18under tounament teams

where does this express play? where are most of their kids from? any of the names mentioned on these boards on the roster?

Is this the old Lisle Express?

Different name, same suspects?

Very competitive team.

Norwood would beat you 8 or 9 times out of 10, end of story.

Top Tier and Lombard are both better as well, I don't care if you beat them or not. Play them more than once and see what happens.

In a 10 game series the only team that would give Norwood trouble would be TT because they have the pitching depth to keep up.

Lomabard is good as well, but We would beat them 7 out of 10, which is modest concidering we are 9-1 vs them since Ive been on Norwood.

If you want to say you are the best team in the state then prove it, dont play cupcake teams all season and use ur ace againt TT and Lombards #8 on a monday after they just won a tourny.

With your#1 on the mound is your only chance, but even then, you are far from #1 or 2 in the state...next time you should call the post #1 or #2 in the town, but please not the state, not until you prove something

Chase-

You did have some nice comments about Lombard, but being a graduate of Lombard, I would have to say that you would win 7 out of 10 against them is incorrect. I feel this way because I know Lombard uses wood, no matter if it's Norwood or some sandlot team. Make it wood vs. wood or metal vs. metal and I feel Lombard will do better than 3-7 against Norwood.

Did you guys beat us this past summer? Yes. Did you use metal bats? Yes. Did we use wood? Yes. What was the score? I think like 5-2. I just feel if it were the same conditions Lombard would end up on top just as many times as Norwood would.

"Baseball players are made in the off-season."

Why does Lombard use wood instead of metal when everyone else is using metal?

Are they all pro prospects being watched by scouts?

I think a lot of people would agree that metal is more forgiving. Wood allows a player to learn how to hit the ball on the barrel. A lot of schools use wood bats during the fall and winter to help them fine tune their swing and learn to put the barrel on the ball. I think we all have seen a guy get jammed with metal and still maybe leak one through the infield. You get jammed with wood, snap...or at least the ball does not travel as far.

Lombard plays wood in any non-tournament game because wood forces them to learn to be better hitters and better ball players. It is nor a matter of whether a player is a pro prospect or not. The point of playing is to ty to become the best player you can. Playing wood against aluminum only hurts on the scoreboard. Players have to concentrate a little more at the plate when they swing wood, have to be more aware of the situation and be prepared to manufacture runs. It becomes very important that the player have a quality at-bat each trip.
Pitchers and defensive players have to focus a little more because they know that their team is going to have a hard time hitting over any mistakes on the mound or in the field.
Playing wood does affect Lombard's won/loss record, but the players are better for it.

Beenther...if not for Lombads thinking about using wood...which I supported 100%, my son might have had more of an adjustment out here in AZ...which is a wood bat juco league.

Ask "Keep the Tradition" what he thinks about hitting with wood...He hated it at the beginning of the summer...he would always complain...but by the end of the summer he had made the adjustments necessary to be successful and understood the reasons behind it....even though he was going to a D1 that played aluminum...you favorite foe..Harvard

Wood is used for more that just "pro prospects"...it is a teaching tool

FOR ALL MIDWEST TEAMS

We still have a few openings in our July 4th tournament in Osceola County (Kissimmee, FL)

We expect more than 100 college coaches and por scouts in attendence.

for more info call 352-365-6130.

Bob Pincus
Head Coach
Central Florida Renegades
www.eteamz.com/centralfloridarenegades
RobPincus@aol.com

monen.fyi the express18u played the toughest touney schedule as 17 u one the 18 u usssa rawlings great lakes challenge beating 3 18u teams to advance to the championship game leading in the champinship game with b. schlitter 6"5 pitching they eventually lost 5-3 other kids playing Kenny Williams asu bound Northern IL. bound Matt Jernsted, saint Joes bound Matt Mennen and Matt Reimer as well as 4 other D1 bound players This Team would Beat The norwood blues 3 out of 4 games but they wont play the express.

the lombard lightning might have one d1 player and no pro prospects they should use metal all year they may look better this team may be the 5th or 6th best team in illinois

to hit400 the express has played on weekends 15 young men. from 9 different schools in the western suburbs mainly with several young men from the north and south suburbs this team has been together since they were 12 years old and there unity shows this is the top hitting team around along with 8 differnt men that can pitch at any time and defensivley i ve seen only acouple teams that can compete with them and norwood is not one at least not there fall team of 03 maybe there summer team could

Express, You seemed to be very informed about the area teams.You have made some bold statements. "the lombard lightning might have one d1 player and no pro prospects". Are you a scout? "This Team would Beat The norwood blues 3 out of 4 games but they wont play the express".I'm pretty sure that Norwood dosent duck anyone. But to make statements like this you really would need to know what the rosters of these teams are for 04. Could you please list the rosters of Lombard, Norwood and Top Tier so we can all know. Thanks

Perhaps there is one already, but why doesn't someone put together a local tourney and have all the locals playing..say at Kane County or Alexian. Teams to participate Norwood, Top Tier, Lombard, Express, etc....maybe do a weekend deal, round robbin, let's see all these teams put their best on the field..no excuses. Decide on one bat, wood or metal. Make it an even playing field for everyone involved...if it drizzles, it drizzles for everyone. Teams should focus on this Chicago Classic to make sure they have their #1 pitchers ready to go. Make sure their top players are available. Then we can pull out the measuring sticks and see who is the Best of the Best instead of debating it up on this board.

Great idea pitchdoc24

but someone not associated with any of the teams needs to set it up and run it independently....this way there will be no "after tourney" comments about...homer umps...favored schedule, etc.
I bet it would draw alot of fans of competitive baseball...just to observe
Bill it as..."Chicago Classic" come see some of the best players in the Chicago area play all weekend!!

express a lot of bs-

How was Reimer on your team when he played for Norwood all season?

3 out of 4? Are you joking?

Lombard one D1 player?

You sound like a blind man trying to describe a rainbow. Give it a rest, ifyou are soooogreat how come only players from your team talk about you,while other respected teams never mention you.

If your mommy and daddy want to tell you that you play on the best team then let them do that, but the rest of us know the truth.

Ouch! Chase

TO all you norwood boys out there the express has a 6-5 pitcher throwing 91-92 mph catch up to him if you can plus 2 lefties 1 throwing 84-87 the other low 80s both with great mound presence fyi reimer played for this team for 3 years and will be back for 04 along with todd schultz guess who's rejoining the top team that only keeps 15 players not 24 what a shame for all you boys on the bench have your coach call he wont call me you know what that means he's not that confident in his players.

express...You have only one throwing 91?

Top Tier has at least 12 cruising 90 and 17 at 87 or more in reserve!

Playhard where are you?

Albierto, donde esta? Have to go to Route 30 for some more food!

Since I have been on Blues

01 fall
15-3

02 summer
35-10

02 fall
21-1

03 summer
43-5 #3 in nation NABF

03 fall
23-3

Total
147-22


I think the numbers speak for themself

No doubt Norwood is one of the best around. How many local teams, on average, do the Blues play in the summer? I assume they are pretty much all local in the fall.

Actually in the fall we play around the same schedual minus tournys

Hitters, Breakers, Indians, Lombard

Then of course we have some games that well, are not really fair

New Trier, Stevenson...teams like that...who have great HS teams but ya, lets just say I am never as confident when CG plays them durring the season as I am walking to the field in my Norwood jersey

For the most part though, I think we have a tough schedual which helped us last year in Regionals and Nationals.

lets face it sonen the schedule for such a consistently great team is weak at best. on the surface it appears to be about a big fish in a small pond! i'd like to see the blazers and indiana yankees jump on to that schedule.that would be the kind of quality opponent that would make a schedule worth bragging about.

who are the hitters, breakers and indians?

Hitters are a Wisconsin team that was very competitive for the past 4 years. Likely they have seen their best days with their having lost a ton of "stud" players to college.

Breakers are waves that come ashore.

Indians are, I believe, the Kenosha Indians that pick their players from Northern Illinois teams and some Southeast Wisconsin teams. A very competitive team.

Key is to play the most competitive teams that you can. Up to the coach to schedule the teams. Oftentimes, some of the teams that have all the "stud" players (according to them) can't get the kids together to play during specific tournaments.

I saw a game last summer involving one of the teams often mentioned as a very good team on these boards. They had trouble beating a hamburger team. Beat them 3-2 in 8 innings. It wasn't pretty. I don't think either team had more than 2-3 hits. Sloppy fielding and poor baserunning.

We played a ton of games locally when my son played on the Upper Deck Cougars when he was 13-14 years old and then when he was older. We didn't lose to a single local team and most we slaughter-ruled. What was the point of playing them? Don't know. If you load your lineup with quality players, the only place to play is outside the State of Illinois. We were 41-7 one season with all of the losses coming to California, Texas, Florida and Puerto Rican teams.

I agree with beenthere, but you cant go to cali or fla every game, you still have to play teams around here and out of those teams we try to play the best available to us. Our losses last yeardurring the season were to quality teams...

Indiana Bulls (in 8 innings)-World Series
BP Bulldogs-10-7-World Series (eventual Champ)
Sumit City Sluggers-Regionals-eventually beat them 20-8 in champ game
Breakers-(in 8 innings) beat them 11-1 next game and beat them 4 more times durring the summer

We also beat some of the best teams
-Lombard
-Some team from Michigan with the #1 rated catcher in the nation and a pitcher throwing 93
-Maryland Orioles
-Team Canada
-Diamonds Creak-all stars from 7 states
-Western Michigan Elite
-Libertyville Legion
-Kenosha Indians

the list goes on, sure we don't play Team FLA and PG All-Stars, but unless Illinois had one team then I dont think anyone would have a chance vs those teams

Sonen......

Nobody is questioning the talent available on Norwood, but quite frankly, "I THINK" some of your players are over-rated!!!

Did you include 'fall ball' in your "victories" list? I hope not!!!!

Give us a list of other top teams you beat. Was Wheaton Academy one of those?

Just interested in seeing if everyone you beat, is of the caliber level that your team affiliates itself with. Lombard, Top Tier, Express, Racine, if your not happy with them, let them know, maybe they can get "ALL" of their players to be at the games you play.

I know, I know, you were missing players also!!!! You see, it doesn't really matter what the scores are, or how many victories you have, it's whether you get to play or not, that's what matters!!! Think about it!

"You observe a lot by watching."

Fall ball is not the regular season. It is a tryout basically, and because of that sure we play some teams that are hamburgers.

Think what you want about individual players, but the fact is every one of them is playing somewhere after HS so they can't be too bad. You act like I am saying the pitchers are throwing 95 and the OF is running 6.2 60's, I have never heard of anyone saying anything close to that but honestly, sure there will be 12-0 games but when LT plays the worst team in the conf and beat them does that mean LT is not any good? You can only play who is on your schedual. I have never said Norwood is a National Powerhouse, we are one of the best in the State of Illinois, and yes Lombard, Libertyille, and even Wheaten Academy are included in the state of Illinois.

And yes victories do matter, I agree some more than others, but for those who say winning isnt everything have never won anything before

Sonen.....

I appreciate your thoughts and feelings regarding my post! Thanks!!!

"You observe a lot by watching."

Sonen- for your information reimer has played with the express for the past 5 years this past year he decided to go to norwood because he thought there was somthing better out there he had herd all of the rumors about how they were the best team around. Why do you think he is coming back to the express?? because those rumors are not true. Also Mandele a 6`7 pitcher also left our team with reimer to go to norwood and he will also be returning this year to the express. People dont want to play for that team, they are not as good as people make them out to be. And By the way we played Lombard this past summer They had no hits till the 7th inning when they laid down a bunt. Great team huh? Lombard is a bunch of cry babies and there team falls appart when they start losing.

express, you have a private message

Express,

We finished #3 in the nation, how is that not as good as people expected? Also, Joe is not comming back because he does not want to travel as much this season do top the fact that he already has a scholorship. As for Reimer, and I love the kid don't get me wrong. I mean I am rooming with him at Saint Joes and talk to him reguraly. He is leaving, if he decides to, not because the Express is better as you have been saying, but because he wants to be the everyday SS or at least play more then he would with a team that has 3 SS's. The other 2 by the names of Antesberger and Brewer...have you heard of them? He loved Norwood, he just wants to play SS this year before college and he is afraid he might have to play 2B on Norwood. When we were 15, you guys played in the 15 y/o CABA World Series and I was also in it with the CL Bombers. We finished better than you in the tournament taking 5th. Norwood would destroy that team today, just like we would destroy you now.

As for Lombard...

Wow you had a no hitter going, I threw a no hitter against Kenosha you don't see me saying they suck. I bet they were using wood too. Also, you have told us that you have 2 good pitchers, good pitchers on great days shut down good teams. We have beat Kopach, and the lefty from W-Valley, and a kid throwing 93 from Michigan. We went 3-1 against guys who were drafted last year. Our one loss came to the Summit City Sluggers, 3-2. We then beat them in the championship by the 10 run rule when they did not have their ace on the mound. You have a chance with your ace (s) but after that you are no better than an average team. This is why Lombard is better, maybe they don't have the 1-2 punch you do, but it is hard to win a tourny with only 2 pitchers, and they have more depth.

Sonen, 1)The Norwood team could be one of the best teams Nationally,year in and year out but the schedule is WEAK at best.2) What small 3rd world Nation are you talking about? I'm sure you mean the 2nd rate World Series that the Blues go to every year.3)The really BEST teams as I'm sure you are aware go to Jupiter Fl in October, Marietta Ga in July etc.4) The program needs to open up add coaches and raise $ to attain the recognition they have for so long deserved. My best teams that I'm sure were in the top Baseball America Rankings last year would be Team Fla. USA. Perfect Game(national team). Baseball America. Dallas Tigers. Wisconsin Blazers. Indiana Yankees. etc.

Gees...Sox...You're buying that national tournament stuff...hook, line and sinker! If you keep telling yourself that only those teams and those tournaments are the best, you soon start believing it. I know. I started believing it. Lots of individual talent on many of those teams but a ton of "politics" involved in their makeup, too.

Who are the Indiana Yankees?

I've paid attention to the local midwestern teams for the past 5 years and I've never heard of them.

Express, I'm pretty sure that the game vs. Lombard was at the Lombard Tournament. You really need to say that this game was not against last years 18's team with Kyle O'brien, but the 17's. Is this correct? You won that Tournament right? The team that you beat in the Championship game was the Bartlett Bandits 17's.The score was something like 12 to 10. This Bartlett team had only one player on it that was a starter on thier H.S. Varsity and six guys that did not even play H.S. baseball. Beenthere would call this a Hamberger team. Congratulations on your victories. In my opinion you need to let your play this year do the talking, the rest is just that, talk.

lol, Bret...re the "hamburgers"

By the way, where is that Schaefer (sp) kid going...the pitcher? Saw him light up the guns at the Area Code tryouts in Naperville.

Beenthere, Kevin Schrader is going to Cincinnati. He throws hard, very hard. I broke my new catchers mitt in real fast. Beenthere do you know what he threw on the gun at Area Code? As a Jr. he did not pitch much, I hope that that changes this year. Bartlett has some pitching should be a good year.

I know he hit the 90's. He was actually one of the few on the Stalker that touched 90.

OK, BTIL,heres my reasoning. When your Paul and my Pat played in 88+89 I was not aware of many summer oppurtunities other than the unlimited amateur teams that Pat played for (Oak Park Cards, Midlothian White Sox,Riis Park etc.) As I learned later 1st came Tom Matsie who really founded 12 year old travel baseball. Then there was Upper Deck that expanded travel signifigantly to older age groups. I know that you think that Matsies Palatine Travelers and UD played lots of patsies but in order to begin something you simply have to deal with that. Matsie(Palatine Travelers) and UD figured out that to gain the best competition that National Tournaments were best............Now, take that to the highest level these days @ 18U and thats wy I'm convinced that a whole team of D1 guys (Wisconsin Blazers) that play against similar teams at National Tournaments is a better venue than another team full of D1 guys (Norwood) playing a bunch of patsies most of the time..............The Indiana Yankees are a top national team which plays in many of the National Tourney's. They were 2nd last year at the PG National hampionship in Marietta Ga. They are based in Princeton Indiana which is close to Evansville. They bus to Tourney's wherever they can find the best teams. They are coached by Buddy Swift (braves scout). His assistants are Rob Fornier (indians scout and head coach of Wabash CC) and Dan Snyder (mariners scout). I believe you know of Eric Campbell, who is the highest rated midwest 04 player. He played for the Yankees last year. Ed Roman and many other pro and D1 prospects from several states have and will play for this outstanding team. Ruairi, and other top Chicago players headed to D1 or pro draft will play for the Yankees this year. The organization has been around several years, but the 18u's not as long. Somewhat similar to UD and LL in that several age groups are playing.