60 replies to this topic

[bbdad]

As a former PCL player living elsewhere these days I stumbled upon this site and enjoy reading about what's going on in NW Ohio.

It's interesting to see the changes that have occured since I lived there in the 70s. Kalida strong in baseball. That's a change if I remember correctly.

As someone with a son who plays competitive baseball in a baseball hotbed of the US, I've seen what it takes to build a program at any level.

1 - Feeder programs for pre-high school. Be they rec ball, travel ball, whatever, the better the feeder the better the program. This takes clinics (are there ANY county-wide baseball clinics ever?) good youth coaches with a grounding in sound fundamentals. Make sure the youth coaches KNOW baseball. And, HS coaches have to develop a relationship with these youth coaches.

2 - Travel ball at a relatively young age. Kept in perspective, travel ball means playing against better competition, pitching etc. It doesn't have to be out of control with 70 games in the summer (not unusual where I live) but the more you play the better you will be. PC could field a decent travel team of 12 year olds I'd bet.

3 - Promotion of kids. How many kids in the PCL are going to be playing baseball at any level of college? Do coaches talk it up with kids? Do coaches call around to colleges to promote kids?
I wonder if Gene Steck's success inspired Kalida kids. Maybe, don't know that situation.

4 - Promotion of games/programs. Do any of the schools have a senior night? A web site devoted solely to baseball? Does anybody have any semblance of a booster program? My son's school has some girls who decorate lockers and the like - a Diamond Club they call it here.

5 - Do any of the kids get recommended to any baseball showcases? Are the kids encouraged to go to mlb tryout camps?

6 - Attendance Enhancers - Games parents can attend. More Saturday games would be better. How is your food at games? Ever hold contests (like you have the budget, I know)

All that being said, I know there are a ton of diversions and distractions for kids. Soccer (soccer in the PCL?), basketball, jobs, girls, etc.

However, how many major leaguers have the other sports produced? How many minor leaguers? Small college basketball players abound but that's about it. Trust me, the athleticism required to play baseball at a high level is sufficient in the PCL if kids would take it as seriously as they do other sports.

I've seen the competition here where I live. PCL and NW Ohio baseball is not that far off. The kids in your area are a lot further away from playing D1 football, basketball, soccer etc. than they are baseball.

[FrOnT RoW JOE]

Totally agree with you there, but get more people to think this way would be hard....I have actually said that myself about the baseball players after highschool to any other sport but they give me a response like so....

[GoBlue08]

Good point Joe, I believe C-town baseball can turn it around but, its gonna take those kids who are dedicated to get the other kids who aren't to be more involved instead of just being "loyal" to soccer and basketball.

[bbdad]

B)-->

Just say no to June basketball. That will never happen. Them guys running all them tourneys would lose way to much money. Hate to see it keep going the way it is. One of these days there won't be such a thing as summer baseball.
[/quote]

No more summer baseball? Sad, sad, sad.

I still think someone needs to get some young baseball travel teams going. Surely there are fifteen, for example, 13 and 14 year olds in the county to form the nucleus of a team at the 14 year old range.

Legion is great but not for the younger kids. And it is at the younger ages where you cement the fundamentals into their brains. I tell you, it isn't that kids in other parts of the country are better athletes, it's that they play more ball at a younger age and can execute when called upon.

And someone needs to sponsor a clinic to get kids excited. Most of the high schools here have week long half day camps for the kids during the summer. Coaches make money, kids learn some fundamentals and parents give the kids something to do during at least one week of the summer. Even if you get a one or two day camp going, you could get some pros from Ft. Wayne, Dayton or Toledo to come down and put something on.

When did soccer get so big? What did that sport do that baseball did not? When I lived there in the 70s, soccer was something very, very foreign.

I'm telling you kids, don't know what they are missing not playing competitive baseball.

Good luck!

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[Dr. Hibbert]

Amen, amen, and AMEN to the summer basketball! When I was young a very long time ago, we played baseball well into the summer; none of this "finished with baseball by the 4th of July". Like Lester stated, basketball rules the universe in some towns. Other factors include; Coaches not willing to let the kids be kids, e.g. not allowing them into the gym in the winter to throw (they need to "focus" on basketball). And it isn't "glamorous" to play baseball, only the parents show up to watch. What ya gonna do right?

[bbdad]

B)-->

Around here at least the last few years as soon as school is out summer basketball starts and last till around the first of July, in the mean time open fields for soccer starts in mid June. [/quote]

Sounds like a tough nut to crack. It is simply amazing to me that soccer is so popular in the PCL. On the one hand it is understandable for the schools without football and it apparently being in a different season than basketball. On the other, it's soccer for crying out loud.

Alright, maybe I'm a wee bit biased. Soccer has such a stigma where I live. The wine and cheese set here, don't you know. Probably don't have too much of that in the PCL. Maybe if "Todd and Muffy Van Worthington III" were the stereotypical soccer parents in the county you might feel the same way I do.

Do they do it up like the football schools, kind of a substitute for football's pageantry? Cheerleaders and bands too?

Well good luck and say hello to everyone for me. Haven't been back for years, parents passed, family gone. Curiousity brought me to this site. And...GO BUCKS on Saturday.

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[wildsoccerman]

i like the way you guys talk.......i do love soccer, but i also love baseball......i would love to be able to throw around in the winter. i play indoor soccer in the winter.... it'd be nice to do something baseball during the winter also to keep the arm up. maybe have open gyms for baseball. basketball pretty much dictates MC. unless its tournament, all you'll find in the stands at baseball and soccer games are parents. the odd thing is, baseball is nicknamed America's sport.....i just thought of that, and yet it's falling apart in Putnam County. it'd be nice to see a couple kids every year from the county to go play college ball or something. bring back the prestige of PCL baseball

Edited by wildsoccerman, 14 November 2006 - 09:33 PM.

[FrOnT RoW JOE]

I think that is one of the biggest problems in Continental is we never have a pitcher that can throw hard and consistently throw strikes becasue they only throw maybe 2 weeks before actual practice starts up....once the season is over they put there glove in the closet then dust it off in the spring...I really love basketball but I think it has just gotten out of hand....there is no other coach that can build his program up because they have to be as basketball today....so you schedule practice the next day.....well I have to leave early for basketball....I think that the kids need to step up to the coaches and tell them that it is baseball season...why cant we throw in the gym....maybe because we think we need to redo the gym every summer and we cant go in there a scuff up the floor but yet they allow them to play gym glass on it and kids in there for lunch....ok I am done venting now!!

[GoBlue08]

I have to agree with you joe, i quit basketball for c-town...yes, it was good but it is more like a job than a sport....I stood up to them and now I only play baseball. I throw, run, and lift everyday and I'd have to say I'm fully committed to Coach Miller.

Edited by GoBlue08, 15 November 2006 - 03:38 PM.

[labatts69]

I have to agree with you joe, i quit basketball for c-town...yes, it was good but it is more like a job than a sport....I stood up to them and now I only play baseball. I throw, run, and lift everyday and I'd have to say I'm fully committed to Coach Miller.

That is good to hear. That means you will be a stud come next year since you are only a junior I am guessing. Good luck to you this year and hope to see you on the field.

[bbdad]

I have to agree with you joe, i quit basketball for c-town...yes, it was good but it is more like a job than a sport....I stood up to them and now I only play baseball. I throw, run, and lift everyday and I'd have to say I'm fully committed to Coach Miller.

Good for you. Don't forget to take 100 swings a day as well, dry or off a tee. More important than weight lifting. And if you really want to learn how to swing go to mikeepsteinhitting.com.

Good luck

[Rooney]

BBfan-
Read your post with great interest and you have a good perspective from afar. I have a favorite website I often go to because there is so much baseball stuff there- it's John Skillton's website-if you have a chance take a look. When you mentioned how suprised you were with Kalida being a baseball power I looked around and here's what was there:

the last sixteen seasons: 8 P.C.L. championships- '91.'92,'94,'95,'96,'98,'04,'06
3 Player of the Year : '91-Klausing '95-Ernsberger '05 &'06-Guisinger(sr. this yr!)
Coach McBride- Coach of Year- 7 times
3 District Titles
2 Regional Titles & 1 Runner-up
2 State Final Fours

I am a huge follower of the Legion in Ottawa and this is where I notice the lack of local talent playing Legion baseball. I know that the last 5 years only Ottawa,Kalida,and Ottoville have had multiple players on the Legion team. There are more players on he roster from the surrounding area. Once in a while a boy from Miller City or Ft. Jennings or Columbus Grove has played but not every season. It has become a seasonal sport for many schools and too many players are "specializing" and playing nearly year 'round soccer and basketball. It's a shame because the county still produces college level talent but not many players are choosing the sport of baseball for whatever reasons.

[bbdad]

the last sixteen seasons: 8 P.C.L. championships- '91.'92,'94,'95,'96,'98,'04,'06
3 Player of the Year : '91-Klausing '95-Ernsberger '05 &'06-Guisinger(sr. this yr!)
Coach McBride- Coach of Year- 7 times
3 District Titles
2 Regional Titles & 1 Runner-up
2 State Final Fours

I've been on Skilton's site. A good one to reference for sure. Lotsa good links.

I haven't lived in the county since the early eighties. Those are great accomplishments. Didn't Ernsberger play in the minors for a while?

What's great about baseball is that you don't have to be the tallest, fastest or strongest to play at the next level. I suppose that's true of soccer to a degree. However, if you are slow you are probably going to have difficulty in that sport.

The people I know of that have played pro baseball from Putnam County

Stretch Goedde
Larry Cox
Gene Stec
Brad Schroeder
Bucky Westbelt
Chad? Ernsberger
Wid Stec

Anybody else? Any pro basketball or football players? Any soccer pros? Not saying baseball is better because there were more pros. Not at all. I'm just saying there is a history there and a vein of baseball talent that could probably be mined. Basketball is great, I played and had fun, but let me tell you the world is loaded with 6-3 slow white boy. Food for thought.

[Rooney]

I've been on Skilton's site. A good one to reference for sure. Lotsa good links.

I haven't lived in the county since the early eighties. Those are great accomplishments. Didn't Ernsberger play in the minors for a while?

What's great about baseball is that you don't have to be the tallest, fastest or strongest to play at the next level. I suppose that's true of soccer to a degree. However, if you are slow you are probably going to have difficulty in that sport.

The people I know of that have played pro baseball from Putnam County

Stretch Goedde
Larry Cox
Gene Stec
Brad Schroeder
Bucky Westbelt
Chad? Ernsberger
Wid Stec

Anybody else? Any pro basketball or football players? Any soccer pros? Not saying baseball is better because there were more pros. Not at all. I'm just saying there is a history there and a vein of baseball talent that could probably be mined. Basketball is great, I played and had fun, but let me tell you the world is loaded with 6-3 slow white boy. Food for thought.

BBfan-
Ernsberger first signed with Seattle and was in Double A ball then was traded to St. Louis Cardinals where he played at Double A level again. If you know Putnam County - what are the chances a town of 800 people has two of their local heroes playing for the St. Louis Cardinals major league Team and Double A Memphis Cardinal teams !!

[Dr. Hibbert]

I believe they would help and yes they should play but I dont believe it would be a huge loss simply because neither of the fully cared for the game...dont want to get into details though to start a shouting match so we will leave it at that

Joe can you elaborate on that? I know both these kids fairly well and I can't say that I blame them for some of the "attitude" they allegedly show. I remember watching them during their Sophmore year and witnessing All State basketball star Kurtis Brown and All PCL star Nick Wilson, and Ben Miller throw tantrums... and bats, gloves, helmets, etc. and not pay the piper (being removed from the game). Simon and Burke both set two game suspensions due to their actions. Last season, a senior co-captain popped up to first base twice and never ran the play out, again without being removed from the game. It has got to be difficult to say the least to witness a double standard in regards to discipline.

Edited by Dr. Hibbert, 19 November 2006 - 07:13 PM.

[FrOnT RoW JOE]

I am not going to say everything is fair because its not always...I will say both these boys should and need to go out this year for these reasons: Burke because I really think this kid loves the game and it would be a shame to see him not go out...the best thing for him to do is to become a leader and prove he can play and things will change, but I have never seen that out of him...I have never seen him act like he really cares though....he has made comments about "why should I play" and that brings himself down and others... Simon: because he has the ability to be good as well but also has the same attitude "why should I play"...I personally like both those boys and I think it would be a shame to not see them play....

[Dr. Hibbert]

I am just a casual observer so I can't comment on some of the things those two young men may or may not say. I CAN comment on lack of discipline, as far as fairness across the board; not one set of rules for some and a different set for others. In fact, many people I have talked to have noticed these type of things. Coach is a baseball man though but his batters are very impatient at the plate, i.e. swinging at breaking pitches on a first pitch and being off balance, swinging at anything that resembles a strike when they are ahead in the count instead of looking for that "one" pitch. We need to agressively start finding kids that don't play basketball so there is no conflict with AYBT etc. Also the coaches of other sports need to be more flexible with the kids...if they want to throw baseball during basketball season let them...geesh!

Edited by Dr. Hibbert, 19 November 2006 - 08:06 PM.

[FrOnT RoW JOE]

I totally agree with you there...it has gotten outa hand by far...and if you talk to either of these kids encourage them to go out...on the coaching part I agree with a few comments but I know coach tries to tell these kids this but I think it comes down to lack of interest in Continental of baseball....in a small school it would be hard to find kids who donot play other sports to work with...