56 replies to this topic

[Hayes Cooper]

Wish my kid would of played up in the summer. It can only help them in the long run. Whatever his stats were I'm sure he learned alot more by playing less (if that was the case) than he would have if he played acme and I don't know he might of played acme to. You can never play to much ball.

[labatts69]

My understanding is that the stats were not final stats as he had like 30+ at bats...could be wrong but not sure that those are updated completely.

As for being on the roster IF 14 was all the at bats he had...I would say he had a great opportunity to pick the brains of Coach Stechschulte...who played at the Major League level. He got to play at a highter level, and he got to rub shoulders with the older players that really did take him in and accept him.

That has to be better than picking the brains of some Acme coach in Ottawa...by and far.

I think the fact that someone is still on here trying to run the kid down for playing up...is pretty lame!!! I wonder if any of the people on here downing him is actually the Acme coach in Ottawa...would not surprise me at all.

The stats for the whole team were just in the Putnam County Sentinal last week. I believe it said he finished with 14 ab's if we are talking of the same kid.

[Procell]

Either way...14 ab's, 25, ab's, or just 6 ab's. He was willing to put himself out there to be seen, tryout, and be a part of a team that obviously some here do not think he should have been a part of.

What about those that had the 6 ab's...did they waste their time???

Is there any value to the time he spent on the field, or in practice with older players that he will carry with him into next spring/summer??? I think there is alot of value there that he gained...alot more than he would have rec. playing with "his age group".

The knowledge/value he gained this summer will carry over to next and will help him better prepare for the grind all over again. Nice thing is that he has at least 4 more years...or is it 5 years to play Legion ball now...so...he is in control of how much better he will get from one season to the next....and he will get better.

My hat is off to him!

Thumbs down to those that want to make him playing up an issue.

[67Chevy]

my understanding is that at the mid-point of the season, he had earned a starting position and was scheduled to start the next game. He injured his arm in a fall and missed the opportunity and never got back to full playing strength. He's playing football and still doesn't have the arm back to full strength.

[labatts69]

Either way...14 ab's, 25, ab's, or just 6 ab's. He was willing to put himself out there to be seen, tryout, and be a part of a team that obviously some here do not think he should have been a part of.

What about those that had the 6 ab's...did they waste their time???

Is there any value to the time he spent on the field, or in practice with older players that he will carry with him into next spring/summer??? I think there is alot of value there that he gained...alot more than he would have rec. playing with "his age group".

The knowledge/value he gained this summer will carry over to next and will help him better prepare for the grind all over again. Nice thing is that he has at least 4 more years...or is it 5 years to play Legion ball now...so...he is in control of how much better he will get from one season to the next....and he will get better.

My hat is off to him!

Thumbs down to those that want to make him playing up an issue.

I never once said he shouldn't be part of the team, just the facts that were posted in a paper. I could care less either way as I don't know the kid so I have no feelings in this either way. The only reason I followed the stats is to see how Louiselle did since he is from C-town.

[Procell]

No problem with your post. My post is directed at those that do have a problem with this kid, or any other kid that "Played up" to make them selves better...

The only people that complain about that...are the people that are either jealous that their kids aren't up, or are coaches that are upset that they don't have that talent playing for them, or people that just don't have anything better to do than bash a kid.

Sometimes, it is a person jealous that maybe they were looked over when the "up" team was searching for a new coach....so that new coach can do nothing right, and then when he picks a young kid to play for him...he is bashed for taking such a young one...

[labatts69]

Cool, I just didn't want you taking my original post the wrong way. Thanks for the clarification.

[baseballmamma]

Can anyone tell me what schools/towns that Ottawa Legion can pull from to make their team? How many kids usually tryout for the team?

[countywidehasbeen]

Not as many as people may think.
1. O-G
2. Grove
3. Miller City
4. Continental
5. Kalida
6. Pandora-Gilboa

Others within Putnam County apply, depending upon where the residence is, I think.
Ft. Jennings- depends where in the school district they live, split between Van wert & Ottawa
Ottoville- same scenario as Jennings.
There may be other partials?

As for the Legion Districts- I believe they are/were designed to attempt to make a level/fair playing field. Some districts, such as Napolean, service approximately 25 school systems.

This is where it gets a little "rocky" at times. Many times kids (and parents) want to cross District lines to play for another team, most of the time it is not a big deal. However, I have heard in recent years reciprocity has not been practiced.

[baseballmamma]

What about Leipsic? How does the PH area get broke down? Did the kids on last years team from Ada, Delphos Jefferson, Crestview, Van Buren, and Paulding all have to get released from another district? Is there a website that shows the breakdown of the districts?

Why does Ottawa Legion wait till late spring to put a team together? Travel teams had tryouts this fall for next summer.

[countywidehasbeen]

Oh yes, I forgot Leipsic, they would fall into the Ottawa district.
As for PH, I believe it depends on where the player lives. Some of the PH school district is closer in milage to Ottawa than it is Napolean, and I "think" that is how the district boundaries work. I may be wrong, I'm kinda guessing on this.
I try to go to alot of Ottawa legion games every summer and I think I remember hearing some talk about the Botjer kid last year having to get released because he lived closer to Ottawa. Again, not 100% positive on this. I do remember his brother playing for Ottawa, or atleast it was a player from PH with the last name Botjer.
As for the other players.
Delphos Jefferson- I believe this kid came over to play as a freshman (maybe sophomore) when they didn't have an ACME team. I think that is how he came to play for Ottawa.
Paulding- I heard these kids wanted to be released to play for Ottawa to play in memory of the Arend boy that was killed on the Bluffton university Bus. He had played for Ottawa because he lived closer to Ottawa than Van Wert, I think.
Ada- Not sure what circumstances were for him to want to play for Ottawa.
Crestview- I think this kid just wanted to come play for Stechschulte.
Van Buren- this kid was the same as Delphos I think. Came over as a freshman or sophomore when nobody else wanted him. Turned into a great ballplayer.

So if you are asking if Ottawa has players that are from other Districts, yes. Do they have players from their District play for other Districts, yes.

I'm not sure what you are asking or getting at.

Why do they wait "so long"? Not sure that they are. I think that is how most Legions do it.
Again, not sure. Can anyone else add to this to clarify?

In reading your post, I do feel a bit of agitation with Ottawa. ???

[baseballmamma]

Just trying to figure how Legion Ball works. My son is a Sr. and is looking at playing college ball next year and the college coaches we are talking to wants to know where he is playing in the summer.

[countywidehasbeen]

Your son has nothing to worry about. A huge majority of colleges begin making their push for prospects during the winter months, right now. They will follow up on their initial contacts by watching the players in the Spring. Where I see it being beneficial to being seen on a summer team would have been this past Summer. They would have, at that point, put a kid on their "radar", made contacts with him through the winter, and followed up on them this coming Spring.

As for having tryouts/invitations in the fall for the following summer: Napolean is the only one in NW Ohio that does that. Every other Legion Post waits to the Spring to perform tryouts/etc. I guarentee this.

2 Years ago, Ottawa had their team selected, but 7 of the kids that were to be chosen were not released by neighboring Posts. So, it is not that Ottawa has released kids on their roster and do not allow other kids to be released. Releases cripple Ottawa every year. Where Ottawa has a problem is that neighboring Posts do not reciprocate. There have been kids the past few years released to neighbors, but those districts turned around and would not release players to Ottawa in that same year.

It's not that Ottawa has a problem with releasing players, as long as those neighbors reciprocate when the shoe is on the other foot.

There were over 50 kids that wanted to be on the Ottawa team two years ago, and 45 last year. The problem is that almost half of the kids that were good enough to make the team were not able to get released.

Without any rules on District boundaries, more legion teams would have to fold like Defiance legion did, and the only people that benefit from legions being forced to fold are the teams that take their players. Legion ball suffers, the players suffer, etc.

[countywidehasbeen]

forgot to comment about Travel teams

Travel Teams are selected in the Fall for Fundraising. This is how the Travel Teams get kids "locked in". By selecting in the Fall, the kids are bound to the team and must do fundraising in order to play. Not too many kids/parents are gonna pay a team fee and do a bunch of fundraising---then quit/decide not to play for that team.

This I know. I have personal experience with this.

[roarintiger1]

Cory-Rawson has also had 4 players play for Ottawa over the past 5-6 years.
Van Buren has also had several players in the past.

[countywidehasbeen]

Was just curious why this thread was "renamed"? Started out being named something regarding Ottawa Legion...???

[DC/MS]

Bath players have played on the Ottawa Legion in the past as well.