Baseball Journal

[cotty16]

Hell yeah, Ric! Great pics and seats. Someday I'll make down there for a game. I'd like to see the stadium. Maybe I'll follow my Buccos down.

Lost a tough one to Edison last night 4-3 in the 7th. Kids played their asses off.
We travel to Martins Ferry tomorrow.

 

[finelyshedded]

If you do come down Mike, get the Club Champion seats, their affordable($70-75) range but all you can eat and drink(non alcohol). Good seating and you can/will get your money's worth.

Food options
Pizza
Burgers,dogs,metts,brats
Pulled pork
Nachos
Icecream treats
Peanuts
I think there's some Chinese but not positive.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Love it Ric!

We won an ugly one last night against Gallia 7-6. That was our first league game. Feels good to be 2-0 to start with!!!

 

[finelyshedded]

Thanks Mike and Jesse.
Congrats on your nice start Jesse!


Those prices were last years and I don't know if they went up but even if they're around $80, still worth the dough. Imo

 

[aholdren]

Looks like a great time Ric. My wife and my kids love it down there, we usually try to go at least for a game or two every year.

 

[cotty16]

We have won 4 straight and are now 5-3. They boys are really getting the job done.
Our senior SS just broke the school career record for triples yesterday. He now has 10. He also broke the career record for stolen bases today. He stole 4 bases today and has 45 on his career breaking the old mark of 44. He is playing college ball next year at Sinclair CC in Dayton. He floats around the bases.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Great to hear Mike!!!

We won another slightly ugly one on Monday against our rivals the Marietta Tigers 6-2. We are 3-0 now. We were flatter than pancakes the first three innings, then they came around. I'm down to 10 players and lost my best guy to the varsity. I have no pitching and my best 4-5 players are all burnt out from making runs at state titles in basketball and wresting. There is next to no fire or passion on our team except from me. I coach like I played and it makes me look silly sometimes with how dead my guys are. Today's youth pisses me off more and more by the day...

 

[cotty16]

Jesse,
I hear ya man.. One thing I noticed with last year's team was lack of hustle and fire. So, this year in the preseason we actually practiced sprinting on and off the field. Sprinting back to the dugout after a strikeout or an out at first. Little things like that. I stressed to my guys that I wanted a "college atmosphere" where guys bust their asses every second. You wouldn;t believe how much the attitudes have changed just from doing that. They actually have races on and off the field and nobody wants to be last. I truly believe it helps keep them in the game mentally and it also shows the other team that we mean business. They even sprint down the line after drawing a walk. I love it!!!
Try installing that method with your kids. Tell them if they are joggin on and off or after making and out, or whatever, they are getting yanked. It is amazing how far discipline like that can go. Sadly, I got away from it the last few years and my team suffered for it. I took a hard look in the mirror after last season and realized it was my lack of discipline and attention to little details that may have swayed a few games in our favor. This year is so much better. Even the games we lost, I saw them as positive growth moments because the kids were still busting their asses. I know it sounds minor, but in my first 6 or 7 years I stressed those details and we won games. The last few years I slacked off and it showed. These kids want that type of leadership. Set the tone!

I also make them go touch the fould pole after getting caught looking. They know as soon as they hit the dugout, lay the helmet down, and sprint down the line. If it's the last out of the inning, they wait til they come back in from the field. You'd be amazed how they swing the bat with 2 strikes because they don't want caught! Lol

Good luck buddy. It sounds like you are already doing a great job with them. Keep it up.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Sounds like a great tactic Mike. Right now, I feel I am putting lipstick on a pig. Things will change when I finally have control of the entire program. I need time to learn and mature, but things will change if/when I get the varsity job. Right now, I don't have enough players to use playing time as a disciplinary action. My hands are really tied behind my back right now...

 

[Fullbore]

Sounds like a great tactic Mike. Right now, I feel I am putting lipstick on a pig. Things will change when I finally have control of the entire program. I need time to learn and mature, but things will change if/when I get the varsity job. Right now, I don't have enough players to use playing time as a disciplinary action. My hands are really tied behind my back right now...

Haha! Never heard that phrase before.

I sympathize with you Jesse, it seems that today's youth just doesn't have that killer mentality anymore. Some kids just go through the motions. Hang in there! Mikes advice really sounded good.

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

Sounds like a great tactic Mike. Right now, I feel I am putting lipstick on a pig. Things will change when I finally have control of the entire program. I need time to learn and mature, but things will change if/when I get the varsity job. Right now, I don't have enough players to use playing time as a disciplinary action. My hands are really tied behind my back right now...

I remember as a JV player some frustration with kids getting pulled up. We went undefeated my sophomore year and had guys getting pulled to play varsity, or worse, the varsity coach being a dick and coming down to take part in our success...or I've seen plenty of JV kids get pulled to play with Varsity and end up sitting the bench when they could be excelling on the JV field. They'd rather play with their buddies than warm the varsity bench. As cliche as it is, we had a hell of a lot of fun excelling while the varsity's lost.

You certainly are competitive at 3-0 and aren't just playing for fun. Run their asses, make fun of 'em and keep winning, Coach.

 

[aholdren]

Been hearing good things about the Warren JV coach around town Jesse, the parents are very pleased with their coach and how he interacts with the boy's. This doesn't supprise me in the least, congrats on getting one step closer to your ultimate goal Jesse.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Been hearing good things about the Warren JV coach around town Jesse, the parents are very pleased with their coach and how he interacts with the boy's. This doesn't supprise me in the least, congrats on getting one step closer to your ultimate goal Jesse.

Thanks for sharing this Aaron. It can be a bit of a thankless job, so it feels good to know people are taking note! I took this job because I bleed blue and I want to bring prestige and honor to our baseball program. There are so many things we can/should be doing to grow and strengthen our program. The current head coach is not from around here, so he does not have that deep running passion for the school, community, and program that I have. His and I's styles are miles apart and it will be a struggle for me to live under his thumb for a few years. However I know there is light at the end of the tunnel and someday, that program will be mine. When that day comes, I'll get to work on building a powerhouse program in SE Ohio that runs deep on tradition and pride.

We won another ugly ass game last night against league foe Logan 15-7. The kids were as flat as flat gets and I was about to loose my mind. We close out the 4th inning with a strikeout and not a damn word from anyone on the field. No one cheered. No one fist pumped. Nothing. We were down 3-1 and had our customary huddle before we hit. I just about blew a gasket and ended up walking away, clear out to the left field fence. Told them that was the most pathetic thing I had ever witnessed on a baseball field. We sent 17 batters to the plate that inning and scored 12 runs. They changed pitchers with my 9 hole hitter coming to the plate in the middle of the inning, giving me time to have a conference with him and my base runners. I called for a squeeze and the kids executed beautifully making me look like a genius and we went on to score 6 more runs.

We had a good long talk after the game and I told them to bring their running shoes tonight. We missed no less than 6 signs, missed 5 easy outs they gave us because we didn't execute, had 3 WTF moments, and I can't count how many signs we straight up missed because we were not watching coach. I had kids getting back in the box when I was still giving signs. They will run until their legs are shorter tonight...

 

[cotty16]

Good deal Jesse! Bust their asses. And when you get the varsity job, remember... we are doing a DH! That'll be classic. The annual TOO baseball bash DH featuring the Redskins and Warriors.

We won our 5th straight last night against St. Clairsville 15-3. They were regional finalists last year, so this was a great step for my young team. We are starting 5 sophomores, 2 juniors, and 2 seniors right now. Occasionally I have 3 seniors out there, but we hit for the one senior. I'm loving the attitude of these kids. We got down 3-0 last night early on and then opened it up with clutch hitting.

 

[aholdren]

I was also told you were ponying up $50 (at the end of season) for the batter that get's plunked the most at the plate, any truth behind this? rotflmao

 

[bowhunter1023]

I was also told you were ponying up $50 (at the end of season) for the batter that get's plunked the most at the plate, any truth behind this? rotflmao

HA. Word travels I see! Yes, it is true. Bunch pussies wanna bail out of the box instead wear a pitch. We've had 3 kids get plunked since I made the offer, so it's working!

 

[Buckmaster]

Bribery, If it works than Great! I love it.

Rum them tonight. Sounds like they need it.

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

Just make sure the DH is held at a place where I can drink beer in the stands.

 

[cotty16]

Just make sure the DH is held at a place where I can drink beer in the stands.

Just keep it in a McDonalds cup.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Had a rain out of our trip to Chillicothe on Friday, then a double header at home against PHS on Saturday. We dropped our first game of the season 8-4 thanks to 5 unearned runs in the first game. It was also the best pitching we have faced all season. Still, it was a game we should have won. Took the second one from them 5-3 thanks to a clutch hit from my 9 hole hitter in the bottom of the 6th. I am so proud of this kid words don't describe it. He's about 5'2", 90 pounds. Was late for one practice because of Eagle Scouts and just made it on time Saturday because of Jazz Band. So it is pretty obvious this kid is not a stellar athlete and honestly, I would have cut him if we have cuts this year. However he has turned out to be my hardest worked, always upbeat, and does everything asked of him. I've taken a liking to him because of this and do everything I can to give him confidence. When he gets in the box and looks at me for his signs, I tell him "own that box; it's yours, you own it". He now swings the bat with that kind of mentality.

We are 5-1 with a home league game against Jackson tonight, league game at Gallia on Wednesday, non-league against South on Thursday at home, and a double header at Waterford on Saturday. We should be Jackson, Gallia, and Waterford. South will kill us as they have 5-6 juniors on their JV and consistently have a great baseball program. So as long as we play our kind of ball, we should be 8-2 after this week. Fingers crossed!