9 years between outings!

I'd be happy to know that I've got at least nine years left and I'd be able to renew my AARP membership one more time!

That must have been a real nail-biter -- for Dad, at least! How did he do? And what did he think of the experience?

It's always interesting when our sons are thrust into unfamiliar situations. My 18-year-old son has always played middle-infield and we were shocked when his select coach put him in outfield for a couple of innings last summer -- his first time EVER in the outfield. I asked him after the game how it felt. His reply? "A little bit relaxing and a whole lot of boring."

He texted us last night on the 3 hour ride home and said that "it was kind of fun veiwing the field from the other side. He said that every catcher should step in the pitchers shoes at least one time in their career...he would suggest that your first time not be from a Div 1 mound--if you can help it!
He said that he threw alot of fast balls, that ended up in one HR, one SO, 2 walks and a fly out to center. Not to shabby--for a catcher!

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Bob, Congrats!

Your son is in excellent company...

Last night as I was watching on Gametracker as one of DI's best shortstops - UCLA's Brandon Crawford -was moved to the bump in the 9th in a one run game with the game on the line and men on base...

..Looking at the UCLA website there was NO pitching record at UCLA OR in HS...

In his first college stint on the bump Crawford faced down one of Di's best/hottest hitters with men on base and the game on the line...stuck him out...gave up a run to the next hitter but pitched out of the 9th inning jam...ultimately went 2.2 innings, gave up 2 hits, struck out 4...Crawford then doubled in the 11th, scored the winning run AND got the win...

Quite a performance...

I predict we are going to see a great deal more of this kind of thing in midweek games, with the new compressed schedule, smaller staffs, the important conference games on weekends and pitchers going lame as a result of lack of rest...

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My worry is when one of the position players who has not been training for mound work comes in a game and blows an arm out.

observer

Obviously you have not observed too well ---here in the cold weather climates our players/pitchers have had this type of schedule for years--you warm weather people need to adapt and adjust and stop whining---

Excellent point JT!

I don't see it as whining at all TR.

The new rules have clearly harmed the sport imho...

Why do I say that? Lets look at the typical Northern program this spring...

1 - many of their canceled games will not be made up, thus the schedule has already been reduced for many of them. Is this what players were hoping for? Less games?

2 - I have seen a ton of Northern schools playing D2, D3, and NAIA teams during the midweek this year. Is this what players were after when they opted to go to a D1 school?

3 - The compressed schedule has hurt every program including the Northern teams. Everyone used to spread their games out over more months. Don't recall Northern teams regularly playing five games per week.

4 - Some teams are playing 7 inning games. Is this what players were after when they opted for D1?

5 - As demonstrated in this thread, even the top programs have run out of pitching for the mid-week and are now risking their star players to fill in. Is it a good idea to blow someone's arm out like Brandon Crawford or Bob Sander's son?

6 - Where is the RPI surge for the Northern teams? IMHO, it appears Northern teams have done worse this spring.

There are other things as well. I am sure someone will say we need to study this over a period of years. Someone point out how this has helped the Northern schools and I'll listen.

I realize this has been a bad winter here in the North. If we were to have a mild winter, things might be more balanaced. Do we want the sport teatering on the brink each year praying for the weather to hold out?

CD

I think you miss the point--the northern schools have played with these constraints for years---now the warm weather teams/fans are complaining--they can adapt or erhaps they cannot---that is why I say they are whining

Is your son related to Darren Dreifort?

Cleavlanddad--Are you saying that this was a careless request by a Div 1 coach--could it of been detrimantal to my sons arm??

TR,

To some extent I agree...

To their great credit it would seem to me that the northern schools have adapted well for years.

With a longer schedule reasonable flexability was available and well ultilized. With a longer schedule there were reasonable adaptive solutions (Early trips south...) Some years, with the weather the problem was minimal. And if we believe in Global warming it will be less so in the future.

By instituionalizing a increasingly shorter schedule (draconian solution) there is less flexibility/shared misery for all. And worse yet any adaptibity has been taken out of the hands of schools, and coaches (who DID adapt)and given to legislators and bureaucrats (who historically have dictated heavy handedly solutions without sufficient knowledge or undertstanding of either issues or ramifications).

Good weather and trips south are no longer any part of the equation. Any future changes will have to run through the hands and wisdom of our esteemed NCAA committees...

And changes are coming on this one this summer...

...by NCAA mandate.

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Excellent points CD...

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While the north and south bicker...the NCAA will take the opportunity to push through a shortened season...less travel expense, more time for academics, less stress on arms, can leave the rosters small...

And sorry Bob...didn't mean to hijack your son's accomlishments on the bump!..Three years later mine has been there as well...quite a shock...

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