom lives and the kids team is 0-13 even though he has hit 15 HR's. He wants to quit baseball because his team sucks so bad, his mom wont let him and her dad has started coaching after the original coach quit and took his son with him to the local Pony league out there. Thats the kind of stuff I have tried to avoid with my sons and have been selective of what teams they have played on. I tried to get my nephews mom to let him come play on my team, even told her my wife would come pick him up for practice and games so she wouldnt have to drive the 30 miles, but she wouldnt allow it.
That poor kid has asked to be traded after every single game and told his mom he was going to quit baseball if she didnt allow him to play on Uncle Erics team.
winning matters to kids

I think the ASA approval is for a softball bat, all the Anderson bats are approved for all sanctions

[OCmike]

Get a hold of an Anderson Bat rep in your area, they usually have guys that will come give your team very good hitting instruction and the bats are amazing. I had to bring my 9 year old up to my older sons team to shut the leagues board members up and he went yard in his second game with a 29/20.

We'd prefer that you'd 32/20. - The CJ

[SoCalTrjn]

-12's are for T ball

[Screw_Michigan]

That poor kid has asked to be traded after every single game and told his mom he was going to quit baseball if she didnt allow him to play on Uncle Erics team.
winning matters to kids

of course everyone wants to fucking win, idiot. do you have to face fuck a mack truck before you even get the fucking point? you are completely oblivious to reality here.

does your nephew still throw tantrums when you don't take him out for icecream after games? sometimes you have to accept the fact your team sucks and still put forth a 100% effort, that's the lesson learned from playing on losing teams. of course, your fucked up spawn will never realize that because your baby factory sister won't teach your nephew a fucking lesson. every fucking kid begs to be on the best team in the league in rocket baseball. only the few spoiled pieces of shit actually (and their enabling parents) force it to happen.

but of course, if it's all in the name of "having the best for my children," then it's fucking ok.

good fucking lord, i fear for society when it has to deal with the fucking urchins your family has spawned. your own personal version of jonestown wouldn't be justice.

just fucking TROTS your life. your tin foil make LTS TARD 2 look like a rhodes scholar and your hockey takes are so fucking retarded, well let's just leave it at that.

keep up that campaign to get rid of hoops at SC, and for the love of god, quit nutsacking that school. if i was AP's eye, i'd be embarassed to say you were a fan.

[Terry in Crapchester]

No, your Leo Durocher complex is a horrible thing.

I wasn't alive when Leo Durocher was a manager; therefore, he's irrelevant to this discussion.

Sin,

Schmick

[War Wagon]

Mike

It's April 19th, you live in Texas, and you're having your first practice?

Somethings wrong with this picture.

[King Crimson]

i played on one of those de facto all-star teams stacked by the draft organizers. hehe.

man, if kids don't learn the fun of jumping yer bike of some crazy nonsense without a helmet and the thrill of a good roman candle fight down at the river....they are like fat, prissy house cats.

[War Wagon]

If a kid wants to quit the game because he plays on a winning team, he's a fucking quitter.

No, he's a dumbass.

[Dinsdale]

Mike

It's April 19th, you live in Texas, and you're having your first practice?

Somethings wrong with this picture.

Yeah, there is something wrong...your fucking IQ. Might want to reread that ol' thread title, and make note of the author while you're at it.

Or was that supposed to be some clever variant of "I know 88 is starting practice, but what is Mike?"




There's something else wrong with this pictute, too --

And the tie came in the last game of the season, on the road, against an undefeated team. And it knocked them out of the playoffs.

Wow, competitive league. Undefeated doesn't even get you a sniff of the playoffs.


The older a man gets, the faster he ran as a boy, eh 88?

[War Wagon]

Yeah, there is something wrong...your fucking IQ. Might want to reread that ol' thread title, and make note of the author while you're at it.

Or was that supposed to be some clever variant of "I know 88 is starting practice, but what is Mike?"

I was misinformed.



Swap Mike for 88 and Texas for Ohio, and it's what I meant to say, you ASS.

[SoCalTrjn]

the 15 HRs and his play at short shows that he hasnt quit, he would just rather play on a real team than the team he has played on which is full of 9 and 10 year olds but is supposed to be a Majors team.

My oldest sons travel team lost in the National finals last year in Orlando, he knows what its it like to lose. Before that he played on other travel teams and little league teams that didnt win it all, I dont think he has won a season end championship since he was 8. My younger son has never been on a great team.
Neither of my sons were on teams where the parents are asking the coach to quit and the team gets blown out by 8 or 9 runs every game. Thats the case for my cousins sons team, theyre on their third coach through 12 games or so. The kid likes baseball and he is great at it but he doesnt take it very seriously, he races MX and BMX nationally Baseball is just something he does 4 months a year, he would rather do something else than show up to have his team get stomped twice a week

[KC Scott]

Mike

It's April 19th, you live in Texas, and you're having your first practice?

Somethings wrong with this picture.

No shit.

My 6 and 8 yrs. olds both started first week of March. The 8 yr. Old just had his first practica game last night.

And we're behing some of the tourny teams out here. They started indoors at Dugout sports / sports city and the new place in Lee Summit back in January. There were teams in 7 yr. Machine pitch that played 60 games last season.

fuckin' insane.

88 - since you've got an older boy, you already know this - but the first season of kid pitch is wiithout a doubt the most boring 90 minutes or 6 innings you'll ever spend on a diamond. Walk, Walk, Walk, Hit by pitch, walk walk, strike out, HBP, walk, walk, etc.

[Mister Bushice]

Yeah, there is something wrong...your fucking IQ. Might want to reread that ol' thread title, and make note of the author while you're at it.

Or was that supposed to be some clever variant of "I know 88 is starting practice, but what is Mike?"

I was misinformed.

It's spelled "malformed"

You're welcome.

[Terry in Crapchester]

There's something else wrong with this pictute, too --

And the tie came in the last game of the season, on the road, against an undefeated team. And it knocked them out of the playoffs.

Wow, competitive league. Undefeated doesn't even get you a sniff of the playoffs.


The older a man gets, the faster he ran as a boy, eh 88?

Back in the day, going undefeated didn't guarantee you a spot in the playoffs. Ohio started a state football playoff system in 1972. Until the 1980 season, Ohio only had three divisions (I, II and III), and only 4 schools in each division made the state playoffs (total of 12 teams in the entire state). The teams were selected based on a complicated computer scoring system in which you got primary points for wins, but secondary and tertiary points based on the wins the teams you beat got later in the season. In 1980, Ohio expanded the playoffs to 5 divisions (I, II, III, IV and V) and to 8 teams in each division (total of 40 high schools). Even then, occasionally an undefeated team would not get in if they didn't get love from the computer, and 1 loss or a tie was almost certain death in terms of post-season playoff hopes. Now, 32 teams in each of five divisions (160 schools) make the state playoffs. In 2001, a 6-4 St. Ignatius team snuck into the playoffs and won 5 in a row to win the State Div. I title.

Since we're going Al Bundy and all . . .

Back when I was in high school, New York didn't even have a state playoff. In fact, there weren't even sectional playoffs until I was a freshman in high school. When the sectional playoffs were added, there were only two schools per class (at the time those were AAA, AA, A, B, C, and D). Your class was based on your enrollment, and you were where you were, you couldn't change it. In my senior year they expanded the sectional playoffs to four teams, but every team lost a regular season game as a result.

Somewhere along the line after I graduated, they added a state playoff, I'm not exactly sure when that happened. Each of the eight sectional winners in each class qualifies for the state playoffs. Along the way, the AAA and AA classes disappeared and then re-emerged, although the AAA class exists only at the sectional, not state, level, so there's a playoff between the AAA and AA sectional champions for the right to go to the state playoffs.

The sectional playoffs now include eight teams per class. They're chosen based on a points formula that factors in both wins and strength of schedule (at least in theory). You get +5 points for a win against an opponent in your own class, -5 points for a loss against an opponent in your own class, +6 points for a win against an opponent in a higher class, -4 points for a loss against an opponent in a higher class, +4 points for a win against an opponent in a lower class, and -6 points for a loss against an opponent in a lower class. With six classes and eight teams per class qualifying for the sectionals (48 teams total), it's not uncommon to see a team sneak into the sectionals with a losing record, particularly in the lower classes, where the point system sometimes rewards those teams if they beat a bigger school along the way.