Baseball Journal

[Mickey Merrie]

My Cap is off to you cotty16 (hey that was my number when I played!) 21 years of investing in America's youth! Thank you!!

I played a lot of ball through little league, Legion, high school, college, semi pro and then a pile of softball, including traveling and tournaments. Without coaches and umpires there was no game.

Players never really appreciate coaches and umpires until long after the last inning is played. Again thanks to you and all those folks who made the games possible!

 

[5Cent]

How is everyone handling catchers gear and COVID in your area? We have 1 kid that wears his mask 100% of time, yet dad is over with his other kids at the playground around other parents and other kids

 

[Big_Holla]

Good move! F that leg kick!!! All it does is mess up a kid's timing and very rarely do they get the foot back down in time.

That is Allen’s trouble right now. Back to nailing it down. Always looks like he’s stepping out but it’s exactly what you say, foot not down before swinging. All timing if you’re gonna do it.

 

[Big_Holla]

Allen catching

Pitching

 

[giles]

How is everyone handling catchers gear and COVID in your area? We have 1 kid that wears his mask 100% of time, yet dad is over with his other kids at the playground around other parents and other kids

I Only have softball to speak for. Girls hug and do girlie stuff, so the contact is already there. The schools and such have the rules posted...you wouldnt know it though. Lol

Let the kids be kids! Let the kids play!

 

[Big_Holla]

How is everyone handling catchers gear and COVID in your area? We have 1 kid that wears his mask 100% of time, yet dad is over with his other kids at the playground around other parents and other kids

At Allen's age if you are a catcher you have your own gear by now. Little League I can see where there is concern as we only had one set of gear per team. Perhaps some rubbing alcohol and water in a spray bottle? Spray the helmet down in between innings if you are making a catcher change. That is what a nurse friend uses for her shoes and other clothing after coming home from work to disinfect. As far as the team interaction it's kinda like Dave mentioned, tough to keep masks on and tough to create any kind of social distance in a dugout.

 

[Johnny44]

Greyson has his first practice tonight. Also his first year in kid pitch. He always played shortstop and batted 3rd. I told him it's been 2 years since they played, a new coach, so he'll probably get tried out everywhere. We've been working on refining his batting stance a bit. More balanced, no high leg kick. Just getting his hands and wrist quick through the zone

This attitude right here is needed at all levels. Outstanding hitting philosophy as well.

 

[Big_Holla]

Busy and successful weekend for Allen and the Algonac Muskrats! We traveled to Lansing, MI Friday to play a high school team that evening. Won that game 11-6, Allen pitched 2 scoreless no hit innings, striking out 4. Saturday morning we were in a small tournament and Allen started the first game giving up 2 ER's through 5.3 innings, ended up winning 5-4. Second game was for the championship and they won 6-2. Definitely have been struggling to this point so hopefully they can keep the momentum going through the end of the season.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Masons senior season has been rough. New coaching staff has had their hands full. The only senior on the infield is Mason, three freshman at third, SS, and second base. They are doing ok considering. The new head coach knows the game. He’s put in an incredible amount of time working on fundamentals starting back in November. Overall, he’s done a great job. Mason has a unique style that simply did not gel with the new coach. Coach demanded to call every pitch with absolutely no shake offs. We’ve dealt with this stuff with every coach Mason has had and eventually they realize he has a mind for the game and turn him lose. It actually came up in conversation between me and the coach. The coach was boasting that Masons ERA was 1.8. I told him it would only improve if he turned him lose to pitch his game. It took a while but the coach turned him lose his last two outings. In those games he was pitching against Miami Trace and Hillsboro. Both of which are ranked in the top 20, Div 2 for the state. Against Trace, he pitch a complete game, striking out ten, issuing one walk and giving up three unearned runs on around five hits. Against Hillsboro, he pitched 9 2/3 innings before running out of pitches (125). He had 14k’s, two walks, four hits and left the game tied at 0. We lost that game 0-1. They had one solid hit during his time on the mound, leadoff batter hit a double on the first pitch of the game... so the last 16 2/3 innings against two top tier HS teams, his ERA is 0, 24k’s, and gave up just 3 walks. He also lead the team in batting average until recently, which is weird because he’s never been a strong hitter.
It’s painfully clear his HS career is fast coming to an end but he has one more appearance scheduled against Jackson, another top 20 ranked team this week. The last time we played them we were run ruled in 5 with one of our young kids pitching. It will be an exciting game if Mason throws like he always has. It’s absolutely amazing to me to watch him. The kid might hit 80 on a good day and makes really good batters look absolutely foolish using his brain, weird antics, and nasty off speed pitches. Sure gonna miss seeing it.

 

[jagermeister]

Masons senior season has been rough. New coaching staff has had their hands full. The only senior on the infield is Mason, three freshman at third, SS, and second base. They are doing ok considering. The new head coach knows the game. He’s put in an incredible amount of time working on fundamentals starting back in November. Overall, he’s done a great job. Mason has a unique style that simply did not gel with the new coach. Coach demanded to call every pitch with absolutely no shake offs. We’ve dealt with this stuff with every coach Mason has had and eventually they realize he has a mind for the game and turn him lose. It actually came up in conversation between me and the coach. The coach was boasting that Masons ERA was 1.8. I told him it would only improve if he turned him lose to pitch his game. It took a while but the coach turned him lose his last two outings. In those games he was pitching against Miami Trace and Hillsboro. Both of which are ranked in the top 20, Div 2 for the state. Against Trace, he pitch a complete game, striking out ten, issuing one walk and giving up three unearned runs on around five hits. Against Hillsboro, he pitched 9 2/3 innings before running out of pitches (125). He had 14k’s, two walks, four hits and left the game tied at 0. We lost that game 0-1. They had one solid hit during his time on the mound, leadoff batter hit a double on the first pitch of the game... so the last 16 2/3 innings against two top tier HS teams, his ERA is 0, 24k’s, and gave up just 3 walks. He also lead the team in batting average until recently, which is weird because he’s never been a strong hitter.
It’s painfully clear his HS career is fast coming to an end but he has one more appearance scheduled against Jackson, another top 20 ranked team this week. The last time we played them we were run ruled in 5 with one of our young kids pitching. It will be an exciting game if Mason throws like he always has. It’s absolutely amazing to me to watch him. The kid might hit 80 on a good day and makes really good batters look absolutely foolish using his brain, weird antics, and nasty off speed pitches. Sure gonna miss seeing it.

Sounds like he’s having a solid year despite the coaching and young teammates. An ERA below 2 in high school is really, really good. I had a similar experience my senior year. Very young team and when it’s centered on the infield that makes it even worse for a pitcher. Those final innnings as a player are pretty tough to look back on... make sure he knows to enjoy EVERY minute of time on that diamond!

 

[cotty16]

Enjoy it Brock! Take it all in.

 

[cotty16]

By the way, I'm still pissed Mason didn't take me up on my offer of my spare bedroom.

 

["J"]

By the way, I'm still pissed Mason didn't take me up on my offer of my spare bedroom.

Your pizza isn’t as good….

 

[brock ratcliff]

By the way, I'm still pissed Mason didn't take me up on my offer of my spare bedroom.

His pals in Waverly are too. Lol. They seem to feel if he would have packed up and joined them this season they would have won the State tournament. They have a really good program and team put together, but one more kid that doesn’t walk the bases full would have put them there. I honestly wish, at least a little, that we would have facilitated that for him. I’m sure if we had we would have regretted pulling him away from his lifelong buddies for his senior year.

 

[Big_Holla]

His pals in Waverly are too. Lol. They seem to feel if he would have packed up and joined them this season they would have won the State tournament. They have a really good program and team put together, but one more kid that doesn’t walk the bases full would have put them there. I honestly wish, at least a little, that we would have facilitated that for him. I’m sure if we had we would have regretted pulling him away from his lifelong buddies for his senior year.

We regretted having Jenna go to a higher level high school mostly for playing ball. It was her decision to move but I know her and I am sure mom and dad's opinions weighed heavy on her final say-so. She lost most of her friends she grew up with playing ball, mostly because they viewed her as thinking she was better than them for making such a move. It was (and still is) tough on her and I wished we had thought it out better when it came to that. Figured I would throw that out there if there ever was someone on the fence for such a decision.

 

[Big_Holla]

We regretted having Jenna go to a higher level high school mostly for playing ball. It was her decision to move but I know her and I am sure mom and dad's opinions weighed heavy on her final say-so. She lost most of her friends she grew up with playing ball, mostly because they viewed her as thinking she was better than them for making such a move. It was (and still is) tough on her and I wished we had thought it out better when it came to that. Figured I would throw that out there if there ever was someone on the fence for such a decision.

On the flip side of that though was the academic side I should have mentioned. She was enrolled in an accelerated honors academy that actually taught her how to study and work hard with schooling. Guaranteed that is what helped her get through nursing school. All the terminology, prescription medications, etc. she had to learn and how to be efficient learning she got from that school. Algonac didn't have that kind of program for her back then.

 

[bigten05]

kina of bittersweet seeing some of your kids are winding down there time playing and mine are just getting started cooper is in his first year of tball and savannah is in 10 u softball. both of them are really good ball players but cooper is a stud in the making he can hit it to second base in the air off the t. hes gonna be naturally gifted but we have worked with him for a few years now at home. savannah is really good but is to timid when she needs to be aggressive.

 

[5Cent]

kina of bittersweet seeing some of your kids are winding down there time playing and mine are just getting started cooper is in his first year of tball and savannah is in 10 u softball. both of them are really good ball players but cooper is a stud in the making he can hit it to second base in the air off the t. hes gonna be naturally gifted but we have worked with him for a few years now at home. savannah is really good but is to timid when she needs to be aggressive.

Agreed, my wife put together this collage for FB as our youngest starts tball. I remember when cotty's boys were in middle school....dang...

Ty has his first kids pitch game tonight. Plan for him is SS for innings 1-2, pitching 3-4, SS for 5-6. Hope the weather holds out.

 

[Buckmaster]

It’s difficult to coach aggressive behavior tactics.

 

[bigten05]

It’s difficult to coach aggressive behavior tactics.

i should of said more assertive and confident in herself not aggressive. she was playing ss the other day and the second baseman kept taking the throws down from the catcher, shes the coachs daughter and he wouldnt say anything to her so i told savannah if your at short thats your ball shes there to back you up so take control of it and dont let her push you around just because her dads the coach doesnt mean she can do what she wants.